Spring/Summer 2015 FLAME CALDWELL DOMINICANS the COMMUNITY of the SACRED HEART of JESUS ELECTS NEW LEADERSHIP
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FLAMESUMMER2015PG1(COVER)_Layout15/20/1511:25AMPage1 THE Volume 8, No. 2 Spring/Summer 2015 FLAME CALDWELL DOMINICANS THE COMMUNITY OF THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS ELECTS NEW LEADERSHIP On April 12, 2015, following a Mass of the Holy Spirit celebrated by Archbishop Bernard Hebda in the Motherhouse Chapel, the Dominican Sisters of Caldwell elected Sister Patrice Werner, O.P., the 12th Prioress of the Congregation of the Sacred Heart. The delegates then elected three sisters to assist her in implementing the community’s corporate vision for the next five years: Sister Elsie Vicaress Bernauer, O.P. , , and Sisters Eileen Ivory, O.P. and Patricia Tavis, O.P. Councilors . The new administration will take office June 28, 2015 with a Mass of Transition in the Motherhouse Chapel. 1. 2. Top Left to Right: Sister Patrice Werner, OP, Sister Eileen Ivory, OP, Sister Elsie Bernauer, OP Sister Patricia Tavis, OP Right Clockwise: 1. Sister Elise Redmerski,OP, Sister Alice Uhl, OP, Sister Kathleen Boyle, OP, Sister Lois Kikkert, OP, Archbishop Bernard Hebda 2. Sister Mary Thomas Aussem,OP 3. Mary Jordan, OPA, Sister Mary Ann O’Connor, OP, Sister Barbara Judkins, OP 4. Sister Arlene Antczak ,OP Look for more about our new leadership team in the fall issue of the FLAME 4. 3. FLAMESPRING/SUMMERPG2Contents--LetterPrioressSum-2015_Layout15/20/1511:35AMPage1 THE flame sisters of Saint Dominic of Caldwell, NJ A PAST, PRESENT, FUTURE . Message The Sacred Heart Guides Us. The Community of the Sacred Heart of Jesus from the Elects New Leardership! Prioress Letter from the Prioress 2 A Farewell Message - Ever a Part of Our Lives Appeal for the Feast of the Sacred Heart 3 June 2015 Chapter 2015: 4 - 5 Embracing the Unfolding Mystery Together Flame Farewel 2015 In Gratitude 6 Every five years, the Caldwell Dominican Sisters call forth four Sisters to serve as the Prioress and Council. It has been my Messages of Love and Thanks to privilege to serve as the Prioress for the past ten years and in Our Leadership Team June I will pass the torch to my successor, Sister Patrice Werner Commuity and Development News: 7 and her Council. Memorials Golden Jubilee: Sister Patricia Wormann It is impossible to leave without expressing my profound gratitude to each and every one of you. Whether it was a Feast in Focus 8 request for prayers or a response to a need, you were there The Sacred Heart: Open and Broken supporting our sisters, the mission and ministry of the Sisters of Saint Dominic. mission statement With you, Affirmed by Chapter 2005 “We, Sisters of Saint Dominic of Caldwell, are a community of We have had a Powerful Past, vowed women religious responding to God’s call and united We are blessed with a Purposeful Present, in our quest for the unfolding revelation of God. We trust in God’s provident will for a Promising Future. We preach the Word of God through our lives of With you, contemplative prayer, study and ministry in response to the needs of our time. We have sustained nine Sponsored Ministries, We have continued to minister in education, parish VISION STATEMENTS 1995 religion programs, retreat work, social justice endeavors, We will reclaim our passion for contemplation, and choose this hospital ministry, pastoral ministry and counseling. as our lens through which we make decisions, live our lives, minis- ter, and perceive our world. With you, We will hold the promotion of Justice as top priority in every We have been able to meet the needs of our Sisters to area of our Congregation. live the common life by: We will commit ourselves to deepen our studying, living and teaching n Renovation of Saint Catherine Convent Chapel the mysteries of the universe and the sacredness of all creation. n Renovation of the Motherhouse 3rd and 4th floors We resist the ongoing devastation of our planet by a n contemplative scrutiny of our use/abuse of Earth’s gifts. Construction of Sacred Heart Convent which houses 33 Sisters. Community Leadership Sister Arlene Antczak, OP, Prioress As we celebrate the feast of the Sacred Heart and our Sister Luella Ramm, OP, Vicaress transition of leadership, know “You are ever a part of our lives Sister Patricia Stringer, OP, Councilor and the good you have shared will live on in our Hearts”. Sister Elsie Bernauer, OP, Councilor Development Office 1 Ryerson Avenue, Caldwell, New Jersey 07006 973.403.3331 ext. 36 [email protected] Sister Arlene Antczak, OP www.caldwellop.org Prioress FLAMEPG3SPRING/SUMMER2015_Layout15/20/1511:39AMPage1 THEFLAME SACRED HEART APPEAL Channels of Jesus’ Sacred Heart s the Church celebrates the feast of the Sacred state officials, Heart of Jesus, we Dominicans of Caldwell take special medical delight.A As a