Making a Difference with the Dear Neighbor in Hartford

In Hartford Connecticut, the Sisters of St. Joseph are tackling the problems facing some of their most vulnerable neighbors.  What impressed me the most is their commitment to a wholistic approach to social issues.  They sponsor and staff many impressive programs to meet the needs of the poor; they educate a large segment of people about the issues facing the vulnerable; engage neighbors as volunteers and advocates; and they address the systemic causes of injustice.

Srs. Theresa Fonti and Maureen Faenza are the co-directors at House of Bread

I went to visit several programs that the sisters own and/or operate.  I started at the House of Bread. For over 30 years, the Sisters have operated a soup kitchen, known for its delicious food and warm hospitality.  Through their conversations with the neighbors who came to the kitchen, the Sisters and their Board of Directors expanded the program.  Today it provides transitional and low income housing, a day shelter, a program to provide children with a warm dinner, and a thrift store.  They have education programs to help mothers gain a General Equivalency Diploma and job training in food service.  The program could not operate without all the volunteers who do everything from managing the thrift store, to serving the meals and mentoring the clients.  Many of their clients volunteer to assist the program even while they are receiving services.  Their secret to success is the relationships they form and the encouragement they provide to their clients. 

During a break at GED classes a mom comes to visit with her child and the House of Bread staff

As we drove up to the soup kitchen, the clients waved wildly and called to Sr. Theresa as she drove up.  She had personal comments to make to almost everyone we passed on the way in. 





The Soup Kitchen relies heavily on volunteers



Next I was off to Jubilee House, a community adult education center and gathering place operated as a ministry of the Sisters of Saint Joseph of Chambery in Hartford.  Jubilee House’s mission is to be a place where people of varied background and experience gather to teach, learn, and share in surroundings conducive to human and spiritual growth. My tour sure gave evidence to this in action.  The program offers assistance to people from over 24 countries. The success of this program is that it provides one-to-one or one-to-two ratios between the mentors and the adult learners.  Most other ESOL classes in Hartford are offered in big classes where people often get frustrated and leave when they cannot master the material.  As I wandered through the large building there were students and tutors busily practicing English everywhere.  Even during the break-time, students and tutors stay together and chat in English as they enjoy a cup of coffee, tea and snack together.  I got a chance to talk with one of the tutors during the break who started out coming one morning a week and now comes four times a week because she feels the program is so effective and necessary.

A volunteer tutor and her student



The individualized attention makes all the difference for these adult learners

Jubilee House also has a very responsive program for refugees who have completed the post-refugee resettlement program offered by the Government or Catholic Charities.  Hartford has a large refugee population from Bosnia, Liberia, Somalia, Burma, Burundi, Iraq, and Buhtan.    Essentially, this means they are serving the people once there really is no government funding or other charity programs to assist them.  They are the only post-resettlement  program in their area. The need for services is great because most of these refugees come from vastly different lifestyles, have experience trauma, and do not speak English.  However, I am told that when the clients experience success in jobs, legal status or other major landmarks, the effusiveness of their joy is extreme.

The third major program at Jubilee House is the Esperana Academic Center, which provides writing, math, computer literacy, and world of work instruction to adults who have a high school diploma or GED and who wish to pursue higher education or build life/work skills.

As if these programs weren’t impressive enough, then I was off to visit Tabor House.  Founded in 1990 by the Sisters of St. Joseph, Tabor House consists of two Victorian homes in Hartford that provide a safe, loving home for formerly homeless people with AIDS and HIV.   

Tabor House

Sister Ann Kane, CSJ, is the executive director of the Tabor House residences. In addition to Sister Ann, there is a case manager and substance abuse counselor who works with residents on their recovery efforts through various self-help groups, helps them maintain their health as they keep appointments at local clinics for medical care and medication, scouts out job possibilities, and, when a resident is ready, helps them transition into permanent independent living situations.

I had the opportunity to talk with a few of the residents.  Having run residential programs in my past, I was quite impressed as the residents talked about the program as their home and the importance of the staff in their lives.

The last program that I learned about was the Collaborative Center for Justice.  Co-located at Jubilee House, this program impacts public policy by addressing the root causes of poverty and injustice.  It builds partnerships with others who are committed to shaping just policies and participates in initiatives that address issues of health care, environmental justice, homelessness and housing, death penalty, budget and taxes, and issues that impact women, children and families.

