Written by Madeleine Tomich, Junior at Valley Catholic School

Sister Rosina Pham became the newest member of the Sisters of St. Mary of Oregon community Aug. 14 when she became a novice. As a novice, she will deepen her relationship with Jesus and the Community through a year of prayer, study, reflection and community service. During her canonical year, priority is given to intense prayer and personal development. The second year provides transition from the canonical novitiate to profession of vows and apostolic ministry.

Sister Rosina grew up in Saigon, Vietnam the youngest of seven siblings. She and her family immigrated to the United States in 1991. She attended San Francisco State University where she earned her bachelor’s degree in social work. Sister Rosina explained that she decided to become a Sister because she “desired to love and belong to God.”

By living in the consecrated life, she has more chances to serve God through the community. Her family, especially her brother who is a priest, encouraged her to follow the vocation of Sisterhood. She also considered doing social work before entering religious life. Sister Rosina is excited about the various ministries offered through the Sisters of St. Mary of Oregon in which she can reach out to make a difference in people’s lives. “I am looking forward to living in sisterly love, prayer and working together in community life.”

Sister Alison Green is a new face to Sisters of Saint Mary of Oregon. She is a 28-year-old with a passion for Christ and serving others. On Aug. 15, Sister Alison took her first vows after serving as a novice for the last two years. After two more years, she will then take another set of vows which last for three years before she takes her final vows.

Growing up in Sanger, California, just outside of Fresno, she was the middle child and the only girl. She remembers thinking about becoming a Sister in her childhood. “I thought, ‘they have the best job: they have the greatest boss in the universe, and their compensation lasts for all eternity.’”

When she went to college, she didn’t stray far from home. She attended California State University in Fresno where she received her bachelor of arts in English.

There are four vocations in the Catholic Church: Married Life, Single Life, Consecrated Life, and Priesthood. As Sister Alison describes it, she is not eligible for priesthood, and she knew she did not want to live life single. This left Married Life and Consecrated Life. “I pursued guys, college and various jobs, but was still not sure what I wanted to do with my life.”

She prayed to God for guidance and she wound up in Beaverton, Ore., where she found the Sisters of St. Mary of Oregon. She knew it was where she belonged. She says, “I fell in love. I love this order and my Sisters. I believe that being a Sister enables me to live my life more fully and more authentically than I could in any other vocation.” Becoming a Sister allowed her also to pursue teaching, a career option she had always considered.

Ever since becoming a novice on Aug. 15, 2008, Sister Alison has dedicated herself to SSMO and the people on its campus. She has spent time with the residents of Maryville, gotten to know the other Sisters and become one of them. Here, she says, she feels whole. “It’s like there was this puzzle piece of my life that never quite seemed to fit right.  When I moved in with the Sisters, it felt like it just fell into its place.”

So what is next for Sister Alison? She went back to college last summer at the University of Portland to study theology. She began her Masters of Arts (MAT) Program in the summer of 2010 and will be earning a teaching certificate for Language Arts. Sister Alison hopes to be hired by a Catholic high school where she can teach Religion and Language Arts.

“I still can’t believe how lucky I am sometimes. Every now and then I’ll be sitting in chapel and just be struck with wonder as I think, ‘Wow! How did I, of all people, ever get here?’”

My prayer the other day was not particularly fulfilling: I was distracted nearly the entire time and found myself desiring to get out and take a walk with God. So that afternoon I threw on a pair of walking shoes and headed to a natural area that I had not been to in a few years. I read somewhere that you can make your walk more prayerful by designating a certain point on the trail as a gateway that takes you out of the world. I did just this as I passed under a branch on my way in.

The overcast sky gave the day a strange feeling. Everything seemed to act or look differently than I would expect, including me. I had not walked long when I came across a young lady sitting on a bridge over a creek; she looked peaceful and relaxed. I wondered: If I sat along the creek, would I become as peaceful as she looked. I felt led to a spot along the bank where I sat on the hard earth and did little more than enjoy my surroundings.

I watched the water flow as water-skimmers fought the current. I reclined against a tree and lost my thoughts as my eyes skimmed the various fauna. I breathed in unfamiliar scents as my fingers passed over blades of grass. I listened to sounds, many of which normally would have distracted or agitated me, but today they seemed to relax me and bring me joy: the water in the creek, the traffic in the distance, the squirrels chasing each other, other people exploring the woods.

