When Candyce Rekart, IHM, went to Puerto Rico in 1972, she had no idea how long her ministry would last. She’s still there, 34 years later. For the last nine years, she’s ministered in a mental health clinic within a small university. Her clients are adults, adolescents and children – all of whom are survivors of sexual abuse. “I love my work,” Sister Candy says emphatically. “Not the violence that inspires the acts of sexual abuse, but seeing the courage of the survivors is incredible –the courage it took to live on, and also the courage to seek help, to talk about their experiences and to heal from them.”
The psychological services provided at the clinic are free, thanks to a grant from the Justice Department of Puerto Rico in conjunction with federal funds. The program has trained more than 300 doctoral students in the area of sexual abuse. “Because we’ve trained so many people, many psychologists know about us. We get lots of referrals and consultations, and we serve the whole island,” explains Sister Candy. “Many clients are impoverished, but they are willing to travel distances, sometimes on public transportation after work, in order to get the help they need.” Because of the nature of the trauma experienced by those to whom she ministers, Sister Candy notes that treatment is often long-term – anywhere from months to years.
She tells the story of a six-year old girl she treated several years ago, who often chose to color during play therapy sessions. The child, whose life was very chaotic at the time, became extremely upset if she colored outside the lines. “I used to just redraw the lines for her and reframe the picture encouraging her to see potential beyond the limits,” recalls Sister Candy. “I ran into her not long ago. She’s a teenager now, but she told me that those sessions had a profound effect on her.“She said that redrawing the lines of an established picture showed her that one way or another one can look for solutions, even if the solutions are not the ones you expected.
“There is great satisfaction in accompanying people in their journey to find their own inner strengths,” Sister Candy says.
Categories: IHM · Meet IHMs · religious life
Tagged: Candy Rekart, IHM, play therapy, Puerto Rico, survivors of sexual abuse
Sr. Michele taking the plunge then...
Sr. Michele Denton, IHM has taken the plunge. On Saturday, October 10, she professed vows of celibacy, poverty and obedience in a powerfully beautiful Profession Mass. A packed congregation included family, gobs of IHMs, faculty, parents, students and former students (one who even traveled from Arizona) of Marian High School where Michele teaches, as well as longtime friends and friends from the World Community of Christian Meditation. Many facets of the ceremony were quite remarkable. Father Kevin Maksym, a friend since college, presided at the liturgy. In an introduction before Mass he spoke of Michele as his best friend and a tremendous support for his vocation to the priesthood. The Marian high school choir directed by Rachel Creech led the music and began with a prelude that Sr. Michele loves. In the Entrance procession Michele walked up the aisle arm in arm with her parents Doug and Rev. Gretchen Denton. Yes, Michele’s mother is a Presbyterian pastor. It cannot have been easy for either of them when Michele converted to Catholicism — and, of all things, decided to enter religious life. IHM President Sr. Mary Fran Gilleran mentioned that Michele had made a very serious, well thought out discernment about making final Vows, and I was struck by the emphasis Michele gave to the words “for the rest of my life” as she spoke the words of profession. Her joy radiated through the chapel and was met by spontaneous affirming applause from the congregation. In each Profession we see a different face of God, a unique way that God has spoken in this woman’s heart. We all left chapel on Saturday awed at God’s work in Michele and grateful for the gift of vocation. In the next few days I hope to post a video of Sr. Michele’s actual vow ceremony. Keep posted.
...and now!
Categories: IHM · religious life
Tagged: Bloomfield Hills, discernment, Father Kevin Maksym, IHM, Marian High School, Nuns and their families, obedience, poverty, Sr. Mary Fran Gilleran, Sr. Michele Denton, vows of celibacy, World Community of Christian Meditation
Srs. Fran Chirco and Annette Boyle, IHM with their new best friends
Sr. Eileen Semonin, IHM enjoying the students' questions
Last week new students at our college, Marygrove, in Detroit came to the Motherhouse to learn about the IHM sisters who founded their college. At least half of the students had never met a nun before. Four students sat in a group with two sisters. They had great questions and we had a lot of fun together. In a number of groups the students asked what made us enter the convent. I loved watching the students’ faces as Sister Eileen told them that she was engaged to be married at the time when she experienced her call from God during a Holy Hour. Sister said she then had to write a “Dear John” letter to her fiance who was in the service. They loved it. Sr. Annette got their attention too when she talked about her years of ministry in Africa. The students had come to learn about the IHM sisters, but since we IHMs are teachers to the core we managed to focus some time on the students’ plans for their future. A great opportunity to encourage their dreams. We can’t help ourselves!