 A network of well-prepared volunteers contact legislators on important issues.  An innovative initiative of the group is that they assign prayer partners to Legislators who pray for their guidance as they deliberate the laws that will govern society.  Sr. Linda Pepe, CSJ, a registered lobbyist prepares the educational materials for the volunteers, provides advocacy and training programs, and engages in efforts to persuade legislators to pass laws that address the common good.  Sr. Linda reminded me that the Sisters of St. Joseph have run a soup kitchen for 31 years.  “We need to ask the question, why do we still have these,” she said.  Her efforts supported by her sisters address these systemic issues that keep people in poverty. 

Linda also talked about the success that the Collaborative Center for Justice had in a recent immigration situation.  After an immigration raid by the Federal government in which the Hartford police participated, the Brazilian immigrant community into a panic.  People were afraid to leave their house and would not call the police when there was danger.  The network of advocates worked with the City of Hartford to pass an ordinance that clarified the rights of documented and undocumented people in Hartford and the role that police did and did not play in immigration issues.  This landmark legislation has served as a model for other communities.

My time in Hartford was quite an experience.  It was impressive to see the impact they are having in their community with their dear neighbor as partners in healing the neighborhood.



Joseph in Stained Glass

While visiting in Philadelphia at the Sisters of St. Joseph motherhouse I was very interested to find that almost all the stained glass windows in the chapel include pictures of St. Joseph.  I thought you might enjoy seeing them.

The Espousal of the Blessed Virgin and St. Joseph

The Visitation

The Dream of Joseph

The Birth of Christ

The Adoration of the Magi

The Presentation of the Temple

The Flight into Egypt

The Rest in the Desert

The Finding of the Child Jesus

The Hidden Life at Nazareth

The Death of St. Joseph

St. Joseph, Patron of the Universal Church

A Unique Business Plan that Provides for the Neighbor

Last night in Connecticut I had dinner at the Flatbread Company and was very impressed by their business plan.  The owner, Eric Kronschnevil, decided that he would not spend money on advertising.  Instead he opens his business to a community non-profit agency every Tuesday for fund-raising and relies on the good will that this generates.  The amount of money that he would normally spend per week is essentially donated to the organization on a per pizza basis.  This week the fund raiser benefitted Jubilee House, a program operated by the West Hartford Sisters of St. Joseph. The restaurant was filled all evening as friends of Jubilee House, sisters and regular customers enjoyed great food.

Friends of Jubilee House enjoy a great evening



 Previously, the fund raiser has benefitted Tabor House, another program operated by the Sisters benefitting people with AIDS.  (My next blog will tell you more about Jubilee House, Tabor House and a few of the other wonderful works in which the Sisters here are involved.)

Sr. Susan Cunningham, Executive Director of Jubilee House chats with Eric and Sr. Ann Kane, Tabor House Director

While we were enjoying our organic, wood-fire cooked vegetarian pizza, Eric came over to our table and chatted a little about his unique advertising plan, his values, family and the other ways he helps non-profits.  It was obvious that he chooses the agencies that he supports with care and values what each agency does.  He tries to find ways that he can support their other fund raisers and their operations. 

When I commented how much I liked his business plan, Eric responded, “I get to share about $30,000 a year with my neighbors.”  What a Sister of St. Joseph answer!

Founder's Day 2011 in St. Louis

This 175^th Founder’s Day was celebrated in St. Louis by the Sisters of St. Joseph by opening their house to over 700 of the dear neighbors. There were tours, talks, refreshments and wonderful opportunities for catching up with friends, old and new.

 Donna as Mother St. John Fontbonne



The highlight for many was hearing Sr. Donna Gunn speak as Mother St. John Fontbonne, one of the significant sisters in our history.  In character Donna spoke about sending her sisters to St. Louis, the hardships they met, and the incredible work they did.  She emphasized the contributions of lay people to the mission of the Sisters from the earliest contributions of Countess de la Rochejaq’uelein who provided the funding for the first mission in the US to the support that the sisters receive today.  She said, “We are all the people of God, all one, all serving together in partnership.”

 Rita  and Barbara in the Chapel

At this historic event, Sr. Barbara Moore commented that “This is the fountainhead.  From here came the richness, our services, and our care for others.  From this rootedness, our branches have sprung.  Sr. Rita Flaherty noted that, “This one heart beat here flows into the various heartbeats of the Sisters of St. Joseph throughout the world.” 