I could not understand why everything there seemed to make me so happy that day. There was nothing extraordinary about it. In fact, there were plenty of unpleasant aspects of the trip: I slipped in a creek, walked into an untold number of spider webs, and overheard Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance” being played by some fellow visitors to the nature park. My explanation for the peace and joy I felt that day is that it was a gift, and I type this reflection in gratitude for the grace of God.

I made my First Profession of Vows on August 15th. I had been feeling increasingly nervous over the four days leading up to the event and I became a bundle of nervous energy in the hours before the ceremony. As I was bouncing around the house attending to last minute preparations, I suddenly realized that I did not know how to put all the pieces of my habit together. So, less than two hours before the ceremony began, I was hopping around looking for someone to help me. God was good to me and sent me to Sr. Juana who helped me with a laugh and a smile.

Sr. Juana may have been too efficient, though, because I found myself with over an hour of free time before the ceremony, and I had little to do besides bounce off the walls. I spent some time talking with some of my Sisters and a member of our nursing staff (Gwen); they helped me to keep from jumping out of my skin. The Sisters told me stories about their vows ceremonies, and I found comfort in joining my nervousness in solidarity with the nervousness of those who came before me.

The ceremony itself was wonderful! A number of people have told me how special it was for them. Gwen, for example, told me that although she has attended a number of weddings, after seeing me profess my vows she thought, “Wow, now I have seen a wedding for the first time.” I did not have thoughts like this during my vows. Every time I had rehearsed my vows I nearly cried at the beauty of what I was choosing. I am not sure how to describe it, but it was like I felt as though I were joining with something immense. So, during my profession of vows I spent a great deal of time thinking about the logistics of my profession (voice clarity, the sequence of events, etc.) in order to keep from crying.

In moments when I was more relaxed, though, I became very aware of the depth of the beauty and joy that was welling inside me. It was a feeling that brought me peace and assurance in my decision. One such moment came during the homily when Monsignor Dennis O’Donovan began to quote the Beatles song “Let It Be.” This touched me in part because I had not chosen songs for the ceremony to match the scripture readings of the day, but rather songs that express some of my favorite scripture passages. I was not sure if this would work, but his homily beautifully tied together the last scripture reading of the ceremony to the next song that we sang. I mused on how the Holy Spirit was moving and leading me, Monsignor O’Donovan, and everyone else in that chapel. I rested in the wisdom of Mother Mary and the guidance of the Lord.

Sr. Bernice Marie Hertel '46

1928-2010

Sister Bernice Marie Hertel was born on Dec. 29, 1928 in Roy, Oregon. She attended St. Francis Grade School in Roy, Hillsboro Union High School for two years and graduated from St. Mary of the Valley. Shortly after graduation in 1946, she entered the Sisters of St. Mary of Oregon.

Sister Bernice Marie pursued a degree in Education and earned her Bachelor Degree from Marylhurst College in 1953. She taught mostly grades 3, 4 or 5, but also served as principal at Visitation School in Verboort for three years. She taught at the following locations: St. Mary of the Valley, St. Mary’s Home for Boys, St. John the Baptist in Milwaukie, Sacred Heart in Gervais, St. Stephen, Our Lady of Sorrows in Portland, St. Michael in Grande Ronde, St. Matthew in Hillsboro, St. Mary in Stayton, St. Boniface in Sublimity, St. Cecilia and Holy Trinity in Beaverton, Visitation in Verboort, and St. Francis in Roy.

During her 40 years as a classroom teacher, she was known for dedication to both the students and their families. To this work she brought her faith and love for God’s people along with her strong work ethic, perseverance and the quest for more knowledge.

In 1989 Sister Bernice Marie transitioned from her teaching ministry to ministering to the senior citizens at Holy Cross Parish in North Portland. In 1998, she became a resident at the Alzheimer’s Unit at Maryville Nursing Home, and later transferred back to the Infirmary of the Sisters of St. Mary of Oregon Convent, where she died on Thursday, August 12, 2010.

Sister is preceded in death by her brothers Raymond, Paul, and Joseph Hertel; and by sisters, Rena Herb and Viola Danley. She is survived by her brother Francis Hertel of Cornelius, her sister Helen Fessler of Portland, and her sister Gertrude Duyck of Hillsboro. She is also survived by many nephews and nieces, including Sr. Anna Hertel, SSMO, Sr. Catherine Hertel, SSMO, and Sr. Mary Peter Duyck, OSF.

