We would like to let you know about a beloved member of our campus family who lost her battle with cancer—a battle, her husband says, that she never intended to lose. You may recall in September, we told you about Shelley Espey ’86 who was seeking support for her recent cancer diagnosis. Shelley died January 31, surrounded by her family.

She was an ’86 graduate, a current Valley Catholic parent (Katrina ’12), and a parent of two alumnae (Adala in ’98 and Nichole in ’09). Shelley had also worked at the SSMO Convent for several years prior to joining SSMO Ministries Corp. in the Finance Dept., where she has worked since 2004. Her most recent position had her stationed in the accounting department at Maryville Nursing Home.

On the same day she died, Shelley’s husband, Dave, wrote a note to her many friends. Below are some excerpts from his letter to them.

Today at 3:05  a.m. we lost one of the kindest people I have ever had the privilege to know. She is my best friend, best mother I have ever seen and loyal friend of all who allowed her to be. She took in all who wanted a mother and loved them like her own. I want to thank all of you who have been praying in earnest for her to be healed. The outcome was not what I wanted but I give God all the praise and glory knowing with total confidence she is now healed and made new in her new home with the Lord.

Plans for memorial services are still pending. When arrangements are made, they will be posted in the News & Events area of www.valleycatholic.org, www.maryvillenh.org, www.ssmo.org and www.ssmofoundation.org. Letters of condolence are being collected at the reception desk at Maryville Nursing Home. Please keep the Espey family in your thoughts and prayers.

Submitted by Alumni and Donor Relations Coordinator Grace LeChevallier

Six of the Sisters of St. Mary of Oregon were graciously welcomed to St. Edward’s Parish in North Plains for the first Kaffee Klatsch event of the year. The event was a great opportunity to reconnect with old friends and develop new relationships. St. Edward’s Church was the home parish for all the Sohler sisters and has strong connections to the Sisters of St. Mary of Oregon and Valley Catholic School.

SSMO Foundation Development Director Sharlayne Buuck also extended greetings to St. Edward’s parishioners from Valley Catholic School and Maryville Nursing Home. Superior General Sr. Charlene Herinckx then gave a short presentation that showed some highlights of the Sisters’ 125th Jubilee and a bit of their history.

The event also included some fun and games: Alumni and Donor Relations Coordinator Grace LeChevallier quizzed the parishioners on SSMO trivia. The lucky winners received flower centerpieces.

In the German tradition, a Kaffee Klatsch is a casual gathering for coffee and conversation. It is also a long-held tradition in the Sisters of St. Mary of Oregon Community. The Sisters plan to sponsor Kaffee Klatsches throughout the year. They are excited to express their gratitude for the years of support from local parishes and their parishioners, and to share the many ways parishioners have influenced the SSMO’s ministries.

Thank you to Fr. Sebasty, Barbara Henningsen and Nancy Vandehey ’67 for all their hospitality.

The Sisters’ next Kaffee Klatsch will be at St. Anthony’s Parish in Forest Grove on February 19, 2012, after the 9:30 a.m. Mass. All are welcome!

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Submitted by Sr. Joyce Barsotti, SSMO

The Sisters of St. Mary of Oregon invite you to celebrate a special Mass with them to commemorate the closing of their 125th Jubilee on Sunday, March 25, at 2 p.m. at Valley Catholic High School on the SSMO campus.  The Mass will be held in the Valiants’ Gym and a reception will follow in the Eagles’ Gym. Archbishop Vlazny will preside at the Mass and the music will be provided by students from Valley Catholic School and Valley Catholic Music School.  

To print and post a copy of the invitation, please click here.

All the Sisters who live away from the Motherhouse convent will be returning home for the occasion, and the Sisters have invited all their families, friends and supporters.  In addition, honored guests will include: priests and Sisters from around the Archdiocese, representatives from the families of the foundresses and the SSMO Associates, who will renew their promises at the event.

