Admin

On April 14, 2015 groundbreaking ceremonies took place at Mt. Macrina Manor. Mt. Macrina Manor is undertaking the renovation and refurbishment of the entire facility.

JoLynn Meyers, Mt. Macrina Manor Nursing Home Administrator, Sr. Seraphim Olsafsky, Provincial, Sisters of St. Basil the Great, V. Rev. Lawrence A. DiNardo, VG, JCL, Board President, Metropolitan Archbishop William C. Skurla, Metropolitan Archeparchy of Pittsburgh, Sr. Susan Sisko, OSBM, Board Member, Sr. Carol Petrasovich, Board Member, Eric McRoberts, Architect, RPLS, Carmine Molinaro, Jr., Esquire (partially hidden from view), Martin Saunders, Esquire, Board Member, Sr. Ruth Plante, Board Member, Richard Dropik, Project Manager/Engineer, RPLS, Ted Stefancin, Sisters of St. Basil’s Project Representative, Sr. Barbara Jean Mihalchick, Board Member, Sr. Margaret Ann Andrako, Board Member, and Joseph Massaro III, Contractor.

Archbishop William Skurla, the Metropolitan Archbishop for the Byzantine Catholic Metropolia of Pittsburgh blessing ground during the ceremonies.

“He is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him.”

Sr. Ruth Plante (right) Provincial; Sr. Margaret Ann (second right) Andrako, Assistant; and Sr. Sylvia Burnett (second left) and Sr. Joanne Lickvar (left) as Councilors.

The graced time of the Provincial Chapter of the Sisters of St. Basil led to the election of Sister Ruth Plante as Provincial; Sister Margaret Ann Andrako as Assistant, and Sister Sylvia Burnett and Sister Joanne Lickvar as Councilors. The above quote from Matthew 28:7 will surely be an inspiring quote for the new administration to hold in their hearts over the course of the next five years. Although the team is new in one sense; each of those elected have been in Province Leadership in the past and come well-prepared for the tasks set before them.

While preparing for Provincial Chapters, at times the Sisters chose the Myrrh-Bearing Women as themes for their prayer and reflection before and during the long process. The weekend of April 16-19, these holy women proved to be a rich source of inspiration as the Sisters engaged wholeheartedly into the process of “Facing the Future with Courage.” In one of the petitions during the Divine Liturgy, we prayed “that we may be as open and trusting as the Myrrh-Bearing Women disciples . . .’

With this in mind, the total community entered into a discernment process which involved exchange and interaction with all of the nominees before the actual election took place. This process was preceded by a prayer asking “for freedom of heart that we may act for the good of each other, for the province, and for the good of those we serve in sincere love.”

At the conclusion of the Chapter and encouraged by the words of St. Basil that “There is nothing unpremeditated; nothing neglected by God for God’s unsleeping eye beholds all things,” each Sister made a generous promise in support of  “Facing the Future with Courage.” The Sisters are most grateful to all the faithful who offered their prayers for God’s blessing on this significant event in the life of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Province.

Facing the Future with Courage chosen as Chapter Theme

“Time flies quickly” is a truism that always strikes home for the Basilian Sisters when the time for another Provincial Chapter draws near. In monastic communities, these formal meetings take place every five years for the purpose of reviewing goals and electing leadership. Preparation for this significant event began in November, 2013, and was placed in the hands of a Chapter Preparatory Committee.

The committee used previous conversations focusing on our legacy as a springboard for involving the total community. These discussions built upon previous work during Corporate Reflection Days in the fall and spring and Community Days in the summer. During the course of these meetings, the Sisters shared their hopes relating to the spiritual, apostolic, financial and administrative aspects of their lives together. Looking to the future and how best they can continue serving God through his people will continue to guide the Chapter deliberations.

The Chapter Preparatory Committee is chaired by Sister Margaret Andrako, with Sister Agnes Herbenick, Sister Sylvia Burnett and Sister Margaret Kapusnak as members and Sister Barbara Jean Mihalchick as Council Liaison. Sister Patricia Flynn, SSND, has been working with the committee and the community at large and will facilitate the Chapter which will take place April 16-19. The Sisters ask the faithful for their prayers for the guidance of the Holy Spirit during this sacred time in the life of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Province.

Photos:

The Sisters find that small group discussions work very well in sharing vision, ideas, hopes and dreams. Facilitator Sister Patricia Flynn, SSND pictured in the background guides the discussions.

I entered the Sisters of St. Basil the Great from St. Mary Assumption Parish, Trenton, New Jersey.