Vigil Service:  Aug. 17 at 7 p.m. – Motherhouse of the Sisters of St. Mary of Oregon
Mass of Christian Burial:  Aug. 18 at 4 p.m. – Motherhouse Chapel
Interment:  Aug. 19 at 9 a.m. – Sisters’ Cemetery

Memorial offerings may be directed to the Sisters of St. Mary of Oregon Retirement Fund.

May she rest in God’s embrace!

Come find the treasure you have been waiting for!!!

Pass this date and time on to everyone you know.

Saturday, Aug. 21
9 a.m. - 3 p.m.
At the Old Gym and Play Court areas in the center of campus, behind the Convent

Sisters of St. Mary of Oregon
4440 SW 148th Ave.
Beaverton, OR 97007

Last week I made my annual retreat. I spent six days at the Palisades Retreat Center on Puget Sound in Washington State. Everything about that place was peaceful: the water, the woods, the atmosphere. My room overlooked the back gardens where I had a view of the rose garden as well as the fountain just down the hill. I loved to open my window in the afternoon and listen to the water. One day I even saw a pair of ducks enjoying themselves in the fountain!

There was a schedule that offered opportunities for me to attend group prayer, Mass, meals, and conferences put on by our retreat masters. Everything on the schedule was optional, and it was brief. I attended almost everything, but since there were two different styles of group prayer offered in the morning, I usually only attended the first one. We watched a movie Thursday afternoon (“Tuesdays with Morrie”), and enjoyed wine, cheese, and other treats during the film. I spent the bulk of each day in prayer, reflection, and reading. I used the Spiritual Exercises of Ignatius of Loyola which gave me seven prayer exercises to enter into throughout the day. I also used The Star in My Heart by Joyce Rupp which engaged me in reflections, and inspired me to attempt to create Mandalas like the one above.

This time of prayer brought me peace, but this did not come without effort. I spent plenty of time each day practicing discipline and self-control in order to let go of distractions so that I could “listen” to God in prayer. Several days, my prayer led me to explore emotional anguish, and it was not always pleasant to sit with this pain as I let God heal my wounds. Towards the end of the retreat, a Reconciliation Service was offered, and it was exactly what I needed. I feel restored and more whole now. My heart rests in the certainty of feeling loved and wanting to share that love with everyone else.

As a Sister of St. Mary of Oregon, I believe that it is important to be involved with the ministries on our campus here in Beaverton. One way in which I do this is to visit Ruth, one of our residents at Maryville Nursing Home. I go over the Maryville once or twice a month to see her. She loves to iron, so usually I just sit and talk with her while she irons her clothes. When she is not feeling well I sit in her room and talk, laugh, cry, and pray with her. Sometimes we just watch TV, but even that involves quite a bit of laughter due to our added commentary.

Some days we play hooky from ironing and find something fun to do: visit her friends, sit in the garden, cut flowers, play the piano, etc. This last week Maryville was celebrating the Rose Festival. Four Rose Princesses were nominated from among the residents at Maryville, and one was crowned as the Rose Queen at a ceremony this Friday. Ruth and I talked Sr. Janet into attending with us. The three of us showed up fashionably late, but in plenty of time to grab some ice cream and strawberries and join with some of the other residents in the celebration!

I found myself at Maryville this Sunday so I decided to stop by and see Ruth, and I ended up stopping to talk to a number of residents on my way to her room and back. It was a joy to be able to bring joy into the lives of so many residents, but it was also hard for me to bear the sadness of so many people. They shared the frustrations and tears that come with the limitations of their lives, and I felt my own limitations as I realized that I could not fix what was wrong. It seems like it would be easier it they simply had problems because a problem can be solved. Instead they have difficulties, daily crosses to bear. This Sunday I found joy in lifting their loads for a little while.

Six women of the Sisters of St. Mary of Oregon are celebrating their jubilee year in the Community this summer. A Mass will be held in their honor Sunday, July 25 at 1:30 p.m. in the Our Lady of Perpetual Help Chapel on the SSMO campus.