A personal invitation from the Sisters: 

We have spent this past year as a Year of Jubilee for the blessings bestowed on our community over the past 125 years.  We pray with confidence that we will continue to share that deep desire to be messengers of hope and gratitude as we continue to serve with joy the Church we love.

We have focused our year of celebrations by becoming more aware of our gratitude to God and to the valiant women who brought us to this year of Jubilee.  We give thanks to our families and friends, to each other and to those we have been  privileged to serve.  We hope that many of you will join us for our Jubilee Closing on Sunday, March 25 at 2:00 p.m. in the Valley Catholic Athletic Center.

Our hearts have been enlarged, our memories enlivened and our hunger for the Kingdom strengthened. We will be more aware of our gratitude, hope, and service as we begin the new memories of God’s presence and love in our lives.

This month’s reflection is on St. Bernadette Soubirous, who lived in the mid-1800s in France.  At the young age of 14, St. Bernadette was granted visions of the Blessed Virgin Mary.  To see the full story and reflection that you can print, please click here.

Do you know someone who is considering a vocation to the religious life? Or do you know someone you want to encourage to consider becoming a Sister of St. Mary of Oregon?

On Sunday, Feb.19, Sr. Michael Francine, our vocation director, has scheduled a “Come and See” Retreat from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Sisters invite any single, Catholic woman between the ages of 18 and 40 to join them to learn about discerning one’s vocation. There will be the opportunity to hear vocation stories as well as ask questions.

If you or someone you know needs more information or would like to register, please contact Sr. Michael Francine Duncan.

Sr. Denise Klaas, SSMO, rings the Angelus bell.

Submitted by Sr. Krista Von Borstel, SSMO

Have you ever wondered the meaning behind the bell that rings on the campus at 6 a.m., noon and 6 p.m.? The bell signals the time for praying the “Angelus.”

The bell itself, referred to as the “Angelus bell,” was a gift to the Community from Bruno and Mary Boedigheimer, parents of Sr. Cecilia, one of the foundresses, in August of 1898. It was dedicated on Aug. 15 that year by Archbishop William Gross. In September of 1930 the bell was moved to its current location into what was then the new Motherhouse.

The rope is located in the choir loft on the third floor. The end of the rope was originally located in the back of chapel on the second floor, but during renovations in 1990, that area was used to create the Reconciliation Room.

The praying of the Angelus begins the morning prayer of the Sisters of St. Mary of Oregon at chapel on weekday mornings during the school year, followed by the Liturgy of the Hours and Mass.

As the Sisters finish dinner in the evening in the convent dining room, the bells begin ringing at 6 p.m. In unison, the Sisters stand and pray this prayer together before moving on to evening activities.

The bell is rung also at the end of a funeral Mass for our Sisters. First it is tolled (one ring at a time) for the number of years of life and then it is rung more joyously (two rings) for the number of years of living as a Sister of St. Mary of Oregon.

The Angelus prayer, printed below, is said silently to oneself or in a group where the leader has a part and the group responds with their part.

The Angelus

Leader: The Angel of the Lord declared to Mary
Response: And she conceived of the Holy Spirit.

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

Leader: Behold the handmaid of the Lord.
Response: Be it done unto me according to Thy word.

Hail Mary . . .

Leader: And the Word was made flesh
Response: And dwelt among us.

Hail Mary . . .

Leader: Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God,
Response: That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Leader: Let us pray:
Response: Pour forth, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy grace into our hearts; that we, to whom the incarnation of Christ, Thy Son, was made known by the message of an angel, may, by His Passion and Cross, be brought to the glory of His Resurrection, through the same Christ Our Lord. Amen.

Submitted by Sr. Charlene Herinckx, SSMO

Our Rule of Life (which we call our Constitutions) prescribes that the Superior General of the Community “makes a periodic visitation of the entire Community as a means of strengthening a sense of unity.”  During this visit, the leader has an opportunity to become more aware of the manner in which religious life is being lived.  It is hoped that these conferences will help to foster a renewed commitment and that each Sister will have the opportunity to speak freely of matters of concern.

