The 1St Issue 2017 of the Congregation Newsletter "Lifestream"
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www.livestrong.com September Volume V Issue No. 1 January - February 2017 PRIORESSES MEET IN ROME Participants First Row (seated): Sr. Timotea Kronsnabl, Sr. Regina Tesch, Sr. Caridad Choi, M. Angela Strobel, Sr.Lumen Gloria Dungca, Sr. Ma. Salete da Rocha. Second row: Sr. Rosalina Fajardo, Sr. Rosa Maria Santana, Sr. Terese Zemale, Sr. Lugarda Park, Sr. Ma. Ignatius Glaser, Sr. Ma. Gratia Balagot, Sr. Ursula Fuchs, Sr. Elizabeth Busbach Third Row: Sr. Adelaida Ygrubay, Sr. Eva-Maria Zierl, Sr. Pia Portmann, Sr. Adriana Ribeiro, Sr. Antoinette Adelmann, Sr. Ruth Bartonico, Sr. Rosann Ocken, Sr. Rose Marie Hwang. Fourth row: Sr. Madalena Mendonça, Sr. Martha Baumeister, Sr. Ruth Schönenberger, Sr. Maoro Sye, Sr. Mary Thomas Prado Congregation Lifestream 2 PRIORESS MEETING…FROM PAGE ONE The following days were dedicated to topics of the Constitutions focusing mainly on how to live them interculturally. To better understand the term and meaning of living interculturally the participants were asked to read excerpts from the book of Anthony J. Gittins “Living Mission Interculturally.” Abbot President Guillermo Arboleda of the Subiaco Cassinese Congregation presented the petition from the Benedictine Sisters of Mount Olives Monastery, Abt. Guillermo Jerusalem. The Casa Santo Spirito in Rome hospitably A day was entirely dedicated to the topic of received the participants to the Prioresses’ initial and on-going formation. The following day Meeting which – a Sunday- was spent in prayer as there was so started on much to thank for and to ask February 16 for. and ended on Another theme that took a February 27. whole day was “Authority and T h e y Finances”. Sr. Maria Ignatius e x p e r i e n c e d and Sr. Eva-Maria gave their their unity in reports while Sr. Caridad diversity as Dr. Cotogni presented guidelines for the they solemnly Administration of the Assets. entered the Dr. Marco Cotogni, was also invited for his chapter room financial expertise. for the opening The General District communities gave a liturgy. Each report of their ministries, their hopes and their sister carried in concerns. her hand a Sr. Lumen presented a video symbol of her on a visit she and Sr. Salete country or paid to a pious community of c o m m u n i t y. women in Togo, West Africa Among typically cultural symbols were the more who follow the Rule of St. pious ones like statues of Mother Mary, from Benedict. Fatima (Portugal), Aparecida Abt. Gregory The inspiring conference on (Brazil) and Lujan Community life of Abbot (Argentina). Primate Gregory Polan was a highlight and In her opening speech M. summary of these days. Angela Strobel said that in Sr. Rosann Ocken prepared a synthesis of the this fast changing world it twelve-day meeting using a powerpoint M. Angela would be necessary that the presentation. A closing liturgy followed that Generalate, prioresses and captured the theme of the meeting “We Are regional superiors meet more often than every six Different Yet One” affirmed by the scriptural years. This fosters their bonds as one passage “So we, though many, are one body in congregation living the charism and Christ.” ( Romans 12:5a). M. Angela’s closing strengthening their unity in diversity. Sr. Lumen remarks which was integrated in the liturgy Gloria with her unique gift of summarizing in ended with a quote from Psalm 135:3, “Praise words and drawings, recapitulated Pope Francis’ the Lord for he is good; sing a psalm to his Apostolic Constitution Vultum Dei Quaerere Name, for he is our delight .” consisting of 12 themes and 14 articles. By: Sr. Elisabeth Busbach, OSB Congregation Lifestream 3 January 3. The Generalate called for a meeting held at the January 14-29. M. Angela Strobel and Casa Santo Spirito, Rome to discuss the on-going Sr. Regina Tesch made a canonical renovation of the convent in Zarevbrod, Bulgaria. Present visitation at Haus St. Benedict, Tutzing. in the meeting was the entire Generalate; Sr. Elisabeth Busbach, the superior of Bulgaria; Sr. Ma. Ignatius Glaser, February 1. Fr. Fabrizio Meroni, PIME, the General Econome; Sr. Kunigundis Amon who has been secretary general of involved in the project since its conception. A meeting of the Pontifical the Generalate with Sr. Elisabeth ensued to tackle other Missionary Union, concerns. met the Generalate at Casa Santo Spirito, Rome to confer possibilities of implementing authentic renewal for the on-going formation of missionaries in Africa and Asia. SCHEDULE OF VISITATIONS From L-R: Sr. Lumen, Sr. Salete, Sr. Kunigundis, Sr. Elisabeth, M. Angela, Sr. Ma. Ignatius, Sr. Regina March 10 – April 10 January 