When I first entered the convent, there were good Hungarian sisters that did the cooking in the provincial house on Staten Island. Everything was new and tasty to a German-descent Staten Island girl. It was Gaudete Sunday, the third Sunday of Advent when we were told to "rejoice" for the Lord is coming soon. The somber purple penitential vestments of the priest at Mass were replaced by a more encouraging pink. The first course at dinner that day was a delicious Hungarian cherry soup. Since this was the first time I had this dish, I assumed it was traditional for Gaudete Sunday to match the liturgical vestments. Only later did I learn that this was simply a coincidence of Sister Ligoria's choice of menu. Still, it was delicious and every year the memory adds a smile to the "rejoicing" called for in the Mass.
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
December Franziska Notes
Franziska Notes
No.6/12 December 2009
Christmas is for the little people. Only much later did the wealthy and powerful get called to the mystery of the Incarnation. Christmas night is hidden and poor, simple, joyful. Shepherds felt at home with angels, saints and God made man. I am sure all of us have had the feeling that our mistakes get displayed on a huge billboard, while the many times we gave a kind, patient answer when we were harried and tired, and our struggle to give a kind interpretation to a seemingly grave injustice went unnoticed. Most of us are far more kind and helpful than irritable and selfish but we must often think those around us see us exactly in the opposite light.No.6/12 December 2009
Mother Franziska was born in a small farming village in Bavaria and was considered one of the little people and discriminated against as such in the opportunities available. She made the most of her gifts and what was offered her and became the friend of royalty, but she never forgot the little people. She was known for her kindness and her quiet suffering when those she relied on disappointed or calumniated her. Her ministries were directed to the service of the little people—children, poor country girls in service in urban households, retired servants with no home of their own.
The Holy Family in the poor stable at Bethlehem was filled with joy, celebrating with angels, shepherds and the poor townspeople attracted by the mysterious events. The Jesus of the stable is now the glorious reigning Savior of the World. All our instincts about God tell us that He is ultimate fairness. Nothing we have done in His name is unnoticed or forgotten. His Sacred Heart is carefully storing every tiny hidden good thought or act of our lives. One way to avoid becoming discouraged in our sad and busy world is to spend a moment with Jesus to let ourselves “see” in our hearts His smile of pleasure at the good thoughts, words and actions that seem to have gone unnoticed. Mother Franziska knew that the greatest source of joy is knowing that we have pleased God.
www.godslovefdc.org
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Franziska Notes November 2009
Franziska Notes
No.6/11 November 2009
No.6/11 November 2009
November is a month for the final harvest of the fields. Even in the Southern Hemisphere there are feasts of Thanksgiving for the good things we receive from the earth. Mother Franziska recognized gratitude as one of the most important virtues. Grateful people are humble and kind. Many are lamenting the loss of simple courtesy in social interaction. We notice that the media is now allowing more suggestive language than ever before. Insults make up a great portion of comedy routines. World leaders, even those that lead our own country are described by the coarsest adjectives. Parents do not seem to realize that while venting their anger at politicians they are modeling behavior for their children to use against all authority figures and that eventually they will be the objects of this learned disrespect.
In Mother Franziska’s day the social classes were very distinct so it was remarkable that she showed the same respect to the Emperor as to a servant girl or child. She saw every human being vested in the dignity of a child of God. Her love of God the Father would not allow careless or cruel language for any of His children. Today parents read books about raising their children’s self-esteem. Those in the work force receive courses in polite interaction in order to assure the company’s profits. There was a time when this was learned from early childhood. Children felt secure and had a good self-image because of the consistent kindness and forgiveness that was the fabric of family living. There was relative peace in the workplace because one did not have to fear a “put-down” at every question.
We encounter dozens of God’s children in our ordinary daily actions. If they each receive a smile and a kind word, we are giving them an intuitive reason for thinking the world is ruled by a loving God. We are giving hope, spreading joy and ultimately pointing to heaven.
In Mother Franziska’s day the social classes were very distinct so it was remarkable that she showed the same respect to the Emperor as to a servant girl or child. She saw every human being vested in the dignity of a child of God. Her love of God the Father would not allow careless or cruel language for any of His children. Today parents read books about raising their children’s self-esteem. Those in the work force receive courses in polite interaction in order to assure the company’s profits. There was a time when this was learned from early childhood. Children felt secure and had a good self-image because of the consistent kindness and forgiveness that was the fabric of family living. There was relative peace in the workplace because one did not have to fear a “put-down” at every question.
We encounter dozens of God’s children in our ordinary daily actions. If they each receive a smile and a kind word, we are giving them an intuitive reason for thinking the world is ruled by a loving God. We are giving hope, spreading joy and ultimately pointing to heaven.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Franziska Notes October 2009
The times in which Mother Franziska lived seem, from our perspective, to have been simple and calmer. Her own life, however, was filled with a hectic parade of activities as she attempted to meet the needs of the poor of her time and environment. As we read her biography we become breathless as we see her travel by coach and train throughout the vast and diverse Austro-Hungarian Empire and spending the time at home with visitors, sisters and candidates. Let us just say that she would understand our tensions and conflicts.
We know from the constant teaching of the Church that we are all called to holiness. How can we achieve that beautiful goal in the daily stress of our day? In October our thoughts turn quickly to the Rosary. Many people of our time discarded this devotion as ‘boring’. Perhaps it is the ‘boring’, the mantra-like repetition of the Hail Marys that is the precise vehicle that can center us on God in all the activities that seem to militate against recollection. Those that pay huge sums to learn secular meditation techniques often buy music CDs to provide a background of calm for “emptying” their thoughts. The Hail Marys, punctuated by the Lord’s Prayer and the Doxology of praise to the Trinity, can have the same effect. Instead of an empty silence we fill our mind and heart with the story of our salvation. We follow the life of Jesus and Mary and learn to live in our secular world according their example. We also experience the supernatural strength that is the fruit of prayer. Slowly we become more patient, we begin to judge according to the standards of the Gospel. The Rosary was again proposed in Fatima as the chief weapon for world peace. The daily headlines should be enough motivation for a continued devotion to this exercise. There are many ways of praying the Rosary and Pope John Paul II with the addition of the Luminous Mysteries has rounded out the Life of Christ. Taking another look at this devotion can truly transform our world.
We know from the constant teaching of the Church that we are all called to holiness. How can we achieve that beautiful goal in the daily stress of our day? In October our thoughts turn quickly to the Rosary. Many people of our time discarded this devotion as ‘boring’. Perhaps it is the ‘boring’, the mantra-like repetition of the Hail Marys that is the precise vehicle that can center us on God in all the activities that seem to militate against recollection. Those that pay huge sums to learn secular meditation techniques often buy music CDs to provide a background of calm for “emptying” their thoughts. The Hail Marys, punctuated by the Lord’s Prayer and the Doxology of praise to the Trinity, can have the same effect. Instead of an empty silence we fill our mind and heart with the story of our salvation. We follow the life of Jesus and Mary and learn to live in our secular world according their example. We also experience the supernatural strength that is the fruit of prayer. Slowly we become more patient, we begin to judge according to the standards of the Gospel. The Rosary was again proposed in Fatima as the chief weapon for world peace. The daily headlines should be enough motivation for a continued devotion to this exercise. There are many ways of praying the Rosary and Pope John Paul II with the addition of the Luminous Mysteries has rounded out the Life of Christ. Taking another look at this devotion can truly transform our world.
www.godslovefdc.org
Friday, September 4, 2009
Franziska Notes September 2009
If we think about the life of Mother Franziska we can imagine the beautiful Bavarian countryside of her childhood. Every kitchen garden in the village of Edling included besides herbs and vegetables, also flowers to brighten the homes and to add color and beauty to the celebrations in the little village church. Prominent among these flowers was the beautiful sunflower. Most children love to watch these giants as they quickly grow far over their heads in a season. All summer long their massive heads follow the sun in its travel across the bright sky. Surely Christian parents pointed out the symbolism of this flower as a parable for the Christian who wants to remain faithful to the Lord in all of the events of daily life. As the heads matured both children and birds enjoyed snacking on the nutritious seeds.
There is another lesson we can learn from this wonderful flower. One can plant the seeds from one packet and come forward with many different results. If the seed was planted in good soil in full sun and received adequate water, a giant emerged, sometimes with a two-inch diameter stem. On the other hand, seeds from the very same package that found themselves in poor, shallow soil, or shade, or which did not receive enough rain, produce a tiny, though recognizable flower hardly more than a daisy.
Did Mother Franziska notice these things in her mother’s garden? Did this contribute to her ideas of education and motivate her to provide healthy Christian environments for those in her care? In her day it was almost unheard of for a woman from the lower and middle classes of society to receive a higher education. This was not an impediment to her dreams. Education was all around, ready to be “picked” by anyone open enough to understand. We are responsible for what enters our minds and hearts, for that is what we will pass on to those whom we meet. Will they flourish or shrivel because of their encounter with us?
There is another lesson we can learn from this wonderful flower. One can plant the seeds from one packet and come forward with many different results. If the seed was planted in good soil in full sun and received adequate water, a giant emerged, sometimes with a two-inch diameter stem. On the other hand, seeds from the very same package that found themselves in poor, shallow soil, or shade, or which did not receive enough rain, produce a tiny, though recognizable flower hardly more than a daisy.
Did Mother Franziska notice these things in her mother’s garden? Did this contribute to her ideas of education and motivate her to provide healthy Christian environments for those in her care? In her day it was almost unheard of for a woman from the lower and middle classes of society to receive a higher education. This was not an impediment to her dreams. Education was all around, ready to be “picked” by anyone open enough to understand. We are responsible for what enters our minds and hearts, for that is what we will pass on to those whom we meet. Will they flourish or shrivel because of their encounter with us?
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Franziska Notes August 2009
Can God make it snow in August? On the fifth of this month we celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of Snows. What a strange location for a holiday! It is even stranger, in the heat of the Roman August to see crowds streaming toward the Basilica of St. Mary Major. They are coming to rejoice with Mary in this beautiful shrine, so feminine in its lovely mosaic and appointments. The painting over the high altar is of the Nativity and the arch above shows the story of Mary’s life with her divine Son, Jesus. To understand the snow one must look at the chapel on the left, the most richly marbled chapel in Rome if not the world. A marble relief shows a Pope marking something in the snow with his staff. It is the outline of this very basilica, whose location was indicated in a dream by a rare August snowfall on the Esquiline Hill. The icon in this chapel is the inspiration for the favorite portrait of Mary for the Daughters of Divine Charity throughout the world and was often kept as a day for important events in the life of the sisters.
But getting back to the August snowfall we can look at Mother Franziska who had no trouble at all in believing in miracles large and small. We have numerous accounts of her trusting in God’s providence and signing contracts for buildings and renovations when there wasn’t a “penny” in her pocket. The line between daily life and eternity was not marked in concrete for her. She passed easily and joyfully from human encounters to talks with her heavenly friends. It was St. Joseph who was counted on to provide the means and manly support for the most daring ventures. Never was she disappointed. All over Europe today there are buildings which she built for poor servant girls, the education of youth or the convalescence of the sick. She never asked, “How much will this cost?” or “Do we have the money?” but only, “Is this what God wants?” and then the infinite resources of the Heavenly Father were at her disposal.
But getting back to the August snowfall we can look at Mother Franziska who had no trouble at all in believing in miracles large and small. We have numerous accounts of her trusting in God’s providence and signing contracts for buildings and renovations when there wasn’t a “penny” in her pocket. The line between daily life and eternity was not marked in concrete for her. She passed easily and joyfully from human encounters to talks with her heavenly friends. It was St. Joseph who was counted on to provide the means and manly support for the most daring ventures. Never was she disappointed. All over Europe today there are buildings which she built for poor servant girls, the education of youth or the convalescence of the sick. She never asked, “How much will this cost?” or “Do we have the money?” but only, “Is this what God wants?” and then the infinite resources of the Heavenly Father were at her disposal.