Congregation dedicated to the Sacred professionals, and Heart we try with our lives to reflect that great love the families and and compassion. Yes, we do this in our personal lives, residents with the but we imitate Saint Dominic in approaching suffering exquisite care and with a structural response as well. When he witnessed Spirit of Jesus they the plight of slaves during his student years in Palencia, experience there. he sold his precious books to ransom them. But he also Extending our organized students and faculty to offer relief as well! reach even further, As Dominicans we commit ourselves to structures that a sister ministers channel Jesus’ great love and compassion to others. as a medical doctor in a local The oldest of these structures, our schools, still teach urban hospital. and form new generations of disciples in and through These ministries the loving ministry of the sisters and our colleagues. reflect the healing compassion of the Heart of Jesus. In fact, one of our schools, Saint Dominic Academy in Jersey City, is actually older than the Congregation itself! Earth herself knows the tender love and mercy of Jesus It was founded when we were still part of the New through the globally recognized ministry of Genesis York community of Dominicans. True to our original Farm. Our Sisters and colleagues in ministry continue mission, it still serves many daughters of immigrants. to learn how to work for justice for Earth through the “the Farm.” Mount Saint Dominic Academy and Lacordaire efforts of As people grow in awareness of Academy continue the mission of educating children threats to Earth’s health, this ministry becomes more in the suburbs, forming them as passionate and evidently valuable. compassionate disciples with hearts for justice. With all these structural responses to the cries for Caldwell University serves students from all over the mercy and compassion, we also continue to work for world, witnessing the loving compassion of Jesus, as justice for Earth, for immigrants and for trafficked well as educating them in the awareness of how their people in collaboration with other Dominican Sisters lives can channel His loving mercy, whatever religious in the United States. Together we try to be the voice “Good News tradition they embrace. We continue to serve in parish of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, proclaiming schools where the education is nationally recognized to the poor, liberty to captives, sight to the blind, and “Blue Ribbon” as and the children and their parents freedom for the oppressed “ (Luke 4:18) grow in discipleship as well. And on this very special feast day, we ask that you Our ministries of education now reach out to people please continue to help us channel the Sacred Heart of all ages through our work in parishes, hospice care, of Jesus through your prayers and financial support. and cable TV productions designed to help proclaim the love and mercy of Jesus to even more hearts. With love and gratitude, Some of our sisters serve on the theological faculties of other universities and graduate schools extending our mission even further. Sister Arlene Antczak, OP In the last several decades the channels of Jesus’ love Prioress and compassion have expanded to meet the needs of our frail elderly sisters and family members. Saint Catherine Healthcare Center continues to impress 3 FLAMEPG4SPRING/SUMMER2015_Layout15/21/1511:33AMPage1 caldwelldominicans Chapter 2015 EMBRACING THE UNFOLDING MYSTERY TOGETHER The 2015 Elective General Chapter DOMINICANS CALDWELL culminated a two-part process which engaged the entire congregation in a prayerful effort to discern the will of the Holy Spirit for its future. From the voting delegates and observers whose attendance triumphed over brutal February weather, to patients and staff in Saint Catherine’s Health Care Center who watched the proceedings on closed-circuit TV, to indefatigable support staff from all over The Mount, everyone contributed to an atmosphere of high-energy and high hopes. The Chapter of Life and Mission, February 12-14, first analyzed data and trends in the Leadership Report from the past five years and then set priorities for the new leadership to implement in the next five. Once again, the sisters committed themselves to contemplation of the mysteries of the universe and to closer collaboration and sharing of resources with other Dominican congregations. Embracing For the first time, every sister was invited to the participate in the nomination of candidates for Prioress and Councilor. An astonishing 65% Unfolding of the community responded. A series of Discernment Conversations and an open Mystery forum with nominees contributed to an atmosphere of transparency and trust in CHAPTER discernment outcomes. Accepting the call of 2015 her sisters, Sister Patrice expressed a vote of confidence in the future: