News from Tutzing Priory

July, August, September Nr. 03/2019

Jubilee in Bernried – 70 years!

On July 4th 1949, the first Missionary Benedictine Sisters moved from Tutzing to Bernried and started to live, pray and work in the former Augustinian On July 3rd 2019 the convent in Bernried made a Canons monastery. convent outing in glorious weather: a large cruise on A few steps of the history: Lake Starnberg. In Tutzing then Prioress Sr. Ruth got The monastery was consecrated to St. Martin and on too - a joyful surprise for the sisters. The three- founded in 1120 by Count Otto of Valley and his wife hour drive offered many opportunities for exchange, Adelheid. Under Provost Mansuetus Resch (1723-41), to marvel at the beautiful landscape, to pause who had all the abbey buildings restored and thankful. The liturgical thanksgiving was then on the promoted science, art and culture, the place enjoyed actual founding day, the 4th of July. Thanks, but also an upswing. In 1803 it was dissolved in the course of a request for a good direction into the future. Later secularization. in the morning, employees were invited to the In 1810 Ignaz Count Arco acquired all the property. refectory to celebrate the feastday with the sisters. August Freiherr von Wendland bought in 1852 The day ended in the evening in the garden with a monastery and lands. He demolished east and west "monastery quiz" - riddled with questions from the tract of the monastery complex, and transformed the past 70 years. There was a lot to laugh about and also south wing into a castle (neo-renaissance). some new "insights". In 1941, the Ministry of the Interior bought the castle with the close-by park. From 1942 to 1948, the Orthopedic Clinic moved from Munich to the Bernried Castle - due to the war. In 1949, the Missionary Benedictines of Tutzing acquired the old facility and soon established a domestic science school with boarding home in the buildings, which in the course of the following years was extended to a pre-seminar for social women's occupations. From 1953 to 1995 the novitiate of the Tutzing Priory was stationed in Bernried, which was then relocated to Tutzing. Many sisters from Tutzing Priory, but also some from other Priories, received their monastic formation there. From 2011 - 2016, the novitiate was again back in Bernried. In 1972 the school was closed and the house was converted into an center for adult education. News from Tutzing Priory 03/2019 page 2

"Hide me in the shadow of your wings" Growth in Dresden The images of God of the psalms as orientation and challenge for us today

Sr. Mirjam Schweiger, Sr. Hildegard Jansing, Sr. Simone Berger, On July 5th/6th, Prof. Dr. Hanneliese Steichele shared Sr. Mary Ignatius Aquino (left to right) th with us some aspects of the image of God in the On July 15 Sr. Simone Berger together with Sr. psalms. She considers it particularly urgent in our Mirjam set out for Dresden to strengthen the times to keep the question of God alive. It is Emmaus community there. Sr. Simone has already important that on the one hand we do not allow lived and worked in Dresden for several years. ourselves that the reality of God is explained away by Nevertheless, it is also a new start for her at the new natural sciences and on the other hand that we do location and in a new mixture in the community. The not fall into a "Gottprotzigkeit" (Elias Canetti), which parish of St. Peter in Dresden-Strehlen, in whose pretends to know God exactly. Again and again she rectory the sisters live, is glad and grateful for the quoted Karl Rahner from one of his last lectures in presence of the sisters community. Because in ever- 1984, "Experiences of a Catholic Theologian". growing pastoral spaces and with fewer full-time "We speak of God, of his existence, of his personality, staff, there is growing fear that the cherished and of three persons in God, of his freedom, of his necessary offers in a parish can no longer be obligatory will, and so on... But with all our talking, achieved. At present, the sisters are in discussions we usually forget that such a statement is only fairly with the diocese to clarify how the cooperation in the legitimatly to be said of God, if we withdraw it again parish office and in the catechesis might look like and and again, endure the eerie balance between yes and how it is remunerated. no as the true and only fixed point of our cognition and so our statements always fall into the silent incomprehensibility of God himself ... " Mrs. Steichele showed us with some psalms the variety of concepts and images of God in the psalms that can help us to endure "the eerie balance between yes and no". In her speech, she also talked about the new translation of the psalms in the 2016 German standard translation. In her estimation, many things are well done in this translation and encourage new talk with God!

Every year - there is a meeting of Tutzing sisters with the brothers from St. Ottilien – one year there, the next here. This year, it was our turn again in Tutzing to welcome the brothers.

