Caritas - Spring 2021

Caritas Spring 2021 ...the Love of Christ impels us A publication of the Apostles of the Sacred Heart of Jesus

Caritas From Our Provincial is published by the Office of Mission “Look for Christ’s presence in your everyday life, seeing his Advancement for the Mary, Queen of powerful yet gentle hand guiding your every action.” Apostles Province of the Apostles of the -Blessed Clelia Merloni Sacred Heart of Jesus. Dear Friends, Spring 2021 Edition Ministry in a world shaken by Covid-19 has been challenging Sr. Barbara Thomas, ASCJ for each Apostle of the Sacred Provincial Superior Heart of Jesus. Each day we renew our trust in the Sacred Sr. Mary Lee, ASCJ Heart, just as our foundress Vice Provincial Blessed Clelia Merloni did through the many trials and Sr. Colleen Therese Smith, ASCJ sufferings in her life. As her Director of Mission Advancement daughters, we are finding ways to move forward through uncharted territory, continuing to serve Vanessa Pereira others while following strict health guidelines. Marketing & Communications Manager As the virus made its way into all 50 states, closing businesses, social gatherings, school events, parish activities, soup kitchens Editors and shelters, the need to serve the less fortunate became more Vanessa Pereira important than ever. Sr. Colleen Therese Smith, ASCJ Even when prevented from in-person contact, our schools and ministries rose to find creative ways of assisting and serving the Design poor, visiting and praying with the sick and shut-ins even through Vanessa Pereira glass doors, leading innovative virtual and in-person classes from pre-kindergarten through high school, and facilitating moments Photography of faith sharing and prayer—hearts fully engaged for the long haul. Sr. Mary Ellen Burns, ASCJ Ministries will look different for the time being, but the mission Kathryn M. Larson continues: sharing the love of the Heart of Christ. Sr. Allison Masserano, ASCJ Thank you for your support this past year, especially during these Sr. Benjamin Merlotti, ASCJ recent months of uncertainty. You are our partners in carrying out Vanessa Pereira the Lord’s work through your gifts, your thoughts and your prayers. Sr. Cathy Phillips, ASCJ Please continue to remember us in prayer and be assured that we Sr. Colleen Therese Smith, ASCJ will do the same for you. With gratitude, Contributed Photos Courtesy Sr. Sandra Krupp, ASCJ Sr. Barbara Thomas, ASCJ Sr. Diane Mastroianni, ASCJ Provincial Superior St. Rita School Printing Gateway Printing Services Front Cover Sr. Luisa Villegas, ASCJ, receives food donations from Lori Martin, founder of Haven's Harvest, a food rescue organization. The food is distributed by Apostle Immigrant Services to families in need. STORY on Page 6. (Photo: Sr. Cathy Phillips, ASCJ)

Sister Above: Sr. Sandra Krupp distributes Holy Communion to a homebound parishioner. Snapshot what she loved. Nursing homes were their doors, see their faces and connect on lockdown and face-to-face visits with them for the first time in months with Sr. Sandra Krupp, ASCJ with the elderly were prohibited, but was the greatest and most memorable she found creative ways to continue blessing! Now that most of us have Sr. Sandra Krupp finds serving the needs of this vulnerable received the vaccine, many are able to sit tremendous joy in her ministry population with love and dedication. outside with me at a safe distance. to the elderly and homebound parishioners of St. Ambrose Church How have you adapted your ministry How has the pandemic altered the in St. Louis, Missouri. during this pandemic? way you view your ministry? In the first few months when I was Some of the people whom I serve are After having taught kindergarten and unable to visit anyone, I called each God’s most vulnerable children. The first grade for 17 years, Sr. Sandra of my 35 friends every other day and greatest challenge during the pandemic began visiting elderly parishioners sent each a handwritten card every was the loneliness and isolation they 11 years ago when the pastor invited week. After about two months I began felt. I really tried to hone my listening her to bring Holy Communion to conducting porch visits. I would bring skills this year, and I think God is parishioners in nursing homes. This my portable stool and sit on their helping me to be more compassionate opportunity, she says, has been the porches (even in 5-degree weather) and empathetic. greatest blessing of her life. with the screen door slightly cracked between us. When it was time for Holy What do you most enjoy about your When the pandemic hit, Sr. Sandra Communion, they reached their hand ministry? suddenly found herself unable to do out of the doorway to receive Jesus. What I enjoy most of all in my I continue to call and send cards to ministry are the people. I thought I our folks in nursing homes. They love was the one who was going to bring receiving mail! these dear ones love and blessings and joy. But I’ve discovered that I am What blessings have you experienced completely overwhelmed with the joy, in ministry during this pandemic? love, and blessings that they are to me! After not seeing my elderly friends I could not possibly love them more for so long, being able to sit outside than I do. 3

