Memories of Sister Pieta

From the memoirs of Sister M. Pieta Laufer, O.S.F.

July 16, 1993

So little do we think of the many graces the Creator has bestowed upon us. There are three special graces which, like so many others, we take for granted, and yet they are so important in our life: the graces of understanding, memory, and free will. This presentation is centered on the gift of memory.

We all can recall happenings from the past because they are stored in our memory. Some of these happenings bring us renewed joy, some others may bring us a feeling of sadness, depending on the kind of happening. Yet we should remember that we also owe thanks to our Lord for His graces and use them. So I recall some of the happenings which are joyful, which I permit to come back to my mind. I hold them there and thank the dear Lord for giving me the grace of this memory.

The arrival of Father Ernest Moser - 1934

I should start with the year of 1934. It was in this year that our Community experienced a spiritual upheaval, I like to call it, a spiritual renewal which everyone enjoyed and, I am sure, profited spiritually by it. Not was it only for our Community, but it even spread out into the whole Diocese of Peoria. There are two persons responsible for this renewal. These two men are Bishop Joseph Schlarmann and Father Ernest Moser.

In order to understand the whole development of this renewal, I should give a short brief history. It was the year 1934. In June of that year, I graduated from the college of Saint Theresa in Winona, Minnesota, with a degree of Nursing Education. The day after graduation, I returned to the Motherhouse in Peoria. The first thing for me to do was to present myself to the Mother General, Mother Cunigunda, who was glad to see me and more glad that I had been successful in my undertakings and would now be an asset to the teaching staff in the nursing school.

During our short conversation, Mother Cunigunda informed me that our chaplain, Father Adams, a Franciscan monk, was on his vacation, and that the superior in Cincinnati had sent a substitute. This man had just shortly come to the United States from Austria, that he spoke a broken English and that every Sister seemed to like him very much. Even Bishop Schlarmann had confided to Mother Cunigunda that he would like to have Father Ernest remain as chaplain at the hospital and for the Sisters.

A day or two later, I met a Sister who told me about Father Ernest making his first round in the hospital, getting acquainted with the patients. He entered a patient's room which was occupied by Bishop Schlarmann, who was recuperating from a surgical procedure. The two men introduced each other and during their conversation, they both realized that they had known each other twenty years before while they both were students at the University in Innsbruck, Austria. The student, Joseph Schlarmann was studying for the priesthood, while the Austrian student, Ernest Moser, was a student in law. When Joseph Schlarmann's time was over, he returned to the United States where he finished his studies, was ordained a priest and was now Bishop of the Diocese of Peoria. Both men were astonished and at the same time overjoyed to meet again after so many years.

About two weeks later, Mother Cunigunda made an announcement to the Sisters, stating that the superior in Cincinnati had officially appointed Father Ernest Moser as chaplain of St Francis Hospital and the Sisters who owned the hospital. Everybody was more than overjoyed. There was something about that man even though he spoke only a broken English. He made himself understandable in more ways than one. It seemed that he was the man that our Community needed at that time. And Father Ernest, once appointed chaplain officially, lost no time to make some changes.

Renewal in the Holy Mass

The first change was the Communion receiving by the Sisters. Up to that time, it was the custom that the Sisters received Communion before Mass. When I came to this country in 1926 and saw this procedure, I didn't know what to say. There was nothing I could do about it but I certainly hated it. As a child, I had learned in school that the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass has three important parts: the Offertory, the Consecration and the Communion. I had been used to this for all these years. Now coming to this country and to the convent here I have to receive Holy Communion before Mass. It just didn't seem right to me, but I had no right to say anything about it, nor did I. Well, Father Ernest changed this and Communion was received from then on during Mass where it rightly belongs.

