It was 1928. Televisions would not be commercially available for another two years. Women had only been eligible to vote for eight years. Eighty years later, Sister Lenihan, 97, is part of a shrinking congregation in a world of expanding distractions.

There are five sisters in the order who are at least 100 years old. In the past three years, just four new sisters have joined.

Over the dizzying din of choices and voices in today’s society, Sister Lisa Perkowski has heard the call of God, and will profess her vows soon. The 25-year-old could get married, have children or build a career while finding other ways to be involved with the church, but she has chosen to live her life for God.

More: http://www.thetimes-tribune.com/site/index.cfm?newsid=19416365&BRD=2185&PAG=461&dept_id=590572&rfi=8

“We want to remember those who died in Iraq, and we want to call for a peaceful resolution,” said Martin Fotta, co-organizer of the vigil. Almost 4,000 U.S. troops have died, he said. “It’s time to bring all the troops home.”

The event opened with a call by Mr. Fotta to “bear witness to peace, to bear witness to forgiveness,” followed by recitations of Buddhist, Muslim, American Indian, Jewish and Christian prayers for peace.

“Blessed are the peacemakers ...” began the Christian prayer, many of the words drowned out by the intermittent sound of cars speeding past.

The vigil was sponsored by the Scranton chapter of the Fellowship of Reconciliation, a human-rights group, and the Northeast Democracy Operation, a spinoff of MoveOn.org, an online political activist organization.

After a round of songs, the group of about 50 formed a line and solemnly circumnavigated the plaza, circling both the relic canons and a memorial to hope. Their steps were punctuated by the somber toll of a traditional Japanese funeral bell.

More: http://www.thetimes-tribune.com/site/index.cfm?newsid=19408387&BRD=2185&PAG=461&dept_id=590572&rfi=8

Nun at 41: A sister’s journey led her to service

The spiritual environment she experienced at St. Bridget’s Catholic Parish in Mesa for 14 years and “vocations discernment” weekends she took part in at Mormon Lake were keystones when Sister Carrie Flood recently professed her vows and became a nun at the age of 41. (Read more)

Named to LCWR National Board
Sr. Kathryn Clauss was installed in the transition of leadership ritual on August 4 as a member of the LCWR national board. As Chairperson of Region 3 Sr. Kathryn serves on the National Board of LCWR. At a recent Board meeting, she was elected to sit on the Executive Committee as a member-at-large. The purpose of this committee is to provide leadership and direction for the work of the Conference between National Board meetings.

St. Peter of Alcantara School Honors IHMs at Annual Event

In their opening remarks at the 2007 St. Peter of Alcantara Timothy C. Kelly Golf and Tennis Classic held at the North Hills Country Club in Port Washington, NY, co-chairs of the event, Mary Joan Buckley and Kimberly Hertlein, and principal, Marilyn Froehlich, commented, “For 2007 we chose to honor, as a living example of the traditions and virtues Tim held dear, the Sisters, Servants
of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The Sisters of IHM founded St. Peter’s School more than 75 years ago. Returning for the celebration are former teachers, Srs. Agnes Shaw, Francis Regis Vagt, and Maureen Dailey. Their faith-filled lives and dedication to our children’s education and development continues to touch our lives everyday. We thank you, and we love you.”

Sr. Patricia Ann Matthews recognized for leadership in the growth of Marywood library services

Sr. Patricia Ann Matthews was recognized for her leadership in the twenty year growth of library services at Marywood at a ceremony on May 9 when a portrait was unveiled and dedicated in her honor. Her portrait is displayed in the Learning Resources Center. Sister Gilmary Speirs has served at Marywood since 1967 and Sr. Joan Ciraula since 1982.