Sr. Carol Sansone, principal of St. Joseph School, walks with a student. Rising Above the Pandemic Students at Sacred Heart Academy are preparing for their first musical production since 2019. At Clelian difficulty coping with change, a committee comprised of Heights School, students are steadily working toward administrators, nurses, teachers, therapists and maintenance their individual education goals while students at St. staff devised a comprehensive plan that addressed not only Joseph School and St. Rita School are engaging in hands-on implementation of Covid protocols but also ways to re- learning with their peers. orient students to the school environment and the many new policies in place. These are some of the everyday successes that Apostles in This involved a two-week transition period of hybrid education ministry are seeing at their schools despite the instruction, a combination of in-person and remote learning, pandemic. By following stringent protocols from the CDC to help students adjust to the changes. The plan also focused and local health officials, these schools have safely remained on remediation and direct instruction of skills that may have open for in-person instruction—with unexpected positive been lost during the school closure last spring. During this outcomes— in this new age of remote learning. time, teachers concentrated on each student’s unique goals “We were totally expecting some resistance to the new as listed in their Individual Educational Plan (IEP) and have policies and protocols,” says Sr. Charlene Celli, principal of seen “little, if any, regression,” Sr. Charlene says. Clelian Heights, a mission of the Apostles in Greensburg, Sr. Kathleen Mary Coonan, principal of Sacred Heart Pennsylvania, that ministers to children and adults with Academy (SHA)—the Apostles’ all-girl high school in developmental disabilities. “The students absolutely amazed Hamden, Connecticut—says students continue to thrive us with their resilience and flexibility. They were so happy to across the board despite Covid restrictions. be reunited with their friends and teachers that everything SHA established a hybrid model in the fall, giving families the else did not seem to matter.” option to choose in-person instruction or remote learning. Knowing that students with special needs can have The majority of students, she says, come in person.

Above: Sr Sheila O'Neill, president of Sacred Heart Academy, surprises students during rehearsal for Hello Dolly. At right: Sr. Charlene Celli, principal of Clelian Heights, visits a classroom. Although the entire student body is not together, the sense Above: Sr. Anne D'Alessio, vice principal of St. Rita School, of community and school spirit at SHA remains strong. The conducts a classroom visit. school recently celebrated two division championship title wins and is gearing up for an outdoor production of Hello Vice Principal Sr. Anne D’Alessio says St. Rita gained 32 new Dolly in May. students from public schools at the start of the year and has “It’s a true success that we have been able to move forward already seen an increase in enrollment for next year. with our musical,” says Sr. Kathleen Mary. “The students have been rehearsing via Zoom and meeting in small “Many parents in the area have become aware of what we’re groups in person when they can. It’s definitely different, but doing, and our new parents have been able to see what we the girls have been so willing to go with the flow and try can do for their children,” Sr. Anne says. “It’s not just about new ways of doing things.” academics but the values we’re providing and the sense of Students and staff at St. Joseph School, a Pre-K through 8 school community.” school in Imperial, Missouri, have found some fun ways to comply with Covid protocols. Principal Sr. Carol Sansone 5 says Walkie Talkies are used to communicate around the property as a way to practice social distancing. And with the arrival of spring and warmer weather, the school is once again utilizing outdoor space as much as possible. Sr. Carol has also witnessed numerous instances of students helping other students adapt to change. “The kids did a ‘mummy walk’ for the younger students— stretching out their arms so they kept the proper distance from the student walking in front of them,” she says. “We are all working toward getting to the finish line.” When the academic year started in the fall, many public schools were not offering in-person instruction as an option. This put schools like St. Rita School—a Pre-K through 8 school in Hamden, Connecticut, that offers hybrid instruction—on the map for new families who may not have considered Catholic education.