Recently I was asked: Why did you enter Religious Life?  Did you think about it when you were in high school?  Are you happy in this choice of vocation? Would you do it all over again now?  This, my vocation story, may help to answer these questions.

I attended public school in my early years from kindergarten to eighth grade and I had little contact with Religious Sisters except for when I made my First Holy Communion.  At the end of 8th grade, my Aunt Liz made a suggestion to me about attending Cathedral Catholic High School.  She felt that my parents would not be able to afford for me to keep up with the latest fashion trends in the public high school.  The uniform of the Catholic high school would alleviate this problem.  Not a noble reason, but I agreed to go.  Tuition was taken care of by my aunt, I passed the entrance exam, and this was to be the turning point of my life and the beginning of the journey of my religious vocation.

The Mercy Sisters from Plainfield, New Jersey taught at Cathedral High School.  Naturally, not knowing what the Sisters were like, I was nervous when I went on the first day.  I soon learned that they were prayerful, compassionate, sacrificial and good educators.

Mid-term of my first year brought a personal crisis.  My father was laid off and my aunt became ill. Both of these issues affected my tuition payments, and we could not take the mid-term exams unless half of our tuition was paid.  I spoke to one of the Sisters of this problem, and she told me not to worry.  I took the exams and later learned that Sister Victoria, my Latin teacher, had borrowed the money from her parents to pay my tuition.  The act of kindness touched me deeply.  There were 212 girls in my freshman class, and she extended herself to help me.

During the next few years the Sisters provided us with times for prayer: annual retreats, receiving the sacraments, and praying the Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary.  They involved us in social work as well.  I belonged to the Leaders Corp. We welcomed guests and made food packages and delivered them to the poor of the neighborhood.  Last of all, we had fun: dances, games, musicals and social get-togethers with the boys of the Trenton Catholic Boys School.

All through the first three years of high school I wanted to be a nurse.  In my junior year, I took a preliminary test for entrance into the St. Francis School of Nursing.  When I went for my interview with the director, Sister Pierre, she told me what I should study in my senior year.  Then she asked the strange question, “Did you every think of becoming a Religious Sister?”  No one had ever asked me that before.  I admitted to her that I had thought about it, but I pushed it to the back of my mind.  She told me to talk to someone about it.

My first thought was my Aunt Liz who suggested the Basilian Sisters at St. Mary Convent.  Sister Victoria agreed because I was Byzantine.  I made arrangements to meet Sister Frances Novak, OSBM.  While I waited for her, I could hear the Sisters laughing as they roller skated in the big basement of the convent. I thought, “they do know how to have fun!”

Sister Frances was most gracious.  She made arrangements for me to go to MountMacrina with Sisters Mark, Mildred and Dorothy Louise to attend their final profession in January.  While there I was edified by the prayerfulness, hospitality and kindness of the Sisters.  It ignited a spark in me to desire the Religious Life.

Sister Frances also encouraged me to go to the Pilgrimage, and again she arranged this.  I went and joined the huge crowd because Bishop Fulton Sheen was there.  I met with Reverend Mother Olga, and I was at ease because I went to school with her niece at Cathedral.  She told me of the many vocations from the Trenton parish, evoking a feeling of pride in me.

Upon my return home I learned that my father had collapsed at work and was hospitalized.  The doctors gave him only six months to live. Though my desire to enter religious life was put on hold, the grace of God became really strong in my life during this time.

My father was not a church going person, and he refused to receive the Last Rites.  No matter what we said, the answer was no.  It took a Sister to change his mind.  She was a Missionary Sister of the Sacred Heart who was an intern in her training there toward becoming a doctor.  On day when I went after school to see him, he said, “There is a Sister here who comes in with a smile on her face no matter what time of the day it is.  She is so gentle and kind when she puts the tube down my throat, maybe the Catholic Church isn’t so bad after all.  You can tell that red-headed priest (Father William Levkulic) he can come to see me.”  I thought, it took a smile and an act of kindness for this to happen.  That nun came into my father’s life and into my life as well.  I never saw her again.  My father fell asleep in the Lord six months later.  I was able to enter a year later as my brother Mike assured me that he would take care of my mom.

As I look back over fifty-four years, they have been both spiritually fruitful and joyful. I’ve been well educated.  I attended Carlow University in Pittsburgh, and I smile because one of my teachers there was my high-school prom date.  We had many nice talks of the good times we shared.  I pursued my Master’s Degree at the University of Dayton and there I met some of the Mercy Sisters who were my teachers in high school.

