by Sister Constance Carolyn Veit, l.s.p

As Ash Wednesday approached, I was thinking that this was going to be a Lent like most others. And then came the news on Feb. 11! Even as I pondered what a papal resignation signified, my thoughts drifted back to another season of high emotion – Lent 2005. A proud member of the JPII generation, I will never forget the images of John Paul II publicly living out his last days like a long and deliberate Way of the Cross.

Benedict XVI’s final papal Lent has an entirely different tenor. Much ink has already been spilled over the possible reasons and implications of his resignation, and one might ask what more can be said.

We Little Sisters of the Poor would simply like to offer profound thanks to God for the gift of Pope Benedict at a very challenging time in the life of the Church. We would like to thank him for the canonization of our mother foundress, St. Jeanne Jugan, in 2009 and for imparting a message of hope to our Sisters and elderly residents during a visit to our home in London in 2010. We are deeply grateful for his encyclicals and books and for his emphasis on the place of organized works of charity in the life of the Church.

We would also like to reflect on Pope Benedict’s example from the perspective of women religious dedicated to the elderly. In visiting our residents in London, Pope Benedict readily admitted that he came among them as a brother who knows both the joys and struggles of advanced age. During a visit to an old age home in Rome in late 2012, he identified himself as “an old man visiting his peers,” even exclaiming that “it is beautiful to be old!” Rare is the public figure who so readily admits his own frailty.

At the beginning of his pontificate, Benedict said that “Each of us is willed, each of us is loved, each of us is necessary.” In 2010, he repeated this message to the residents of our home in London and again in Rome. Directed at the infirm elderly, can we doubt that this message was uniquely intentional? It is worth pondering at any age but especially as one feels his or her strength and abilities diminishing under the weight of old age.

In his first encyclical, Benedict wrote about humility and service. Now he is showing us the way: “We are only instruments in the Lord’s hands; and this knowledge frees us from the presumption of thinking that we alone are personally responsible for building a better world. In all humility we will do what we can, and in all humility we will entrust the rest to the Lord. It is God who governs the world, not we. We offer him our service only to the extent that we can, and for as long as he grants us the strength. To do all we can with what strength we have, however, is the task which keeps the good servant of Jesus Christ always at work: ‘The love of Christ urges us on’ (2 Cor. 5:14)” (Deus Caritas Est, n. 35).

There can be no doubt that the love of Christ – and love for the Church – are urging Benedict XVI on as he pursues a life of prayer, hidden from the world.

First Vows Professed in Queens Village

Four young women took their first vows as Little Sisters of the Poor at the Sisters’ novitiate in Queens Village, July 21. Auxiliary Bishop Raymond Chappetto, above, center, celebrated the Mass of Religious Profession, which welcomed, from left, Sister Andrea Rose Sims, Sister Selina Camille Luamanuvae, Sister Mary Florian and Sister Chiara Therese Tammaro to the religious congregation dedicated to serving the elderly poor. (Photo courtesy Little Sisters of the Poor)

Tablet TALK Event of the Week: Magnificat, the new Catholic Young Adult group at Queen of Angels Church, Rego Park, hosts “Your Purpose In Life – ‘My Soul Magnifies the Greatness of the Lord’ Luke 1:46” on Sunday, Sept. 16  at 1 p.m. in the rectory. Event includes prayer, reflection, praying the rosary and fellowship. Pot-luck brunch. Leader: Juan Rodriguez, pastoral associate / youth minister. If you are 21-40, in college, finished college and have a career, or looking for a community with spirituality, friendship and purpose, then Magnificat is for you. For details, contact 718-937-5174 or PA@queenofangelsnyc.org. 

Summer vacation is over now, and while it may have been a great respite for your mind and body, what about your soul? Consider taking a reflective journey the way medieval Christians did — by walking a labyrinth. Sacred Heart parish, Bayside, is hosting Walking the Labyrinth: Meditation in Motion, Oct. 21-25. Morning sessions, 10 a.m. – 12 p.m., and evening sessions, 7-9 p.m., are available. For more details, contact Sister Kathleen Masterson, R.S.M., at 718-224-5695.

As part of the Living and Leading by Faith formation program for diocesan catechists, the Basic Youth Ministry Course is being offered at St. Margaret School, Middle Village, on Oct. 15, 22, 29 and Nov. 5, 7-9:30 p.m. The instructor is Andy Churray. To register, go to www.bqfaithformation.org. For details, contact Paul Morisi, 718-965-7300 ext. 5556, or pmorisi@diobrook.org.