At that time, the Mass as we know, was in Latin. The priest was facing the altar which was against the wall, usually. The congregation could see only the priest's back except when He turned around to say "Dominus Vobiscum", which was answered by a server, a man who was working in the hospital. And I was so used to answer the priest myself. "Et cum Spiritu Tuo", I was always wanting to answer, but everyone was silent. These silent Masses with Holy Communion before Mass just didn't go with me. All during the Mass, the Sisters were in their pews with nothing to do, so to speak, except pray, maybe the Rosary, maybe a Novena, or some kind of devotion, or when you happened to be on night duty, you could even say your night prayer during the morning Mass so you could get to bed right after breakfast. Now, that part had been changed.

There was another thing, Father Ernest was quick to change, and I liked it very much. As I said, the Mass was silent throughout. On Sundays there was a high Mass, and during that high Mass there were a few selected Sisters with good singing voices, gathered around the organ up in the gallery who sang the Gloria and the Credo. And the Sisters downstairs would be there again in silence. Father Ernest changed that, too. Every Sister received a song book and every Sister was able to sing. Even during the ordinary weekday Masses, we sang hymns during the Mass. It was something new for the older Sisters, but nothing new for the younger ones.

Enlivening Religious Practices

Father Ernest also instituted Solemn Vespers on Sundays, about 2 or 3 o'clock in the afternoon. He would be in the Sanctuary with the Blessed Sacrament exposed and we would sing the Vespers. During the Magnificat which sounded heavenly with all the Sisters singing, Father Ernest would incense the Blessed Sacrament and the Sanctuary. Again, it felt like home. It was something we had never experienced here in this country.

Father Ernest also went out of his way to serve us Sisters. For instance, he would give us spiritual lectures on special days. For instance, on the 14th and 15th of April, the two days of retreat before we renew our vows, he would accommodate us with some spiritual food. Then came the feast of St. Clare, and the feast of St Francis when we would always have a special lecture which all the Sister appreciated very much.

Starting New Advent Traditions

As time passed on, the Advent season came around the corner. I remember on the Saturday before the first Sunday, after Night Prayer when everything was strict silence, and everyone in her own room, I heard my name called. I turned around and there was Sister Philibert, the superior of the hospital. She said in excitement, "Sister Pieta, you have to help me this evening." I said, "Oh yes Sister, anything you want me to do." "Well", she said, "The Bishop told Father Ernest that I should see to it that there will be an Advent wreath in our dining room during the Advent season." I said, "What did you say should be there?" "An Advent wreath." "I have never heard about that," I said, "never seen one." "Well," was her reply, "we have to get an Advent wreath ready. Father said so and he got his order from the Bishop." I said, "Well, do you have the pine twigs ready? I can easily make a wreath." "I don't have anything, she said, "we have to find something." I said, "Where will you find some pine twigs at this time of the evening? It's dark outside and I have never seen a pine tree around the buildings here nor down on the hill where there are many trees, but never a pine tree." "Well", she came back with her answer, "We have to do something, and you have to come along with me and help me." I said, "Alright, you go ahead and I will follow where ever you go."

So out we went into the dark evening looking for some twigs, whatever they were that could be used for a wreath. Finally Sister came to a hedge around some part of the grounds, and she clipped and clipped and clipped enough from the bush to make a wreath. We went in the house and to the refectory where Sister had already set up a small white covered table. She spread the various pieces of those twigs in a circular shape looking like a wreath. Of course, we could not tie them together. She also had a candle stick with a candle ready. Before we knew it, there was the Advent wreath as far as we were concerned. And Sister said, "Now tomorrow morning before breakfast, you light this candle." I said, "Oh Sister, not one of our Sisters knows anything about this. What will they think if I stand here and light a candle? What for?" And she consoled me, "Don't worry, Mother Cunigunda will give the explanation right after she says the prayer before breakfast." And so it happened.

Mother Cunigunda led the prayer as always, and then she explained to the Sisters the set up of the wreath with one candle in it. It was the Bishop's wish that we do this, and she kept on further explaining that next Sunday there will be two candles, on the third Sunday, there will be three candles, and then on the last Sunday, four candles. Each candle meant Christ the light coming closer and closer until on Christmas day which followed the fourth Sunday in Advent.