Srs. Kathryn Clauss, Amy Zychal, Kathleen Kelly,
Anne Quigley, Susan Hadzima and Rev. Andrew Hvozdovic

Epiphany School Honors IHM Sisters

Friends and family of Epiphany School and Parish gathered on May 17, to celebrate the Ascension Thursday Liturgy with special recognition of the IHM Sisters for their dedication, loyalty and commitment to the mission of quality Catholic education at Epiphany School since 1929. Rev. Andrew Hvozdovic presented a plaque to the IHM Congregation and Aidan Sharma presented a dozen roses. Accepting the presentation on behalf of the congregation were members of the leadership team, Srs. Kathryn Clauss, Susan Hadzima and Amy Zychal and Srs.Kathleen Kelly and Anne Quigley from Epiphany School. Sr. Kathryn expressed her gratitude to the priests, parents, grandparents and students for their support and dedication to Catholic education. She also expressed gratitude for the warmth and caring given to the Sisters by the community of Sayre for the past seventy-eight years.
Rev. Hvozdovic read a letter from Rev. Houlihan, a former pastor of Epiphany Parish that was written to the Sisters in 1928 inviting them to come to Sayre. He said that the people were anxious to have the Sisters and a Catholic school to instruct the people about the truths of their faith. The sisters arrived in 1929. The old church on Elmer Avenue was converted into a school and the old rectory into a convent for the Sisters. The present school, located on Stevenson Street was opened in 1964.

Helping Our Troops in Iraq

This past Christmas Sr. Joan Katoski decided to spend her time, energy, and money on sending packages to Iraq and getting others to do the same. One day in mid-October she visited the web site www.anysoldier.com and discovered this great resource for supporting U.S. military personnel serving in Iraq. On the site more than 4000 names are listed with soldier’s e-mails and photographs.Sr. Joan bought sunflower seeds, beef jerky, peanuts, and high protein foods to send to the soldiers. She also purchased hand lotion, wet wipes, and chapstick as recommended on the website for soldiers exposed to the harsh desert climate. Sr. Joan went to the Army/ Navy store and received a 10% discount on purchased items to be sent to Iraq, such as T-shirts, socks, insect repellent and foot powder. She discovered that the U.S. Post Office provides free boxes. The boxes are mailed to military personnel in Iraq for $8.10 no matter the weight.

As she prepared her box for mailing, Sr. Joan realized that something deeper and bigger could happen with this project. She shared an idea with Fr. Jack, pastor of St. John Church, about adding envelopes to the Advent “giving tree” for gifts for the soldiers. This would give parishioners an opportunity to buy gifts or make monetary contributions for gifts for the soldiers. The idea took flight and soon the parish women’s group as well as the youth group were packing boxes and completing customs forms. Even Brownie Troop 138 donated tootsie pops, hard candy and handwritten letters, and chap sticks in flavors like Butterfinger and Tootsie Roll. Some folks donated stuffed animals. Soldiers give them to orphaned children or use them as mascots on their tanks. The parish community ended by sending 99 boxes of items to support our military personnel in Iraq.

Fr. Jack’s nephew, Brian Lambert, a Marine serving in Iraq, saw to it that the packages were distributed. Sr. Joan has since received e-mails and handwritten notes from the soldiers in gratitude for the gifts and the prayers. Under the direction of Sr. Joan, St. John’s parish community has decided to continue the project and parishioners are now collecting new items for the soldiers. So much is needed remarked Sr. Joan. “I am glad that this has become an ongoing parish project that truly reaches around the world.”

This 1928 group of schoolchildren from St. John the Evangelist school in South Scranton is but a small group of students who were taught by Catholic religious sisters. The I.H.M. sisters are pictured here with their students.

Photo courtesy of the Lackawanna Historical Society

Catholic sisters played an important role in shaping our region
By Cheryl A. Kashuba

How do you measure the contribution of women who dedicate their lives to caring for the sick, housing the orphaned and the elderly, helping waves of immigrants adjust to their new homes, and educating children?

