Keeping alive the work of Dorothy Day

By Sister Alodia Carney

November brings thoughts of Thanksgiving Day. We anticipate family gathering, food, drink, inside the house coziness.

Another scene emerges. Grocery bags of food to give away. Frozen turkeys available from church pantries. An excellent hot meal served Thanksgiving Day at the Rescue Mission. All are welcome. Our national heart is warmed as we willingly share what we have.

Dorothy Day left this world in November of 1980. It was always Thanksgiving Day with her. She wrote "Poverty is my vocation, to live as simply and poorly as I can, and never cease talking and writing poverty and destitution." She is considered by many to be the most influential Catholic of her time.

Dorothy Day's legacy is the Catholic Worker House, which if you look for, can be found in major cities. The outcast and the downcast find it. It provides a welcoming home, bed, board, companionship, with very few questions asked.

Victory Noll Sisters in Denver, Colo., together with Associate Members, taking turns with other groups, served a monthly supper to the household of the Catholic Worker. Groceries were procured, cooked with style and served with grace. Dorothy Day's legacy of caring continues through Denver Associate Members who are ever mindful of needy persons.

Memories of First Communion

By Sister Alodia Carney, OLVM

Victory Noll Sisters experience the holy urgency of the First Communion morning from West to East. We have the joy, the angst, the satisfaction of seeking, encouraging, preparing children for the important day. Parents share with us in this mission.

It occurs on a warm Sunday May morning in a dusty town or in a congested parish compound in Inner City. Children gather like fluttering doves, little girls in white dresses and veils, boys in Sunday suit and neck tie. Mother gives the final positioning of the veil and the final straightening of the neck tie. Dad is parking the car.

One of our Sisters, very much a social observer, commented that an enduring icon of our community is the Sister photographed with the First Communion class. Those are the photos a Sister saves. Those are the stories a Sister tells.

Each spring young children are welcomed into the circle of those who come to the Table. Parents and community, learn from the children's innocence, to stay at the Table and acquire courage to face life's difficulties.

Our Church declares itself to be in solidarity with the joys and hopes, the grief and anguish of the people of our time. What do parents ask of their parish church? Whether members of several generations or recently arrived immigrants, they ask that their children be prepared for First Holy Communion.

Remembering Archbishop Romero

By Sister Alodia Carney, OLVM

Archbishop Oscar Romero of El Salvador witnessed the oppression of the poor people of his country. It became necessary for him to call the wealthy population to allow for justice in the distribution of the country's assets.

The Archbishop's determination was met with a violent response. On March 24, 1980, he was shot and killed as he offered Mass. His raised chalice fell upon him as he slumped to the floor.

Before his death, Oscar Romero announced the no matter what happened, he would live on in spirit among the people.

Come and see

"What are you looking for?" Jesus asked the two disciples of John. Having heard John call Jesus "Lamb of God," the two disciples began to follow Jesus. "Where are you staying?" they asked him. Jesus responded, "Come, and you will see." (John 1:35-40)

Do I hear Jesus invite me?

-Sr. Ann Therese Plum, OLVM

Get informed about Indiana's proposed immigration legislation

By Sister Joan Arnold, OLVM

An Indiana Senate committee is proposing legislation on immigration reform similar to the controversial law passed in Arizona. SB 590 passed the Senate Pensions and Labor Committee 8 to 1. It must pass the Appropriations Committee by February 16 and the Senate by February 23.

The proposed bill includes requirements for law enforcement to check for proof of citizenship if a person is suspected of being in the country illegally, for government paperwork to be in English, and for more severe consequences against companies hiring undocumented persons.

However, Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller opposes this proposal and has joined a group of business, religious and university leaders in signing an "Indiana Compact" which states that immigration "is a federal policy issue between the U.S. government and other countries — not Indiana and other countries." Other leaders signing the Compact include Archbishop Daniel Buechlein of Indianapolis and Butler University President Bobby Furlong.

This is an opportunity to let state legislators know that we believe immigration is a Federal responsibility and that the solution is substantive immigration reform. Please go to www.indianacompact.com to review the five principles and sign the Declaration. Many organizations and groups, in addition to the Church, are supportive of these principles. Act now!

Celebrating Father Augustus Tolton

By Sister Alodia Carney, OLVM

Sister Martha Wilke, based at Victory Noll Motherhouse in Huntington, Ind., could be considered retired because of the many years of mission service she has given beyond the setting where she now lives.

But this purposeful Sister has a mission that serves over 300 inmates in various correctional institutions. Each month she mails a newsletter which forms a bond between herself and the men and women who live "behind bars." The letter contains words of encouragement, interesting stories, jokes, bible readings, prayer and timely happenings worth a second look.

As a result the mail brings Sister Martha six or seven letters per week from inmates who write about their families, their dreams, their sorrows.

February is Black History Month and this will be noted in Sister Martha's newsletter. The story will be told of Augustus Tolton, born into slavery, to slave parents in Brush, Missouri, before the Civil War was fought. He was baptized in segregated St. Peter's Catholic Church.

As a devout Catholic young person he desired to become a priest. A sad episode follows. No seminary in the United States would accept him because of the color of his skin. With the help of some Catholic priest friends, Augustus traveled to Europe where he studied and was ordained a priest.

Father Augustus Tolton returned to the United States and was assigned to serve in St. Elizabeth Parish, Chicago. And serve he did, very faithfully, although he faced discrimination quite frequently. Father Tolton died in his 40s.

Currently, the Archbishop of Chicago, Cardinal Francis George, is determined to remember and honor Father Augustus Tolton, who was the first black American Catholic priest.

The dilapidated St. Peter Church in Missouri where Augustus was baptized is being repaired in his honor. Friends from Chicago, very fittingly, are providing the thousands of dollars necessary for this work.

And there is more. It is possible that in the future Augustus Tolton will be named a Saint by the Catholic Church, which he served so faithfully.

The Celebration of Kwanzaa

By Sister Alodia Carney

Be watching for mention of Kwanzaa from December 26 to January 1. It will pop up unexpectedly. Kwanzaa (Swahili for first fruits of harvest) is an American Celebration for Black people.

As the event unfolds, it involves seven principles, one for each day, including Unity, Purpose, Faith and others. The goal of the Celebration is for the purpose of cohesiveness in the family and in the community.

The Celebration includes gifts, special foods and candle-lighting. The Kwanzaa Celebration takes place in the home, in church, or another public place.

In the largely black population of Detroit, Sisters Virginia Schmitt and I were on mission in parishes there and became educated and involved in the joy and good feeling of Kwanzaa. This being the case, Kwanzaa comes to mind each winter as one of the Holidays. It is probably the newest holiday in the USA. It was conceived and developed by Dr. Maulana Ron Kerenga in 1966. A US stamp has been issued in honor of Kwanzaa.