In between time, on the 8th of December, we had another surprise. There was a candle standing in front of the Blessed Mother altar, a large candle stick dressed in a white silk piece of cloth and a large candle in the candle stick. Nobody knew anything about it. Nobody had ever seen it. Anyone who saw it would look at her neighbor shaking her head, shrugging her shoulders. What was all the meaning of this? And during the Mass, Father Ernest would explain in his sermon that the candle stick symbolized the Blessed Mother, the Immaculate Conception. The white silk cloth around the candle stick was the Blessed Mother bringing forth Christ, the light of the world, symbolized by the burning candle.

And so we learned from one feast to the other. Everyone was pleased by anything that Father Ernest directed should be done. On the third Sunday of Advent, Father Ernest came into the Sanctuary vested in rose colored vestments. Now this too caused the Sisters to look at each other with shrugging shoulders, never having seen a rose colored vestment. Again, Father Ernest explained the meaning of the rose color. Gaudete Sunday. Gaudete joyful Sunday. And why the joy? Because of the closeness to Christmas, the closeness of Christ coming to us.

Then came Christmas morning. Before I bring that up, I should talk about the Christmas novena. This was something no one had ever heard of nor seen. But Father Ernest knew what he was doing. Nine days before Christmas, beginning with the 16th of December, in the evening at 7 o'clock, the Sisters gathered in the community room. Everyone received a candle which each one lit, and then we marched in procession, about a hundred Sisters, from the community room singing Advent hymns on the way to the chapel, where Father Ernest would lead the Advent novena. Some of the parts were in Latin. Of course that was nothing new to the Sisters, because the entire Office was recited in Latin. But the whole structure of the beautiful procession, winding its way through the darkened hallway, from the community room to the chapel was not only something the Sisters appreciated, but after two or three nights we found the people lining up in the hallway outside the chapel watching the novena winding its way into the chapel. Everything was new and everybody was astounded, and everybody loved it.

Christmas 1934

On Christmas morning, we had another new structure in our schedule. Again the Bishop had ordained that the Sisters should celebrate an Agape. When we were informed about an Agape, naturally everybody looked at each other. What is an Agape? Again, Father Ernest was there to explain this situation. The Agape dates back to the early Christian time; the word itself means Love Feast. Father, of course elaborated, on the Agape how the early Christians brought to their religious gatherings food for everyone present. Those who had much brought much; those who had little brought little. Those who had nothing could not bring anything but they would be provided for by those who had. That was the spirit of the Agape, love for one another.

Preparations had been made for this great undertaking which was new to everyone, except Father Ernest. After Mass in the morning of Christmas day, every Sister received a pine twig. In procession we marched to the dining room where a crib had been placed for the little infant to rest. The Sisters placed their pine twig into the crib. About half of the number of Sisters had done so when I happened to step into the dining room and saw the crib full of pine twigs. I had to do quick thinking. I knew this could not continue. I told the Sisters, who were yet coming, to keep their pine twigs in their hands, because there was no more room in the crib just like there was no room for Christ in the Inn. After the Child was placed into the crib, the Sisters sang a Eucharistic song. The one most appropriate and most cherished, it seemed like, by the Bishop and also by Father Ernest was the Ubi Caritas, the love song. Ubi Caritas et amor. We sang it, of course, in Latin. Ubi Caritas et amor Deus ibi est. Where charity and love prevail, there God is ever found. We sang other hymns with Sister Cecilia at the organ.