Historically, the contribution of Catholic religious women has been immeasurable. As soon as the Scranton area began to grow, religious Sisters began to arrive. As entrepreneurs rushed to transform the area into a thriving industrial center, these women came to relieve the hardships that industrial society brought with it.

As industries developed and waves of immigrants arrived, the community changed rapidly. With thousands of people flooding in from all parts of Europe, someone had to address their needs. This was a time when religious ideals informed great charitable undertakings among the Christians and Jews who made up the vast majority of the area’s population. The Scranton diocese was no exception.

Among the most pressing concerns was the need for education among all immigrant groups. Several successful Italian men in West Scranton wanted an Italian priest and an order of Italian sisters to educate their children. By this time Bishop Hoban headed the diocese, and, to accommodate these men, he invited Mother Frances Cabrini (now St. Frances Cabrini), founder of the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart, to visit Scranton in 1898. Her order of Italian nuns came to Scranton in 1901. The businessmen committed themselves to the purchase of a school building on Chestnut Street. When they arrived, the Sisters were confronted by the poverty of the less-fortunate Italian immigrants whose meager livelihood came from hard work in the coal mines.

The needs of immigrant families were very real. By 1916, the population of Scranton had reached its peak at about 150,000, with the vast majority of people struggling to earn a living and to make better lives for their children in a foreign land. With Bishop Hoban heading the diocese, women religious poured into the area to do their part.

In 1903, the Bernadine Sisters of St. Francis, a group of Polish nuns, took responsibility for 18 schools attached to Polish parishes throughout the diocese. The Slovak community was served by the Sisters of Saints Cyril and Methodius, and local Lithuanians by the Sisters of Saint Casimir. A German order of nuns served the German-speaking parishioners of St. John the Baptist Church in West Scranton.

Perhaps the most well-known women religious educators in our area are the I.H.M. nuns. The Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary arrived in 1858 with a commitment to provide quality education for the children of people from all walks of life. Serving primarily the English-speaking population, they opened St. Michael’s school for boys. They ran Nativity of Our Lord School in Scranton’s South Side, St. Ann’s in West Scranton, and St Cecilia’s Academy on Wyoming Avenue, among others. St. Cecilia’s turned out to be one step in a far-reaching plan. St. Cecilia’s closed, but the Sisters opened Mount Saint Mary’s Seminary in 1902 as a place where young ladies dedicated themselves to serious study. In an era when colleges did not readily accept women, these pioneering Sisters sought higher education themselves to prepare to run a woman’s college, a rare thing at the turn of the century. Their belief in higher education for women resulted in Marywood College opening its doors in 1915.

The numbers of women religious have dwindled considerably over the years. Their presence is still here and is still felt. Yet, in this day when hospitals struggle with rising costs, the poor and the elderly require care, and Catholic schools are closing their doors, it’s fitting to recognize the service that these early Catholic Sisters provided to our community.

Cheryl A. Kashuba is Assistant to the Director of the Lackawanna Historical Society and co-author of the book “Scranton.” Contact the writer: lhs@albright.org

Article courtesy of the Scranton Times Tribune

Sr. Anne Munley Named President-Elect of MU

Sr. Mary Persico, President of the Marywood University Corporation, has announced that Sr. Anne Munley, IHM, PhD. has been named the President-Elect of Marywood University. Sr. Anne was elected to this office by the Board of Trustees of Marywood University at a meeting held on January 19, after which her election was unanimously approved by the members of the Marywood University Corporation, who are also the members of the IHM leadership team. Sr. Anne will assume the presidency of Marywood effective July 1, 2007.
Mrs. Lynda Lynett, in her announcement to the Marywood community, noted of Sr. Anne: “Her international experiences in particular will help the University move to the next level in the service of its 92-year old mission. Under Sr. Anne’s direction, the University will be poised to expand its global influence in empowering people through education to achieve their greatest potential.” The members of the Congregation are grateful both to Sr. Mary Reap for her long and successful tenure as the tenth President of Marywood and to Sr. Anne for her willingness to move Marywood into the future.