Monday, July 6, 2009
Franziska Notes July 09
Franziska Notes
No.6/7 July 2009
No.6/7 July 2009
During the month of July there are many reminders of our Mother Franziska and her life. One must imagine the sunny fields of Bavaria, the fruitful farmland and the distant mountains. The little Fanni’s lifetime cheerful disposition was surely nurtured by the beautiful ripening fields of golden barley where she gathered the red, white and blue wildflowers of poppy, daisy and cornflower at the edges of the grainfield. Her bouguet was placed in front of the little shrine in the corner of the room where her family ate, celebrated and said their daily prayers.
July is the month of the Saints of Summer, including a Bavarian favorite, St. Anne. Mother Franziska brought this devotion with her to the Mother House Church which she built in Vienna, St. Anne at the side altar and St. Joseph on the other. These two saints were revered because of their relationship with Jesus. Anne, the grandmother, who surely shared her love of Sacred Scripture and devotion to the will of God with her blessed daughter, Mary and St. Joseph who provided for the child and his mother.
Mother Franziska’s devotion to her favorite saints was almost as intimate a part of her as her breathing. She stepped easily from the problems and joys of daily life into the realm where these special friends of God enjoyed his presence without interruption or distraction.
It is during the quieter days of summer that we can look again at that eternity which is our destiny. The beauty around us can call us to “minute meditations” lifting our hearts and minds to our heavenly friends, those shared with the Church Universal and those who were our friends and relatives during life. Jesus had a grandmother and a human father. His love for them shaped his human life and this joy also shapes our appreciation of all the human race beloved and redeemed by God.
www.godslovefdc.org
July is the month of the Saints of Summer, including a Bavarian favorite, St. Anne. Mother Franziska brought this devotion with her to the Mother House Church which she built in Vienna, St. Anne at the side altar and St. Joseph on the other. These two saints were revered because of their relationship with Jesus. Anne, the grandmother, who surely shared her love of Sacred Scripture and devotion to the will of God with her blessed daughter, Mary and St. Joseph who provided for the child and his mother.
Mother Franziska’s devotion to her favorite saints was almost as intimate a part of her as her breathing. She stepped easily from the problems and joys of daily life into the realm where these special friends of God enjoyed his presence without interruption or distraction.
It is during the quieter days of summer that we can look again at that eternity which is our destiny. The beauty around us can call us to “minute meditations” lifting our hearts and minds to our heavenly friends, those shared with the Church Universal and those who were our friends and relatives during life. Jesus had a grandmother and a human father. His love for them shaped his human life and this joy also shapes our appreciation of all the human race beloved and redeemed by God.
www.godslovefdc.org
Vienna celebration.....
The date is June 28, 1939 and the beautiful Mother House Church, built by Mother Franziska herself is in danger to become a vicitim of Hitler's ambitions. On this date Cardinal Innitzer offically accepted the Church as a parish church for the Archdiocese. For seventy years Mother Franziska's dream of providing a place for the people of neighborhood to worship the Eucharistic Lord, praying and singing with the sisters. At the same time they honored a young, newly ordained priest, Stephan Massolle, from Paderborn, Germany who had served there during his field practice and won the hearts of Sisters and parishioners. The festive Mass contained also a renewal of vows in the 50th wedding anniversary of a couple who were very involved in the parish and the presence and performance of Mother House kindergarten children.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
A Life without the Eucharist
"Imagine a life without the Eucharist" said the priest on the Feast of the Body and Blood of the Lord. In my opinion the most wonderful thing about being a Catholic is the reservation of the Eucharist in the many tabernacles of the world. Truly, God is with us. We are not alone with our weakness, our fears, our guilt. Jesus is there waiting for us to pour our hearts out and ready to comfort us. There was a time when the neighborhood churches could be left open and people would "stop in for a visit" at lunch time, on the way home from work or school, at times when they needed comfort in sorrows so deep and lonely that only God could help.
Over many centuries the farmer in the field would hear the Angelus sounded from the village Church. Beside a call to prayer celebrating the Incarnation, it signalled at noon a break to go into the shade of a tree and take the brought along lunch. In the evening it was a call to put the hoe and fork on the wagon and head home. This often included a visit to Jesus, the Lord of the earth they worked, as He waited to bless their weariness.
The town church was a destination for the mother or baby sitter taking her charge for a walk. So Jesus was a companion to us in our daily life.
There are wonderful stories of a consecrated host being smuggled to an imprisoned Bishop in Communist China. There is the missionary priest consoled in a desolate prison when his mother sent a package with hosts in an Alka seltzer tube and wine in a cough medicine bottle so that he could celebrate Mass under the noses of his atheistic captors.
There are the seemingly ordinary factory workers and nurses sharing a home in Communist Slovakia who gathered strength for their secretly consecrated lives from the Host hidden in a hollowed out crucifix in a hallway of their house.
Blessed are those parishes and convents that have the possibility for 24-7 adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. The spiritual riches flowing from this practice will only be fully known in the future life where all things will be revealed. Most Catholics must take from the Sunday Mass the strength that must last the week. May the "last blessing" of every Mass be truly a light on the path of God's children.
Over many centuries the farmer in the field would hear the Angelus sounded from the village Church. Beside a call to prayer celebrating the Incarnation, it signalled at noon a break to go into the shade of a tree and take the brought along lunch. In the evening it was a call to put the hoe and fork on the wagon and head home. This often included a visit to Jesus, the Lord of the earth they worked, as He waited to bless their weariness.
The town church was a destination for the mother or baby sitter taking her charge for a walk. So Jesus was a companion to us in our daily life.
There are wonderful stories of a consecrated host being smuggled to an imprisoned Bishop in Communist China. There is the missionary priest consoled in a desolate prison when his mother sent a package with hosts in an Alka seltzer tube and wine in a cough medicine bottle so that he could celebrate Mass under the noses of his atheistic captors.
There are the seemingly ordinary factory workers and nurses sharing a home in Communist Slovakia who gathered strength for their secretly consecrated lives from the Host hidden in a hollowed out crucifix in a hallway of their house.
Blessed are those parishes and convents that have the possibility for 24-7 adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. The spiritual riches flowing from this practice will only be fully known in the future life where all things will be revealed. Most Catholics must take from the Sunday Mass the strength that must last the week. May the "last blessing" of every Mass be truly a light on the path of God's children.
Friday, June 12, 2009
Solemnity of the Body and Blood of Christ
The retreat master priest at the youth retreat asked, "Why do you suppose that Jesus gave us the Holy Eucharist?" The teen aged girl replied, "Because He knew that we would need someone to see and touch throughout the ages." With the security needs that mandate locked churches, one of the most beautiful, joyful and consoling things about being a Catholic is gradually disappearing. St. Thomas Aquinal (c.1225-1274) was asked to write the hymns and prayers for the newly declared Feast of the Body and Blood of Christ. Taken from the publication, LIVING WITH CHRIST (see their web site: www.livingwithchrist.us ) comes the beautiful hymn LAUDA SION:
LAUDA SION
Laud, O Zion, your salvation,
Laud with hymns of exultation,
Christ, your king and shepherd true:
Bring him all the praise you know,
He is more than you bestow.
Never can you reach his due.
Special theme for glad thanksgiving
Is the quick’ning and the living
Bread today before you set:
From his hands of old partaken,
As we know, by faith unshaken,
Where the Twelve at supper met.
Full and clear ring out your chanting,
Joy nor sweetest grace be wanting,
From your heart let praises burst:
For today the feast is holden,
When the institution olden
Of that supper was rehearsed.
Here the new law’s new oblation
By the new king’s revelation,
Ends the form of ancient rite:
Now the new the old effaces,
Truth away the shadow chases,
Light dispels the gloom of night.
What he did at supper seated,
Christ ordained to be repeated,
His memorial ne’er to cease:
And his rule for guidance taking,
Bread and wine we hallow,
Making thus our sacrifice of peace.
This the truth each Christian learns,
Bread into his flesh he turns,
To his precious blood the wine:
Sight has fail’d, nor thought conceives,
But a dauntless faith believes,
Resting on a pow’r divine.
Here beneath these signs are hidden
Priceless things to sense forbidden;
Sign, not things are all we see:
Blood is poured and flesh is broken,
Yet in either wondrous token
Christ entire we know to be.
Whoso of this food partakes,
Does not rend the Lord nor breaks;
Christ is whole to all that taste:
Thousands are, as one, receivers,
One, as thousands of believers,
Eats of him who cannot waste.
Bad and good the feast are sharing,
Of what divers dooms preparing,
Endless death or endless life.
Life to these, to those damnation,
See how like participation
Is with unlike issues rife.
When the sacrament is broken,
Doubt not, but believe ‘tis spoken,
That the sever’d outward token
doth the very whole contain.
Nought the precious gift divides,
Breaking but the sign betides
Jesus still the same abides,
still unbroken does remain.
(the following is a shorter form.)
Lo! The angel’s food is given
To the pilgrim who has striven;
See the children’s bread from heaven,
which on dogs may not be spent.
Truth the ancient types fulfilling,
Isaac bound, a victim willing,
Paschal lamb, its lifeblood spilling,
Manna to the fathers sent.
Very bread, good shepherd, tend us
Jesu, of your love befriend us,
You refresh us, you defend us,
Your eternal goodness send us
In the land of life to see.
You who all things can and know,
Who on earth such food besow,
Grant us with your saints, though lowest,
Where the heav’nly feast you show,
Fellow heirs and guests to be.
Laud, O Zion, your salvation,
Laud with hymns of exultation,
Christ, your king and shepherd true:
Bring him all the praise you know,
He is more than you bestow.
Never can you reach his due.
Special theme for glad thanksgiving
Is the quick’ning and the living
Bread today before you set:
From his hands of old partaken,
As we know, by faith unshaken,
Where the Twelve at supper met.
Full and clear ring out your chanting,
Joy nor sweetest grace be wanting,
From your heart let praises burst:
For today the feast is holden,
When the institution olden
Of that supper was rehearsed.
Here the new law’s new oblation
By the new king’s revelation,
Ends the form of ancient rite:
Now the new the old effaces,
Truth away the shadow chases,
Light dispels the gloom of night.
What he did at supper seated,
Christ ordained to be repeated,
His memorial ne’er to cease:
And his rule for guidance taking,
Bread and wine we hallow,
Making thus our sacrifice of peace.
This the truth each Christian learns,
Bread into his flesh he turns,
To his precious blood the wine:
Sight has fail’d, nor thought conceives,
But a dauntless faith believes,
Resting on a pow’r divine.
Here beneath these signs are hidden
Priceless things to sense forbidden;
Sign, not things are all we see:
Blood is poured and flesh is broken,
Yet in either wondrous token
Christ entire we know to be.
Whoso of this food partakes,
Does not rend the Lord nor breaks;
Christ is whole to all that taste:
Thousands are, as one, receivers,
One, as thousands of believers,
Eats of him who cannot waste.
Bad and good the feast are sharing,
Of what divers dooms preparing,
Endless death or endless life.
Life to these, to those damnation,
See how like participation
Is with unlike issues rife.
When the sacrament is broken,
Doubt not, but believe ‘tis spoken,
That the sever’d outward token
doth the very whole contain.
Nought the precious gift divides,
Breaking but the sign betides
Jesus still the same abides,
still unbroken does remain.
(the following is a shorter form.)
Lo! The angel’s food is given
To the pilgrim who has striven;
See the children’s bread from heaven,
which on dogs may not be spent.
Truth the ancient types fulfilling,
Isaac bound, a victim willing,
Paschal lamb, its lifeblood spilling,
Manna to the fathers sent.
Very bread, good shepherd, tend us
Jesu, of your love befriend us,
You refresh us, you defend us,
Your eternal goodness send us
In the land of life to see.
You who all things can and know,
Who on earth such food besow,
Grant us with your saints, though lowest,
Where the heav’nly feast you show,
Fellow heirs and guests to be.
Friday, May 8, 2009
A new introduction to the Mother of God
Mother Most Admirable
Our Foundress recognized the greatness of Mary and held her in a special place in her life in accord with the will of the Church. She nurtured a special devotion and recommended this devotion to all the Sisters of the congregation that she founded.