Mother Cunigunda’s Feastday - 1935

The Christmas season of 1934 came to its end, and the year 1935 made its entrance. The first month went alright. Toward the end of February, Sister Philibert came to me and said, "Sister, I need you." I said, "Alright Sister, anything I can do you know I am always ready to help as long as I am able to." Her answer was, "Well, on the third of March, is the feast day of Saint Cunigunda, and you know what that means. It's Mother Cunigunda's feast day. Now Father Ernest has already instructed me that he got orders from the Bishop. The Bishop is going to have the Mass in our chapel on that morning, and he is going to have breakfast with us and the Agape celebration. Now, he also asked me to be sure to give a reading on the life of Saint Cunigunda. Now you Sister Pieta, you give that reading won't you?" I said, "Well, I can read, so therefore I can try this too. Just give me the book and you don't have to worry about anything." "Oh, I don't have any book; you have to look yourself. Just so it's the life of Saint Cunigunda." I said, " Alright Sister, I try the best I can."

So my first searching place, of course, was the library. Now I must say that the convent library at that time was not too large. I looked for the life of the saints, and couldn't find one. I looked again, in vain. I looked at other books, any book that I thought would have something about some saints. But I just could not find anything. I looked and I looked, but it was all in vain. With a heavy heart, I went to Sister Superior, Sister Philibert, and told her, "Sister, I can't find anything in the library on the life of Saint Cunigunda, and I don't know where else I could go and find something." She replied, "Well Sister, try your best. Look around and maybe some of the Sisters will have something." I said, "Alright Sister, I will ask the Sisters." And that's what I did. The first, the second, the third...the ninth...the tenth...the twentieth. I don't know how many Sisters I asked, "Don't you have anything, or know anything about the life of Saint Cunigunda? We need it for Mother Cunigunda's feast day." All the answers were, "No, I can't help you."

I kept on asking, and March came, already marching in, and I still didn't have any literature of any kind on the life of Saint Cunigunda. I had asked so many Sisters, that I didn't know what to do. Only one answer, pray about it. So I prayed to the dear Lord to help me find something on the life of Saint Cunigunda. The Bishop wants it, and we better have something to please the Bishop. The day went by and then came the next day. I went through the hallway as usual, when all of a sudden one Sister called me. I looked around and she said, "Sister, I have a little leaflet here; there is something in it about Saint Cunigunda." I said, "Deo gratias. Let me have it; you are my life saver." So Sister gave me a little pamphlet that she had, and I used what I could recall from reading the life of Saint Cunigunda when I was a young girl. So I read the little booklet and I added what I knew. Saint Cunigunda was a pious woman. She married a saintly man, a king by right, a king of Germany, who later became the holy Roman Emperor, Henry II. He was known for his piety, and the two, on their wedding day, agreed that they would spend a life of celibacy, which they did. So I said to Sister, "I thank you very much." I took the little pamphlet and took it to my room and read it over, and I was set for the Agape to read.

So the third of March came around. Bishop Schlarmann was on time for Mass. And after Mass we went in procession to the refectory, had our breakfast and with Sister Cecilia at the organ, we sang the Bishop's favorite song "Ubi Caritas", and then I gave my reading. The Sisters were surprised that I could stand there in front of the Bishop. Of course, I stood quite a distance from him, at the other end of the room. They couldn't understand how I could read in front of the Bishop without any nervousness or so. Any how, everybody was pleased, and many learned something about Saint Cunigunda which they hadn't known before. I understand that the Bishop was pleased also.

We sang some more Eucharistic songs as the Bishop had requested, and that were also appropriate for the Agape. We all enjoyed the entire day as is customary in religious orders.

Trying New Things - The Offertory Procession

I have to come back to Father Ernest again. He did not lose time, not even a minute, so to speak, to do of course, what the Bishop told him to do and to instruct us as to the new liturgical practices. One of those practices which we all were surprised about was the offertory procession. We had never heard of anything like that. Father instructed us how we should have the offertory procession. Father would stand at the center of the communion railing, holding the empty chalice. Next to him, on the communion railing was a dish with unconsecrated hosts. All the Sisters, almost a hundred, marched two by two in procession up to the communion railing to take a host from the dish and drop it into the chalice and then return to her seat. Besides the Sisters, there were usually in the morning, a dozen or so student nurses present. Occasionally, there were outsiders, who were either passing by or had some relative as a patient, who would also attend Mass. It is understandable that the procession took quite some time. For Hospital Sisters, this 'set-up' soon proved to be undesirable. In those days, there were no lay registered nurses on nursing floors. All the work had to be done by the Sisters who had to be in the hospital department at a rather early time, for the sake of the patients and also to accommodate the early starting physicians. Consequently, the Offertory Procession became sort of a burden.