A Taize Prayer Group is forming at St. Charles Borromeo parish, Brooklyn Heights. Based on scripture readings and music, the purpose of this meditative prayer is to reach inner silence, to offer praise and admiration to God and to be receptive to God’s word in our hearts. Anyone interested in the group may leave a message for Tracy Howard at the rectory, 718-625-1177.

Women who have had an abortion and are seeking spiritual healing are invited to attend Forgiven and Set Free, a small-group Bible study program starting Sept. 17. Group sessions are free and completely confidential. For more details, call Rachel’s Helpers at 718-939-6646.

Dr. Deborah Meier, one of the foremost thinkers on education policy in the nation, will  present the annual Founders Day lecture at St. Joseph’s College, Clinton Hill, on Sept. 24, 4:30 p.m. in the Tuohy Hall Auditorium. The event is free and open to the public.

This week’s Tip of the Tablet TALK Top Hat goes to Brooklyn-born Sister Kathleen Luppens, O.P., who is celebrating 50 years in religious life. Sister Kathleen entered the Dominican Sisters of Our Lady of the Rosary, Sparkill, N.Y., from Resurrection parish, Gerritsen Beach. For many years, she was a teacher and principal in the New York Archdiocese. In 2011, she co-founded a new community of Sisters, called the Sisters of the Curé of Ars in Portland, Maine. Sister Kathleen currently lives in Stockton Springs, serving as a catechetical leader at St. Vincent de Paul Church, Bucksport, and attending Mass at Stella Maris parish, Bucksport. Ad multos annos, Sister Kathleen!

A world famous Irish tenor will be in concert at a local parish this fall…Check out next week’s Tablet TALK for all the details.

Happy 90th Birthday Dominic!

Surrounded by his parish family; parish priests, past and present; and Auxiliary Bishop Paul Sanchez, Dominic Byrne celebrated his 90th birthday at Holy Name of Jesus Church, Park Slope. Byrne is a regular at daily Mass, serving as either a lector or extraordinary minister of Holy Communion. Happy birthday Dominic — and many more! (Photo courtesy Holy Name of Jesus Church)

BIG Production In Bellerose

If you loved the movie starring Tom Hanks, then you don’t want to miss BIG, The Musical, presented by the St. Gregory the Great Theatre Group, Bellerose, above, in Gregorian Hall. Show dates and times: Aug. 3, 4, 8, 9, 10 and 11 at 8 p.m., and Aug. 5 and 12 at 2 p.m. Advance tickets: $18, $15 seniors, $7 children. For tickets, call 718-989-2451 or go to www.sgtg.org.

*PICK OF THE WEEK: Father John Cush is hosting Woody Allen Fest, a four-part film series at Holy Name of Jesus Church, Park Slope, Aug. 6-10. The schedule is as follows: Aug. 6, Love and Death; Aug. 7, Crimes and Misdemeanors; Aug. 9, Shadows and Fog; and Aug. 10, Matchpoint. Film begins at 7 p.m. in Shepherd’s Hall. Discussion follows. All welcome.

Faithful Tablet TALK readers, the food pantry at St. Gerard Majella, Hollis, needs your help! Supplies are low and Father Josephjude Gannon, parish administrator, needs help restocking the shelves. Non-perishable goods, such as rice, pasta, beans, tuna, canned vegetables and peanut butter, are in high demand. Consider adding one or more of these items to your shopping list — it’ll only cost an extra buck or two at the checkout counter, and you’ll be making a big difference in the lives of your neighbors. For drop off times and location, call 718-468-6565.

Tablet TALK Quote of the Week: “The winds of grace are always blowing, but you have to raise the sail.” — Sri Ramakrishna

Do you feel lost, alone or bored in your marriage? Consider taking part in the next Retrouvaille, a guided weekend retreat for married couples looking to renew their marriages. Learn practical tools to improve your relationship and communicate more effectively. There are no group discussions, and privacy is paramount. The next Retrouvaille weekend is scheduled for Sept. 7-9 at the Montfort Retreat House, Bayshore, L.I. To learn more, contact Jimmy and Kathleen, 516-305-5781 or 3028@retrouvaille.org.

Embrace the last remnants of summer on the beautiful grounds of Queen of Peace Residence, Queens Village, when the Little Sisters of the Poor host their Annual Garden Party, Sept. 8, 2-5 p.m. The cost is $60 per person and includes food and beverages. Reserve your tickets by calling 464-1800 or e-mailing qpdevelopment@littlesistersofthepoor.org.