News from Tutzing Priory 03/2019 page 3

On August 15th Sr. Ulla Mariam Hoffmann reported on the activities of the group "women religious for human dignity" and their appearance on Facebook. Welcome in the hospital yard: Sr. Josefa (senior in Tutzing with 97!), Since the summer of 2018, sisters of some F. Winfried Yego, Sr. Mary Birkemeyer, Sr. Cecilia (House Benedict) congregations have come together to consider After a leisurely coffee-break, during which Sr. Ruth whether and how we as women religious should read a few memoirs from the chronicle on the participate in events and demonstrations that point departure of the sisters of St. Ottilien (occasion was to grievances and shortcomings in church and the imminent demolition of St. Katharina, the first politics. The first action was the participation in a motherhouse of the sisters), there were various demonstration on October 3rd in 2018. It was under offers until Vespers : a guided tour through the house, the hashtag #outraged against the policy of the sightseeing at the school and bathing in the lake, or Bavarian state government and thus against a policy just sitting together and sharing. of fear. From these beginnings, the group continued With iced coffee and waffles, brothers and sisters to evolve, raised the question what mandate they had a great time! have from their respective communities, trying to sharpen their profile and to clarify what actions they wanted to take. The participation of "women religious for human dignity" was well perceived by the press - but more so by the other participants and people on the sidelines of a demonstration or event. "It's good that you are here!" was heard again and again. Or "You can show up more easily in public with your opinion. As church staff we have to be very At the vespers we were happy about the strong and careful! " well-fitting singing of the confreres. It was good to be before God with each other. On February 14th we experienced a deep bond with millions of women worldwide –

Unfortunately, the weather did not allow the planned barbecue in the garden - so we met again in the refectory and the evening ended relaxed. See you next year in St. Ottilien!

News from Tutzing Priory 03/2019 page 4 for example also with We are representatives from the following congregations: • School Sisters Notre Dame Munich • Congregatio Jesu (Mary Ward Sisters) • Dominicans of Schlehdorf • Congregation of Helpers SA • Little sisters of Jesus • Missionaries of Christ • Missionary Benedictines of Tutzing • Sisters of the Divine Redeemer (Niederbronner Sisters)

In the convent sisters informed several times on the In addition an interesting quote from Edith Stein: actions, invited the sisters to join and received The early Church knows a manifold charitable activity of backing for this engagement. women in the parishes, a strong apostolic effectiveness of On her Facebook site, the group formulates what it the female confessors and martyrs, she knows the stands for: liturgical virginity and also a consecrated ecclesiastical We are a group of women religious from various ministry, the women's deaconate, with its own diaconal predominantly international congregations from ordination - but the priesthood of women was not Munich and the surrounding area. We look with introduced in the early times. The further historical interest but also with concern on the current development brings a repression of women from these developments in church and society. In view of the offices and a gradual decline of their canonical position, it seems, under the influence of Old Testament and Roman current grievances within our country and the global legal ideas. Recent times show a change due to the strong church, we cannot and do not want to be silent. We desire for female forces for the charitable work of the are worried about the growing nationalism, the church and support in the field of pastoral work. Efforts brutalization of language, increasing violence, the are being made by the female side to restore this activity ever-widening gap between poor and rich, the to the character of a consecrated ecclesiastical office, and exclusion of refugees and minorities, the progressive it may well be that this desire will one day be listened to. destruction of our planet. Whether that would be the first step in a path that We are particularly concerned about the issues of eventually leads to the priesthood of the woman is the sexual and spiritual abuse and the women's issue in question. our church. Since summer 2018 we start various Dogmatically nothing seems to stand in the way, which actions and raise our voice: could forbid the church to carry out such a hitherto unprecedented innovation. Whether it would be For the dignity of every human being practically advisable, gives space to many reasons pro and • For sisterly and brotherly cooperation contra. Against it, the whole tradition speaks from the • For justice for the weakest ancient times to today, but for my feeling even more the • For respect and dialogue mysterious fact that I emphasized earlier: that Christ came • For non-violence to earth as the Son of Man, that therefore the first

For solidarity with refugees creature on earth, created in the image of God in an • For church asylum excellent sense, was a man. ... " Beruf des Mannes und der Frau nach Natur- und Gnadenordnung. 1930 • For combating the causes for migration and flight In: Die Frau. Band 13 Edith Stein Gesamtausgabe, Seite 77. • For climate protection • For a stop of export of arms

For reforms in the church • For an equal togetherness of women and men • For the consistent processing of cases of abuse • For overdue revision of church’s sexual teaching •For the admission of women to all ecclesiastical offices and functions