When the Holy Father, Pope Leo XIII, granted a plenary indulgence for the Feast of Our Lady of Snows (August 5th) she wrote: “This Feast should be solemnly kept in the entire congregation and a promise made to Our Mother Most Admirable to have her honored by many under the title, Mother Most Admirable.” (July 13, 1884)
At the time of her journey in Rome, Mother Foundress visited the basilica Santa Maria Maggiore, wanting to see the icon of the Mother of God, from which the picture had been copied which we honor under the title Mother Most Admirable /Mater Admirabilis/ . Mother Franciska herself describes, filled with an inner emotion, the grace to be able to see this precious treasure from close range: “On the 20th we saw the picture of “Our Lady of Snows”. Msgr. Cataldi arranged it for us. Five locks and doors had to be opened before going through narrow corridors and up a high winding staircase; we arrived at the back of the picture. It is like ours.” (Circa. Rome, 1.30.1886)
“IT IS LIKE OURS”. This happy ascertainment of our spiritual Mother, the joy to have seen the picture of the Mother of God, which is identical with that she revered – or which is similar to that of our Mother Most Admirable, induces us to look for the footprints on the way, which finally leads to OURS.
It should be mentioned in the beginning that it concerns a very well known and revered icon. The fact that it is in this basilica in Rome is also important. If we follow the historical path of the basilica we can arrive to the origin of Christianity and consequently to the devotion of the Mother of God of that time. This goes back to the time of the Apostles. We know that the Council of Ephesus ceremoniously conferred the title of Mother of God to the Virgin Mary. “Theotokos” was used by the Christians already then. The icon of the Mother of God that is revered in the basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore is one of those that are attributed to St. Luke.
She is called Mary of Snows. This part goes back to the legend of the miracle of the snow, which specified the location on which the church was to be built. According to this legend, the Mother of God appeared to a Roman Patrician by the name, Giovanni, whom she asked to have a church built in her honor on the spot she will miraculously show him. And see, on August 5th, in the middle of summer, the Esquilin Hill was covered with snow: it was the sign that the Virgin had promised. Pope Liberio (352 – 366) who also saw this, drew in the snow the contours of the church which would be the most famous one in honor of the Mother of God.
Regarding the picture in Santa Maria Magiore the researchers do not agree as to its origin. We point to a study of comparison of Prof. Cellini in which he discovered that a fragment of the painting in the interior court of the church SANTA MARIA ANTIQUA, built by Pope Silvester (314-335), has the same contours as the picture in Santa Maria Maggiore. At the restoration of this picture the Virgin appears sitting on a throne. The similarity of the pictures is unmistakable, thus one can accept a common pattern. The similarity is especially visible in two details, which surely derive from the original: the small cloth with fringes (mappula fimbratta), in the right hand of the Virgin, and the naturalness of holding the Child. This latter quality is according to Joseph Wilpert very rare in Roman art and is only seen in this picture in Santa Maria Maggiore and in the fragment in the church SANTA MARIA ANTIQUA.
We find the explanation for this unusual naturalness in the description of the original of the picture by Pope John Paul II, in his encyclical, “Redemptoris Mater”: . . . Mary is represented there as the throne of God, who holds the Lord and presents him to humankind (Theotokos)”.
The great reverence which the icon enjoyed in Santa Maria resulted in the fact that for many centuries no artist received permission to make a copy, until 1570. It is very interesting to follow the beginning of the numerous and incessant voyages of the dear Mother of God by means of her picture. In many of her travels she meets us. Yes, she was already there and waited for the Daughters of Divine Charity, who brought her picture along, who received her as a beloved companion and also “LOVED HER AS THEIR MOTHER, PATRONESS AND MISTRESS OF LOVE.” (Statutes of 1871)
Let us go to the fascinating history. In the year 1569 Father Inacio de Azevedo returned from his visitation voyage in Brasil. For his return trip he asked from his General Superior, St. Francis Borgia, a copy of the picture of the Mother of God, “MARY OF SNOWS,” as a patron for his mission. The reverence which Borgia himself had to this picture, induced him to submit a petition in this regard to the Pope, moreover through the rector of the church Santa Maria Maggiore, St. Charles Borromeo. The Pope, St. Pius V, granted what was almost impossible. Borgia was allowed to bring the revered picture to the chapel of the profession house and have it copied.
From this copy several others had been painted. Borgia presented two of them to his missionaries, Pater Inacio de Azevedo and Pater Rodolfo Aquaviva. Four went to the houses of the order: to the profession house in Rome, to the noviate in Brno (our Congregation is in this Czech city since 1870) and to Cracow (where there are Daughters of Divine Charity since 1886) and to the school in Ingolstadt (in Bavaria, the home of our Foundress). Five copies went to the nobility: to Queen Catarina of Portugal, to King Sebastian of Portugal, to Felipe II of Spain, to Dempress Maria, wife of Maximilian II, to Princess Joana of Madrid and to Elisabeth, wife of King Carlos IX of France. It is not surprising that these pictures, “like ours,” are diffused everywhere, as these first ones have been copied again. The picture came to Vienna through the Habsburgs. Mother Franciska surely revered the picture of the Mother of God in the Augustinian church, in Vienna, as she visited this church with her first sisters.
She came closer in order to become ever more our “Mother Most Admirable.” The Jesuits from Kalksburg had often been our retreat masters in Breitenfurt. From August 8 – 15, 1880 P. Edward Fischer gave the spiritual exercises and recommended to the sisters to revere the “Mater ter Admirabilis.” Mother Franciska participated at these exercises. Perhaps she was already familiar with this picture ever since Bavaria, and was very happy about this suggestion. Pater Fischer invited her to visit the chapel in Kalksburg and she prayed there in front of the picture of Mary. On January 22, 1881 two of our sisters visited Kalksburg and received from the Rector, Pater Widmann, three large pictures of “Mater ter Admirabilis.” Thus it came to us - - ours. It is a copy of the one which “is like ours!” And she remained by us. Later, Mother Franciska chose Mother Most Admirable for the Patron of our Congregation.
Excerpts taken from “An Attempt to Follow Her Footprints”
compiled by Sr. M. Therezia Hetzel, FDC
Our Foundress recognized the greatness of Mary and held her in a special place in her life in accord with the will of the Church. She nurtured a special devotion and recommended this devotion to all the Sisters of the congregation that she founded.
When the Holy Father, Pope Leo XIII, granted a plenary indulgence for the Feast of Our Lady of Snows (August 5th) she wrote: “This Feast should be solemnly kept in the entire congregation and a promise made to Our Mother Most Admirable to have her honored by many under the title, Mother Most Admirable.” (July 13, 1884)
At the time of her journey in Rome, Mother Foundress visited the basilica Santa Maria Maggiore, wanting to see the icon of the Mother of God, from which the picture had been copied which we honor under the title Mother Most Admirable /Mater Admirabilis/ . Mother Franciska herself describes, filled with an inner emotion, the grace to be able to see this precious treasure from close range: “On the 20th we saw the picture of “Our Lady of Snows”. Msgr. Cataldi arranged it for us. Five locks and doors had to be opened before going through narrow corridors and up a high winding staircase; we arrived at the back of the picture. It is like ours.” (Circa. Rome, 1.30.1886)
“IT IS LIKE OURS”. This happy ascertainment of our spiritual Mother, the joy to have seen the picture of the Mother of God, which is identical with that she revered – or which is similar to that of our Mother Most Admirable, induces us to look for the footprints on the way, which finally leads to OURS.
It should be mentioned in the beginning that it concerns a very well known and revered icon. The fact that it is in this basilica in Rome is also important. If we follow the historical path of the basilica we can arrive to the origin of Christianity and consequently to the devotion of the Mother of God of that time. This goes back to the time of the Apostles. We know that the Council of Ephesus ceremoniously conferred the title of Mother of God to the Virgin Mary. “Theotokos” was used by the Christians already then. The icon of the Mother of God that is revered in the basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore is one of those that are attributed to St. Luke.
She is called Mary of Snows. This part goes back to the legend of the miracle of the snow, which specified the location on which the church was to be built. According to this legend, the Mother of God appeared to a Roman Patrician by the name, Giovanni, whom she asked to have a church built in her honor on the spot she will miraculously show him. And see, on August 5th, in the middle of summer, the Esquilin Hill was covered with snow: it was the sign that the Virgin had promised. Pope Liberio (352 – 366) who also saw this, drew in the snow the contours of the church which would be the most famous one in honor of the Mother of God.
Regarding the picture in Santa Maria Magiore the researchers do not agree as to its origin. We point to a study of comparison of Prof. Cellini in which he discovered that a fragment of the painting in the interior court of the church SANTA MARIA ANTIQUA, built by Pope Silvester (314-335), has the same contours as the picture in Santa Maria Maggiore. At the restoration of this picture the Virgin appears sitting on a throne. The similarity of the pictures is unmistakable, thus one can accept a common pattern. The similarity is especially visible in two details, which surely derive from the original: the small cloth with fringes (mappula fimbratta), in the right hand of the Virgin, and the naturalness of holding the Child. This latter quality is according to Joseph Wilpert very rare in Roman art and is only seen in this picture in Santa Maria Maggiore and in the fragment in the church SANTA MARIA ANTIQUA.
We find the explanation for this unusual naturalness in the description of the original of the picture by Pope John Paul II, in his encyclical, “Redemptoris Mater”: . . . Mary is represented there as the throne of God, who holds the Lord and presents him to humankind (Theotokos)”.
The great reverence which the icon enjoyed in Santa Maria resulted in the fact that for many centuries no artist received permission to make a copy, until 1570. It is very interesting to follow the beginning of the numerous and incessant voyages of the dear Mother of God by means of her picture. In many of her travels she meets us. Yes, she was already there and waited for the Daughters of Divine Charity, who brought her picture along, who received her as a beloved companion and also “LOVED HER AS THEIR MOTHER, PATRONESS AND MISTRESS OF LOVE.” (Statutes of 1871)
Let us go to the fascinating history. In the year 1569 Father Inacio de Azevedo returned from his visitation voyage in Brasil. For his return trip he asked from his General Superior, St. Francis Borgia, a copy of the picture of the Mother of God, “MARY OF SNOWS,” as a patron for his mission. The reverence which Borgia himself had to this picture, induced him to submit a petition in this regard to the Pope, moreover through the rector of the church Santa Maria Maggiore, St. Charles Borromeo. The Pope, St. Pius V, granted what was almost impossible. Borgia was allowed to bring the revered picture to the chapel of the profession house and have it copied.
From this copy several others had been painted. Borgia presented two of them to his missionaries, Pater Inacio de Azevedo and Pater Rodolfo Aquaviva. Four went to the houses of the order: to the profession house in Rome, to the noviate in Brno (our Congregation is in this Czech city since 1870) and to Cracow (where there are Daughters of Divine Charity since 1886) and to the school in Ingolstadt (in Bavaria, the home of our Foundress). Five copies went to the nobility: to Queen Catarina of Portugal, to King Sebastian of Portugal, to Felipe II of Spain, to Dempress Maria, wife of Maximilian II, to Princess Joana of Madrid and to Elisabeth, wife of King Carlos IX of France. It is not surprising that these pictures, “like ours,” are diffused everywhere, as these first ones have been copied again. The picture came to Vienna through the Habsburgs. Mother Franciska surely revered the picture of the Mother of God in the Augustinian church, in Vienna, as she visited this church with her first sisters.
She came closer in order to become ever more our “Mother Most Admirable.” The Jesuits from Kalksburg had often been our retreat masters in Breitenfurt. From August 8 – 15, 1880 P. Edward Fischer gave the spiritual exercises and recommended to the sisters to revere the “Mater ter Admirabilis.” Mother Franciska participated at these exercises. Perhaps she was already familiar with this picture ever since Bavaria, and was very happy about this suggestion. Pater Fischer invited her to visit the chapel in Kalksburg and she prayed there in front of the picture of Mary. On January 22, 1881 two of our sisters visited Kalksburg and received from the Rector, Pater Widmann, three large pictures of “Mater ter Admirabilis.” Thus it came to us - - ours. It is a copy of the one which “is like ours!” And she remained by us. Later, Mother Franciska chose Mother Most Admirable for the Patron of our Congregation.