The Catholic Club of Good Shepherd, Marine Park, will host its annual golf outing on Aug. 17 at Riis Park Pitch and Putt. Shotgun start at 1 p.m. Proceeds benefit Rosary Hill Home (formerly St. Rose’s Home). For reservations, call Jimmy, 802-310-8076.

This week’s Tip of the Tablet TALK Top Hat goes to Dr. Simon Moller, professor of biological sciences at St. John’s University, Jamaica, on receiving a $900,000 grant from the Research Council of Norway to further his research into Parkinson’s disease. Born and raised in Norway, Dr. Moller has dedicated many years to studying this disease. His work incorporates the use of zebra fish and mammalian neurons as well as plants, which possess all but one of the genes that cause Parkinson’s in humans. At SJU, this grant will enable him to employ four postdoctoral researchers, underwrite the purchase of state-of-the-art equipment, create opportunities for research-based education and hopefully discover more effective ways of diagnosing and treating this degenerative disorder in its earliest stages.

Jackson Heights Youth

Serve God and Others

Altar servers from Blessed Sacrament parish are being trained to serve at the Altar of the Lord and to serve the Jackson Heights community. This summer,  the boys and girls who normally serve on the altar donned work gloves and picked up brooms and dustpans to clean up the neighborhood under the guidance of their pastor, Father Patrick Burns, above, left.

Join the TALK! Tell Tablet TALK what’s happening in your corner of the diocese. Contact Marie Elena Giossi at megiossi@diobrook.org or 718-499-9705 ext. 326.

by Sister Constance Carolyn, L.S.P.

Meet Anna.  She is 91 and has been a resident of our home in Chicago for eight years.  We knew Anna for several years before she came to live with us. We often saw her at Holy Name Cathedral, where she spent her days serving as the unofficial sacristan.  But Anna didn’t just hang out at the cathedral – she lived there…in the basement.

We befriended Anna and would periodically invite her to come live at St. Mary’s Home. Her worn out clothing, matted hair and bent posture made it obvious that she could use some help taking care of herself.  For years, she declined our invitations.  Though very poor in our eyes, she felt needed at the cathedral.  She had her routine… and her independence.

Finally, Anna agreed that she could no longer make it on her own, and so in 2004, she moved to our home in Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood. During her admission intake, we discovered that this humble old woman who lived in the church basement had earned both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in nursing and that she had worked for the Chicago board of education helping to develop the Head Start program. She had a personal history and accomplishments; she also had a unique personality.

Once at St. Mary’s Home, Anna continued to dress in her somewhat mismatched, bohemian style.  She took pride in what she referred to as her “sensitivity” to the different cultures she encountered among the residents and staff of the home.  For as long as she was able, Anna volunteered in the kitchen.  Now, nearly bent in half, she spends most of the day in the chapel; she is probably there right now, praying.

Because we care for the poor, most of our residents are Medicaid recipients. Yet Medicaid covers only about half of our operating expenses. We rely heavily on private philanthropy to make ends meet. Obtaining adequate funding to provide the quality of care for which our homes are known is a constant struggle.

The HHS mandate threatens to take our financial challenges to an entirely new level.  The fines to be imposed for non-compliance with the mandate represent an unsustainable financial burden.  This is the greatest threat we have faced in over 140 years of service to the elderly in the U.S.

Beyond the HHS mandate, we Little Sisters of the Poor have serious concerns related to broader issues of religious liberty.  If the federal government succeeds in enforcing the mandate, what is to stop it from rationing health care to seniors or including euthanasia on the list of required “preventive services” as a way of eliminating the costs associated our rapidly aging population?  We Little Sisters fear that one day we could be forced to participate in assisted suicide or euthanasia, acts we find morally reprehensible. This would mean the end of our mission in the U.S.

We have never faced discrimination or religious persecution in this great nation. But as Little Sisters of the Poor, we are not strangers to religious intolerance. Our foundress was born at the height of the French Revolution and established our congregation in its aftermath. Our Sisters have been forced to leave numerous countries, including China, Myanmar and Hungary, because of religious intolerance. We pray that the United States will not be added to this list.

by Sister Constance Carolyn Veit, L.S.P.

St. Jeanne Jugan was well into her 40’s when she established the Little Sisters of the Poor. Some might consider her a “delayed” or “late” vocation, but I don’t think Jeanne was delayed at all.  From an early age, she had a sense of her vocation.

Jeanne knew that God loved her and was calling her; she just didn’t know where the call would take her. When Jeanne turned down a marriage proposal she told her mother, “God wants me for himself, he is keeping me for a work as yet unknown, for a work which is not yet founded.”