Categories: IHM
Tagged: Detroit, IHM, Marygrove College, nun, Sr. Annette Boyle, Sr. Eileen Semonin, Sr. Fran Chirco, vocation
Left front: Srs. Mary Alexis Fisher, OSP, Fran Fasolka, IHM Scranton, Clarice Proctor, OSP. Row two: Srs. Rose Yaeger, IHM Immaculata, Mary Fran Gilleran, IHM Monroe, Mary Jo Gallagher, IHM (S), Joan Mumaw, IHM (M), Lorraine Magrew, IHM (I), Mary Persico, IHM (S) Back row: Srs. Mary Ann Bolger (I), Julie Vieira (M)
Just enjoying each other
Taking off for a walking tour
You know what it’s like when the family gets together for a wedding or some other big event? The feeling of excitement and warmth? That’s what it was like in our Motherhouse last weekend when our OSP IHM family gathered, including the Oblate Sisters of Providence (OSP) from Baltimore, and IHM Sisters from Immaculata and Scranton, Pennsylvania and Monroe, Michigan. Representatives of the four communities gather for a board meeting every year and we in Monroe were excited to host it this year. In an earlier blog post (January 14, 2008) I wrote about the beginnings of the IHM community in Monroe, but there’s so much more to the story. Let me fill in one more little chapter.
For approximately a hundred years after IHMs were broken off from each other in the 1860s the groups had little contact with each other, but in the late 60’s we realized that we needed to get together and reconnect our stories. Every ten years since then we’ve gathered all the members of the three IHM communities for prayer, faith sharing, storytelling and partying. An electric atmosphere results. It’s wonderful. In 1995 when we gathered in Monroe for the Sesquicentennial celebration of our IHM communities something new, something powerful and even more wonderful, happened. We invited two representatives of the OSP community, our co-founder Mother Theresa Maxis’s first community, to our gathering. When they were introduced the whole assembled group rose in a spontaneous standing ovation. A very moving moment that made us realize that without the OSPs we are not whole. We’ve learned a lot about each other since then and pondered our history of racism together. The bonds between us have deepened. From now on we will always be four.
Categories: IHM · Uncategorized
Many IHMs have formed reflection groups that meet regularly to share community, fun and prayer. A dear friend of mine in another community often says, “Your sisters really make time to get together.” Oh, yes we do! I belong to a reflection group that is very precious to me. We take turns hosting the gathering, providing the meal and preparing the prayer/reflection. Last Sunday Sr. Jill Kress, IHM led our prayer and reflection. She posed wonderful questions like, “What is your name for God? Who is God for you today? Has your image of God shifted during your life?” Jill handed out the above “wordle” based on scripture (with the help of google searches!), her prayer and her own imagination to spur our reflection on our own image of God. After considerable time of quiet, a rich sharing ensued. Responses began with words like Mystery, Spirit, Creator, Jesus and then moved into reflections on how God is present to each of us in our lives now.
How about you? Do Jill’s questions evoke a response in your heart? I’d love to hear about it.
In case you’re intrigued by wordles, here’s the website: www.wordle.net. Enjoy!
Categories: IHM · religious life · spirituality
Tagged: IHM, image of God, Prayer, Sr. Jill Kress, wordle
I am so excited to invite you to our next “Come and See ” here at the IHM Motherhouse, October 23-25. After the last discernment weekend in May Sr. Julie and I reflected that we had truly been on holy ground as women shared their wonderings about religious life and their desire to know and follow God’s path for them. Consider joining us for good praying, good sharing, good conversations, good questions, good community.
Download Come and See flyer: Come and See Flyer
Categories: Uncategorized
For centuries the daily lives of monastic women and men revolved around praying the “Office.” In Latin it was called “Opus Dei,” meaning the work of God. Priests refer to it as the Breviary that they are required to pray each day. Today we usually refer to this prayer as the Liturgy of the Hours. Early in our IHM history we had prayed structured devotional prayers in the morning, before supper and at the end of the day. After Vatican Council II as we discovered the richness of the Scriptures we relished learning to pray the Scripture-based Liturgy of the Hours. Some groups of IHMs living together today take time once a day to pray the Office, often using The People’s Companion to the Breviary, appreciating its 
inclusive language and wonderful variety of readings from Scriptures, writings of the saints and other spiritual leaders. Other sisters use this resource for their private prayer. In case you’re unfamiliar with it, in broad strokes the Office includes three psalms, a reading, quiet reflection, intercessions, and a closing prayer. Is this “Work of God” part of IHM prayer? Yes. Our sisters at the Motherhouse pray the Evening Prayer from the Office every day. From the rich ground of Scripture some sisters have moved to concentrating on just one psalm or using a favorite short prayer to lead into contemplation. Others focus on the scripture of God’s movement in their lives. All is rooted in the word of God. It is all the work of God.