Excerpts taken from “An Attempt to Follow Her Footprints”
compiled by Sr. M. Therezia Hetzel, FDC
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Two wonderful schools in California
St. Therese Church
St. Therese AcademyThe last two weeks I had a wonderful time with really great kids in two schools in California. From the very south of the state in San Diego to the far northern Oroville, the students at St. Therese Academy and St. Thomas the Apostle School showed their love for Jesus as they practiced contemplative prayer. All gave admirable witness of living for Christ and being willing to give their lives to His plan for them.
St. Thomas the Apostle Church
A pink snow on Staten Island
Spring is so beautiful on Staten Island. Nature provides a new kind of snow to replace the white winter covering. Everywhere in gardens are lovely Japanese cherry trees. Now the spring rain makes them lose their petals leaving a pink carpet in gardens and roadsides.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
The Biography of Mother Kostka Bauer Ch. VII
CHAPTER VII
FINAL YEARS - - 1939-1943
“Prayer is our linking bridge.” With these words Mother Kostka bade farewell to the Mctherhouse sisters on April 11, 1939. Accompanied to the port by Sister Donata, she departed for visitations that would take her first to the United States to join in the jubilee celebration there and thence to Brazil, to the two recently canonically established provinces. She planned to be back in Austria in time for Christmas; until then, as always, she would remain linked with her European daughters through prayer.
The parting from her trusted friend and assistant was difficult; nevertheless, she felt relieved by the fact that the care of the European provinces was in capable hands during these trying days. In her last Viennese circular dated January 21, 1939 Mother Kostka sent her Lenten admonitions to the sisters. Then, referring to her impending American voyage, she wrote: “It is impossible that I administer the Congregation from Brazil .... Sister Donata is fully empowered and will make the Austrian visitations.” Little did she know that she would never return to Vienna; that she would never again see Sister Donata in this life.
The outbreak of World War II in September 1939 caused immediate concern for Mother Kostka. She would have to return to the Motherhouse as soon as possible. The mother must he with her children to protect and comfort them. To her dismay, her scheduled return to Europe on September 13 aboard the French liner, the S.S. :Normandie was cancelled.
Aware that her passport was to expire on June 1, 1940 and, as a naturalized American citizen not wishing to be stranded in Europe without a current travel permit, on September 9, 1939 Mother Kostka wrote to the passport division of the Department of State of the United States government asking for a renewal of the document and its validation for travel in various countries in Europe.
She explained her position as the superior general of an international congreqation and stated that as part of her official duties she needed to return to the headquarters as well as to visit the various provinces located in Hungary, Jugoslavia, Czechoslovakia, Poland, and the German Reich.
On September 22, 1939 a letter from R. B. Shipley, chief of the passport division, filled her with consternation. He informed her that the State Department had given careful and sympathetic consideration to her appeal, but that it did not feel that renewal of her passport for travel in Europe was possible.
In view of the situation and danger of travel, as well as hazards which may be encountered in residing in belligerent countries, regu1ations have recently been promulgated restricting the granting of passport facilities for Europe to those persons whose immediate travel to that continent is imperative.
Although she was dismayed by this refusal, Mother Kostha felt sure that she would eventually receive the necessary permission. In the meantime, she would Return to Brazil to see how the new provinces were faring. This last Brazilian Visitation, on which she was accompanied by Sister Olympia Maqyar, lasted from October 1939 to May 1940.
In her circular dated January 23, 1940, sent from Brazil, she expressed her disappointment without, however, sounding a note of alarm. “If it were up to me I would have been in Vienna a long time ago. However, my American citizenship forbids me to travel to a belligerent country. Thus, must say ‘fiat’ and trust in Divine Providence.”
Upon her return to the United States, both she and Sister Margaret (Margit) Gergely, provincial superior in North America, began to bombard various religious and secular organizations with letters asking for assistance in gaining validation of her passport and permission to return to Europe. Between 1343-1942 the Most Reverend Amleto Giovanni Cicognani, Apostolic Delegate to the United States, the National Catholic Welfare Conference, the U.S. State Department, and the International Red Cross were all contacted for assistance, to no avail. On May 11, 1940, the Right Reverend Msgr. Michael J. Ready, General Secretary of the National Catholic Welfare Conference wrote that “.. .there was a note of sympathy toward the request on the part of the officials of the State Department. However, Germany’s march into Holland and Belgium is causing great anxiety.” He suggested patience -- and more waiting.
The need for her return to the Motherhouse was compounded by the unexpected death of Sister Donata Reichenwallner on January 14, 1949. The loss of her vicaress general and loyal friend had a profound effect on Mother Kostka. The account of the death and burial of Sister Donata arrived from various sources. The report that the last words uttered to Sister Fernanda were, “I will work for the Congregation in heaven as I did here,” provided some consolation. Writing to the Motherhouse about this exemplary and faithful religious, Mother Kostka tried to console the sisters by reminding them:
She had fulfilled her office as vicaress with great care, wisdom and loyalty -- so that during my long trips to North and South America I could always be at peace, knowing that I had in her a strong support. It is hard for me to say a “fiat” to this loss.
(GC VIII, pp. 5-6)
During her entire time in office, Mother Kostka had been in close touch with the various members of the exiled Hapsburg dynasty. Whenever the ships she was traveling on stopped at Madeira, she made it a point to pay a visit to the grave of Emperor Charles I who was buried there.
During her own “exile” –1939—1943-- she corresponded with the ex-Empress Zita, Crown Prince Otto, the Archdukes Felix and Robert and the Archduchess Adelheid. She followed with anxiety their flight from Europe to the United States. She informed Zita of the death of Sister Donata, and later the deaths of Sisters Aloisia and Aquila. The former queen replied with much sympathy saying that she was praying that God bless Mother Kostka and all the Daughters of Divine Charity in their work on both continents and in so many countries. She expressed special thanks for the work done by the Congregation in Austria. (Letter from Therese Schmiring Kussenbrock, secretary to the Empress Zita, December 28, 1941)
The year 1940 was a bittersweet one for Mother Kostka. I the midst of her sorrow over the loss of Sister Donata, Mother Kostka celehrated her 70th birthday. The sisters from the various provinces sent her congratulatory letters and her American daughters tried to lift her spirits by arranging a beautiful liturgy and festive gathering. Although she put on a good front, it was evident that Mother Kostka was grieving and worrying about her European daughters. Also, on August 17, 1940, she quietly celebrated the golden jubilee of her profession as a Daughter of Divine Charity.
Correspondence arrived sporadically from the various provinces months after the letters were written; sections were at times blackened out by the censors. Sister Aloisia Schodt, the procuratrix general, did her best to keep Mother Kostka abreast of conditions in the various branches of the congregation.
“We are doing our best to keep things going, but it is awful not to hear from you for such a long time.” (Sister Aloisia to Mother Kostka, February 12, 1940)
In the meantime, Sister Fernanda who had been with Sister Donata when she died stepped into the breach and, together with Sister Facunda, worked to maintain harmony and community spirit at the Motherhouse; “. . .naturally without the title of Superior”. (Sister Fernanda to Mother Kostka, January 22, 1940)
As the months dragged on without any change in the status of her return, Sister Aloisia sent a letter on August 10, 1940 expressing the opinion that, if the superior general could not return soon, it would be best that for the maintenance of order and for visitation purposes, a superior should be appointed for the Motherhouse to replace deceased Sister Donata. She quickly added that Mother Kostka should not take the advice as urgent. “We are united and the work goes on -- you don’t have to worry about that; all is harmonious and the ‘general good’ is placed above personal good by all.”
In the absence of a Motherhouse superior and visitator, Sister Aloisia took
upon herself the duty of trying to visit the various provinces in Europe. She who wrote to Mother Kostka about the existing conditions, always trying to provide an optimistic outlook on the otherwise bleak conditions that prevailed.
Aware that the position of vicaress general needed to be filled, Mother Kostka appointed Sister Lamberta Plundrak, who had been the provincial superior of the Czech province since 1935 as the new vicaress general. An official announcement of this appointment was sent to Vienna as well as to the European provinces and to Theodore Cardinal Innitzer, archbishop of Vienna. This appointment presented a whole new set of problems. because of nationality restrictions, Sister Lamberta’s many attempts to go to Vienna to assume her new responsibilities ended in failure. Sisters Aloisia, Aquila, Ludovica and others could only write encouragingly that “...God will take care of everything.” (Sister Aloisia to Mother Kostka, November 4, 1940)
Although she could not get to Vienna, Sister Lamberta managed to make visits to
Poland and the Slovak province. Her visit to Poland, as well as that of Sister Aloisia, helped to assuage the worries of the sisters in Cracow. Mother Ludovika, another loyal daughter of Mother Kostka, tried to continue the works of Franziska as she knew Mother Kostka would want it done. On July 23, 1940 she wrote about a letter from a Fraulein Cochet from Berlin who begged her to tell the superior general that the congregation ought to open a home for elderly women in that city because there were so many of these ladies there in need of care. The young lady was ready to house the sisters in her own home at the beginning of the venture. Were not the matter so risky, Mother Ludovica was in favor of the undertaking. She asked Mother Kostka to inform her of any decision..
“It would be an excellent ministry since at the present time we cannot think of schools.”
Both sister Aloisia and Mother Ludovica worried about Sister Huberta and the English foundations; they were not on the continent, thus it was impossible to make any visitation. The bombings of England by the German Luftwaffe caused additional anxiety. “One must worry about Huberta’s family,” wrote Mother Ludovica on August 9, 1940. “The poor people, they have so much suffering.”
Yet it is very evident that in the absence of their superior general, her faithful assistants were working tirelessly to keep the Congregation and its activities on as normal a course as possible. On August 24, 1940, Sister Aloisia reported that 64 sisters and eight novices had made their annual retreat and most “were very happy with it.” Distressing news caused by the war and its relentless surges, (i . e , the bombings in Frankfurt, the military occupation of the second floor of the Elizabeth Home and the take-over of the first and third floors of the novitiate building by Red Cross nurses) were lightened by news of continuous growth and activity.
In Hungary, the sisters were still expanding into new areas of ministry. Sister Alicia Kozma, writing on December 14, 1940, informed Mother Kostka that in the spring they would have to begin construction of an additional building in Nyergesujfalu because their existing facilities were insufficient to care for the many students who were applying for admission. Of course, this entailed new financial burdens and so she .asked whether Sisters Margaret and Hermenegilda (two of the original band from Hungary who had gone to America with Mother Kostka) would be able to offer financial assistance in this venture. Sister Alicia touched a soft spot in the mother’s heart by writing: “Very few understand the wishes and ideals of Mother Franciska as you do -- always interested in spreading the work field of the Congregation.”
The Christmas circular (December 6, 1940) which Mother Kostka sent to her European daughters was one which combined her deep trust in Divine Providence with a strong recommendation to the sisters to pray that the year 1941 would bring a restoration of peace to the world. She expressed her deep sorrow that she was unable to return to Europe and encouraged all to work together in unity and love.
Her hopes for a better year were shattered by the news of the death of the second member of the general council, Sister Aloisia Schodt on January 28, 1941. The death of Sister Aloisia intensified the homesickness and anguish of Mother Kostka. Once more she contacted the U.S. State Department for permission to return to Europe, citing the growing administrative problems as extenuating circumstances. She even outlined her proposed route home: she would fly by Clipper from New York to Lisbon; from Lisbon to Rome on a domestic flight or whatever safe mode of transportation could be found. From thence she would take any available and safe mode of transportation through Jugoslavia to either Budapest or Vienna. (Letter to U.S. State Department, March 14, 1941) Washington, however, remained adamant in its refusal because of their reluctance to place an American citizen in danger.
As much as possible, Mother Kostka attempted to continue her leadership from afar. In her Easter circular, dated April 3, 1941, she encouraged the sisters to keep writing; the letters with their expressions of unshaken courage, intense love of God, and genuine spirit of sacrifice were sources of great consolation. She expressed great happiness at the news that “. . .in the distressing times and chaotic European world twelve sisters pronounced their perpetual vows, ready to serve God with their last breath.”
The death of Sister Aloisia, coupled with the fact that Mother Lamberta had not yet received the necessary permission to travel to Vienna forced Mother Kostka to appoint a new superior for the Motherhouse. By May 23, 1941, upon the advice of Sister Josefa, she named Sister Facunda Peterek to that position.