St. Jeanne’s words are worth pondering as we prepare for the World Day of Prayer for Vocations. “God wants me for himself.” These words took on a specific meaning in the life of St. Jeanne Jugan when she opened her heart and her home to a poor elderly, blind woman who had no one to care for her.  But they really apply to all of us.

Don’t we all long to feel loved and wanted? So often in the media we read about mean girls and bullies at school, and about a lack of civility in the workplace.  Although we Little Sisters are not generally consumers of pop culture, it has struck me how often pop singers have been trying to reach out to young people with messages of affirmation – telling them that they are beautiful, perfect and irreplaceable; that God makes no mistakes; and that they should ignite the light within and let it shine.

But God has been trying to tell us this all along! For as long as he has been communicating through human words, God has been telling us that he chose us, created us, redeemed us and called us by name. He tells us over and over, in a multitude of ways, that he wants us for himself.

In his message for the World Day of Prayer for Vocations, to be celebrated on the fourth Sunday of Easter (April 29), Pope Benedict XVI writes, “The profound truth of our existence is thus contained in this surprising mystery: every creature, and in particular every human person, is the fruit of God’s thought and an act of his love, a love that is boundless, faithful and everlasting. The discovery of this reality is what truly and profoundly changes our lives.”

At the heart of every vocation is the discovery of this reality, whether it be a call to priesthood or diaconate, consecrated life, or married and family life. This experience of God’s personal, creative love is what led Jeanne to set off on her life’s path. “God wants me for himself.” St. Jeanne understood these words in a unique and personal way, and the certainty that God was calling her to belong exclusively to him sustained her faith as she waited many years for him to fully reveal his plans for her.

St. Joe’s Ice Cream Entrepreneurs

Eighth graders at St. Joseph School, Astoria, learned the fundamentals of operating a small business by opening their own ice cream stores at school. Not only did they learn valuable skills: producing a quality product, good customer service, vendor negotiation and accounting skills, but they were also able to enjoy the product. Ahh, the taste of sweet success!

Traditionally, the month of March is dedicated to St. Joseph, whose feast day was March 19. The Sisters of St. Joseph, Brentwood, invite friends and supporters to consider donating a brick along their new Walk With Us Path outside the St. Joseph Renewal Center, Brentwood. Each brick costs $200 and may have up to three inscribed lines. For more details, contact Sister Rose Viceconte, C.S.J., in the Development Office, 631-273-1187 ext. 25.

Support St. Agatha School, Sunset Park, by attending the school’s Annual Card Party, March 30, 6 p.m. $15, includes light supper, coffee, soda and dessert. To reserve your tickets, call 718-435-3137.

Share a Lenten meal with the Little Sisters of the Poor and residents at Queen of Peace Residence, Queens Village, on Friday, March 30. Served by the Little Sisters, dinner will consist of fish, chips, coffee and dessert. Dinner is $20 and reservations are required. For reservations, contact Sister Celine Therese, l.s.p., at 718-464-1800.

Ladies, if you suffer from gastrointestinal disorders, Brooklyn Women’s Services, Bay Ridge, an affiliate of Maimonides Medical Center, invites you to attend the free workshop, Nutrition Therapy for GI Disorders, April 4, 6 p.m. To register, call 718-748-1234 or go to www.bwsnyc.com.

Correction: The Mount Carmel Theatre Company is presenting MCTC: In Concert – On Shuffle, March 31, on the lower stage at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, Williamsburg. Tickets are only $10. Call 646-580-2167.

The Bridge to Life, Inc., a Queens-based pro-life organization dedicated to offering women and men the spiritual and material resources they need to choose life for their unborn children, is marking its 20th anniversary. Join The Bridge to Life family for its anniversary dinner dance, April 22, 12:30 p.m. at Leonard’s of Great Neck. Enjoy a full dinner, dancing, and music for $70. Honorees: Msgr. James Lisante and Theresa Bonopartis. Reserve tickets by April 10. Call 718-463-1810.

St. John’s University, Jamaica, will host its annual Spring Career Fair at the Taffner Fieldhouse, March 27, 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. This event presents an excellent opportunity for freshmen, graduate students and alumni to make the important contacts and connections while networking with respective companies and industry representatives. Employers and companies that will be in attendance that day will be hiring for internships, full-time and part-time career positions. For more information, contact the Career Center at 718-990-6375. 