News from Tutzing Priory 03/2019 page 5

Farewell to Sr. Avila ROX – Roots Exposure

For Sr. Avila Kim on August 18th her four-years stay in A group of young monks from three continents had the Priory of Tutzing ended. It had its prelude a few started in July / August to the excursion to their years earlier, when Sr. Avila came to Bernried as part missionary-benedictine roots in Germany. of the IWE and fell in love with the garden there. She Under the title "ROX" ("roots exposure") 14 monks wanted to come and work there and to get involved from Africa, South America and Asia learned about in the community. With great diligence and skill Sr. their congregational history and visited in almost Avila has worked in the garden in the past years. Even four weeks various abbeys of the congregation of St. though learning German was harder than working in Ottilien. the garden, so too she managed it the longer the On August 21st the group made a visit in Tutzing. better. Sr. Avila has made contacts to Korean After all, half a day was reserved for a glimpse into Christians in Munich and invited them to Bernried. the Motherhouse of our congregation and the Now she returned to her home priory Seoul. encounter with us. Some of the brothers know our After lauds followed by a blessing, the Bernried sisters because they live and work near their abbeys. community said goodbye to her with heartfelt thanks. In addition to pray and eat together, we took time for Sr. Helga Gabriela finally took her to the airport. In a small cooperation game that helped us to the afternoon, the sisters planted a scarlet oak tree understand some aspects about the growing in the Bernried garden. together of a community, about the openness to the

ideas of others, about communication and so on. It

was refreshing to see how dedicated and reflective

the young brothers are on their journey.

So, at the end of the visit, the desire remained that

each one of us would grow in the willingness to build

community with his or her fellows - for ourselves and

for the people around us.

Visit at the grave of Sr. Katharina Scheyns

In August, I went to Rome with Sr. Ruth

Schönenberger for talks with the Generalate. On

August 27th we were able to take a little trip with Sr.

Regina Tesch. We visited the church of S. Lorenzo

fuori le mura and the adjacent cemetery Verano (the

largest cemetery in Rome). Sr. Monika Groth had told

us that there is the grave of Sr. Katharina and her

daughter. Equipped with only a rough description we

found the place. It is not that big yet, it can still be!

News from Tutzing Priory 03/2019 page 6

image of this woman from the letters and testimonies - and to give her a worthy place in the history of our Congregation despite all the brokenness of her path.

Many people followed on September 22nd our invitation to

Grave of Sr. Katharina and her daughter in Rome the "Open-Door Many questions crossed my mind when I first stood Day". For some at the grave site. it was the first It is now the 134th anniversary in September that four look behind the women have come to Reichenbach to participate in otherwise the Benedictine missionwork of Fr. Andreas. One of closed doors, them was later named Sr. Katharina and became the others came first Superior of the Sisters Community. The first again - "Because motherhouse of the sisters in St. Ottilien is named it's just so nice after her. with you!" - and How did she handle the burden of responsibility for others refreshed the Sisters Community? What and who helped her? after decades What was her inner struggle when she realized that their memories she was pregnant and yet wanted to live the life of a of kindergarten days or school hours. Guided tours of sister? The first public celebration of vows was in St. the house, coffee and cake, discussions and games Ottilien in 1890 - Sr. Katharina was not among the focused on the encounter with us sisters. Many professed sisters - her daughter Emma was already questions could be asked: What do you live on? Is Sr. born then (08.05.1889) And after the delivery of her XY still alive? May one simply come to join for prayer? daughter Emma - she could not openly stand to her, And many more. she saw her growing up in the orphanage in St. Ottilien - how does a woman hold this inner conflict? Finally, the time in Rome - on her own, single mother, worried about a good future for her daughter? Presumably, like many other parents or single parents, she has done many things well and many others not or made good and wrong decisions. Was Father Andreas still in contact with Sr. Katharina and his daughter until his death? Was he interested Vespers ended the afternoon and we were grateful in her path of life - at least from the distance? Emma for the interest in our live and for the warm and married into a Roman family, had five children and encouraging encounters. died in 1973. At the grave site we currently only find the plaque for Maria Emma Stocker - the daughter of Sr. Katharina and P. Andreas (he had registered her in the birth register under the name of a friend!) Below there is a blank space - for me, like a symbol of the blank space that also exists in our All articles by Sr. Elisabeth-Magdalena Zehe using images and congregational history. How little do we know of this information from fellow sisters - thank you very much! woman who helped shape the difficult beginnings Translation also done by Sr. Elisabeth-Magdalena. with Fr. Andreas. It would be rewarding to extract the