FEEDING THE HUNGRY On any given Tuesday afternoon, you can find about a dozen Apostles at St. Rose of Lima Church in New Haven, Connecticut, busily sorting and packing food into boxes for families in need as part of a collaborative food distribution program led by Apostle Immigrant Services (AIS)—an Apostle mission that has been providing critical legal services to immigrants since 2008. Each week about 45 to 50 families stop by the church to pick up a box of food. These boxes include a range of items, from fresh fruits and vegetables to non-perishable foods. Families can also arrange to take home freshly prepared meals to go. 6

The program, which benefits about 200 individuals a week, is the result of partnerships with two other nonprofits: Haven’s Harvest, a food rescue organization that retrieves excess food from supermarkets, bakeries, universities and other businesses, and Havenly Treats, a café that provides employment and training to immigrant and refugee women. Women of the Village, a local food pantry, also shares excess food when available. “We are so grateful to our amazing partners in the community,” says Sr. Luisa Villegas, a legal representative at AIS who oversees the food distribution program. “It’s wonderful that we can all work together to support those in need.” Weekly food distribution at AIS started in June 2020, but seeds for the program were planted in early 2020 after Sr. Luisa and AIS Executive Director Sr. Mary Ellen Burns learned of growing pandemic-related food insecurity through Census outreach. It wasn’t long before the AIS team was helping Haven’s Harvest and Havenly Treats deliver meals to families in need, and the rest is history. The success of the program takes many helping hands. There’s Natalia, the client communication coordinator at AIS who calls families each week to confirm their needs while Sr. Luisa and Sr. Cathy Phillips confirm which partner agencies will be providing food that week. Then there are the many Apostles who volunteer outside their daily ministries. Some Sisters pick up prepared meals from Havenly Treats and available donations from Women of the Village, others sort and pack the donated food into boxes, and others deliver food to families who are unable to pick it up. “There’s a lot happening behind the scenes,” Sr. Mary Ellen says. “It truly is an all-hands-on-deck effort week after week.” PHOTOS (clockwise): Sr. Ann Maria Sforza and Sr. Carolyn Severino pack items for delivery; Sr. Cathy Phillips distributes food to a client; Sr. Luisa Villegas receives donations from Haven's Harvest Founder Lori Martin; Sr. Kelsey Shaver and Sr. Mary Ellen Burns prepare boxes; and Sr. Alice Morais picks up prepared meals from Havenly Treats. (Photos by Sr. Cathy Phillips, Sr. Mary Ellen Burns, Sr. Allison Masserano) 7

The pandemic has changed us. We have seen the tremendous impact it has had on families, on the elderly, on children, and most acutely on health care workers and first responders. We wanted to share with you a few reflections from five Apostles about how the pandemic has affected them on a Growing in faithpersonallevel. SR. MARGARET KUNTZ Director, Office of Faith Formation SR. NANCY STRILLACCI Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee | FL Chaplain, St. Vincent Medical Center | CT When the pandemic started, I had high hopes Over the last few months, I have come to appreciate that needing to stay home would allow more how God is stretching my horizons and capabilities. time for prayer and spiritual reading. Watching In April 2020 the diocese in which I minister had Mass and especially being able to see and hear to eliminate my position due to Covid restrictions. many different priests from across the country Suddenly I was one of the millions of unemployed was initially appealing and there seemed to be in the United States! I scrambled to cast resumes far unlimited opportunities to watch, listen and take and wide. It was challenging to be realistic about spirituality courses. Quickly, I found that watching the work I was able to do. It was also humbling to Mass virtually just wasn’t doing it. I would start realize that what was good for me in the past was a course or begin listening to a podcast and never no longer beneficial. When an opening was found complete them. Somehow, I really didn’t have more in hospital chaplaincy, it took much discernment, time for prayer. Something was off, and slowly not only because it was an apostolate I had not I realized what was happening: I was missing been attracted to before, but also because there was community. Yes, the community at Mass, but additional danger in that environment during a also the communities with whom I prayed in my pandemic, and contagion could be passed on to the ministry. Virtual community was not the same. I Sisters with whom I live. I accepted the challenge, wanted— needed— the physical presence of others. and my Sisters in community have shown great Now I realize how much I am nourished and courage and have truly supported me in a new supported when I meet and pray with others. This corporal work of mercy. pandemic has taught me the importance of being together not just in spirit, but in being entirely present to one another. What a beautiful gift God gives us in calling us to community. 8