Father Ernest was informed about it and could see the point. So he came with a different idea. The first method was not successful, so we tried a second one. Father suggested that there should be a small table in the back of the chapel. Of course, the sacristan would provide that and cover the table with a little white cloth and there place the two candlesticks. The candles were lit just at the offertory time, and the offertory gifts, the dish with the hosts and the cruets with the wine and the water. At offertory time, four Sisters would march back to the rear of the chapel, two of them carrying the burning candles and the other two taking the offertory gifts. Then they marched up to the communion railing where the candle bearers would stand aside and the offertory gifts carriers would step forward and Father would take the offertory gifts and then Mass proceeded along nicely. Everybody found this particular method much more practical than the first one.

After some time, not too long, it was decided that the candles were not necessary and so the candles were left out of the procession and only the two Sisters, one with the dish of hosts and the other one with the cruets, would walk up and hand Father the offertory gifts. This method which we still use today, seemed to be the most practical one.

Bishop Schlarmann and the Liturgical Movement

Bishop Schlarmann, as I mentioned before, was very much interested in the Order, and he seemed never to stop to think about us, or do something for us. In order to get the Sisters more involved in the new developments in Liturgical exercises, he requested that the Mother General send two Sisters, one of them should be the novice mistress, to O'Fallen, where there was an Order of Precious Blood Sisters. This Order is still there, and the Sisters are still working there. They had as their chaplain, Monsignor Hellriegel, who was very much versed in the Liturgical movement. In fact, he was known for being more of a leader in the new development. These Sisters, under Monsignor's direction were far advanced. It is from these Sisters that Bishop Schlarmann got most of his ideas, at least, to introduce into our Community.

So Sister Edmunda, the novice mistress, and Sister Marcelene, who was the procuress of the convent and hospital Sisters at that time, had to spend, according to Bishop Schlarmann's request, two weeks in O'Fallen for observation of the Sister's practice in the Liturgical movement, and how they would celebrate Mass and the Agape. In fact, on every feast day they would have something that was new to all of them. For example, Bishop Schlarmann once told us that he had visited there during Christmas time and the novices presented a Christmas scene on the stage. It was so impressive to Bishop Schlarmann, that he had to tell us about it, so that we could also get an idea how to bring the Mass and these Liturgical new developments into our daily lives, according to the feast days and the special days during the Church year.

Monsigner Hellriegel came several times to Peoria to speak to the Sisters, mainly on the topics of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and the Doctrine of the Mystical Body of Christ. I remember, he specifically emphasized our part in the Mystical Body of Christ. First of all, what is the Mystical Body? It is all the faithful, all those who are baptized. Speaking on baptism, he told us that in so many convents, the Sisters celebrate their birthday. He said, that was alright, but that the birthday should not take precedence over the baptismal day, because it is through baptism that we become a member of the Mystical Body of Christ, which is more important than just being born and entering the world. Therefore, the baptismal day is for congratulations before the birthday is.

During the summer of 1935, Bishop Schlarmann organized what was called a Liturgical Day, and this day was for all the priests in the Diocese of Peoria. For this day, the Bishop had invited excellent speakers. Many Benedictine Abbots and monks delivered speeches, all on the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and on the Doctrine of the Mystical Body of Christ. Of course, Monsigner Hellriegel and Bishop Schlarmann had worked together before this time on this new development. Of all the speakers, and there were quite a few, they had only two topics to discuss, but each speaker spoke on a different aspect. The main topics were the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and the Mystical Body of Christ.