Bishop Guy Sansaricq, seminarian Dwayne Davis, and Marilyn Jones will be honored at the Youth Ambassador Gala, sponsored by the diocesan Vicariate of Black Catholic Concerns, April 21, 7 p.m. at the Baron de Kalb Knights of Columbus, Sheepshead Bay. Youth Ambassadors of the Year will also be named. Donation: $60, includes dinner, dancing and open bar. For tickets, call 718-774-3806.

Celebrating a special wedding anniversary this year? Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio will honor couples marking 25, 30, 40, 50 or more years of marriage at the annual Diocesan Wedding Anniversary Mass, April 28, 11 a.m. at Our Lady of Angels, Bay Ridge. To participate, register at your parish by March 31. For details, call Martha in the diocesan Faith Formation Office, 718-281-9540.

This week’s Tip of the Tablet TALK Top Hat goes to professor Leonard M. Baynes of St. John’s University’s School of Law, Jamaica, who was named among the 100 most influential black attorneys in the U.S. by On Being a Black Lawyer (OBABL). He was profiled in OBABL’s “The Power 100 Special Edition,” published Feb. 15. A communications law scholar specializing in race and media issues, he directs SJU’s Ronald H. Brown Center for Civil Rights and Economic Development. He’s previously been honored by the American Bar Association and is a member of the Minority Media and Telecommunications Council’s Hall of Fame. Congratulations Prof!

St. Kevin’s ‘Can’tastic Challenge

To mark the 100th day of school, students at St. Kevin’s School, Flushing, did something spectacular. Each class was challenged to bring in 100 cans of food, ranging from soup to tuna to canned ravioli. The school not only met its goal of 1,000 cans but exceeded it! All of the cans went to the local food pantry at St. John Vianney Church. This is just one of several projects St. Kevin’s students have undertaken to help the community.

by Sister Constance Carolyn Veit, lsp,

Each February, the Church celebrates two events of special significance to Little Sisters of the Poor. On Feb. 2, the Church celebrates the World Day of Consecrated Life, a day important to all men and women religious. On Feb. 11, the World Day of the Sick is observed. Each of these special days offers an opportunity to affirm our vocation as consecrated women devoted to the Church’s mission of compassion through the ministry of healthcare.

Preparing for these days led me to recall my experience in Lourdes many years ago.  At the time I was a newly professed Little Sister of the Poor assigned to one of our homes in Paris and was asked to accompany a group of our elderly residents on a two-week trip to the Pyrenees, which would include several excursions to the famous Marian shrine in Lourdes.

When we first arrived at Our Lady’s shrine, I was overwhelmed by the sheer number of people participating in the outdoor ceremonies. The cacophony of languages being spoken simultaneously and the chaos of hundreds of people milling about, many being pushed in wheelchairs or stretchers and more than a few aggressively vying for the best spot in the procession, was disconcerting.  But once I got used to the crowd, I witnessed something quite beautiful – and something I have never forgotten.

Whether it was at the culmination of the candlelight procession on the esplanade in front of the rosary basilica or in the hushed shadows of the grotto of the apparitions, I saw suffering humanity seeking consolation and refuge in the arms of Our Lady, and, through her, in the heart of the Church. It was a profoundly moving sight, but that was not all. As a woman religious in the midst of this great sea of humanity, I was approached over and over by people asking questions or simply confiding their problems to me and asking me to pray for them. I realized that as a consecrated person, it didn’t matter where I was from or what language I spoke – to these people I represented the Church, and as such, the love and mercy of God.

In Lourdes, I realized that just as Our Lady smiles down on those who kneel before her at the grotto, and just as the great rosary basilica seems to embrace the crowds gathered in her shadow, so as consecrated women devoted to the elderly we Little Sisters of the Poor have been commissioned by Christ and His Church to be the face and hands of Divine compassion in a broken world. Christ is counting on us to make our hearts a refuge for suffering humanity.

In his 1995 work Vita Consecrata, Blessed John Paul II wrote that consecrated life is a life of self-giving love, of practical and generous service to the poorest and the neediest. “The Church looks with admiration and gratitude upon the many consecrated persons who, by caring for the sick and the suffering, contribute in a significant way to her mission,” he wrote.  John Paul II encouraged us to follow in the footsteps of the Divine Samaritan and to devote ourselves to the sick “with profound understanding and compassion.”

As we celebrate the World Day of Consecrated Life and the World Day of the Sick, please join us in praying for an increase of vocations to a life of self-giving love, and for authentic compassion for the suffering who seek comfort in the loving arms of Christ and His Church.