SR. VERONICA BEATO PLANNED GIVING Principal, Cor Jesu Academy | MO Remembering Those At times in the midst of the pandemic, I felt that all of us had been thrown into a huge pit devoid of Who Made a Difference light, with no way of knowing where to go. Yet God is deeper than any pit, and I have found strength in relying on God’s Light, His Son Jesus. He has guided my Sisters and me each day through these long months of darkness and uncertainty. In turn I have learned that He wants me to be His ray of light to those I encounter. How? By being trustful and grateful for so many blessings He sends and by treasuring the encounters with those who have been walking with me. In Him we are as strong and as gentle as He would have us be. SR. JANET KOFRON …and honoring the Sisters who taught you Sacred Heart Manor | CT more than just academics! Here at Sacred Heart Manor, Covid restrictions From IRA gifts to stocks and securities, heightened our awareness of the suffering and you can continue to support the mission devastation happening in the world, in our country of the Apostles of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and among our family and friends. Our prayer life as we strive to help those most in need to has been intensified by praying for others who are know the love of Christ. in great need, and our concern has been centered on all who have suffered from this pandemic To request a copy of our Planned Giving versus on ourselves. It is often said every curse has Guide or to learn more about how you a blessing. At the Manor, we continue to lift our can create a legacy of love, please contact spirits in response to what Covid has attempted to Sr. Colleen Smith at 203-281-2569 or rob us of. Our faith and trust in the Lord and our [email protected]. unrelenting hope in all that is good allows us to sing our Easter Alleluia with hearts filled with joy. SR. CECELIA MARIE SCADUTO Delegate for Senior Priests Archdiocese of Hartford | CT The pandemic has had a unique impact on my spiritual life and has made me more aware that I am really not in control of my life. During its early months, instead of living with Sisters in my local community, I sheltered in place at the residence of senior priests to whom I minister. When away from my community, I experienced loneliness, yet I also recognized the many graces being offered to me. Unlike so many other Catholics who were deprived of our Eucharistic Lord in those first few months, I was able to receive spiritual nourishment at daily Mass. Jesus drew me closer to his Heart and filled the void in mine. I became more aware of the need to pray for others, especially for the sick, the dying, and those in isolation. My loneliness was transformed into peace by letting God touch me with his love, so that I could give that love to others. 9

From the Classroom Top left ( front to back): Sr. Allison Masserano, Sr. Diane Mastroianni to the Community Room and Sr. Sharon Kalert. Top right (left to right): Sr. Sharon, Sr. Joanna Paolella, Sr. Diane and Sr. Joan Krueger. Bottom right: Sr. Allison and BY SR. ALLISON MASSERANO, ASCJ Sr. Diane. It's 2001 and I am a sixth grader in the Bronx. I find myself Johnny Tremain with Sr. Sharon. And now, we are all in a small group of students studying the book Bridge to Apostles, all living under the same roof! Terabithia. It’s not part of the regular curriculum so we stay after school to discuss it. I don’t mind. I like reading. And It’s a fun coincidence that comes up periodically. I’ll misuse a I like my teacher, Sr. Diane Mastroianni; I’m glad to spend word and lightheartedly pass the blame to my former English more time with her. teacher who passes it right along to hers. And rest assured Flash forward about 20 years. I am a junior professed we play a similar game when taking credit: “I taught her Sister, and I find myself settling into my room after being everything she knows!” “Oh yeah? Well, don’t forget who taught transferred to the Provincial House in Hamden. I pause in it all to you!” the doorway and look across the hall. Sr. Diane is standing in the doorway of her bedroom, smiling. “Well. Here we are!” In my day-to-day life, I relate to both Sr. Diane and Sr. Sharon My sixth grade self could never have imagined living with as my religious sisters, not former teachers. But I do step my teacher! back from time to time and reflect on what it means to be This is a common experience among our Sisters. Most part of three generations of Apostle students/teachers. It’s Apostles have been teachers for at least part of their a concrete reminder that we are all part of a legacy that is religious life, and many Apostles were taught by Apostles bigger than ourselves. We are, at the same time, both students at some point. But here’s the thing: I don’t just live with my and teachers—recipients and sharers of the charism gifted sixth grade teacher. I also live with my sixth grade teacher’s to Blessed Clelia and passed down through generations. As sixth grade teacher! Sr. Sharon Kalert taught Sr. Diane at part of this legacy, I am grateful for those who have taught me St. Raphael Academy in Bridgeport. About 20 years before and I am eager to share with others. (Although if I ever find I read Bridge to Terabithia with Sr. Diane, she was reading myself teaching sixth grade, let’s just say, the pressure is on!) 10 Sr. Allison professed First Vows as an Apostle in 2018. She currently ministers in the Vocation Office in Hamden, CT.