Of course, there were periods of questions and answers, which I am sure everyone appreciated and enjoyed. It was a wonderful meeting. The room was filled with Priests and some Mother Generals. We never got tired of listening. Each one would speak on the same main topic, but saw it from a different angle. That was beautiful. But to me, one thing stands out yet in my mind, because it was so beautiful to me and it meant so much to me. Bishop Schlarmann handed to each participant a medal, a normal sized medal, not too little, not too big, which he himself had ordered to be minted. On this medal there was an imprint of an altar. You could see the top of the altar, and beneath all around it there was a winding of vines and grapes and leaves as you see in a vineyard. Of course, we all understood the meaning of this medal. The altar representing Christ, the head of the Church, and vines, the members of the Church, again the Doctrine of the Mystical Body of Christ. I can't help in making this remark, that this medal meant so much to me. I treasured it for about fifty years. Every so often I would look at it and recall that beautiful event, of the day, when this was presented at Pere Marquette Hotel, through the efforts of Bishop Schlarmann.

Every so often I would think, what should I do with this medal? What is going to happen to it after my death? I have had it already for over fifty years. I should detach myself from it, but to whom can I give it, that this medal will have meaning, because it was made for meaning and such a beautiful meaning. I thought and I thought and then the thought left me, and the years went by. Every so often I asked myself, you won't have that medal anymore. It will get into others hands and you don't know what is going to happen to it. Somebody might not, after I am dead, know the meaning of that medal, and perhaps cannot treasure it as I do. I had this thought in my mind for a number of years.

Then one day, in the year of 1989, many many years after I had received that medal in 1935, there was talking about a new Corporate Office building for The Sisters of the Third Order of St Francis in Peoria. This office building was to be built close to what used to be Bishop Schlarmann's residence. Then I thought, wouldn't it be nice if we could save this medal, and place it close to Bishop Schlarmann's home, and have it put in the cornerstone of the Corporate Office building? I had that thought in my mind and I couldn't get rid of that thought. So to make a long story short, on July 16, in the year of 1989, my medal went into the cornerstone of the Corporate Office building.

I can picture the occasion of the dedication of that building. There were many people present, there were many speeches given, one after the other. After all the speeches were presented, the announcement was made, "Now we will lay the cornerstone." I couldn't help but turn around, because I was facing the opposite side of the building, and saw the men carrying a heavy stone and there I said to myself, "There goes your medal, in the cornerstone of the new building which will be standing here, at least for a hundred years if not longer. When it will be unearthed, so to speak, hopefully, it will still show the imprint of the symbol of the Mystical Body of Christ."

The Abbot of Maria Laach

On another occasion, Bishop Schlarmann brought a man from Europe over to Peoria, the Abbot of Maria Laach. Maria Laach, in Germany, is the most outstanding, if not the outstanding Benedictine monastery in the world. The Abbot came to Peoria to speak to all the Priests of the Diocese. A few Sisters were invited. The meetings were held at Spalding Institute. Of course, the classrooms were not too big, but then not all priests could leave their parish at the same time. If there was one Priest, somebody had to take care of the homestead. If there were two Priests, that was fine, then one could go and the other one had to stay home. So, this Abbot from Maria Laach, spent two weeks in Peoria, to give each Priest a chance to come to Peoria and listen. I recall one lecture that I attended. I couldn't attend many because of my work in the Nursing School. But on this particular day, the Abbot spoke on the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. I recall, he talked about the various parts of the Mass, and then he came to the Kiss of Peace, which at that time was given very rarely. It was given by a Priest to a Priest in the Sanctuary on special days. It became sort of humorous, but he was very serious when he said, "The Kiss of Peace is a sign of love, and it should really be a kiss on the cheek, not just a touching of the shoulders and a little nod with the head, as though you couldn't touch the other Priest's face because you were afraid of his whiskers." The whole audience broke out in loud laughter, but he continued his talks, and everybody who heard this Abbot from Europe, couldn't help but appreciate what he said, and also the inspirations he had given.

