Catholic Chronicle

New mother superior arrives at Sacred Heart Home

Laurie Stevens Bertke — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 05:00:00 +0000

OREGON—Little Sister of the Poor Cecilia Mary Sartorius has been named the new mother superior of the Sacred Heart Home for the Aged.

Sr. Sartorius has most recently been the mother superior at Little Sisters of the Poor homes in Cincinnati and Washington, D.C. In addition to being the mother superior, she is also the administrator of the Sacred Heart Home. As administrator she oversees the daily operations of the home. As mother superior she coordinates the community life of the 10 Sisters at the home.

Sr. Sartorius is a native of Detroit and has long ties with the Sacred Heart Home in Oregon. Both of her parents were past residents of the home. Upon arriving in Oregon, Sr. Sartorius announced she felt like she was truly coming home. She is also excited about leading the home during its 125th anniversary of service in northwest Ohio.

Sr. Sartorius is the principal leader in charge of the Sacred Heart Home, which cares for more than 70 full time residents and offers a daily senior center to area residents. Sr. Sartorius, along with 10 sisters and a staff of more than 80 lay employees, cares daily for the residents of the home. The Sacred Heart Home offers a continuum of first class care comprised of independent living apartments, assisted living and skilled nursing care.

Pilgrims experience canonization celebration

Laurie Stevens Bertke — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 05:00:00 +0000

OREGON—“It still seems like I was watching a movie of something so wonderful, but I was actually in it,” says Barbara Berry, recalling her trip to Rome for the canonization on Oct. 11 of Jeanne Jugan, foundress of the Little Sisters of the Poor.

Nine people from the Toledo area made a pilgrimage to the canonization celebration of St. Jeanne Jugan. Leaving on a bus are front, from left, Janet Eskra, Helen Carroll, Little Sister of the Poor Sr. Rose Marie Kietter and Janet Leach. Top, from left are Rose Bollin, Barb Berry and Ann Gothier. (Photo courtesy of Little Sisters of the Poor)

Ms. Berry, a medical secretary at Little Sisters of the Poor, and eight other pilgrims from the Toledo area traveled to Vatican City to witness the historic event. More than 50,000 pilgrims from across the globe flocked to watch Pope Benedict XVI formally declare five men and women saints.

Jeanne Jugan, born in France in 1792, lived during a time of violence and abject poverty, when begging was a way of life. Having always tended to the poor and elderly, Jeanne Jugan came upon a poor, blind, elderly woman without a home and carried the woman back to her small apartment. She gave the woman her bed and went to sleep in the attic. More and more elderly and poor made their way to her doorstep, and with the help of other young women, Jeanne Jugan cared for them. Their work grew and they became known among the townspeople as the “Little Sisters of the Poor,” the name that remains today.

Fittingly, it’s her humbleness that has become associated with the work of the Little Sisters of the Poor. At her beatification, Pope John Paul II said that “God could glorify no more humble a servant than she.”

In Rome, Ms. Berry said it was inspiring to witness such an international gathering of followers who came to honor Jeanne Jugan’s humble work.

“When we were waiting for the canonization, we were surrounded by people from around the world,” says Ms. Berry. “I was standing next to pilgrims from China, India, Chile and Hawaii. People were dressed in their native costumes and singing in Italian, Polish and French. “

A night and early morning filled with violent storms transformed into a magnificent sun-filled moment for the canonization. Not long after the ceremony in which five holy men and women were pronounced saints, a double rainbow appeared in the sky.

Back in Toledo, Bishop Leonard P. Blair held a celebratory mass Oct. 22 for St. Jeanne Jugan that was attended by more than 400 people.

“Over the last 125 years, the Little Sisters of the Poor have expanded and moved several times, but their present home is a place that their saintly foundress would recognize immediately as her own, a place where the needy elderly find a true home in which they can feel a sense of respect, security and love as they journey toward eternity,” said Bishop Blair during his homily.

The Little Sisters of the Poor also held a reception at their Sacred Heart Home for the Aged in Oregon for about 200 people.

While the Little Sisters of the Poor have always known how blessed their foundress was, they are pleased that the world now knows more about the holy life of Jeanne Jugan today.

“The Little Sisters of the Poor always knew Jeanne Jugan so well,” says Little Sister of the Poor Regina Loftus, administrator of the Sacred Heart Home in Oregon. “Now she belongs to the world.”

Students learn about patron through ‘virtual’ pilgrimage

Laurie Stevens Bertke — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 04:00:00 +0000

OREGON—Popular social media Web sites were recently turned into tools for teaching students in the Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha Deanery about the patron of their newly formed Catholic school system.

From left, Father David Reinhart, Mike Wilson, Pat McAlear and Kurt Ross entertain students and teachers at a school assembly with a song they composed about their pilgrimage. (Chronicle photo by Laurie Stevens Bertke)

Father David Reinhart, president of the Kateri Catholic School System, and three others set out Sept. 21 on the “Kateri Pilgrimage,” a five-day motorcycle journey to the places where Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha lived from 1656-1680.

Fr. Reinhart, who is also pastor of Bono Our Lady of Mount Carmel, explained the intent of the pilgrimage was to provide insight into the life of Blessed Kateri in an interactive way that would engage the school and wider community.

“The name Kateri is new not only to our students, teachers and parents but also to this community,” he said.