I’ve been a principal and teacher in schools from the Midwest to the East Coast.  Presently I’m in Pastoral Ministry for five parishes in northeastern Pennsylvania, visiting nursing homes, hospitals, and the home bound; leading liturgical singing; and still teaching catechetical classes on Sunday.  Again I smile, for one of the three priests in whose parish I minister, is my former third grade student.  This reminds me that you never know when or how the people who have influenced you or those whom you have influenced will cross your path again.

In conclusion, I’ll answer the final question: Would I do it all over again?  My answer would be a strong yes.  There have been difficulties, but the positives have far out-weighed the negatives.  Each day has been a gift from God, and He has been my rainbow in the storms of life.

Read LifeQuesters on the Web Holy Week 2015. May you have a blessed Holy Week.

A Slavic tradition happens next week as many will be taking baskets loaded with Easter foods to church for the traditional Paschal blessing. Use this diagram to put together yours.

As I reflected upon the journey of my call to religious life, there were many mini revelations of God’s invitation.  No, there were no loud ringing of bells or drum rolls, but the quiet unfolding presence of our Lord, speaking at times through various significant persons in my life.   Although there were many such persons, I wish to share the stories of three of these and of the impact of their presence in my life.

Memories of many summer vacations in Mingo Junction, Ohio spent with my Baba (Grandmother) flood my mind and heart.  Baba never really spoke much in English to me but in her Slovak language and more importantly in her daily witnessing of God’s love and presence in her life, she spoke volumes.  She accepted my awkward manner as I tried to assist her in mixing the ingredients for bread.  As the loaves were prepared for the oven, she blessed the bread with a sign of the cross.  The aroma of the baking bread filled the home with such delight.   Later in the day, when we were about to taste the marvels of our endeavors, before she cut the bread, once again she signed the bread with a cross.

Another memory I feel compelled to share about Baba was her love and respect for the land.  I guess to me at a very early age, it just seemed like a lot of dirt, in which I enjoyed making mud pies at play.   But as Baba prepared the land for the planting of the garden that yielded a magnificent array of various vegetables, she would prayerfully take the hoe, and once again bless the ground in the form of a cross before she ever would think of placing the seeds into the holy and sacred ground.

These early memories of God’s presence through her presence made such lasting spiritual impressions upon me.  I truly believe that through her holy presence she confirmed the seed of a vocation to religious life into my being.

It seems that my childhood days did not linger for a very long period of time.  I soon found myself growing into a youthful teen with all the excitement and challenges that such a time of a teen’s life could imagine.  There were the struggles with acne, studies, dating, to name only a few, but most importantly the search for a best trusted friend.  At last, when I went to Mount St. Macrina Academy, a big sister was appointed to keep me in the right direction.  She truly was a woman of wisdom, far beyond her years.  Carol was two years older than I, and even after she was graduated, we remained best friends.

Our senior play was entitled “Career Angel.”  No, I was not the angel, by any means.  But Carol loved the arts and more importantly she wanted to see our Senior class in dramatic action. Shortly after all the applause at the conclusion of the performance, she met me in the back of the stage with tears in her eyes.  I thought “Wow, we really put on a great show.”  But no, they were tears of sorrow. She recently had received news that she had leukemia and that her days on this earth were numbered.   The emotions fostered through the success of our performance of “Career Angel” suddenly were all mixed with sorrow, sadness and confusion.  We held each other and cried together.

Two months later, on a bitter cold December day in 1954, Carol was in the ColumbiaHospital in Pittsburgh, and I was most eager to visit my very dear friend.  As I was about to enter her room, I could hear the sobs of her parents, and then I knew why.  There, surrounded by an array of tubes and hospital apparatus lay my very emaciated friend.  Her parents excused themselves, and I tripped over appropriate words.  All that could find their way to my lips were, “Carol, you look awful.”  (No pastoral presence on my part, right?)  I realized the insensitivity of my words and tried to cover them up with, “You must be suffering and in such pain.”

Her prayerful and thought- provoking response was, “Jeannie, I am not suffering.  There is only one suffering in our lifetime, not to respond to what God is asking of us.  I am at peace in accepting His will.”   Carol died about three weeks later.  Her message is stamped on my heart forever.

In the beginning of this reflection, I mentioned that our Lord uses many persons in our lives, as He reveals His love to us.  My Baba and Carol surely were God’s inspirations to me.  Even though there have been many other significant persons in my life whom God had chosen, this last person spoke out loud and clear.  The time was after I was graduated from high school and was truly searching God’s will in my life, especially after the death of Carol.