The news fromm Vienna became more alarming. Mother Kostka was deeply worried about her daughters, especially when she heard that Herz Maria Kloster had been commandeered by the Nazi army on August 19, 1941. (GC VIII, p.23). She had barely assimilated this news when another great cross was laid upon her shoulders with the notification of the death of still another general assistant, Sister Aquila Fajmon on October 19, 1941. Now three supporting pillars of the Congregation were gone – in less than two years – and there was no sign of relenting on the part of the United States government.
In a letter to the Motherhouse dated November 7, 1941 she wrote of the great shock which this latest death had caused her. She discussed the many efforts she was making to get permission to return. At this point she had even asked a senator in the United States congress to intercede on her behalf; “. . .if this doesn’t work, there is no more hope.”
Still, the care of the Congregation was paramount. Accordingly, she announced her appointment of Sister Agnes Fischer as first general assistant and Sister Leandra Halsch as fourth general assistant and general secretary. Expressing her belief that her choices would bear good results, she exhorted the sisters: “Accept these new authorities with love and confidence and help lighten their burdens. You will find in both real mothers.” (GC VIII, pp. 26-27)
The bombing of Pearl Harbor by the Japanese drew the United States into war. With the declaration of hostilities on December 8, 1941 any ray of hope of her return to Europe was extinguished. In a Christmas message to Laszlo Medgyesy, the Royal Consul General of Hungary in New York, she mentioned her desire to see her daughters on the other side of the ocean; “. . . the war with Japan, however, has made my cross even heavier. As an American citizen I cannot hope to travel now; it would appear traitorous.”
Yet Mother Kostka continued to perform her duties as superior general to the best of her abilities. She wrote a Christmas circular in December, 1941, extending her wishes to her orphaned daughters and saying how happy she would be if she could deliver these personally. Pondering the uncertainties of the coming year, she wondered whether it would bring joy or still more bitter pains -- God alone knows. With her unshakeable trust in Divine Providence she exhorted all to accept the will of God for He “... will decide whether I shall see the Motherhouse in the near future.”
In the midst of all the sorrows she hoped to raise the spirits of the sisters in Europe by recounting the continued success and ever-expanding circle work of the Congregation in Brazil. Here a new hospital had been opened; another schoo1 had been placed under the administration of the Daughters of Divine Charity and the high school in Natal had received the necessary certification to be a “public school”. “Brazil has struggled very much and now there is a beautiful blooming.”
Her mind was set somewhat at ease when she learned that Sister Agnes had
Arrived at the Motherhouse on December 27; Sister Leandra could not yet come because of problems in Troppau. In fact a letter from Sister Leandra, dated December 21, 1941, and sent to Sister Norberta in Vienna, indicated that because Mother Kostka had been abroad for so long, the new general secretary felt that she had no idea of all the extraordinary difficulties with which every house has had to struggle to a lesser or greater degree. Her institute in Troppau was bearing the burden of the Frankfurt mortgage and was forced to make monthly payments of 1,000 RM (Reich Marks). She then expressed her doubts about accepting the office to which she had been appointed; she felt unready for the great task. “If I am commanded by holy obedience I will do so, but I will not bear responsibility for the consequences.”
A letter from the vicar general for the Sudetanland section of the archdiocese of Olmutz supported the need far Sister Leandra to remain in Troppau and asked that she be relieved of the new assignment. Sister Norberta responded on December 29, 1941 giving Sister Leandra temporary permission to remain in Troppau. She felt that this would be the decision of Mother Kostka. “We must, however, follow the final decisions of the Superior General in this matter.”
In the next two years, Sister Leandra fulfilled two important offices. With the permission of Mother Kostka she remained in Troppau and came to the Motherhouse for general council meetings in May, August and October of 1942 and January, 1943 -— her input and vote were required in making administrative decisions in the absence of the Superior General. (GC VIII, pp. 41, 45, 48)
Sister Lamberta, too, was still in Prague. She had not received the permission to travel from the Nazi officials, and she wondered if she would get it at all. In the meantime, she tried to contact some of the other provinces and informed Mother Kostka about the moves forced upon some of the communities as the convents, schools, and other institutions were taken over by the military for hospitals and barracks. She suggested, therefore, that Mother Kostka appoint another vicaress general —— one who was German/Austrian. Despite the fact that neither of these two general assistants would be able to reside in or near the Motherhouse, Mother Kostka did not relieve them of the duties to which they had been appointed. God would help the Congregation; she and her daughters were in His hands.
During l940-l94l, it was Mother Lamberta who was able to relay to Mother Kostka the most extensive information regarding the conditions under which her daughters were laboring. These letters, preserved in the general archives, are indications of the conscientious performance of duty, and it was through her that circulars from Mother Kostka were distributed to the various convents. The last existing letter from Sister Lamberta, dated November 21, 1941, extended Christmas and New Year greetings from the entire Congregation. A sad note was sounded as she wrote: “The departing year has given our Congregation many new grave mounds —— many of those were totally unexpected. God’s ways are hard to fathom and demands from us total faith.” She reported that in 1941 alone the Congregation had lost twenty-eight members.
It was no wonder, then, that the heart of Mother Kostka began to feel the effects of her stress. The doctors ordered her to do only such walking as was necessary -- she, who loved to walk quickly around the gardens and lanes of the provincial house in Arrochar. She was also being treated for high blood pressure. The doctors who were caring for her knew the difficult circumstances which she faced; unless she stopped worrying, however, they warned her that no medicine would be effective. (GC VIII, letter to the Motherhouse, November 7, 1941, pp. 26—27)
A rough draft of a letter she was writing to a Sister Ladislaus confides “my heart suffers very much.... It is no wonder if my heart refuses its good work. The war brought on the greatest part of it. The best medicine would be the hasty end of the war. The Will of God shall be done, even if it is very hard.”
In early 1942 Mother Kostka was sickened by the news forwarded to her by Sister Norberta, annouhcing the martyrdom of five Daughters of Divine Charity in Pale, Jugoslavia. (Today we call them the Drina Martyrs because of the river into which their bodies were thrown.)
She was also notified that three of the four bells which she had so joyfully obtained for the Motherhouse in 1935 had been commandeered by the Nazi regime. The largest one was broken into pieces before it could be brought down; the two middle-sized bells were carted down the stairs. Only the smallest one was allowed to remain in the bell tower. (It is this bell which is still rung at the Motherhouse every day.)
The heartbreaking news which she received from time to time from the Motherhouse and the different European provinces, and her inability to get her letters through to Europe, caused Mother Kostka to seek help wherever possible. A rough draft of a letter that she sent to a Father Tahsel in mid—1942 is indicative of her deep concern. Reverend Paul Teves, O.S.A., whom she knew in the United States, had encouraged her to contact Father Tahsel —— presumably in Rome. She explained to him that any letters she had sent after December 6, 1941 to the various provinces had been returned to her at the end of April marked “service suspended”. Therefore, she asked the priest to write to Sister Agnes in Vienna for information which he, in turn, would be able to forward to her through the Vatican post. She inquired about Sister Norberta’s health, the conditions in
Breitenfurt, the fate of the convents in Frankfurt-am-Main, Greifswald and Berlin. Like an anxious mother, Mother Kostka wanted to know if Sister Deocara had gone to the hospital as she had ordered. Was Sister Lamberta, the vicaress in touch with the various provincial superiors and had Sister Leandra assumed her office as general secretary. She requested more information on the sisters of Pale and also asked for the names of any sisters who had died since December 1941. She wanted Sister Agnes to be told: ”The sisters should not worry about me. I feel better and I do everything what is in my power to be able to face the difficulties. of the trip to Europe after the war.”
Whether she ever received a reply to this letter is unknown. No letter from a Father Tehsel was found among her existing correspondence. None of the letters from the various sisters indicate that they had been contacted by the priest.
On October 12, 1942, she wrote to the Cardinal Protector of the Congregation, Cardinal di Belmonte. Mentioning the death of the three assistants general and her subsequent appointment of Sisters Lamberta, Agnes and Leandra, and the fact that she does not know if they have succeeded in arriving at the Motherhouse, she wrote:
Night and day my thoughts are in the Motherhouse, with my abandoned daughters. I find consolation only in prayer… But at times I am discouraged, thinking that I might not survive until the day of my return to Vienna.
She informed the Cardinal that in England the three convents of the Congregation were able to continue their ministry without any major disturbance. Correspondence with the rest of the European convents, however, was impossible.
It would seem that somehow Mother Kostka was able to contact the Hungarian province. An entry in the congregational chronicle, Volume VIII, states that on September 1, 1942 the Motherhouse got a message from Hungary indicating that the superior general, unable to return to Europe, had appointed Sister Irene Szabo as the new provincial superior and had made a number of other appointments as well.
(GC VIII, p. 44)
Unable to return to Europe, Mother Kostka continued to make her official visitations in the United States in 1941, 1942 and 1943. With great interest and untiring attention she performed her duties, always full of understanding and kindness. She wholeheartedly participated in the remodeling, repairs, renovation and beautification of the provincial house in Staten Island. After all, she had been responsible for the initial purchase of the property and the construction of the academy building. In 1941, she was very much in charge of the acquisition of the adjoining Barrett property which was to be transformed into a spacious playground for the students.
It may have been this exercise of her authority and her constant presence which began to wear on the provincial superior, Sister Margaret Gergely, or at least so it seemed to some of the sisters who loved Mother Kostka dearly. Thus, by 1942-1943, the constant worry about her European daughters was compounded by a growing feeling that she was wearing out her welcome in the United States. Sister Olympia Magyar, writing her recollections of Mother Kostka, opined: “In 1942 and 1943 Mother Margaret ... on the pretext of safety sent Mother Kostka to different convents, for example to Windsor, Canada, to South Bend, Indiana, or to Chicago, Illinois. Mother Margaret’s purpose was that she did not want Mother Kostka’s interference with the government.”
It was her special interest in the spiritual formation of the novices that led Mother Kostka to appoint Sister Leonore Mohl as novice mistress in 1942. When she was in Arrochar, her greatest joy was to visit the novitiate to spend time with her “little white doves”. On St. Stanislaus Day, 1942, imitating Motherhouse customs, the novices presented a brief program in the novitiate honoring their spiritual mother. Under the guidance of their mistress, the novices sang a German hymn which had been Mother Kostka’s favorite since her youth-- “Jesu, Kindlein, komm zu mir.” (Child Jesus, come to me). The little booklet which they prepared for her also brought her much joy. She felt at home in the novitiate returning, in memory it seems, to her first task as mistress of novices in Budapest. How ironic that it should be one of her novices who would now begin to spurn her.
On May 9, l943 Mother Kostka left the provincial house in Arrochar, accompanied by Mother Margaret, ostensibly to make her visitation of the midwest convents. In the last minutes she gave the gathered postulants, novices and sisters her motherly blessing. Those who knew her best noticed that she appeared much more tired and weaker than at other times. None of those who waved goodbye to her that day realized, however, that this was their last farewell.
Her first stop was at St. Elizabeth-Briarbank in Michigan. Here the new building was being prepared for dedication on June 20. With special permission from the bishop, however, holy mass was celebrated in the chapel on May 11. With a promise to return for the dedication and a few weeks’ rest, Mother Kostka proceeded to make her visitations in Chicago, East Chicago, the three South Bend convents and finally Gary, Indiana. It was at Gary that she finally admitted, .”I cannot carry on any longer, let us return to Briarbank.”
Mother Kostka and Mother Margaret arrived at St. Elizabeth’s on May 25. Her weariness was very apparent to all, especially when, instead of taking her walk or talking with the sisters, she retired early and decided to stay in bed theI following morning. This was so unlike Mother Kostka who did not like to remain in bed even when urged to do so by her doctors. It was believed that a good bed rest would revive her spirits.
Important provincial matters made it necessary for Mother Margaret to return to Arrochar. She had barely arrived home when she received the news that, despite the extended rest, Mother Kostka was daily getting weaker and sicker. Her side hurt very much; her abdomen was very distended. The doctor who was called for her did not like the rapidly deteriorating conditions and gave orders to have the patient taken to the hospital. On June 4, the first Friday of the month, Mother Kostka was taken to St. Joseph Hospital which was maintained by the Sisters of Mercy in nearby Pontiac.