Gregorian Chant

During the summer of 1936, Bishop Schlarmann engaged three lady teachers from the Gregorian Institute in New York, to come to St Francis Convent and teach the Sisters Gregorian Chant. They were with us for two weeks and taught us four different Gregorian Masses, and we sang them for many years. Some of us may remember living on Heading Avenue, where we had our Novitiate; there were three priests living in one of the buildings. They worked in the Bishop's office. When they were not in the Bishop's office, they occupied this particular building. They celebrated their Mass every morning in our little chapel. So from that time on then, we had three Gregorian High Masses every morning one Mass before breakfast, and two Masses after breakfast. Each one of us, in the Novitiate, were present at each Mass. We sang and we sang, from the bottom of our hearts, and we enjoyed all the different Gregorian Masses.

The Death of Father Ernest

In 1937 something happened that we all regretted very much. On August 4th, Father Ernest, our chaplain, celebrated Mass. After breakfast around 8 o'clock, there was a visiting priest celebrating Mass, and Father Ernest served the priest, because there was no other server available. After the visiting priest had completed his Mass, Father Ernest went to his room, telling the head Sister, the Sister in charge, that he wasn't feeling well; he complained of severe pain in his legs. So he went to bed. He had several doctors trying to find out just what was the matter with him. It seemed as though no one could make a definite diagnosis. On August 10th, just about a week later, about 11 o'clock in the morning, the notice came through the hospital that Father Ernest had died. It was a shock for every one, and I'm sure it was for Bishop Schlarmann too.

Father Ernest was buried on the 13th of August. It was a Friday, and I will never forget. Bishop Schlarmann delivered the sermon, and which very impressive. The people in town and people from out of town, all mourned over Father Ernest's death.

New Priests

Bishop Schlarmann did not forget the Community. Although he appointed a Diocesan priest, Father Joseph Gerber, to replace Father Ernest as chaplain, the Bishop still felt that a Franciscan should do something to help the Community. So the Bishop contacted Mother Alphonsa, and requested that she find a Franciscan Priest who would give every month a talk to the Sisters on Franciscan Spirituality. As a result, a certain Father Leander, stationed at Saint Peter's Church in Chicago, came every third Sunday in the month, for almost a year, to Peoria and gave us a talk on Franciscan Spirituality. He covered all the various aspects of that subject.

The following year, Bishop Schlarmann again requested of Mother Alphonsa that she find a retreat master that was a Franciscan who should conduct all three retreats of that year, and have his subject on the Mass and the Mystical Body of Christ. That resulted in a Franciscan coming from St. Louis, who conducted the spring retreat, the summer retreat and also the fall retreat. It was the Bishop's idea that all Sisters should have the same retreat, the same subject matter, and especially on these main points, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, the Mystical Body of Christ, and any other aspect of Franciscan Spirituality.

“The Year of the Lord”

Sometime in the year of 1938, Mother Alphonsa approached me. I was wondering because she was holding some books in her hands. I couldn't even see how many she had. She said, "Sister, I got these books from the Bishop and he wants me to have one Sister read from these books every day in the refectory during meal time, so that all Sisters hear what is being read. Will you do the reading?" I couldn't do anything but say, "Yes, I surely will." And she handed me the three books. I took a look at the books. There were three volumes, just one set of books, entitled "Das Jahr des Heiles" in English, "The Year of the Lord". I took the books to my room, looked them over and found them very interesting. They were published by an Austrian priest, Pius Parsch. I had never seen the books, nor heard of them before. Mother Alphonsa said that Bishop Schlarmann had received them from Austria. They were not available in the United States, which I could understand, because they were written in German, coming from Klosterneuberg in Austria.

