MARCH 27, 2019
Notes from the Border
Community News
Sister Gloria Haider
Winter Texans! I always thought that Winter Texans were people who went to warm places in the winter and spent most of their time basking in the sun. Through working at the Catholic Charities Respite Center in McAllen, Tex., for the past five months, my perception of Winter Texans has changed. Some do bask in the sun, but I’ve met five Winter Texans at the respite center who have volunteered to spend their time working long hours. Susan and Duane came from Iowa about four months ago and left about two weeks ago. Susan worked in the laundry area washing, drying and folding thousands of towels every week. Duane mostly helped with repairs and other odd jobs. When the center needed a different shower truck, the Salvation Army donated one and it was Duane who directed the workers in connecting pipes, etc. Joe and Carolyn Karner, Winter Texans from Carolyn and Joe Karner came from Nebraska Nebraska, have volunteered at the respite center for five months ago and will leave at the end of March. five months. They will be deeply missed. Carolyn has helped the children find a set of clothes that fit. Joe has worked in the baby room giving mothers diapers, powdered milk, hand wipes and baby clothes. They also have helped hand out hygiene products. Their smiles are contagious. Finally, Dennis Epps came from South Dakota to spend three months at the center. Sisters Shirley Mueller and Mary Hroscikoski met Dennis in 2014, when he helped at the respite center when it was at Sacred Heart Parish. This year Dennis mostly worked making countless sandwiches and fixing snack bags for the immigrants for their journey to connect with their sponsors. Dennis celebrated his 91st birthday about two weeks before he returned to South Dakota in mid-March. Before he left McAllen, we invited him to our house for supper. We had a wonderful visit with him, and will see him this coming December when he comes back to volunteer. Even though they weren’t Winter Texans, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention three retired school teachers from the St. Paul school district who spent December volunteering at the center. I’ve met other wonderful volunteers from Minnesota also. Relationships are what it is about. And I have been blessed to meet all these people. I admire them for their selflessness and hard work in giving of their time and gifts. They are role models for me on my own journey.
Living the Gospel courageously . . . with energy, spirit, peace.
Racism Sister Aurora Tovar
Racism surges when a person carries a conviction or attitude where others are excluded, ridiculed, treated badly and discriminated against unjustly. Racist actions are damaging because they violate the justice and respect of people. Discrimination happens in many forms, for example, not having a dignified home, not having sufficient space for each person or, also, when people do not have a sufficient salary and therein they will not be able to start and finish their studies or the studies of their children. A dignified salary and work for all creates justice. In the area of health, racism means that the system is such that people cannot get the necessary attention they need to improve their health and purchase their medications. In the area of communication media, the internet manipulates messages in the interests of those who support with finances and then carry their message. Consumers in our society produce and create ideas and needs through their messages that influence and establish something to their benefit. Immigrants experience discrimination when they are treated as if someone is superior than they are or when they are made to feel inferior. White privilege is a message given when a distinction is made between persons who are white and persons of another color. An example of this is when a white person is seen as more beautiful or more intelligent. The color of the person or the way they dress readily pretends to make another less. There surges a feeling of not being privileged or delinquent in their manner of being. The privileges that many of us have are different than persons with few resources, this is understood as racism. There are many forms of racism that we consciously or unconsciously realize—they might be cultural, institutional or in regard to the color of our skin.
Spring Green Tip - part one The Green Committee
Spring is a great time to declutter. What do you toss? What should you donate? What can be reused? And, finally, what can you recycle? Keep it: A good rule of thumb to remember is if you have used it in the past year, chances are you’ll use it again. Donate it: Taking an inventory of your belongings shows you that tastes change and upgrades happen. Keep items out of overcrowded landfills by asking family and friends if they have use for any of your unwanted items, or donate them to New 2 You, Goodwill or a local thrift shop. Recycle it: Commercial mail, old magazines, unread books—all of these common clutter items can be recycled. Consider this: a family of four uses 1.25 tons of paper per year on average; and the U.S. EPA reports that recycling 1 ton of paper saves 3.3 cubic yards of landfill space, as well as enough energy to power the average American home for six months. Reuse it: Even if something isn’t recyclable, chances are it may be reused in some creative capacity. Consider how an item could be reused or repurposed before tossing it in the bin. 2
COMMUNITY NEWS • MARCH 27, 2019
FRANCISCAN SISTERS OF LITTLE FALLS, MINNESOTA
CORRECTION Mea Culpa…I apologize for errors in my article on Archbishop Romero. Sister Carol Virnig’s trip to El Salvador for LCWR was in 2013, not 2010 as I indicated. The error is mine. - Sister Adela Gross
Palm Braiding—share the ancient art? Jan Roering, CRD
We have a surplus of the Palm Weaving Guidesheets created by Sister Cecilia Schmitt. We’d like to offer them to any sister who might be interested in a palm weaving “show and tell” session in her local parish, with family or a group of friends or here at St. Francis Convent. Contact me if you are able to share your time and palm braiding talents with interested individuals. Thank you for considering this request!
FRANCISCAN SISTERS OF LITTLE FALLS, MINNESOTA
DONORS OF THE DAY MARCH 27 John & Kathleen Clifford (Paradise Valley, Ariz.)