Immediate tests and X-rays indicated that the patient was suffering from a chronic liver and kidney problem which was draining her of strength. The illness was diagnosed as critical. Upon receiving the doctor’s report, Sister Teresa Arvay, the superior at St. Elizabeth-Briarbank, called the provincial house to impart the alarming news. An immediate relay message was sent to all the houses of the province informing the sisters of the serious nature of Mother Kostka’s illness and requesting immediate prayers for her improvement and recovery.
The doctors in attendance were not very optimistic about the possibility of recovery. Instead, they felt that Mother Kostka should be honestly informed of the extent of her illness and the fact that recovery was not very probable; it was best that she prepare for death.
The medication which she had received had relieved her pain and so on , June 6, she was up and about dictating letters to Sister Huberta in England and Sister Rigalda in Brazil - She was responding to anxious letters which she had received, especially since communication with these two countries was easier, since they were allies of the United States. She was placing her health and future into God’s hands.
During the two following weeks she prayed and meditated a great deal. It is reported that she told one of the sisters that she daily prayed three rosaries: for “Mutter” (it is unclear as to whether she meant her mother, Mother Franciska or Sister Donata), for Sister Aquila and Sister Valeria.
With all those sisters who came from the nearby convents to visit with her laughed and chatted, encouraging them and allaying their fears. Sister Mary Winkler had been sent from New York to nurse her. Until the last week, when she was too weak to raise her arm, she signed the forehead of each daughter with a cross as she had always done. According to a Professor Sales Hess, who reported her last illness and death to a Frau (Sister?) Steden in a letter written from Engelberg, dated September 18, 1943, “Grandmother Bauer” spoke daily of her distant children whom she had hoped to see once more before dying.
Ncw, Mother Kostka grew more and more anxious to see Mother Margaret and Sister Hermenegilda Szabo, two of the original American pioneers. The two were notified of the request and immediately made arrangements to travel to the Midwest. The two sisters finally arrived in Detroit on June 16. Sister Melissa Gubica, superior of St. Mary’s Residence there, met them at the railroad station and immediately the three went to the hospital where they found Sisters Olympia and Mary at Mother Kostka’s bedside. The drastic change they witnessed shocked the two; Mother had lost a great deal of weight in just two and a half weeks; her breathing was labored.
Yet even now, in the midst of her sufferings, she was the ever-loving and consoling mother. When she noticed the effect her condition had on Mother Margaret, she tried to console her and the others, saying that all was in God’s hands; they were not to worry.
To the sisters it was evident that the end was near. Accordingly, they asked the chaplain at the hospital to administer the Holy Viaticum and to bless Mother Kostka and give her absolution. The priest came immediately into the room and told her that he was going to bless her and give her the last rites of the church. With serenity and resignation Mother Kostka replied, “Good, Reverend Father.” In a few minutes the priest returned with a nursing sister who brought a cross, candles, and holy water. All the sisters who were present knelt and prayed with and for their beloved mother. Mother Kostka was completely conscious throughout the administration of the sacrament and with great fervor recited the prayers with the priest. With her customary politeness, she thanked the chaplain for his kindness. Then she looked lovingly at the sisters kneeling around her bed.
Mother Margaret stood up, bent and kissed Mother Kostka’s ring and started to speak. Before she could utter a word, however, the patient spoke up.
Pardon me for all I did wrong. Ask the Sisters, in my name, for their forgiveness. Tell them they should hold together, they should be one heart and one soul and remain united with the Motherhouse. Do not be afraid, I will help you in all your problems; come to me with everything. Also tell the sisters, I am ready to help them. Tell them, they must make a good retreat.
A weeping Mother Margaret then asked for pardon in the name of the entire province. “I have nothing to forgive,” replied the compassionate mother. “I thank you for everything you have done for me.” At this, the sisters present all began to sob. With a calm smile she looked at her beloved daughters as though to say “don’t cry -- I am happy.” After a few minutes of silence she tried to ease the sorrow that pervaded the room by inquiring about Arrochar: the postulants, novices, sisters, boarders and students. Then she began to joke with them in her usual jovial manner.
Her lightheartedness, however, did not conceal the critical nature of her condition. Sister Myriam Kovacs, the superior of the provincial house, was called and told of Mother Kostka’s impending death; she, in turn, relayed the distressing news to the eastern convents while the nearby convents were immediately contacted -- it was just a matter of time.
Sister Myriam left Arrochar for Detroit immediately after receiving the message. From the midwestern convents, the sisters began to arrive to get their Mother’s last blessing. Sister Leonore Vurnik arrived from Rankin, Pennsylvania; Sisters superior Fidelis, Medarda, Irma, Marietta, Elvira, Callista, Marianna and Erica all knelt at the bedside and were consoled by her. To Sisters Margaret and Leonore she said, “I cannot wish for a more peaceful death.” She was ready to go home.
Hour by hour Mother Kostka grew noticeably weaker. Now her greatest sorrow was that she was unable to participate in the dedication of the new house at St. Elizabeth-Briarbank. Therefore on June 20, she instructed her nurse to awaken her at 3 o’clock so that she could be with the sisters in spirit.
The dedication ceremony on June 20 was subdued; in the midst of the joy, the imminent loss of the mother saddened the gathered sisters. After the ceremony His Excellency, Most Reverend Edward Mooney, Archbishop of Detroit, traveled to St. Joseph’s Hospital to visit Mother Kostka. The deep love and loyalty to the Church, its priests, and especially its leaders, shone forth as Mother Kostka expressed her deep gratitude to the prelate for the special honor he bestowed on her by this visit.
From the evening of June 20 on, there were always at least two sisters at the bedsideof their failing mother. In the late afternoon of Tuesday, June 22, the sister superior of the hospital suggested to Sister Olympia that she call the sisters to recite the prayers for the dying. A telephone call brought Sisters Margaret, Hermenegilda and Myriam hurrying to the hospital.
Moth er Kostka was in her last agony. Her breathing was heavy and irregular. Her eyes were half-open; her face, although peaceful, indicated that she was in intense physical pain. When they spoke to her, she nodded weakly. She understood, but was too weak to respond.
As they recited the various litanies, she made a great effort to strike her breast whenever they intoned “Lamb of God. ..” A number of times she tried to speak but she was too weak even to move her lips. For more than two hours the death struggle continued. The hospital sisters summoned the chaplain to the bedside. As he entered the room at 7:25 p.m., the sisters whispered, “Mother, Father is here to pray for you.” Peace transfigured her suffering countenance: this is what she had been trying to say. Slowly the priest began the prayers for the dying. As the invocations reached her ears, her face was transformed; a beautiful other-worldly expression appeared. Repeatedly she tried to raise her head; her eyes widened and she gazed into the distance with a look of wonderment on her face. Her breath became shallow, then stopped altogether. She had entered eternity at 7:33 p.m., in the 74th year of her life. The chaplain finished the prayers and then imparted a final blessing. She was with her beloved.
Immediately the sad news was cabled to Sister Agnes in Vienna. Because of the war, the message was brief: “Mother Kostka died June 22 in Detroit, Michigan. Details will follow.”
The body of Mother Kostka was brought to Briarbank the next day. The sisters from the midwest convents gathered to pay their last respects and to bid farewell to their beloved mother. After the recitation of the solemn Office of the dead, Monsignor Hickey, secretary to Archbishop Mooney, and Reverend Stephen Bali, assistant pastor at Holy Cross Church in Detroit, conducted a prayer service. Following the service, her sorrowing daughters lighted candles in their hands, processed to the gate where the hearse awaited the coffin which was to be transfported by train to New York City.
Mother Kostka arrived for the last time in Arrochar on Thursday morning, June 24. She, whose life had been spent in traveling on behalf of her beloved Congregation, had made her final journey. As the convent bell tolled, announcing the arrival of their faithful mother, the sisters, novices and postulants, together with the chaplain formed a guard of honor at the main entrance, just as they had done countless times before. After the blessing, the coffin was placed into her office where now in death, as often in life, she had been visited by her daughters for advice and consolation. Throughout the day and night the sisters kept vigil by the coffin, praying and grieving for their deceased mother. That evening, the solemn Office of the Dead was recited.
The solemn requiem mass for Mother Kostka Bauer was celebrated at Saint Joseph Hill Chapel on Friday, June 25. Priests from all the parishes which were served by the Daughters of Divine Charity; Father William Biskorovanyi, who welcomed the weary traveler as she arrived in America; representatives of the House of Hapsburg, the Hungarian consulate, and numerous acquaintances attended the funeral to express their respect for this indefatigable woman and in thanks for her thirty years of missionary zeal in the United States.
The liturgy was offered by Reverend Stephen Chernitzsky, one of the first priests to offer her support in 1913. The eulogy was preached by Reverend Terence A. McNally, O.F.M., pastor of St. Stephen of Hungary Church in New York City. The line from St. John’s gospel, “You have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and appointed you, that you should go and bring forth fruit, and your fruit shall remain” was the basis for his evaluation of the life and work of Mother Kostka.
Only God and herself -- with perhaps a few close associates can know the pains and the sorrows -- the disappointments and the joys which accompanied the fulfillment of her vocation and apostleship....
Her spirit of love and charity were the fruit which she had brought forth.... If true humility -- if the sincere love of God and man -.- if the spirit of patience and tolerant understanding combined with honest zeal for the law of God -- if all these constitute sanctity and sainthood -- and we firmly believe that they do -- then in all truth we can say of her in the words of Scripture, “PRECIOUS IN THE EYES OF THE LORD IS THE DEATH OF HIS SAINT!”
After the singing of the Libera and the final blessing, the coffin was placed on a hearse behind which the priests, sisters, and a large number of people went in procession, praying the rosary, to St. Mary’s Cemetery, to the plot reserved for the Daughters of Divine Charity. After the final prayers, the earthly remains of Mother Kostka were laid to rest in a grave next to those of her American daughters who had predeceased her. This was to be her resting place until the end of the war when the General Chapter would make the final decision as to her permanent resting place.[1]
Cardinal di Belmonte, the Cardinal Protector of the Congregation, was informed of the death of Mother Kostka by Mother Margaret Gergely. In a letter dated July 1, 1943, addressed to Sister Agnes, the general vicaress of the orphaned Congregation he wrote: “Be brave and be that mother full of love who will continue work in the Congregation, as Vicaress General, until more peaceful times will let us have a General Chapter which for the moment is impossible.”
A solemn requiem mass was celebrated at the Motherhouse Church in Vienna on July 7, at 8 o’clock. Now, the mother was gone; Sister Agnes would trust in God and continue on, according to the advice of the Cardinal Protector.
Two letters, one from Professor Sales Hess, and another dated September 30, 1943, provided Sister Agnes with further details of the last days of Mother Kostka. At that time, she reported what she knew to the sisters and wrote:
... .Mother Kostka had traveled throughout all parts of the world in order to settle disputes, and to bring comfort and help -- she had a holy fervor; in self1ess sacrificial courage she did not draw back from any difficulties which she encountered; her confidence in God, as well as her acceptance of God’s will were examples; she worked assiduously to develop her spirituality and she worked with her whole heart for God and the Congregation -- it is the wish and prayer of all that she be rewarded by the Almighty Merciful God for the power and strength to struggle for the good of all which she had continued for decades.
(DC VIII, pp. 55-61)
It was not until January, 1946, that a very detailed record of the illness, death and burial of the third superior general would arrive in Vienna and, from there, in the various provinces of the Congregation.
The Daughters of Divine Charity had lost a woman of faith, a loving soul had striven to be a mother to all; a victim soul who was tried by the conflagration of the world chaos who said, the day before she died: “I had always wished to see all my loved ones once more; God, however, wished this sacrifice and I do it willingly, as God’s will is my joy.”
The last will and testament of this faithful steward to future generations of Daughters of Divine Charity around the world: “to work together in love and unity,” should continue to be the most sacred obligation and commitment of every daughter of Mother Franciska. Undoubtedly, Mother Kostka Bauer continues to pray for this love and unity for her beloved Congregation before the throne of the Almighty -- it was her quest -- it should be our goal!
[1] The General Chapter of 1947 acceded to the petition of the North American province to allow the foundress to remain among her daughters in the province which she had co-founded.