I read from the first volume which was the Advent volume, the second volume was the Easter section and the third, the post Pentecost cycle of the Church year. As I said, I read from those books every day during meal time, morning, noon and evening. Everything was new to me and of course to all the Sisters. I enjoyed the reading and more enjoyed the books themselves, because I could read them at my leisure. In the refectory, all the Sisters were present, although the time there was limited. I still like the books, but as a result of the changes during the Second Vatican Council, many things are now out of date, yet the principles are still the same, and even today I like to read from those books. I especially like the many illustrations. To me, every one of them is a sermon in itself. I can advocate the books even today, because they contain the same spirituality as we have it today.

I regretted the fact that the books were not available in English print. Fortunately, at the beginning of 1939, it may have been in the middle of the year, I learned that the books had come out in English, however they could not be had yet in the United States. Although I tried some of the publishers, no one could help me. So the only thing for me do to was sit down and send an order to Austria, which I did. A few weeks later I received the three volumes printed in English. I immediately sat down and sent a check to the publishers. It must have been God's divine providence, because about a week after I had sent the check, Hitler's army invaded Poland and Austria, thus cutting off any and all connections between the East and the West. I couldn't thank the Lord enough, that He had at least helped me to get an English print of the "Year of the Lord".

At the present time, we have one set of the books in German, and two sets in English, in the Novitiate Library. There is one set of five volumes in English available in the Motherhouse Library. I can only say, whenever you have time, read from Pius Parsch.

This reminds me of a little incident, that made me feel good. It was in the middle of the 1930's, I was stationed in the Nurses' Home where I was on the teaching staff. I was also in charge of the Marian Sodality, which was a national organization for all Catholic students, boys and girls of high school and college age, under the leadership of the Jesuit Priest, Father Lord. This organization had an annual meeting, this particular year the meeting was held in Chicago. I had two students with me. Now Father Lord had about four or five of his colleague priests helping him. Each one covered a special subject. One of the subjects was on the Mass and the Mystical Body of Christ, which I, with my two students attended. Father Ellis, a Jesuit, covered that subject. I remember so well, one day, when Father Ellis talked about the Mass and the Mystical Body of Christ, he mentioned the book “Year of the Lord" (The Church’s Year of Grace) written by Father Pius Parsch, an Austrian priest. Then he continued his talk and all of a sudden he said, "Where ever Bishop Schlarmann goes Parsch goes too." That made me tickle inside. And I thought by myself, Bishop Schlarmann is not the only one who takes Parsch with him. I have taken him myself, and I am still living with him. Of course the man might be dead by now and most likely he is. But I still like to read his writings and, as I said before, his illustrations are super, as far as I am concerned. One can learn so much.

With the course of the years and with the change of authorities many of the spiritual practices have fallen by the wayside. There are at least two, that I would like see reinstalled. One, the practice of the Agape, even if it were only once or twice a year. The patron saint's day of the Major Superior and/or July 16 would be the appropriate days. Two, the celebration of the Sisters baptismal anniversary instead of her birthday, like we used to do.

Closing

The Second Vatican Council of 1964 to 1968, with new directions and changes has caused many of the old beautiful practices to become obsolete. In connection with the Second Vatican Council, I like to mention one incident which has returned to my mind very often and still does. On September 24 to 28 in 1967, the Conference of the Major Superiors of Women held its National Assembly in Chicago. At the beginning of the meeting, a number of papers were handed to each Superior General. One of those documents came from Pope Paul VI, the then reigning Pope. Among other letters, the Holy Father had in heavy black print some directives for each Superior General, concerning religious life as it should be lived during the time of experimentation. The Holy Father strongly advised the Superior Generals to observe the following directives:

1. To maintain and uphold community living.

2. To maintain and uphold community prayer.

3. To maintain and uphold a religious habit.

I experience a feeling of happiness, whenever these memories return to me. Happiness over the fact that, in spite of difficulties, I did obey the Pope, the visible head of the Body of Christ on Earth.