27 Margaret Dragseth (Swanville) 28 Thomas & Colette Dumstorf (Louisville, Ky.) 28 Terry & Kathy Vipond (Norcross) 29 Steve & Rosemary Comstock (Ramsey) 29 Pauline Eichten (St. Paul) 30 Shirley Crowe (Foley) 30 Ken & Judy Erkens (Champlin) 31 Lois Cuchna (Glencoe) 31 Louie & Sue Frykman (Maple Grove) APRIL 1 Arlene Furnstahl (Little Falls) 1 Alfred & Bernadine Gross (Sartell) 2 Ann Gallus (Big Lake) 2 Walter Haselhuhn (Plymouth) 3 Susan Gentz (Austin, Tex.) 3 Patricia Hawes (Onamia) 4 Virginia Goble (Sarasota, Fla.) 4 LeRoy & Catherine Herbst (Foley) 5 Cindy Goebel (Sparks, Nev.) 5 Patricia Hines (Enterprise, Oreg.) 6 Floyd & Margaret Goenner (Elk River) 6 Barbara Huber (Shakopee) 7 Marcia Goff (Little Falls) 7 Gloria Hudoba (Chisago City) 8 Adam & Jan Jaskowiak (Sauk Rapids) 8 Karl Kieffer (Little Falls) 9 Raymond & Kathleen Jonas (Albany) 9 Marcia Kirkes (Zimmerman) 10 Carole Justin (St. Cloud) 10 David & Sarah Kise (Minneapolis) 11 Terry & Tami Kalina (Perham) 11 Helen Koch (White Bear Lake) 12 Jerome & Carol Kalinowski (Alexandria) 12 Jerry & Linda Koltes (St. Cloud) 13 Mary Lou Kasella (Pierz) 13 Lorene Koopmeiners (St. Cloud) 14 Doug & Cynthia Kazeck (Becker) 14 Norbert & Donna Korkowski (Brandon) 15 Rev. Edwin Kraemer (Sauk Rapids) 15 Tim & Jane Pettinger (Fargo, N. Dak.) COMMUNITY NEWS • MARCH 27, 2019
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FROM DEATH TO LIFE WE PRAISE GOD IN...
ENCLOSURES
Josephine (Patsy) Sowada, who died March 12 at the age of 97. She is the sister of Sister Maureen Blenkush.
April FCV Newsletter
Irene Pohlmann, who died March 12 at the age of 89. She is the sister-in-law of Sister Paula Pohlmann. Vernon Nieland, who died March 14 at the age of 91. He is the brother-inlaw of deceased Sister Eileen Kosel. Joann Martell Reyna, who died March 16 at the age of 77. She is the sister of deceased Sisters Jeanette and Betty Martell. Sister Jeanette Quinn, who died March 18 at the age of 88. Joseph Larson, who died March 18 at the age of 55. He is a nephew of Sister Georgine Larson. Dean Schneider, who died March 25 at the age of 69. He is a brother of Sister Rose Margaret Schneider. Joyce Fyle, who died March 26. She is a sister-in-law of Sister Sharon Fyle.
PLEASE PRAY FOR... Suzie Glodek, who has multiple myeloma and has had a difficult time with chemo treatments. She is a sister-in-law of Sister Carol Schmit. Mary Lentner, who is having back surgery to relieve numbness in her leg. She is a sister-in-law of Sister Ruth Lentner. Sister Ruth Lentner's nephew, Tim, who is among a group of organic farmers who are in need of a buyer for the milk they are producing.
CORRECTION Last issue's article, Together, God and us made a celebration!, was credited to Sister Janice Welle. Sister Janice Wiechman was actually the author. My apologies for any confusion. - Julie Haldenwanger, CRD
UPCOMING EVENTS March 27 .......................... American Red Cross Bloodmobile, 12-6 p.m. March 27 .......................... 100th Birthday Open House for Sister Theodora Higgins March 28 .......................... American Red Cross Bloodmobile, 8:30 a.m.2:30 p.m. April 4 .............................. Taizé Prayer, 6-7 p.m. April 6 .............................. Pasta Bar, 4:30-7 p.m. April 14 ............................ Palm Sunday Blessing of Palms, 8:30 a.m. 4
COMMUNITY NEWS • MARCH 27, 2019
NEW APPOINTMENT Sister Cordy Korkowski has been appointed to the newly developed Social Concerns Advisory Council for Catholic Charities. The goal is to gather representatives from churches, marginalized communities, rural life representatives and community partners from across the diocese’s geographical areas who can share experiences, needs and vision of the groups they represent. The members will be invited to offer input, assistance and advice on Social Concerns’ goals and program planning. The first meeting was held on March 21.
C ommunity News
is published biweekly by the Community Relations Department of the Franciscan Sisters of Little Falls, Minnesota, for its members. News items and suggestions for this publication are welcome from community members. Send to: Community News Attn: Julie Haldenwanger 116 8th Avenue SE Little Falls, MN 56345 phone: 320-632-0614 e-mail:
[email protected] www.fslf.org Articles are due noon Monday. The next newsletter will be issued on April 10, 2019. FRANCISCAN SISTERS OF LITTLE FALLS, MINNESOTA