As I reflect on my first experience of having visitation with the Sisters, I find it difficult to express how touched I am by the Sisters’ goodness, honesty and commitment.  Needless to say, we all have areas that need to be changed or improved, but that cannot happen without openness to knowing that God is still working in our lives to make each of us the best possible loving Sister of St. Mary of Oregon. 

For that reason I wish everyone could have the wonderful experience of hearing how the Sisters recognize their ongoing call to holiness through living their vows in community.  To say it was a privilege is an understatement!

Submitted by  Sr. Charlene Herinckx, SSMO

Our New Year’s Day celebration included both our gratitude for our 125th Jubilee and the 50th Ordination Anniversary of Archbishop Vlazny. We were honored by his presence and celebration of the Eucharist, followed by a Sunday brunch and visiting. This has become an annual highlight for our holidays.

The Archbishop also presided at Mass in the Maryville Chapel on Christmas Day. It has been the tradition for many years that after the SSMO choir finishes the Christmas Day Mass at the Motherhouse, they walk across campus to sing at Mass with the residents of Maryville at their Christmas Mass.

Sr. Angeline with "Pickles," one of the two cats she has adopted on campus.

Reflecting on vocation as I go into my 69th year in religious life, I recognize that God’s call comes at various times and in many ways. The first time for me was at age eight. I was intrigued by the Sisters of St. Mary of Oregon who taught catechism classes weekly at our mission church, and I wanted to be like them. Then at age 12, I learned of the Providence Sisters in a hospital setting. Their life was another way to be a Sister.

My call to a religious vocation was supported by my parents, who agreed to send me to a Catholic high school even though it meant I would be going to boarding school. At St. Mary of the Valley, I became acquainted with more Sisters of St. Mary Oregon and their way of life. A dear friend among the Providence Sisters took me to visit their motherhouse in Seattle, meet the novitiate members and attend a vow ceremony. I had also worked a summer job at Providence Hospital. Still, I was undecided about which community to join.

At 15, a junior in high school, I felt quite mature about making a decision. I had watched the dating game of two older sisters, and their joys and woes in seeking a husband. The young men called on them at the house and there was always family discussion about their suitability. I knew that marriage was not my chosen path. I had been away from home for two years at school, so that break had already been made.

I cannot explain how a strong call came to me so clearly to apply for entrance into the Sisters of St. Mary of Oregon. The when and how was not very clear, but I made a novena to St. Francis Xavier to finalize my aspiration, and on his feast day I met with Mother Genevieve. I entered the novitiate on January 1, 1943.

Through life, God has called me to deeper commitment—at times of profession of vows, of jubilees of 50 (and soon, 70) years. The changes of Vatican II in the 60s were a time of challenge and recommitment. The stresses caused many Sisters to leave religious life for other ways of serving God. By the grace of God, I remained in this community to follow His call.

I cherish the life to which God has called me to live with His Sisters who are my lifelong friends and family. Now in retirement, there is still ample opportunity for joyful service, a quieter time for prayer and for simplicity of living.

Dear Families and Friends,

Recently I had the opportunity to attend an Open House at Valley Catholic School. As part of the program, Connor Garcia, a senior at Valley Catholic High School, spoke on various aspects of the school (academics, spiritual values, service, community, etc.) but his comments on “feeling like he had a second home” were very touching to me.

He noted that everyone knows that the Sisters’ home is in the convent with the big green dome, but for him the dome means more than the top of the convent. It symbolizes how he feels about the experiences he has had on our campus and he concluded that this campus will always be “Dome, Sweet Dome!” We certainly hope that all current families, alumni and their parents view their experiences here in much the same way.

In this issue of A View from the Dome, we will share information about the daily ringing of the Angelus bells, some Community activities in January, and, for your reflection, the story of St. Bernadette and the apparition of Mary at Lourdes, France.

Blessings,

Sr. Charlene Herinckx