CELEBRATING 70 YEARS

Sister Anna Evers was born in Verboort, Ore. on April 20, 1919. Her parents were Antone and Petronella Evers. She had eight siblings. She attended Visitation Elementary School in Verboort and Forest Grove Union High School in Forest Grove. She entered the community of the Sisters of Saint Mary of Oregon in August 1940. She attended Marylhurst College where she earned a BS in Education. Later she received her Masters in Education from Portland State University. She has been a primary teacher for 50 years. Sister taught at numerous schools in Oregon and Washington and at times she was also the school Principal and House Superior. These include St. Mary of the Valley Grade School (Beaverton) St. Stephen, Holy Cross, St. Agatha, St. Pius and St Andrew (Portland), St. Peter (Spokane, Wash.), St. John (Milwaukie), Sacred Heart (Gervais), St. Boniface (Sublimity), Visitation (Verboort), and St. Francis (Roy). Sister continues to use her gifts of sewing and quilting by creating crafts to sell.

CELEBRATING 60 YEARS

Sister Rose Mary Heineck was born of Benjamin and Josephine Heineck, Dec. 5, 1931 in Bend, Ore. She has six siblings, one of which was her twin sister. She attended grade school at St. Matthew in Hillsboro and graduated from high school in 1950 from St. Mary of the Valley. She earned her B.S. in Education from Marylhurst College, Marylhurst, Ore., and a Masters in Religious Education from Fort Wright College, Spokane, Wash. Sister taught primary at the following schools: Visitation (Verboort), St. Matthew (Hillsboro), St. Francis (Roy), Sacred Heart (Gervais), St. Agatha, Our Lady of Sorrows (Portland), St. Mary (Stayton), St. Mary (Spokane), St. Cecilia (Beaverton), St. Mary of the Valley (Beaverton), and St. Paul (St. Paul). In her retirement, Sister gives input to a Spirituality Committee and a Vocation Formation Committee at St. Mary’s. She also creates art work for the Community’s special liturgies and décor for Community celebrations.

Sister Noreen Orazio was born of Helen and George Orazio in Portland, Ore. She has eight siblings. She attended Our Lady of Sorrows Grade School and graduated from St. Mary’s Academy in Portland. She entered the Sisters of St. Mary of Oregon in 1950. She went on to earn a B.S. in Education from Marylhurst College; an Administrative Certificate from Portland State University; a Masters in Education from the University of Oregon; and a Masters in Counseling Psychology from Lewis and Clark. She taught 7th and 8th grades and was principal in several of the following schools: St. Cecilia (Beaverton), Our Lady of Sorrows, Holy Cross, St. Agatha (Portland); St. Mary (Stayton); Sacred Heart (Tillamook); St. John (Milwaukie); Holy Trinity (Beaverton) Our Lady of Guadalupe (Seattle). Sister now serves as a counselor on the Sisters of St. Mary of Oregon campus.

Sister Theresa Hathaway was born of Stanley Patrick Hathaway and Mary Evelyn Fegel March 30, 1933 in Cushing, Okla. Her one sister is also a Sister of St. Mary, Sister Mary Ann. She attended grade school in Oklahoma and St. Ignatius in Portland, Ore. She entered the Sisters of St. Mary in 1950 and subsequently completed her high school credits to graduate from St. Mary of the Valley. Throughout her teaching years, she earned her teaching degree and librarian certification. She attended summer extension courses as well as attended Marylhurst College (Marylhurst, Ore.), Gonzaga University (Spokane, Wash.), St. Mary (Moraga, Calif.), Portland State, University of Portland (Portland, Ore.). Sister has served at times as a teacher, principal, secretary and a librarian in the following schools: St. Mary of the Valley (Beaverton), St. Agatha, Our Lady of Sorrows, Holy Cross (Portland), St. John the Baptist (Milwaukie), St. Boniface (Sublimity), Visitation (Verboort) and St. Francis (Roy). Sister is now serving as the Director of the Convent Library. She also embroiders many beautiful designs on dishtowels and has made innumerable rosaries to promote the praying of Our Lady’s rosary.

Sister Elizabeth Sohler was born of Henry and Dora Sohler in North Plains, Ore. She is sixth in a family of seven children. Sister attended Columbia Academy Grade School. Sister graduated from St. Mary of the Valley in 1950. She attended Marylhurst College and earned her degree in Education from Portland State University. She taught at St. Agatha, Our Lady of Sorrows (Portland) and at St. Francis (Roy). After Maryville Nursing Home was established, Sister worked in the Business Office in Payroll and Accounts Receivable. Currently Sister Elizabeth assists with the Chapel duties at the nursing home on the Sisters of St. Mary of Oregon campus.