FINAL YEARS - - 1939-1943
“Prayer is our linking bridge.” With these words Mother Kostka bade farewell to the Mctherhouse sisters on April 11, 1939. Accompanied to the port by Sister Donata, she departed for visitations that would take her first to the United States to join in the jubilee celebration there and thence to Brazil, to the two recently canonically established provinces. She planned to be back in Austria in time for Christmas; until then, as always, she would remain linked with her European daughters through prayer.
The parting from her trusted friend and assistant was difficult; nevertheless, she felt relieved by the fact that the care of the European provinces was in capable hands during these trying days. In her last Viennese circular dated January 21, 1939 Mother Kostka sent her Lenten admonitions to the sisters. Then, referring to her impending American voyage, she wrote: “It is impossible that I administer the Congregation from Brazil .... Sister Donata is fully empowered and will make the Austrian visitations.” Little did she know that she would never return to Vienna; that she would never again see Sister Donata in this life.
The outbreak of World War II in September 1939 caused immediate concern for Mother Kostka. She would have to return to the Motherhouse as soon as possible. The mother must he with her children to protect and comfort them. To her dismay, her scheduled return to Europe on September 13 aboard the French liner, the S.S. :Normandie was cancelled.
Aware that her passport was to expire on June 1, 1940 and, as a naturalized American citizen not wishing to be stranded in Europe without a current travel permit, on September 9, 1939 Mother Kostka wrote to the passport division of the Department of State of the United States government asking for a renewal of the document and its validation for travel in various countries in Europe.
She explained her position as the superior general of an international congreqation and stated that as part of her official duties she needed to return to the headquarters as well as to visit the various provinces located in Hungary, Jugoslavia, Czechoslovakia, Poland, and the German Reich.
On September 22, 1939 a letter from R. B. Shipley, chief of the passport division, filled her with consternation. He informed her that the State Department had given careful and sympathetic consideration to her appeal, but that it did not feel that renewal of her passport for travel in Europe was possible.
In view of the situation and danger of travel, as well as hazards which may be encountered in residing in belligerent countries, regu1ations have recently been promulgated restricting the granting of passport facilities for Europe to those persons whose immediate travel to that continent is imperative.
Although she was dismayed by this refusal, Mother Kostha felt sure that she would eventually receive the necessary permission. In the meantime, she would Return to Brazil to see how the new provinces were faring. This last Brazilian Visitation, on which she was accompanied by Sister Olympia Maqyar, lasted from October 1939 to May 1940.
In her circular dated January 23, 1940, sent from Brazil, she expressed her disappointment without, however, sounding a note of alarm. “If it were up to me I would have been in Vienna a long time ago. However, my American citizenship forbids me to travel to a belligerent country. Thus, must say ‘fiat’ and trust in Divine Providence.”
Upon her return to the United States, both she and Sister Margaret (Margit) Gergely, provincial superior in North America, began to bombard various religious and secular organizations with letters asking for assistance in gaining validation of her passport and permission to return to Europe. Between 1343-1942 the Most Reverend Amleto Giovanni Cicognani, Apostolic Delegate to the United States, the National Catholic Welfare Conference, the U.S. State Department, and the International Red Cross were all contacted for assistance, to no avail. On May 11, 1940, the Right Reverend Msgr. Michael J. Ready, General Secretary of the National Catholic Welfare Conference wrote that “.. .there was a note of sympathy toward the request on the part of the officials of the State Department. However, Germany’s march into Holland and Belgium is causing great anxiety.” He suggested patience -- and more waiting.
The need for her return to the Motherhouse was compounded by the unexpected death of Sister Donata Reichenwallner on January 14, 1949. The loss of her vicaress general and loyal friend had a profound effect on Mother Kostka. The account of the death and burial of Sister Donata arrived from various sources. The report that the last words uttered to Sister Fernanda were, “I will work for the Congregation in heaven as I did here,” provided some consolation. Writing to the Motherhouse about this exemplary and faithful religious, Mother Kostka tried to console the sisters by reminding them:
She had fulfilled her office as vicaress with great care, wisdom and loyalty -- so that during my long trips to North and South America I could always be at peace, knowing that I had in her a strong support. It is hard for me to say a “fiat” to this loss.
(GC VIII, pp. 5-6)
During her entire time in office, Mother Kostka had been in close touch with the various members of the exiled Hapsburg dynasty. Whenever the ships she was traveling on stopped at Madeira, she made it a point to pay a visit to the grave of Emperor Charles I who was buried there.
During her own “exile” –1939—1943-- she corresponded with the ex-Empress Zita, Crown Prince Otto, the Archdukes Felix and Robert and the Archduchess Adelheid. She followed with anxiety their flight from Europe to the United States. She informed Zita of the death of Sister Donata, and later the deaths of Sisters Aloisia and Aquila. The former queen replied with much sympathy saying that she was praying that God bless Mother Kostka and all the Daughters of Divine Charity in their work on both continents and in so many countries. She expressed special thanks for the work done by the Congregation in Austria. (Letter from Therese Schmiring Kussenbrock, secretary to the Empress Zita, December 28, 1941)
The year 1940 was a bittersweet one for Mother Kostka. I the midst of her sorrow over the loss of Sister Donata, Mother Kostka celehrated her 70th birthday. The sisters from the various provinces sent her congratulatory letters and her American daughters tried to lift her spirits by arranging a beautiful liturgy and festive gathering. Although she put on a good front, it was evident that Mother Kostka was grieving and worrying about her European daughters. Also, on August 17, 1940, she quietly celebrated the golden jubilee of her profession as a Daughter of Divine Charity.
Correspondence arrived sporadically from the various provinces months after the letters were written; sections were at times blackened out by the censors. Sister Aloisia Schodt, the procuratrix general, did her best to keep Mother Kostka abreast of conditions in the various branches of the congregation.
“We are doing our best to keep things going, but it is awful not to hear from you for such a long time.” (Sister Aloisia to Mother Kostka, February 12, 1940)
In the meantime, Sister Fernanda who had been with Sister Donata when she died stepped into the breach and, together with Sister Facunda, worked to maintain harmony and community spirit at the Motherhouse; “. . .naturally without the title of Superior”. (Sister Fernanda to Mother Kostka, January 22, 1940)
As the months dragged on without any change in the status of her return, Sister Aloisia sent a letter on August 10, 1940 expressing the opinion that, if the superior general could not return soon, it would be best that for the maintenance of order and for visitation purposes, a superior should be appointed for the Motherhouse to replace deceased Sister Donata. She quickly added that Mother Kostka should not take the advice as urgent. “We are united and the work goes on -- you don’t have to worry about that; all is harmonious and the ‘general good’ is placed above personal good by all.”
In the absence of a Motherhouse superior and visitator, Sister Aloisia took
upon herself the duty of trying to visit the various provinces in Europe. She who wrote to Mother Kostka about the existing conditions, always trying to provide an optimistic outlook on the otherwise bleak conditions that prevailed.
Aware that the position of vicaress general needed to be filled, Mother Kostka appointed Sister Lamberta Plundrak, who had been the provincial superior of the Czech province since 1935 as the new vicaress general. An official announcement of this appointment was sent to Vienna as well as to the European provinces and to Theodore Cardinal Innitzer, archbishop of Vienna. This appointment presented a whole new set of problems. because of nationality restrictions, Sister Lamberta’s many attempts to go to Vienna to assume her new responsibilities ended in failure. Sisters Aloisia, Aquila, Ludovica and others could only write encouragingly that “...God will take care of everything.” (Sister Aloisia to Mother Kostka, November 4, 1940)
Although she could not get to Vienna, Sister Lamberta managed to make visits to
Poland and the Slovak province. Her visit to Poland, as well as that of Sister Aloisia, helped to assuage the worries of the sisters in Cracow. Mother Ludovika, another loyal daughter of Mother Kostka, tried to continue the works of Franziska as she knew Mother Kostka would want it done. On July 23, 1940 she wrote about a letter from a Fraulein Cochet from Berlin who begged her to tell the superior general that the congregation ought to open a home for elderly women in that city because there were so many of these ladies there in need of care. The young lady was ready to house the sisters in her own home at the beginning of the venture. Were not the matter so risky, Mother Ludovica was in favor of the undertaking. She asked Mother Kostka to inform her of any decision..
“It would be an excellent ministry since at the present time we cannot think of schools.”
Both sister Aloisia and Mother Ludovica worried about Sister Huberta and the English foundations; they were not on the continent, thus it was impossible to make any visitation. The bombings of England by the German Luftwaffe caused additional anxiety. “One must worry about Huberta’s family,” wrote Mother Ludovica on August 9, 1940. “The poor people, they have so much suffering.”
Yet it is very evident that in the absence of their superior general, her faithful assistants were working tirelessly to keep the Congregation and its activities on as normal a course as possible. On August 24, 1940, Sister Aloisia reported that 64 sisters and eight novices had made their annual retreat and most “were very happy with it.” Distressing news caused by the war and its relentless surges, (i . e , the bombings in Frankfurt, the military occupation of the second floor of the Elizabeth Home and the take-over of the first and third floors of the novitiate building by Red Cross nurses) were lightened by news of continuous growth and activity.
In Hungary, the sisters were still expanding into new areas of ministry. Sister Alicia Kozma, writing on December 14, 1940, informed Mother Kostka that in the spring they would have to begin construction of an additional building in Nyergesujfalu because their existing facilities were insufficient to care for the many students who were applying for admission. Of course, this entailed new financial burdens and so she .asked whether Sisters Margaret and Hermenegilda (two of the original band from Hungary who had gone to America with Mother Kostka) would be able to offer financial assistance in this venture. Sister Alicia touched a soft spot in the mother’s heart by writing: “Very few understand the wishes and ideals of Mother Franciska as you do -- always interested in spreading the work field of the Congregation.”
The Christmas circular (December 6, 1940) which Mother Kostka sent to her European daughters was one which combined her deep trust in Divine Providence with a strong recommendation to the sisters to pray that the year 1941 would bring a restoration of peace to the world. She expressed her deep sorrow that she was unable to return to Europe and encouraged all to work together in unity and love.
Her hopes for a better year were shattered by the news of the death of the second member of the general council, Sister Aloisia Schodt on January 28, 1941. The death of Sister Aloisia intensified the homesickness and anguish of Mother Kostka. Once more she contacted the U.S. State Department for permission to return to Europe, citing the growing administrative problems as extenuating circumstances. She even outlined her proposed route home: she would fly by Clipper from New York to Lisbon; from Lisbon to Rome on a domestic flight or whatever safe mode of transportation could be found. From thence she would take any available and safe mode of transportation through Jugoslavia to either Budapest or Vienna. (Letter to U.S. State Department, March 14, 1941) Washington, however, remained adamant in its refusal because of their reluctance to place an American citizen in danger.
As much as possible, Mother Kostka attempted to continue her leadership from afar. In her Easter circular, dated April 3, 1941, she encouraged the sisters to keep writing; the letters with their expressions of unshaken courage, intense love of God, and genuine spirit of sacrifice were sources of great consolation. She expressed great happiness at the news that “. . .in the distressing times and chaotic European world twelve sisters pronounced their perpetual vows, ready to serve God with their last breath.”
The death of Sister Aloisia, coupled with the fact that Mother Lamberta had not yet received the necessary permission to travel to Vienna forced Mother Kostka to appoint a new superior for the Motherhouse. By May 23, 1941, upon the advice of Sister Josefa, she named Sister Facunda Peterek to that position.
The news fromm Vienna became more alarming. Mother Kostka was deeply worried about her daughters, especially when she heard that Herz Maria Kloster had been commandeered by the Nazi army on August 19, 1941. (GC VIII, p.23). She had barely assimilated this news when another great cross was laid upon her shoulders with the notification of the death of still another general assistant, Sister Aquila Fajmon on October 19, 1941. Now three supporting pillars of the Congregation were gone – in less than two years – and there was no sign of relenting on the part of the United States government.
In a letter to the Motherhouse dated November 7, 1941 she wrote of the great shock which this latest death had caused her. She discussed the many efforts she was making to get permission to return. At this point she had even asked a senator in the United States congress to intercede on her behalf; “. . .if this doesn’t work, there is no more hope.”