Sr. Audrey Olson shared that “This celebration shows the spirit working.  We have evolved and continue evolving. As my good friend Sr. Judy Miller is fond of saying, we are increasing; we have almost as many associates as vowed members.  We are evolving to something totally new in the church, a new spurt to our evolution.”

Pat, Kathy and Rosemary

 “This fills me with hope.  There is such a response and interest in our CSJ history and our connections.  We are such down to earth people.  You can’t be in the chapel without feeling the presence of the spirit of our sisters,” shared Pat Sheridan, a CSJ Associate.  Sr. Kathy Eiler noted that she heard several comments with people thanking the sisters for remaining in the city and serving the Carondelet neighborhood.  Sr. Rosemary Brueggen delighted in sharing our history with our neighbors.

A sister from the Congregation of Saint Joseph, Peggy Wessel was happy that we brought in the dear neighbor to celebrate with us.  She was especially impressed by the emphasis on our partnership with the laity to accomplish the mission.  Peggy said, “I am proud to be part of the roots of this Congregation.”

 Pat and Ann Gerard

I learned a few things about Carondelet that I had not known before.  Srs. Pat Dunphy and Ann Gerard Siebert were telling our guests about the beautiful wood patterns in the floor.  The floors at Carondelet in what was the St. Joseph Academy wing were put in in 1905 by the Gillick Brothers.  They are a combination of maple and black walnut.  I always assumed the woods were chosen for decorative reasons.  It turns out that the choice of alternating woods was to allow for the expansion of the wood in summer with the heat and the contraction with the cold in winter.  A carpenter touring the chapel told Sr. Suzanne Giblin that he thought the boards were most likely hand cut.

Sarah at the trap door

Sr. Sarah Heger showed our guests the trap door that was discovered during renovations.  It is thought that this could be a stop on the underground railroad during the civil war.  Carondelet is high on a hill.  Looking out from the roof the sisters could notice troop movement and see runaway slaves.  It seems likely that the sisters may have brought the runaways in and hid them in the space under the trap door and then when the coast was clear, helped them leave through the trap door and escape to waiting boats down on the river.

Some people came to Carondelet today bringing pictures of their relatives who were sisters, class pictures where they were taught by CSJs, or buildings where we worked.  Five women drove from Georgian to tour the Motherhouse.  The relatives of the artist who carved the reliquary in the chapel came to see his work.

Yolanda shares about her good friend, Sr. Leo Ann

Yolanda Downey who had been a neighbor with Sr. Leo Ann Bub and Sr. Charles stopped by.  Even after Sr. Leo Ann moved to Nazareth, our retirement center, Yolanda has kept touch with her going out to Nazareth for mass and lunch on a weekly basis.   She says that the sisters were like blood sisters to her.  Now she feels like she has 300 sisters.

Ida in the Celestine Room

I caught up with Ida Robertine Berresheim  in the Celestine Room.  She noted that she thought people enjoyed seeing Carondelet as a living place of such beauty on such a beautiful day.  Carondelet is such a piece of history, a high value, mysterious icon.

In summing up the day, Sr. Sharon Jones said that she “met some delightful people, some people she had not seen for years, and that she enjoyed welcoming people.“

HAPPY FOUNDER’S DAY!

To read more about this celebration go to:  http://www.csjsl.org

An Interesting Sister in West Virginia

Sister Rosalie Bucci

When I went to Wheeling, West Virginia, my purpose was to work with the Treasurer on learning the Federation book-keeping system.  However, one of the more interesting side-happenings of the trip was my interaction with Sr. Rosalie Bucci.

After sharing supper with Rosalie, I became rather curious about a comment she made, so I asked if I could speak with her again the next morning.  I asked her about her life and she told me the story of how she met the Sisters of St. Joseph.

Rosalie’s parents were Italian immigrants who settled in Williamson, West Virginia.  Williamson was rural but during the time of World War II, it was buzzing with rail traffic.  N&W railroad was there with 17 passenger trains coming through regularly.  Rosalie’s father and brothers worked on the railroad.  She loved her life in Williamson, having good friends and a close family life.

Rosalie first met the Sisters of St. Joseph when they came to teach bible school and religious education on some weekends and every summer.  Several hundred sisters did this throughout the year, leaving Wheeling by train to spend time throughout rural West Virginia. Sr. Rosalie said, “I loved what they were doing, how they spoke to us, and what it was like being with them. They were wonderful people.”  She noted that they taught them Gregorian chant, church doctrine and just talked with them about their lives.  Sr. Rosalie said, “They inspired me by their demeanor and everything about them.”  When the sisters came to Williamson, the priest vacated the rectory so they would have a place to stay.  The faith community in Williamson greatly appreciated the presence of the sisters.