A fine young gentleman who was in pre-med school from St. VincentCollege in Latrobe was also in the immersed in his search.  We had been dating for some time, and one evening we had gone up to Mount Washington in Pittsburgh.  It was a beautiful night.  The weather was perfect, considering Pittsburgh; the stars were sparkling; the Three Rivers as viewed from Mount Washington were dancing as the moon lit the evening;  our conversation was insightful and then … the following statements and questions started to flow:

“I have a very important question to ask you,” Alphonso spoke thoughtfully.  I fumbled with my ring finger thinking, “I’m not ready for marriage.  I’m not sure where God is leading me.”

And then he intensified his voice again, “I have a very, very important question to ask you.”  My heart was really pounding now! He continued, “Have you ever seriously thought about being a nun?” And then, like a ton of bricks, it hit me … I felt like the Hound of Heaven finally was heard – loud and clear!

Early in my life I dreamed of getting married and having at least a dozen children. Now that I am espoused to Christ and His Church, I have at least a thousand children from coast to coast.  In fact, one of my students from my first year of teaching in Johnstown, Pa. in 1960 – Kathy Slonka – is the editor of Light of the West [the eparchial newsletter].  We minister together here in the Eparchy of Phoenix.

Today, 55 years later, I continue to thank God for not giving up on me.  And I thank Him daily for the gift of His presence totally in my life.  I remain ever grateful to my parents, my brother and sisters, the multitude of nieces and nephews, great nieces and nephews and for my extended family of the Sisters of St. Basil the Great.

Mount St. Macrina continues to be a spiritual lifeline for me.  My father spent many weeks of his vacation to assist at our annual Pilgrimage to Our Lady of Perpetual Help. Last year, my great nephew, Elijah traveled from Jakarta, Indonesia to experience his first Pilgrimage.    Every now and then the Lord sends someone to again remind me of His miracles of love that abound all around me.  With a grateful heart, I utter “Thank You” for them and for the gift of the vocation to religious life to which He has called me.

Ages 18-35. Both singles and couples are welcome. Total cost per person: $100. The retreat will take place at the Mount St. Macrina House of Prayer, Uniontown, Pa. Further information and a registration form >>

In honesty, I must say that I did not want to change my life to enter religious life in long-ago 1959.  I was very happy with everything that I shared with family, friends, my job, the church and my social activities.  It was especially difficult to leave sweet and loving very young nieces and nephews – and my 1957 pink Pontiac too! But I somehow knew that it was what our Lord wanted me to do, so despite protests from parents, off I went.

None of us, in whatever walk of life, can ever begin to imagine how our lives will evolve day by day and year by year.  These are the surprises of the Lord for us, and my life has been replete with these surprises.  I have said many times that He takes me to places where I don’t want to go.  But every step on the journey to those places has been filled with His grace.

I received the opportunity to enter the deeper life of monastic prayer and a closer union with God.  I was given the grace of a religious family of beautiful Sisters.  My vision and scope were broadened by higher education and degrees from DuquesneUniversity [Pittsburgh] and the University of Notre Dame.  I taught school in parishes from Chicago to the East coast, and I enjoyed the children and appreciated the different personality of each church and area of the country.  I had the advantage of serving the Province in various other ministries. I have traveled extensively for the Province and the Order in the Middle East and in South America and Europe, where I met and worked with our wonderful Basilian Sisters there. I have been to Rome so many times I could be a tour guide. For the past 16 years I have been especially honored to be the secretary in the Office of the Archbishop.

Although at first I was reluctant to join, and although I came to the Sisters of St. Basil with no understanding of what it would be like, I know that in seeking what God wanted for me, I have had the best of what this earthly life offers.  It is impossible for anyone anywhere to escape the sad times and challenges, but He lovingly provides the strength to everyone to overcome these.  He also sends the people and circumstances that bring us the gifts of His goodness, joy and laughter, and I am likewise thankful to Him for every one of these many happy wonders as well.

It is even a blessing for me to realize and to be aware with the greatest gratitude of how much I have been blessed.  When I finally meet Jesus face to face with that hundred-fold that was promised to those who follow Him, I sometimes think He might say, “What hundred-fold?  You received more than a million-fold during your life on earth!”

Though the life of every Basilian Sister is unique, I truly believe that what I have written here could, with individual variations of the particulars, be the story of each — although I don’t know of anyone else who gave up a prized 1957 pink Pontiac!

Read the latest edition of LifeQuesters on the Web.