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The Tri-Diocesan Leadership Conference (TDSLC) of Western PA, established in 1974 has reorganized its structure and changed its name to better reflect and expand the association’s representation of Catholic Sisters in Western PA.  The organization is now known as the Catholic Sisters Leadership Council (CSLC) of Western PA. The CSLC will foster relationship and mutual support, share information, engage in dialogue, exercise its collective voice and collaborate with one another and with others.

The Council will consist of representatives from communities ministering in the
Western PA region, and will include a Board of Directors and four officers who
are elected members of leadership in their communities.  Sr. Susan Sisko has been elected co-chair of this newly formed organization. Serving along with her is treasurer Sr. Benita DeMatteis, OSB, (Sister Susan, OSBM), secretary Sr. Mary Norbert Long, SC and co-chair Sr. Maria Fest, CDP.

The winter 2013 edition of LifeQuesters on the Web offers readers much information on the upcoming Youth Retreat at the House of Prayer and Lenten preparations. Also read about Seven Strategies to Reduce Conflict.  Click here to enjoy: LifeQuesters Winter13.

Mark your calendar for Feb. 22-24, 2013 for the Young Adults Weekend Retreat at the Mount St. Macrina House of Prayer in Uniontown.  The retreat is open
to men and women, ages 18-35, and the theme is “Deepening in Faith in a
Post-Modern Culture”.

“The Year of Faith that the Catholic Church declared for this year calls each of us to find a means to grow in faith. The retreat will challenge participants to see life’s opportunities and difficulties with Christian eyes.  It will be a short-term intensive way to learn to walk more securely in Christ’s way,” said Sr. Barbara Jean Milhalchick, OSBM, who is coordinating the retreat.

The deadline for registration is February 15, 2013.  The offering for the weekend is $100. A deposit of $25 is due at the time of registration.  Sister Barbara Jean and a team of young people will lead the program.   The registration form is provided below.  Please click on the link to download. If you have questions or need additional information, please call the House of Prayer at 724-438-7149.

Young Adult Flyer 2013 – Reg Form

Happy New Year! The end of the year has been a busy time for us here in Wilkes Barre.

At the end of September, in response to an invitation from the Carmelite Sisters, we traveled with our parishioners to Sugarloaf for an evening of prayer. The evening included a Moleben to St. Theresa the Little Flower; followed by an excellent talk about Sr. Theresa the Little Flower by Father Jude Peters OSF from Milwaukee,Wisconsin; and, Compline Prayer.

A few days later, we attended the 125^th anniversary celebration of St. Mary Church in Kingston. Both of us were delighted with the opportunity to meet with parishioners and many young people of the parish.

In mid-October, we attended the Eastern Catholic Churches’ Encounter in Hillsborough, New Jersey and met people from other states, ethnic faiths and religious affiliations.   We participated in Melkite Vespers, Matins and Liturgy and found them inspiring.  The speakers were excellent and we were particularly impressed with Bishop Peter Libasci, who received a standing ovation from the group. He spoke on breathing with two lungs – East and West – and on the “How and What of Lay Leadership,” that is, putting on Christ by witnessing Him to others. Afterwards, we enjoyed participating in the open discussion of the group.

Every Wednesday in October, we made a Pilgrimage to the Mother of God, in which a different Akathist to her was celebrated each time.  On the last day, October 31, all five parishes participated as Father Paul Wolansky of Sts. Peter and Paul Byzantine Catholic Church spoke.

December brought a number of events associated with the preparation of Christmas. On the 6th, we went Christmas caroling beginning with the St. Nicholas Apostolate at Tiffany Court Nursing Home.  Three days later, on December 9, we went caroling again, this time at the Little Flower Nursing Home.  All residents gathered with us and sang along.  It was truly a heart-warming experience.

Also on December 9, we attended the annual St. Nicholas celebration at Golden Palace.  Young and old join in the celebration, and every year one man and one woman are honored with the St. Nicholas award.

Back to caroling on December 11 at St. Luke’s Villa and on December 13 at River Ridge Nursing Home.

December 11-13, we attended the “Year of Faith” mission given at a different parish every night by Father Frank Hanincik.  Father stressed that Faith is related to Trust and that Mary is the Model of Faith. He mentioned that the Pillars of Faith are Scripture and Tradition; however, the Heart of Faith is our relationship to each other and the way in which we witness our faith to others.

We went to St. Michael’s in Pittston on December 23. There all of the parishes gathered for Compline celebrated at 3:00 p.m. by the Pastor’s  bishop, His Grace Milan Sasik of Mukachevo. 

At 7:00 p.m. on Christmas Eve, the ECF children presented a Christmas pageant which we had prepared with them. Christmas carols by the children and parishioners followed the pageant.

Then, on December 30, we attended the ECF Christmas program with Jaslickari at St. John Church in Georgetown at noon.

On New Year’s Eve, Father Jim Hayer, Pastor at St. Mary’s in Wilkes-Barre, held an early New Year’s Eve Social for the parishioners to welcome the New Year.

This Christmas season was a busy one for us.  During the month of December, we also visited home-bound and nursing home residents.  Sister Theodosia made cards for the parishioners of the five parishes in these homes.  We also enjoy singing carols to them and we try to bring comfort to parishioners who have recently lost loved ones.  Our ministry provides many blessed opportunities for us!