IHM Publishes Research Study

Sr. Angela Kim has been invited by the National Institute for International Education Development (NIED) of the Department of Education in Seoul, Korea, to publish her research regarding the adjustment of “wild geese” families. A Wild Geese family means that a couple voluntarily separates. Usually the fathers remain in Korea for economic reasons and the mother and their children move to the U.S. This is a prevalent social phenomenon in Korea and some other Asian countries, like Taiwan and Vietnam. Sr. Angela’s article is entitled, “Before you become a wild geese family, think about how your decision will affect your dreams for yourselves as parents and for your children.”
According to NIED, the article will be used as an educational tool to inform parents in Korea who are contemplating becoming wild geese families. The article will be published in Korean and English.
In addition, Sr. Angela will soon launch an adult Korean language program for persons interested in learning the language, history, culture and customs of Korea. Sr. Angela received $10,000 in funding for this program.

Appointed to Board

Sr. Suzanne Delaney was recently appointed as a new board member at St. Mary’s Spiritual Center, Paca Street in Baltimore along with a Daughter of Charity and an Oblate Sister of Providence. Sulpician Provincial Ronald Witherup invited Sr.Suzanne to the board as a member of one of three women religious congrega-tions whose history is connected with St. Mary’s Chapelle Basse. Sr. Suzanne served as the first administrator of the center from 1987-1992.

Completes Course of Study in Cosmetology
Sr. Jean Leonard successfully completed a course of study in cosmetology. She graduated from the Empire Beauty School and the Stratford Career Institute for Cosmetology/Esthetics. Sr. Jean has met the requirements for licensure in the State of Pennsylvania and is currently assisting at Our Lady of Peace Residence beauty salon.

Sisters and Marywood students traveled November 17-19 to the U.S. military’s School of the Americas (SOA), now called the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation (WHINSEC) in Fort Benning, Georgia. Thousands of people raised their voices calling for a world free of militarism and the SOA/WHINSEC. For more information, log onto www.soaw.org

Sisters (L-R) Margaret Gannon, Maryalice Jacquinot, Ann Walsh, John Michele Southwick, Mary Kay Faliskie, and Susan Hadzima, along with Ann’s friend, Mary Burne, and Marywood students, Kim Wayman and Elise Gower.

IHMs Support Immigrant Neighbors in Hazleton
In an effort to promote compassion and justice for our immigrant neighbors, a group of IHM Sisters, thirteen from the Scranton IHM (Srs. Margaret Gannon, Ann Newell, Ann Walsh, Maureen Therese Harun, Amanda DelValle, Jean Louis Bachetti, Kathleen McNulty, Joan McCusker, Helene Cooke, Denise Montagne, Lisa Perkowski, Mary Kay Faliskie, Dorothy Haney and John Michel Southwick) and three sisters from Immaculata, gathered in Hazleton on September 2 to show their support for the Latino community and all immigrants in the United States.

Sr. Margaret Gannon addressed the following words to the Latino community in Hazleton at the rally, “We are here to show our support for all our brothers and sisters from the Latino community. We want you to know that we are with you and that we want justice to be done. You can read in our sign that we are sent to be prophetic witnesses of God in the world and the presence of God is a God of compassion, a God of love, a God of justice. So we are here in the hope of spreading that idea and making it clear that we stand with you in compassion, in justice and in love. One of the founders of our congregation was an immigrant, and the other was a daughter of an immigrant, so our roots are deep in the Latin community, and indeed we are all children of immigrants, and we want to show you how much we are supporting you, praying for you and speaking where we can for you. Thank you.”