CELEBRATING 50 YEARS

Sister Joyce Barsotti, daughter of Bruno and Catherine Barsotti, was born in Portland, Ore., one of 10 brothers and sisters. Sister graduated from St. Mary of the Valley in 1958. She and her five other sisters all attended St. Mary of the Valley for all 12 years of their basic education!

After attending Gonzaga University (Spokane) for a year, Sister was received into the Sisters of St. Mary of Oregon convent and professed her vows in 1962. She then completed her Bachelor of Science in Education at Marylhurst College (Marylhurst, Ore.). For 25 years, Sister was a teacher in the following elementary schools: St. Mary’s (Spokane, Wash.), St. Mary’s (Stayton, Ore.), Sacred Heart (Tillamook,Ore.) and St. Cecilia (Beaverton, Ore.).
Sister then went on to receive an MA in Theology from Mt. Angel Seminary and in 1990 she did post-graduate work in spirituality at the Institute of Religious Formation (St. Louis, Mo.). This prepared her to take the position of Director of Initial Formation and Co-Director of Ongoing Formation for her religious community.

Most recently, she has worked as Pastoral Associate at St. Vincent Parish (Salem, Ore.), serving as Director of the RCIA and Sacramental program, welcoming new members and facilitating the sharing of gifts among the members of the parish. She has supported the pastoral work of the parish, particularly with the Pastoral Council and its works.

Since 1983, Sister Joyce has assisted in planning and directing the Annual Summer Conference, a week-long, family-oriented, experience of church and formation at Mt. Angel Seminary and now on the campus of University of Portland. She returned to the Motherhouse this June to begin her service as a Council Member on the Sisters’ Leadership Team.

COMMEMORATION OF DECEASED

• Sister Sybil Graves (1969)
• Sister Helen Johnston (1983)
• Sister Barbara Ann Klapperich (1999)
  

Sr. Noreen with Provincial Minister Fr. John Hardin, OFM

The Friars of the Province of Saint Barbara gave a luncheon in May to honor our own Sister Noreen Orazio, SSMO, with The Franciscan Service Award.

This award was presented to Sr. Noreen by Father John Hardin, OFM, Provincial Minister of the Province of Saint Barbara at the House of the Transfiguration Formation Community at Our Lady of Sorrows Parish in SE Portland.

Sr. Noreen and Sr. Michael Francine in class with Franciscan novices

The Franciscan Service Award is given in recognition of those individuals who have lived and worked with the friars and have shared in their life and works for an extended period of time for 10 years or more.

Sr. Noreen has been teaching a class to Franciscan novices twice a month for the last 21 years that serves as an integral piece in their formation journey as new members in a religious order.

Sister’s class is an integral element in the pre-novitiate program for the Franciscan Friars. The program assists men in their future ministry through a review of themselves and their lives. Developmental and personal growth issues are explored while preparing for final profession as a Franciscan.

The Franciscan Service Award

May the Lord bless you,
May the Lord keep you,
May He show His face to you and have mercy.
May He turn to you His countenance and give you peace.

The Blessing of Saint Francis+

Summer is here…sort of. This year my summer break spans the months of May and June, so I have already arrived at my halfway point, and am counting my blessings. I am marveling at the variety in our weather: warm, cold, windy, rainy, sunny, stormy…sometimes all on the same day. I am positively delighted that for the first time in a year I do not need to study for a test during my break from school. I enjoyed a few days at the beach doing very little beyond reading and walking along the beach (and I have had plenty of time since returning from the beach to ice down the muscles I overexerted during my walks).

It has been a treat to help out around the house with various projects such as gathering old TVs that need to be recycled, and helping out in the garden. I feel especially blessed to have time to reorganize my room after the chaos of this last semester. I have been sorting through my possessions to determine what I can do without, in order to live more simply. This entailed the larger than expected task of reorganizing and filing my various notes and reading materials so that they will hopefully be a valuable and accessible resource for me when I become a teacher.

I feel particularly blessed that I am able to spend more time in prayer, contemplation, and reflection as I prepare to make my first vows this August. It has been especially lovely to be able defer to the wisdom of my Sisters as well as the writings of the Saints on this matter. Apart from my spiritual preparation, I have also been having fun designing my invitations and programs for the event. All-in-all, this experience has been a joy, and I anticipate that it will be a continued delight in the approaching months!