Mount St. Macrina looks like a Winter Wonderland!  Check out our latest photos.

Surrounding and enveloping us are the sorrows of loss, war, and horrendous tragedy.

Some of these touch our immediate loved ones; some touch the entire human family.

Yet we are people not without hope.  We know that the Light of the World has
come into our darkness, and that Light will not fail to lead us to Life.

As we Christians prepare to celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the
words of the prophet Isaiah ring out today with great clarity and power:

The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light; on those who live in a land of deep shadow a light has shown.

For there is a child born for us, a son given to us, and dominion is laid on his shoulders; and this is the name they give him:                                  

Wonder-Counselor, Mighty-God,

Eternal-Father, Prince-of-Peace.

wide is his dominion in a peace that has no end.

We wish to all our friends, benefactors, & volunteers

    a Christmas time of peace and grace.
 

     Sister Seraphim & the Sisters of St. Basil the Great

Please enjoy the latest edition of LifeQuesters on the Web by clicking here: LifeQuest Newsletter Dec12.  Merry Christmas!

Sister Salome, Sister Agnes, and Sister Leonora were honored by Bishop John Kudrick through his bestowal of the Holy Forerunner Award on November 4, 2012 at a banquet held in St. John Cathedral Center in Parma.  Sister Salome, Sister Agnes, and Sister Leonora were individually honored by receiving the Holy Forerunner Medal, and a framed Certificate of Appreciation.   These Sisters were thanked for their many years of dedicated service to St. Mary Byzantine Catholic School in Cleveland, Ohio.   In his remarks, Bishop John expressed his appreciation on behalf of the Eparchy of Parma for the many ministries in which the Sisters of St. Basil participated for over 30 years in the Eparchy.  Bishop acknowledged the untold good, known only to God, which the presence of the Sisters has brought among God’s people in the Parma Eparchy!

Untimely for those she left behind, but according to God’s good time, Sister Alphonsa Danovich was called home to God in the early hours of Mon., Nov. 26, 2012.

She had spent a wonderful week with her sister and brother-in-law, Magdaline and Bill Ostheim, who were celebrating their 60th Wedding Anniversary. Johnstown, the place of her birth, was destined in God’s plan to be the place from which she entered into new life. The joy which she shared with her family, though dimmed by the sudden turn of events, was to be a precursor of the joy awaiting her when God received her into His eternal embrace.

The youngest daughter of the late John and Julia (Dzmura) Danovich, Sister Alphonsa was christened Catherine at her baptism. She entered the Sisters of St. Basil from St. Mary’s Byzantine Catholic Church in Johnstown, Pa. on Sept. 16, 1951. She pronounced her First Vows on April 4, 1954 and made her Final Profession on Aug. 15, 1957 in the presence of the late Archbishop Nicholas T. Elko.

Her 80 years of life, sixty-one of which she spent as a Sister of St. Basil, were filled with diverse ministries and rich experiences. From 1954 until 1971 she served as a teacher in the parish schools of the Byzantine Catholic Metropolitan Province of Pittsburgh. It was in the summer of 1971, that her life and ministry as a Basilian Sister took an unexpected turn when she learned that she had been elected as the General Treasurer of the Order with headquarters in Rome, Italy.

Neither she nor anyone knew that most of the remaining years of her life would be spent in Rome, first as General Treasurer, then working in the Vatican Office of the Administration of the Patrimony of the Holy See. After serving as a General Councilor, Sister Alphonsa was elected to the position of General Superior in 2001.

At the completion of her term of office, she returned to the Monastery in Uniontown. After a sabbatical year, Sister accepted her final call to ministry as the Assistant Finance Officer for the Eparchy of Phoenix in Arizona.

Wherever Sister Alphonsa served, she did so unreservedly; giving herself
heart and soul to her work for the Province, for the Order, and for the Church.
In fact, in recognition of her service to the Church and the Holy See, she was
presented the ‘Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice’ award in 1995 by the late Pope John
Paul II. Although she treasured this honor, what she wanted to be remembered
most for was her acceptance of the events in her life, for sharing, trusting
and loving. She will surely be remembered for this as well as for her
generosity, her kindness, her loyalty to and love for her community, for her
family and her many friends. She was incredibly thoughtful in remembering
birthdays, feast days, anniversaries and special events with a card or a phone
call. Any and every gift would be acknowledged within a few days in the same
manner.

Her many nieces and nephews cherished the times she spent with
them and regarded her as the binding force in their extended family. All who
worked with her were inspired by her strong faith and by her willingness to be
of help to anyone in whatever way she could.

Sister Alphonsa was preceded in death by her parents; her brother John; her sisters, Helen (Kohan) and Anna (Brezovec).

In addition to the members of her community, she is survived by her sister Mary Slonka, her sister Magdaline (Bill) Ostheim, and many devoted nieces, nephews and their families.

Relatives and friends will be received at the Monastery Chapel on Fri., Nov. 30 from 3:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. The Parastas Service will be celebrated at 7:00 p.m. The Funeral Divine Liturgy will be celebrated by the Metropolitan Archbishop William Skurla on Sat., Dec. 1 at 10:30 a.m. in the Monastery Chapel.

Interment will follow in the Dormition Section of Mount Macrina Cemetery.