St. Joseph... Pope Francis has declared this to be the Year of St. Joseph. In his Apostolic Letter Patris Corde (A Father’s Heart), the Holy Father writes: “The greatness of Saint Joseph is that he was the spouse of Mary and the father of Jesus. In this way, he placed himself, in the words of Saint John Chrysostom, ‘at the service of the entire plan of salvation.”’ Evidently, St. Joseph was a man of few words. We do not have any of his words recorded in the gospel, yet his actions speak volumes. When the life he planned for himself and Mary was shattered by the discovery of her pregnancy, Joseph obediently placed his life at the service of God even though he could not have known exactly what that would mean. What gave Joseph the courage to embrace God’s plan and accept His invitation to protect and provide for Mary and for Jesus, the Savior of the world? He must have trusted that because God was inviting him to be a part of His plan of salvation, God would give him all he needed to carry out this incredible vocation. And so too does God invite each of us to put our lives at the service of His plan—a plan which is ultimately to bring each of us to salvation, to be free from the power of sin and death and to spend eternity with Him. Let us pray to St. Joseph in this year dedicated to him, to have the courage to put our lives at the service of God’s loving plan, trusting that His plan ultimately is better than any plan we could ever make for ourselves! St. Joseph, Protector of the Church, pray for us! ...pray for us! In Loving Memory Sr. Marilyn Lagermann died peacefully on March 27, 2021, at Sacred Heart Manor. She was 74 years old and professed as an Apostle of the Sacred Heart of Jesus for 53 years. A native of St. Louis, Sr. Marilyn entered the Apostles in 1964 after graduating from Cor Jesu Academy. She professed First Vows on July 1, 1967, and professed Perpetual Vows on June 22, 1974. Sr. Marilyn touched the lives of so many throughout her 53 years as a professed Apostle—first as a beloved teacher and later as a devoted nurse. She taught in schools in Connecticut, Pennsylvania, New York, Missouri, California, and New Jersey; and ministered as a nurse at Sacred Heart Manor and Clelian Heights in Greensburg, PA. Sr. Marilyn held a Bachelor of Arts degree in education and history, a nursing degree, and a Certificate in Spirituality. She was also a talented photographer and an avid gardener.

Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID St. Louis, MO Permit No. 2155 295 Benham Street Hamden, CT 06514 www.ascjus.org Mission Statement We are Apostles of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, consecrated women of the Church. Impelled by the spirit active in each of us and faithful to the charism of Blessed Clelia Merloni, we seek to make the compassionate Heart of Christ better known, loved and served. We do this by personal and communal witness to the Gospel, commitment to growth in holiness, and ministry to the people of God. Facebook.com/ascjus @ascjvocations @ascjus Prayer to obtain graces through Blessed Clelia's intercession I praise you, O merciful Father, for you have revealed to little ones the infinite treasures of the Heart of your Son. Through the intercession of Blessed Clelia Merloni, who was confident in the Heart of Jesus, zealous in charity, patient in adversity, and heroic in forgiveness, I pray that I may obtain the grace I now ask of you. Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place my trust in you. Imprimatur † Mons. Giuseppe Tonello Vicariato di Roma, 12/5/2020