Sr. Rosalie joined the Sisters of St. Joseph after graduating from high school in 1947.  She has a great appreciation for music so while teaching 1^st grade for 40 years she also lead choirs and worked in music in the schools and parishes where she served.

I was very struck by the meaningful service that these traveling sisters provided after they completed their full time work.  I shared with Rosalie that many of the Sisters of St. Joseph in the Vice Province of Hawaii, also met the Sister of St. Joseph when they traveled to the rural plantations to provide religious education to the children on evenings and weekends.

Le Puy Part II

I was especially fascinated by the legend of the miracles at the site that caused the Cathedral to be built.  Wikipedia told the story in such a concise yet interesting way that I decided to use their words. 

In 47 or 70 A.D., a woman from Ruessium named Vila who was suffering from a high fever asked to be carried to the top of Mount Anicius. She was laid on a megalithic dolmen that crowned the hill which had the reputation of healing fevers. This dolmen was in fact called "the stone of fevers." Vila fell asleep there, and the Virgin appeared to her in a dream. She asked Vila to go to see the local bishop named George, and ask him to build a church on that spot. The sign the lady would give him would be Vila's cure. When she awoke, Vila felt cured. She went to see Bishop George, who received her well. The prelate hiked to the summit of Mount Anicius with the rest of his clergy. The exact spot where the Virgin had appeared was snow-covered, in the middle of July: there was the outline of the foundations of the future edifice in the snowfall around the dolmen made by a deer. The bishop had a wooden fence erected around the place that would become one day the altar site of the Cathedral of Le Puy en Velay.

More than a century after this miraculous occurrence, in 221, the Blessed Virgin accompanied by angels appeared to a paralyzed woman from the village of Ceyssac, and also told her to go to Mount Anicius to be cured. When the woman reached the fence, she was instantly cured. The Virgin appeared to her to ask for a proper church to be built on that holy ground. Bishop Vosy, the then bishop of the diocese, climbed the hill himself, and then went to Rome to meet Pope Callistus I (C. 155-222). The holy pontiff gave permission for the construction of a basilica. Provided by Wikipedia

(See pictures of Cathedral and dolmen stone.)

 Another thing that fascinated me about the Cathedral was that it is the site of many pilgrimages to Santiago de Compostela in Northwestern Spain.  The pilgrimages peaked in the 12^th century but continued on into the 18^th century.  In the last 30 years it has again grown in popularity.  The pilgrimage starts in Le Puy and goes to the site of the burial of St. James the Apostle.  It is hard to imagine that the bones are really his- but the pilgrimages have meaning for many people. 

 The Cathedral holds a mass at 7am every morning to bless the pilgrims and send them on their way.  Often the Bishop meets with the pilgrims personally.  All are given a specially minted coin that is symbolic of the beginning of their journey.  They leave through a special “hole” in the floor.  The Cathedral is built on a hill and as they expanded it over time, they built outward with pylons to support the church floor.  So there are these big hollow areas under the Cathedral.  There is a grate in the floor of the Cathedral which is raised so that the pilgrims can descend down these stairs and out of the Cathedral.  It is really unique. (See pilgrim's exit)

A place where our sisters surely came was to the L’hopitial, where poor pilgrims would stay on their way to Campestelo.  Next to it is the Chapel of St. Clair.  Interestingly, this was not always a Catholic spot.  Carved above the doorway are symbols showing the phases of the moon.  This was considered the “Temple of Diana” in pre-Christian times.  The Chapel of Saint Michael, atop the mountain was a Druid place of worship also prior to Christian times. (See pcitures of Chapel below)

In the center of the market place a tree and a monument mark the site where many were guilotined during the French Revolution, including two Sisters of St. Joseph. (See picture of tree)

Across the street from that is the building where Bishop De Maupas would have conducted his secular business, probably including writing up the secular documents that allowed the Sisters of St. Joseph to be formed. He probably had meetings with Jean Pierre Medaille in this building. (see picture of civic building.)

Cathedral in Le Puy

Healing Stone

Exit for Pilgrims

L'Hopital

Chapel of St. Clair

Above the door are the symbols of the phases of the moon.

Special code for Christians letting them know there were others in the town

Site of the Guillotine

Civic Building where business would have been conducted by Bishop De Maupas