Most Holy Rosary celebrates IHM’s more than 90 years of service to the parish and school
Excerpted from The Catholic Sun, September 21-27, 2006
By Kelly Homan Rodoski/SUN contributing writer SUN photo(s) Paul Finch

On Sept. 1, 1915, four mem-bers of the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (IHM) congregation in Scranton, Pa., arrived at Holy Rosary Parish in Syracuse (now known as Most Holy Rosary) to teach at the parish’s new school, which would open a week later on September 8.
Today, 91 years later, four members of the congregation continue to serve at the parish and school, now known as the Bishop’s Academy at Most Holy Rosary. In those years in between, the sisters who ministered at MHR left indelible impressions on the generations of students they educated and nourished spiritually. Hundreds of members of the MHR community came together on September 9 for a special Mass, concelebrated by Bishop Thomas Costello, MHR pastor Father Fred Mannara and Deacon Charles O’Connor, in recognition of the contributions of the IHM sisters over the years. Sisters honored during the celebration included several daughters of the parish who answered the call to religious life; sisters who served at MHR in the past; and the sisters who continue to live and work there.

Receives World Citizen Award
At a reception held on September 12 at the Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in Scranton, Sr. Margaret Gannon was presented the World Citizen Award by the Greater Scranton Interdependence Day Committee.

In the citation Sondra Myers, cofounder of the local chapter of Interdependence Day, noted, “Sr. Margaret is a scholar, an activist, a lover of people and of the arts, a loyal friend, a gifted teacher. As a global citizen, she exceeds her own lofty standard by giving inspiration, hope and courage to all of us to emulate her sensibilities and her behavior. Indeed it is because of Margaret that we knew that we could and should invent a new commemorative occasion which would serve as a call to action to build a more sane and humane in-terdependent global civil society.”

Interdependence Day was launched in Philadelphia at the Ameri-can Philosophical Society on Septem-ber 12, 2003. Proponents of Interde-pendence Day embrace the belief that people must learn to live together peaceably and respectfully, see them-selves as global as well as local citi-zens, use information and communica-tion to bring peoples of the world closer together, and narrow the gap between the rich and the poor. For more information go to: www.civworld.org

Sr. Mary Reap to Retire as Marywood President
Excerpted from the Times-Tribune, Tuesday, May 2, 2006, by Kristin Wintermantel Durkin
School officials announced Monday the retirement of longtime president Sister Mary Reap, IHM, who oversaw some of the biggest changes in the institution’s history. She will step down in the summer of 2007.

During her 18 years, Marywood evolved from a women’s college to a fully coeducational university and started the first doctoral program in Northeastern Pennsylvania. Sister Reap, 64, said she began contemplating retirement in recent years, as the university concluded a number of projects, including construction of several buildings and a successful evaluation by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools.

She doesn’t have specific future plans yet, but expects to take some time off next year and hopes to return some day to Marywood in some capacity. Meanwhile, the coming 2006-07 academic year will be busy. Among other things, Sr a new strategic plan for the university and will oversee the renovation of Madonna Hall.“I loved Marywood from the day I arrived as a student,” Sister Reap said. “I have spent a good portion of my adult life at Marywood. I am passionate about Marywood. It’s been a really wonderful opportunity for me to work with the people of this community and the people at Marywood.”

Named Executive Director of ASEC
Sr. Anne Munley has been named Executive Director of the African Sisters Education Collaborative (ASEC), effective March 1, 2006. As executive director Sr. Anne will develop and administer ASEC programs and policies, coordinate all ASEC development efforts, and serve as liaison with the Sister Associations in Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Tanzania and Uganda.

The goal of ASEC is to contribute significantly to increased access to education in Africa by helping to educate women religious and enabling them to acquire necessary credentials for teaching, healthcare, spiritual and social service ministries in their countries.

