During the profession Mass IHM President, Sr. Mary Fran Gilleran, asked those who have walked with Michele during temporary vows– her Mentor, Sr. Pat Rourke and her Mission Counselor, Sr. Joan Mumaw, to speak of her readiness to make final vows. Then after Michele had pronounced her vows Mary Fran invited her to speak of what this meant to her. Resounding, joyful applause erupted from the community.
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Tagged: Final Profession, IHM, religious life, Sr. Michele Denton
Yahoo! Finally a video (rough as it is) on the IHM blog, ! After unsuccessfully consulting many experts, I discovered the real expert, my twenty-one year old niece, Katie. And her consultation fee couldn’t be beat!
A few weeks ago I wrote about what a great experience it was to have Marygrove students visit the Motherhouse. I didn’t mention the reason for the trip. Marygrove College in Detroit was founded by the IHMs and the school is committed to keeping the IHM heritage alive in the school. So each year the new students visit for a day. They learn about IHM history, tour the prize-winning sustainable renovation of the motherhouse and gather in small groups with sisters to ask them questions. They almost always ask, “What made you want to be a nun?” and “Didn’t you ever want to get married and have kids?” As they move to different groups of sisters they get honest and quite varied answers. Hopefully these young men and women leave the our Motherhouse with new understanding and respect for religious life.
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Tagged: environmental action, IHM sisters, Marygrove College
For the last few days I’ve been wanting to share with you what Founders Day means to IHMs. On November 10 we became one hundred sixty-four years old. Traditionally our celebration included retelling the treasured stories, decorating with a miniature version of the first log cabin convent, special prayers and dinner, and much appreciated talking instead of silence at meals!
Today, regardless of whether an IHM’s current geographic location and ministry limit her access to a communal celebration, Founders Day still has a distinct “flavor.” The day evokes deep pride not only in the founding story but in the courage, faith and zeal that characterized our foremothers throughout our history. We remember the quirky facts like the lack of sufficient dishes so that one had a plate and another had a cup. And we treasure as well the image of the three sisters kneeling on the altar steps after Mass as Father Gillet placed his stole on each sister’s shoulder to signify an almost priestly commission for ministry.
This year those who live in the Monroe area gathered for a Founder s Day Mass at which Sr. Joan Mumaw, IHM Vice President, gave the reflection. She focused on our co-founder Fr. Gillet’s famous words, “I began without thinking of the future of the work, leaving it to God alone to make it prosper if it were pleasing to God and useful for the good of others.” With daring, Fr. Louis Gillet and Sr. Theresa Maxis relied on the Spirit of God, trusting that the God who inspired them would also empower them to bring about the dream. This Spirit has led the community throughout our history, has blessed and prospered the work of our hands. We too are women of the spirit, open to the God of surprise. Founders day is a day of deep gratitude and hope.
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Tagged: Founders Day, IHM, Mother Theresa Maxis, Rev. Louis florent Gillet, Sr. Joan Mumaw
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.
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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!
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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!
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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.
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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!
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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
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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.
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Tagged: IHM prayer, Scripture based prayer, The People's Companion to the Breviary
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