Categories: IHM · spirituality
Tagged: IHM prayer, Scripture based prayer, The People's Companion to the Breviary
At the end of July during IHM community days we were invited to share in groups of two or three about our personal prayer, how it nourishes and challenges us. Sisters Sandra Schneiders and Julie Vieira composed my threesome. Sandra shared that she begins each day with a prolonged contemplative time, including quiet prayer, reading, journaling and, of course, reflection on the Scriptures of the day. This time is sacrosanct for her. Julie said her daily prayer too included quiet and reflection on the Mass readings, adding that she is noticing often being drawn to prayer in her encounters with people and in the little glimpses of nature that capture her attention. I shared that I too always begin with letting the day’s Mass readings touch my experience. In addition my prayer includes a practice of Ignatian Examen. Looking back at the last day I notice times of deep freedom and openness when I was obviously moving in the flow of God and I sit in gratitude. In the replaying of the day, times of unfreedom, scatteredness, resistance surface as well, prompting me to reflect on what God is inviting me to.
Sharing with Julie and Sandra touched me deeply. What a treasure it is to share faith with my sisters. This is part of IHM prayer. In addition I had this image of all of us IHMs sitting quietly with the day’s Scripture in chairs in many different states and a few different countries, but united in IHM prayer.
Categories: IHM · spirituality
Tagged: Faith sharing, Ignatian Examen, IHM, IHM prayer, Julie Vieira, Sandra Schneiders, Scripture
As I mentioned the other day I’m enjoying the wealth and depth of my IHM sisters’ spirituality as I engage them in the question “What is IHM prayer like.” Of course there is no one answer, but I’m finding striking common threads. A few days ago I asked Sr. Roberta Richmond, IHM, an insightful woman just a few years my senior. She responded, “I guess I ‘d say contemplation and justice.”
Sr. Lucy Abbey, IHM working with needy children
Contemplation affirmed my conviction about the core of IHM prayer, but “justice” surprised me, so I pressed further, “Justice?” Roberta explained that for her justice comes down to right relationship with God and ourselves, with others both near and far and with all of creation. As a community we have taken Vatican Council II’s call to listen to God’s call in the needs of our times very seriously. Over the years we have prayed and discerned both personally and communally about where God is calling us.
Sr. Joyce, IHM working for Habitat
Inveterate learners, as we have realized our relationship to all creation our sphere of relationship has broadened exponentially to include not just the joys and struggles in our immediate sphere, but also the needs of the poor, those suffering violence and utter poverty and our scarred planet. We know we are all related. However, we are no politicians. We are IHM women of prayer committed to living the Liberating Mission of Jesus (Luke 4:17 ff) in our world. So our personal and communal contemplation always embraces justice. We move back and forth between a place of contemplation and action on behalf of justice.
Prayer suffuses mission.
I’ve included a link to the section on our website on justice peace and sustainability. I’ve also included a few pictures. As you may have noticed, I believe the power of images surpasses words.
Sr. Jill, IHM, member of the Michigan Peace Team at the Bethlehem checkpoint
http://www.ihmsisters.org/www/Justice_Peace_and_Sustainability/The_IHM_Commitment/history.asp
Categories: IHM · spirituality
Tagged: contemplation, IHM prayer, justice, right realtionship, social justice
Annunciation in IHM Motherhouse, Immaculata, PA
One of the most interesting and challenging questions discerners have asked me is “How do IHM sisters pray? Of course since there are hundreds of us there are a lot of answers. However, let me tell you about a prayer that was part of IHM history even before the actual founding in 1845. Fr. Gillet, our co-founder met a young woman while he was preaching a mission in Grosse Point, Michigan. Therese Renauld confided that she felt drawn to religious life. Fr. Gillet, sensing her sincere desire, asked her to ring the Angelus bell at the church every day while saying the prayer. Her faithfulness would would root her in Mary’s experience at the Annunciation and help prepare her to enter the new community he was founding in Monroe, Michigan. Therese rang the bell faithfully and became one of the first three sisters in the community. In the community the Angelus always began our morning prayer, and concluded our vespers prayer. Though our ministries have taken us far and wide and necessitated very different schedules this prayer of openness to God has always been at our core. Here at the Motherhouse sisters rise and pray in solitude early in the morning, but at noon and 6:00 PM when the bell rings you see sisters stop to pray the Angelus. I offer it to discerners as a way to stay close to Mary who knew how to respond to God. When the Angelus is prayed in a group one person prays the first line and all respond with the second line.
The angel of the Lord declared unto Mary.
And she conceived of the Holy Spirit.
Hail Mary…
Behold the handmaid of the L:ord
Be it sone unto me according to your word.
Hail Mary…
And the Word was made flesh
And dwelled among us.
Hail Mary…
Pray for us, O holy Mother of God
That we may become worthy of the promises of Christ.
Let us pray.
Pour forth we beseech you, O Lord, your grace into our hearts, that we to whom the incarnation of Christ your son was made known by the message of an angel, may by his Passion and Cross be brought to the glory of his Resurrection. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
http://www.answers.com/topic/angelus
Categories: IHM · spirituality
Tagged: IHM history, religious life, the Angelus, vocation
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