Technological advances provide various opportunities for working together toward this goal. Since its founding in 1999, ASEC has conducted several site visits to Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Tanzania and Uganda; hosted a conference in Philadelphia in 2004 for 18 African Sisters who hold leadership positions in their respective organizations; and taught basic computer and research skills for distance education in Ghana and Kenya in Summer 2005. Plans for Summer 2006 are in process. Sr. Anne is one of the founders of ASEC. She was the keynote speaker for the 2004 U.S. ASEC Conference, and ASEC visitor to Africa several times. For more information on ASEC contact Sr. Anne at ihmam@aol.com or 570-961-4700 or visit the website at: ww.marywood.edu/asec/

The Mountain Chapel and the Little Black Lamb
Reprinted with permission from The Record, August 25, 2005
I was recently one of a group of seven people from my church, St. Anastasia's in Teaneck, who traveled to Peru to support a woman from our parish who is volunteering in the Andes for a year. Our friend, Elizabeth Larson, lives with two nuns, Sister Eileen Egan and Sister Tomasa Fernandez, in the mountain city of Sicuani. Sister Eileen, who is from Mount Holly, has worked in Peru for more than 30 years. The nuns run a small boardinghouse for girls in high school, and they've built six chapels in the mountains for farm families who have no way to get to church in town. On our 10-day trip, we visited Machu Picchu, the Inca ruins, and watched a glorious sunrise over the ndes. We heard Mass in cathedrals and ornate Spanish-style churches with altars covered in gold. In Sicuani, elevation about 11,000 feet, we had lunch with the gracious bishop, Michael La Fay. And we visited the studio of an artist, A. Mary, the mother of Jesus, we all fell in love with. He depicts her as a Quechua mother in native dress, nursing her baby wrapped in a Peruvian blanket. The baby's tiny hand rests on her breast, and the two gaze into each other's eyes. But the high point of this heart-opening trip for me was a service we attended in one of the mountain chapels, said by our pastor from St. Anastasia's, Father Daniel O'Neill, who led our trip.

The Mass was in Spanish and English. Most of the songs were in Quechua. The chapel was simple: bare white walls, worn wooden floors, plain benches, a couple of statues. Outside, it was cold and raining as the church began to fill up with people who had walked long distances to get there: dusty children, shy teenagers, women in the Quechua costume of colorful skirts and sweaters or shawls. The men lined the walls, while the women, their weathered faces framed by long black braids, sat near them. I didn't know until later that these people see a priest only once or twice a year. Sister Eileen and Sister Tomasa, who is Peruvian and speaks Quechua, come every few weeks to distribute Communion and teach religion classes.

They give out clothing and try to help with any medical problems. They preside at funerals and sometimes baptize babies. But the presence of a priest was a rare event, and afterward almost everyone there lined up for Father Dan's blessing. They also hugged us and thanked us for coming.

We were overwhelmed by their warmth. One woman laid a purple shawl at our feet, filled with cooked potatoes, the only gift they had to give, grown on the sides of mountains where llamas and alpacas graze.As the service was closing, a little black lamb wandered into church, crying, and was scooped up by one of the women. Both literally and figuratively, he was the perfect ending to this special Mass.

Life is hard in the high Andes, and sometimes cruel. Adults and children die of things that could be treated if there was a doctor nearby, or if they could afford the ambulance to the hospital in Sicuani. Education is minimal. But there is great beauty, too: in the mountains that surround them, in the cool, clean air that smells of eucalyptus leaves, in their faces, in their music, and in their faith. It was our privilege to meet them. And it was a privilege to meet Sister Eileen and Sister Tomasa, who minister to the people nonstop - with roosters crowing and dogs barking and their front bell ringing day and night. In the midst of great poverty, they continually accomplish small miracles. And there's always, always much more to do.

We also have a new admiration for Elizabeth, a widow with a grown daughter who left a comfortable home in Englewood to live a life that includes sleeping in the Andean winter with no heat, walking and driving steep mountain roads, and avoiding the occasional tarantula. She's learned enough Spanish and even some Quechua to teach Gospel study, sing in church, help the boardinghouse girls with their homework, make new friends, and visit the poor and sick. She's climbed dark stairs to do art therapy with a bedridden teen-ager, and read "The Lord is my shepherd" in Quechua to a dying man as the tears rolled down both their cheeks. She calls herself "God's spoiled child," because she says she has been given so much.