10-13. Sr. Lumen Gloria Dungca was delegated Olinda: M. Angela and Sr. Salete by M. Angela to go to the Benedictine Sisters of Mount of June 20 - July 5 Olives in Jerusalem to help in the discernment process of Torres Novas (Portugal/Spain): the future of their monastery. M. Angela and Sr. Salete Sr. Margareta •Sr. Margareta Maria Arnold from Tutzing Chapel of the Monastery Priory to Haus St. Sr. Veronika Benedikt •• Sr. Veronika Huwiler from Tutzing Priory to Haus St. Benedikt Sr. Columba Back to Home Priory: • Sr. Columba Kim from Ndanda to Daegu • Sr. Barbara Batac from Norfolk to Haus St. Benedikt Community Sr. Barbara Manila Congregation Lifestream 4 FROM PAPAL VISITATOR TO POPE BY SR. MONIKA GROTH, OSB W e M i s s i o n a r y stated: 1925, a year of jubilee Benedictine Sisters of for us Tutzing have a mission in July 31 the apostolic visitator Bulgaria since 1914 and Angelo Roncalli stood at our there are some accounts door. In the evening we were by the sisters about the Sr. Burkharda sitting in the vine-covered garden visit of Apostolic Nuntio hut. Sr. Deogratia, our eldest novice, offered him Angelo Roncalli. a plate with currants, from our garden. He From the Obituary of Sr. enjoyed them so much that she picked more Harlindis Baumann berries and put them on the plate. In the summer of 1925 the Two days later he said with contentment that we superior and the sisters in their had been the greatest joy for him in Bulgaria Sr. Harlindis poor convent at Badarski-Geran until that time. We were quite overcome, still experienced a great joy. The papal visitator standing at the door. Our Westphalia M. Juliana Roncalli came to their house and was touched by spoke a prophetic word.. This man could become their great poverty. Sr. Superior Harlindis was the Pope.” privileged to do two deeds of charity for the high I read somewhere that the place which a saint prelate – to mend a torn part of his coat and to visited is blessed. Perhaps we owe it to this saint polish the Episcopal ring to sparkle anew, which that we are still allowed to pray and to work had been dulled by the kisses of so many people. together here in Bulga When the visitator on getting the ring back was Just before Roncalli’s departure, there were four pleased with its look he also noticed, that a small of us standing on the veranda, our pastor, Father precious stone was missing. Luckily Sr. Harlindis Franz, big and round (he was the one who had had not thrown out the water, and so she was able asked M. Birgitta in Tutzing to send sisters to to hand back the lost little stone a few minute Bulgaria) Fr. Alois, likewise round, the Bulgarian later. Her joy was great. Her joy would have been guide of Roncalli, and Sr. Juliana, small and even greater, had she guessed, that her small well-rounded. Roncalli looked at each one. Then deeds of love were done for the future Pope John he smiled and said: “Those who want to rise up XXIII. higher should be well-rounded.” He made it to being Pope. His last words were: “Today your Sr. Burkharda Betz in 1974 wrote a chronicle and congregation has won a new friend” FROM ABBOT OF CONCEPTION ABBEY TO ABBOT PRIMATE BY SR. MONIKA GROTH, OSB The new Abbot Primate Gregory P o l a n , f o r m e r A b b o t f r o m Conception Abbey, Missouri and his new Prior Fr. Mauritius Wilde from Münsterschwarzach came for a visit to Casa Santo Spirito, Rome on December 23, 2016. We gathered for a relaxing coffee colloquy and afterwards a friendly exchange at the conference room Fr. Mauritius Abbot Gregory especially on the situation after the earthquake in Norcia. Congregation Lifestream 5 by: SR. PIA PORTMANN, OSB it takes 50-70 years. We, the 43 prioresses from USA, Mexico and Canada, greatly enjoyed the beauty of the surroundings and the warmth of the sunny days. On February 1we had our business meeting, in reviewing the CBP structure and the proposed new structure, and we elected a chairperson instead of a president, in Sr. Jennifer Mechtild Horner, Prioress of our Lady of Grace Monastery in Beech Grove, IN. Sr. Michelle Sinkhorn, OSB, the Technology Administrator of the T4 project – “Wisdom Connections: Timeless, Tradition, Technological This year’s meeting of the Conference of Times” presented the project already in the 3rd Benedictine Prioresses (CBP) took place at the year and appealed to the Conference for further beautiful Renewal Center of the Redemptorists support that will be discussed at the Symposium outside of Tucson, Arizona in the Sonoran in July in St. Leo, FL. Desert. The Sonoran is the only place in the We also nominated sisters for the Council and world where the famous saguaro elected on February 4 four sisters to serve on our cactus (Carnegiea gigantea) grows in the wild.