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From the Pastor&
This is a very serious note to every parishioner of St. John's. Do you know that many of the Sisters who gave their lives to millions of Catholic school children now face an uncertain future. Many religious orders are under-funded by several billion dollars for retirement and healthcare. Some of the larger orders are doing okay and are funded through charitable trusts for this purpose. Some groups of Sisters in the U.S. could end up on the streets or on welfare. That's why we take up a collection every year for retired religious men and women.
This year at St. John's, we are taking up this collection for the Sisters of St. Francis who have served St. John's for over half a century. Even before our school was opened, they came out to New Brighton to teach the Catholic faith to our young. They have been associated with St. John's School since the doors opened. They ran the religious education for years. I constantly meet young adults who ask me about the Sisters who taught them or were principals here.
You might remember Sisters associated with St. John's. People like Sr. Beatrice, Sr. M. Martin, Sr. Gratia, Sr. M. Fran, Sr. Dorothy, Sr. Gretchen, Sr. Vincent De Paul, Sr. Mercedes and our current principal, Sr. M. Gwendolin. The list goes on and on. These good women worked for small stipends, trusting in God. Now, many of them are retired and depend on Catholics to help them trust that the Lord will continue to provide for their needs as aged religious women.
Usually, our collection goes to a general fund. This year, in thanksgiving for 99 years as a parish, and for Sr. Gwendolin's "50th" anniversary as a Sister of Saint Francis, the archdiocese has given the parish permission to give back to "our" Sisters of St. John's. These Sisters worked without material rewards, and now it's our golden opportunity to thank God for the years of service they gave to St. John's. If any nuns helped you in your life, in school, in a hospital, in a retreat, or as a pastoral minister, this year say "thanks" as we make the collection a special one for the Sisters of St. Francis.
When we have this collection on January 20/21 2001, give thanks to God for the nuns who have touched your lives--whether they are Franciscans, School Sisters of Notre Dame, Sisters of St. Joseph, Benedictine Nuns, Dominicans, or another order, make a sacrifice. You'll know what the right thing to do is.
Many Sisters are invisible these days. But they are still working for the Catholic Church and for the "least among us." They may not be teachers in our schools, but they are working with the new immigrants in our country. They are pastoral ministers to our parents and grandparents. They are working on our Reservations and Appalachia. They are helping children and women living in poverty. They are nurses, teachers, social workers, ESL teachers, and even in retirement, they are praying for us.
I'm thankful for the Sisters who taught me in grade school. I remember Sister Adolpha who taught me more than a love for reading, but also to have a sense of humor, to look for the funny things in life. And there was Sister Lucienne who taught me to love the theater and opened my mind to the needy. Sister Eva Joseph believed in me and trusted me to fulfill my dreams. And Sister Margaret Rose who called me "Gentle Ben" and told me it was ok to be me. Sister Ruth taught me the beauty of the Mass in the 1950's. I am a richer person today. I wouldn't be your pastor today without these women religious who taught me.
Let's make this collection a great one. Let's make a sacrifice for all those women we called, "Sister."
Fr. Bill
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