Serving the Elderly
In the December 8 issue of The Dialog, Sr. Mary Sheehan is highlighed in an article about Marydale, a federally subsidized housing development, where Sr. Mary serves as coordinator of pastoral care and community service. She organizes a Mass and an interfaith service each month, distributes Communion to Catholic residents, and is available to pray with residents as needed. She lives at Marydale and drives several residents to Sunday Mass at Holy Family Church, about three miles away. Sister Mary also helps residents file for assistance to help pay their utility bills, helps them with Medicare concerns, and organizes flu-shot clinics and other social services.
Marydale is owned and operated by Catholic Ministry to the Elderly, a corporation of the Diocese of Wilmington. Sr. Mary has served at Marydale for the past five years.

To Sister Michel Keenan, I.H.M., these are the words that define the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Such values are present in their works, missions and correspondence, and are expressed in Sister Michel’s words.

In May, Sister Michel, Ph.D., published “The Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary.” The work chronicles the history of the I.H.M. order in Scranton from 1919 to 1974. It is her first book, and is a continuation of the Scranton I.H.M. story first told in 1921, when Sister Immaculata Gillespie, I.H.M., published “The Sisters of I.H.M.” That book chronicles the Scranton I.H.M. from 1845 to 1919.

A modest beginning
The first congregation of Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary was founded by the Rev. Louis Florent Gillet and Mother Theresa Maxis Duchemin in Monroe, Mich., in 1845 with a mission to educate the daughters of Catholic French Canadians. Today, the I.H.M. can be found in dioceses and archdioceses throughout the United States, Chile, Guatemala, Italy and Peru.

Sister Michel’s work is arranged chronologically, weaving the histories of local parishes with biographies of I.H.M. administrators. It begins with Mother Casimir Murray’s term of office and ends with the administration of Mother Beata Wertz. Along the way, it tells the tale of the different missions the Scranton I.H.M. congregation pursued, often in the face of anti-Catholic sentiment, racism and sexism.

Those missions, Sister Michel said, are defined by the values of joy, love, hospitality and service. “You grow closer to God in trying to live your life in accordance to those values,” she said.

Longtime commitment
A former administrator for Scranton’s I.H.M. congregation, Sister Michel, 81, began to research her book in 1986. In 1988, she left for Toppenish, Wash., to teach at Heritage College on the Yakama Indian reservation. She returned to Scranton in November 2000.
She said she stopped her book at 1974 because all of the congregation’s administrators since are alive.

In her preface, Sister Michel writes, “I can only hope that your reading of this volume will do for you what it has done for me: It has filled me with deep gratitude to God for all of the I.H.M.s who have gone before us, but also admiration, pride and love for all of today’s I.H.M.s who persevered through those tumultuous times and continue this journey.”

To order Sr. Michel's book:
http://ihmnew.marywood.edu/WhatsNew/MichelKeenanBook.htm

Runs Philadelphia Marathon

On November 20, Sr. Donna Korba participated in the 12th “26 Miles, 386 Yards of History” marathon in
Philadelphia. There were 5887 runners participating in the marathon. Sr. Donna ran the marathon in 5:04:20 as recorded by state-of-the-art computer technology that read a “chip” on the laces of her shoe. The chip transmited a signal which enabled the computer to record her official “gun time”.

The course began at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, continued along Kelly Drive and Boathouse Row, up the hills of Manayunk and back along the Schuylkill River through the historical areas of the city, past Penn’s Landing and finished back at the Art Museum.

Donna commented that her running time was her prayer time. She prayed many rosaries as she thought of her IHM Sisters in the Marian Convent Sisters who will be moving to the new IHM Residence. She commented that praying helped her to stay focused as she remembered the intentions of her IHM Sisters.
Sr. Donna wore the IHM Race for the Cure T-shirt which she embellished with a heartshaped photo-transfer of her Sisters at the Under 55 gathering that was held last spring. Some spectators cheered “Sister” Donna on when they recognized her IHM T-shirt.