Formed earlier this year, the Kateri Catholic School System includes Oregon Cardinal Stritch High School and Kateri Catholic Academy, which has campuses in Oregon, Toledo and Walbridge for students in pre-kindergarten through the eighth grade.

Fr. Reinhart traveled with school supporters Pat McAlear, Mike Wilson and Kurt Ross, and the pilgrims documented their journey by posting daily video reflections, photographs and updates to Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

Their travels through southern Canada and upstate New York took them to St. Francis Xavier Church and the Shrine of the Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha in Kahnawake, Canada, where she is buried, the National Kateri Shrine in Fonda, N.Y., and the Shrine of Our Lady of Martyrs in Auriesville, N.Y., which is near her birthplace.

Students at Cardinal Stritch followed the pilgrimage online in their theology classes and teachers said it sparked discussions about Blessed Kateri as well as the process of canonization.

Clare Smith, a high school theology teacher, said it was eye opening for her students to realize Blessed Kateri was from the United States. She explained they usually think of saints as people who lived a long time ago in other parts of the world.

“This answered a lot of questions about who this woman was and why we need to follow her,” added Ms. Smith.

Kateri Catholic Academy students also followed the trip in their religion classes.

“I had a few students tell me they actually went home and showed their parents,” said Kelly Malinowski, middle school principal. “So the parents were involved too, through their children.”

Fr. Reinhart said he and his travel companions used his “helmet cam” and an iPhone to create their videos, which they then uploaded to the Web from his laptop computer.

Updates to Facebook, Twitter and YouTube were also linked to the school Web site, www.katerischools.org, so students and parents could follow their journey without needing to register on the other Web sites.

When the four pilgrims returned home Sept. 25, they were greeted by cheers and high-fives from middle and high school students as they roared into the gymnasium of Cardinal Stritch High School on their motorcycles.

“I just looked at my odometer at it said 1,535 miles,” Fr. Reinhart announced.

Though the pilgrims encountered some rain on the first day of their ride, he told the assembly they had a great time on the trip as they learned about Blessed Kateri.

“I think I speak for all the guys in saying that I think we feel like we’ve sort of been with her for a week,” Fr. Reinhart said. “We’ve had a chance to be with people that have a great love for her, and now are praying for you in other parts of the country as they now know that there’s a school and a school system named after her.”

Fr. Reinhart told the students they should all be proud “to be connected to such a beautiful lady.”

Mr. McAlear, a school supporter who sent two sons to Cardinal Stritch, said he was most impressed by Blessed Kateri’s “big heart” as he learned about her.

“She was a small child, got interested in Jesus, and despite that, her family rejected her, her tribe rejected her when she got baptized,” he told the students. “Just think how that would have been for you or I if we went home and our family said, ‘Get out,’ or our school said, ‘Get out, we don’t want to see you any more.’ ”

Despite that, he said Kateri went on to learn about Jesus until her death at age 24.

“So if you have a bad day, think about Blessed Kateri,” Mr. McAlear told the students. “If you have a tough day at school, a tough day at home, you have nothing compared to what she had to grow up with.”

Emmaus Community sponsors Senior Day of Reflection

Laurie Stevens Bertke — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 05:00:00 +0000

TOLEDO—The Emmaus Community of Toledo St. Thomas Aquinas and Toledo Good Shepherd Parishes is sponsoring the 12th “Senior Day Of Reflection” from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Aug. 19 at St. Charles Hospital.

Father Richard Saelzler’s talks are titled “Flying Blind: Things I’ve Learned Along The Way” and “ ‘Depends:’ It’s not a Dirty Word Anymore. A Reflection On Being Dependant.”

The day includes continental breakfast, presentations, lunch and Mass. The cost is $10, payable at the door. However, reservations are needed and may be made by calling Alice at 419-698-0405 or Joanne at 419-698-1403.

Cardinal Stritch High School gets $10,000 grant

Laurie Stevens Bertke — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 05:00:00 +0000

OREGON—Cardinal Stritch High School received a $10,000 A+ for Energy grant from the BP Energy Education Program. The school received the grant at a reception and awards program June 22 at the Hilton Garden Inn in Perrysburg.

Pat Bails-Saelzler, center, art instructor at Cardinal Stritch High School, and Angela Shinaver, right, English instructor at Cardinal Stritch High School, receive an A+ for Energy grant from Mary Caprella, BP public affairs director. Cheryl Trombley, math and technology instructor, is also a member of the CSHS grant team for the Green Cardinal Project. (Photo courtesy of Cardinal Stritch High School)

The grant, titled “The Green Cardinal Project,” is designed to use the visual, computer and language arts to educate students about multiple methods of recycling and conserving energy.

“We will organize our Art and Recycling Club to collect recyclable items from classrooms,” explains Patricia Bails-Saelzler, art instructor at Cardinal Stritch High School. “Art students will paint colorful classroom receptacles for collecting recyclable materials. Our computer and art students will design flyers and posters for display and distribution. And our English students will write scripts that will be used in multi-media video presentations to support the ‘Green Cardinal Project.’ ”

BP recognizes teachers who set the standard for excellence in education, including innovative and motivational experiences that deepen students’ knowledge about energy and energy conservation, according to Mary Caprella, BP’s director of public affairs.