Srs. Rosemarie Gregorio and Annmarie Sanders accompanied Donna from the sidelines as spectators.
Donna plans to run two half marathons in Guatemala in May and July.

Sr. Donna serves in Chichicastenango, Guatemala.

Receives Award

Sister Vincentia Dorsey was presented with the Humanitarian Award by PAR (Pennsylvania Association of Resources for People with Mental Retardation) on November 17 at the annual conference held in Hershey, Pennsylvania. The Executive Director and PAR Board members invited Sr. Vincentia to attend the conference as their guest and join in the organization’s 35th anniversary celebration. Sr. Vincentia who is a past president of PAR was presented with a plaque in recognition of loving service and support to persons with disabilities.

Students Raise Money for New IHM Residence

Pictured in the photo to the left, Epiphany Elementary School first-grade teacher Sr. Anne Quigley accepts a $600 check from Mary Theresa Sullivan of Barden Homes as a matching contribution to a fundraising reading program, "Readers at Work," undertaken by the class earlier this year. Students raised $500 by reading a total of 597 books to which parents pledged as much as a dollar per book. Barden Homes promised to match the funds raised by the students and contributed $600. Total funds raised from the project were contributed to the IHM Sisters' Building. Sr. Anne presented the check to Sr. Mary Persico during a visit to the IHM Center in May.

Installed as Board Member

Sr. Babette Opferman, IHM, was recently installed as a member of the Mother Lange Guild Board of Directors. Sr. Babette will be involved with activities to educate on the life, works, and charism of Mother Mary Lange and other projects relative to advancing the cause for canonization of Mother Mary Lange.

Mother Mary Lange, the foundress of the first religious order of African-American women, is one step closer to sainthood.

After 15 years of meticulous research, the Archdiocese of Baltimore in December 2004, closed an inquiry into the life of Mother Mary Lange. Six binders filled with documentations were sent to the Vatican's Congregation for Causes of Saints. The papers detailed how Mother Mary Lange lived a life of heroic faith and heroic virtue while enjoying a reputation for sanctity. After the inquiry is examined, if accepted, Mother Lange would become "venerable." A miracle would then need to be recognized for her to become "blessed" and another miracle for her to be declared a saint.

For more information on the cause of Mother Mary Lange, visit http://oblatesisters.com/

Honored for Ministry to Youth

Sr. Maria Regina Loures was recently honored for her eight years of youth ministry at Bishop Molloy Retreat House in Jamaica, New York. The gathering and celebration planned by the Passionists took place at the New York Athletic Club in Manhattan, where several honorees were recognized for their service in youth ministry. Said of Sr. Maria Regina at the awards ceremony, "In a time when youth are being bombarded with negative messages in music, print and the world of sports, it is reassuring to know there are women religious like Sister Maria Regina guiding our treasured youth."

Sr. Maria Regina has served at Bishop Molloy Passionist Retreat House since 1999.

Book Review and Article Published

A book review by Sr. Nancy Hawkins on The Cube and the Cathedral; Europe, America, and Politics Without God by George Weigel, was recently published in the June 20 issue of American Magazine.

In part Sr. Nancy writes, "The newest book by the papal biographer and social commentator George Weigel owes much of its theory to the late Pope John Paul II, and its main questions read like a sermon by the new pope, Benedict XVI. The Cube and the Cathedral is an excellent read. It is clear, to the point, engaging, and encourages the reader to ponder questions that otherwise might be left to the Op Ed page of The New York Times."

The entire review may be found at http://www.americamagazine.org/BookReview.cfm?articleTypeID=31&textID=4251&issueID=535

Also, an article by Sr. Nancy on the Spirituality of Dorothee Soelle was published in the July issue of The Way.