Still, the care of the Congregation was paramount. Accordingly, she announced her appointment of Sister Agnes Fischer as first general assistant and Sister Leandra Halsch as fourth general assistant and general secretary. Expressing her belief that her choices would bear good results, she exhorted the sisters: “Accept these new authorities with love and confidence and help lighten their burdens. You will find in both real mothers.” (GC VIII, pp. 26-27)
The bombing of Pearl Harbor by the Japanese drew the United States into war. With the declaration of hostilities on December 8, 1941 any ray of hope of her return to Europe was extinguished. In a Christmas message to Laszlo Medgyesy, the Royal Consul General of Hungary in New York, she mentioned her desire to see her daughters on the other side of the ocean; “. . . the war with Japan, however, has made my cross even heavier. As an American citizen I cannot hope to travel now; it would appear traitorous.”
Yet Mother Kostka continued to perform her duties as superior general to the best of her abilities. She wrote a Christmas circular in December, 1941, extending her wishes to her orphaned daughters and saying how happy she would be if she could deliver these personally. Pondering the uncertainties of the coming year, she wondered whether it would bring joy or still more bitter pains -- God alone knows. With her unshakeable trust in Divine Providence she exhorted all to accept the will of God for He “... will decide whether I shall see the Motherhouse in the near future.”
In the midst of all the sorrows she hoped to raise the spirits of the sisters in Europe by recounting the continued success and ever-expanding circle work of the Congregation in Brazil. Here a new hospital had been opened; another schoo1 had been placed under the administration of the Daughters of Divine Charity and the high school in Natal had received the necessary certification to be a “public school”. “Brazil has struggled very much and now there is a beautiful blooming.”
Her mind was set somewhat at ease when she learned that Sister Agnes had
Arrived at the Motherhouse on December 27; Sister Leandra could not yet come because of problems in Troppau. In fact a letter from Sister Leandra, dated December 21, 1941, and sent to Sister Norberta in Vienna, indicated that because Mother Kostka had been abroad for so long, the new general secretary felt that she had no idea of all the extraordinary difficulties with which every house has had to struggle to a lesser or greater degree. Her institute in Troppau was bearing the burden of the Frankfurt mortgage and was forced to make monthly payments of 1,000 RM (Reich Marks). She then expressed her doubts about accepting the office to which she had been appointed; she felt unready for the great task. “If I am commanded by holy obedience I will do so, but I will not bear responsibility for the consequences.”
A letter from the vicar general for the Sudetanland section of the archdiocese of Olmutz supported the need far Sister Leandra to remain in Troppau and asked that she be relieved of the new assignment. Sister Norberta responded on December 29, 1941 giving Sister Leandra temporary permission to remain in Troppau. She felt that this would be the decision of Mother Kostka. “We must, however, follow the final decisions of the Superior General in this matter.”
In the next two years, Sister Leandra fulfilled two important offices. With the permission of Mother Kostka she remained in Troppau and came to the Motherhouse for general council meetings in May, August and October of 1942 and January, 1943 -— her input and vote were required in making administrative decisions in the absence of the Superior General. (GC VIII, pp. 41, 45, 48)
Sister Lamberta, too, was still in Prague. She had not received the permission to travel from the Nazi officials, and she wondered if she would get it at all. In the meantime, she tried to contact some of the other provinces and informed Mother Kostka about the moves forced upon some of the communities as the convents, schools, and other institutions were taken over by the military for hospitals and barracks. She suggested, therefore, that Mother Kostka appoint another vicaress general —— one who was German/Austrian. Despite the fact that neither of these two general assistants would be able to reside in or near the Motherhouse, Mother Kostka did not relieve them of the duties to which they had been appointed. God would help the Congregation; she and her daughters were in His hands.
During l940-l94l, it was Mother Lamberta who was able to relay to Mother Kostka the most extensive information regarding the conditions under which her daughters were laboring. These letters, preserved in the general archives, are indications of the conscientious performance of duty, and it was through her that circulars from Mother Kostka were distributed to the various convents. The last existing letter from Sister Lamberta, dated November 21, 1941, extended Christmas and New Year greetings from the entire Congregation. A sad note was sounded as she wrote: “The departing year has given our Congregation many new grave mounds —— many of those were totally unexpected. God’s ways are hard to fathom and demands from us total faith.” She reported that in 1941 alone the Congregation had lost twenty-eight members.
It was no wonder, then, that the heart of Mother Kostka began to feel the effects of her stress. The doctors ordered her to do only such walking as was necessary -- she, who loved to walk quickly around the gardens and lanes of the provincial house in Arrochar. She was also being treated for high blood pressure. The doctors who were caring for her knew the difficult circumstances which she faced; unless she stopped worrying, however, they warned her that no medicine would be effective. (GC VIII, letter to the Motherhouse, November 7, 1941, pp. 26—27)
A rough draft of a letter she was writing to a Sister Ladislaus confides “my heart suffers very much.... It is no wonder if my heart refuses its good work. The war brought on the greatest part of it. The best medicine would be the hasty end of the war. The Will of God shall be done, even if it is very hard.”
In early 1942 Mother Kostka was sickened by the news forwarded to her by Sister Norberta, annouhcing the martyrdom of five Daughters of Divine Charity in Pale, Jugoslavia. (Today we call them the Drina Martyrs because of the river into which their bodies were thrown.)
She was also notified that three of the four bells which she had so joyfully obtained for the Motherhouse in 1935 had been commandeered by the Nazi regime. The largest one was broken into pieces before it could be brought down; the two middle-sized bells were carted down the stairs. Only the smallest one was allowed to remain in the bell tower. (It is this bell which is still rung at the Motherhouse every day.)
The heartbreaking news which she received from time to time from the Motherhouse and the different European provinces, and her inability to get her letters through to Europe, caused Mother Kostka to seek help wherever possible. A rough draft of a letter that she sent to a Father Tahsel in mid—1942 is indicative of her deep concern. Reverend Paul Teves, O.S.A., whom she knew in the United States, had encouraged her to contact Father Tahsel —— presumably in Rome. She explained to him that any letters she had sent after December 6, 1941 to the various provinces had been returned to her at the end of April marked “service suspended”. Therefore, she asked the priest to write to Sister Agnes in Vienna for information which he, in turn, would be able to forward to her through the Vatican post. She inquired about Sister Norberta’s health, the conditions in
Breitenfurt, the fate of the convents in Frankfurt-am-Main, Greifswald and Berlin. Like an anxious mother, Mother Kostka wanted to know if Sister Deocara had gone to the hospital as she had ordered. Was Sister Lamberta, the vicaress in touch with the various provincial superiors and had Sister Leandra assumed her office as general secretary. She requested more information on the sisters of Pale and also asked for the names of any sisters who had died since December 1941. She wanted Sister Agnes to be told: ”The sisters should not worry about me. I feel better and I do everything what is in my power to be able to face the difficulties. of the trip to Europe after the war.”
Whether she ever received a reply to this letter is unknown. No letter from a Father Tehsel was found among her existing correspondence. None of the letters from the various sisters indicate that they had been contacted by the priest.
On October 12, 1942, she wrote to the Cardinal Protector of the Congregation, Cardinal di Belmonte. Mentioning the death of the three assistants general and her subsequent appointment of Sisters Lamberta, Agnes and Leandra, and the fact that she does not know if they have succeeded in arriving at the Motherhouse, she wrote:
Night and day my thoughts are in the Motherhouse, with my abandoned daughters. I find consolation only in prayer… But at times I am discouraged, thinking that I might not survive until the day of my return to Vienna.
She informed the Cardinal that in England the three convents of the Congregation were able to continue their ministry without any major disturbance. Correspondence with the rest of the European convents, however, was impossible.
It would seem that somehow Mother Kostka was able to contact the Hungarian province. An entry in the congregational chronicle, Volume VIII, states that on September 1, 1942 the Motherhouse got a message from Hungary indicating that the superior general, unable to return to Europe, had appointed Sister Irene Szabo as the new provincial superior and had made a number of other appointments as well.
(GC VIII, p. 44)
Unable to return to Europe, Mother Kostka continued to make her official visitations in the United States in 1941, 1942 and 1943. With great interest and untiring attention she performed her duties, always full of understanding and kindness. She wholeheartedly participated in the remodeling, repairs, renovation and beautification of the provincial house in Staten Island. After all, she had been responsible for the initial purchase of the property and the construction of the academy building. In 1941, she was very much in charge of the acquisition of the adjoining Barrett property which was to be transformed into a spacious playground for the students.
It may have been this exercise of her authority and her constant presence which began to wear on the provincial superior, Sister Margaret Gergely, or at least so it seemed to some of the sisters who loved Mother Kostka dearly. Thus, by 1942-1943, the constant worry about her European daughters was compounded by a growing feeling that she was wearing out her welcome in the United States. Sister Olympia Magyar, writing her recollections of Mother Kostka, opined: “In 1942 and 1943 Mother Margaret ... on the pretext of safety sent Mother Kostka to different convents, for example to Windsor, Canada, to South Bend, Indiana, or to Chicago, Illinois. Mother Margaret’s purpose was that she did not want Mother Kostka’s interference with the government.”
It was her special interest in the spiritual formation of the novices that led Mother Kostka to appoint Sister Leonore Mohl as novice mistress in 1942. When she was in Arrochar, her greatest joy was to visit the novitiate to spend time with her “little white doves”. On St. Stanislaus Day, 1942, imitating Motherhouse customs, the novices presented a brief program in the novitiate honoring their spiritual mother. Under the guidance of their mistress, the novices sang a German hymn which had been Mother Kostka’s favorite since her youth-- “Jesu, Kindlein, komm zu mir.” (Child Jesus, come to me). The little booklet which they prepared for her also brought her much joy. She felt at home in the novitiate returning, in memory it seems, to her first task as mistress of novices in Budapest. How ironic that it should be one of her novices who would now begin to spurn her.
On May 9, l943 Mother Kostka left the provincial house in Arrochar, accompanied by Mother Margaret, ostensibly to make her visitation of the midwest convents. In the last minutes she gave the gathered postulants, novices and sisters her motherly blessing. Those who knew her best noticed that she appeared much more tired and weaker than at other times. None of those who waved goodbye to her that day realized, however, that this was their last farewell.
Her first stop was at St. Elizabeth-Briarbank in Michigan. Here the new building was being prepared for dedication on June 20. With special permission from the bishop, however, holy mass was celebrated in the chapel on May 11. With a promise to return for the dedication and a few weeks’ rest, Mother Kostka proceeded to make her visitations in Chicago, East Chicago, the three South Bend convents and finally Gary, Indiana. It was at Gary that she finally admitted, .”I cannot carry on any longer, let us return to Briarbank.”
Mother Kostka and Mother Margaret arrived at St. Elizabeth’s on May 25. Her weariness was very apparent to all, especially when, instead of taking her walk or talking with the sisters, she retired early and decided to stay in bed theI following morning. This was so unlike Mother Kostka who did not like to remain in bed even when urged to do so by her doctors. It was believed that a good bed rest would revive her spirits.
Important provincial matters made it necessary for Mother Margaret to return to Arrochar. She had barely arrived home when she received the news that, despite the extended rest, Mother Kostka was daily getting weaker and sicker. Her side hurt very much; her abdomen was very distended. The doctor who was called for her did not like the rapidly deteriorating conditions and gave orders to have the patient taken to the hospital. On June 4, the first Friday of the month, Mother Kostka was taken to St. Joseph Hospital which was maintained by the Sisters of Mercy in nearby Pontiac.
Immediate tests and X-rays indicated that the patient was suffering from a chronic liver and kidney problem which was draining her of strength. The illness was diagnosed as critical. Upon receiving the doctor’s report, Sister Teresa Arvay, the superior at St. Elizabeth-Briarbank, called the provincial house to impart the alarming news. An immediate relay message was sent to all the houses of the province informing the sisters of the serious nature of Mother Kostka’s illness and requesting immediate prayers for her improvement and recovery.
The doctors in attendance were not very optimistic about the possibility of recovery. Instead, they felt that Mother Kostka should be honestly informed of the extent of her illness and the fact that recovery was not very probable; it was best that she prepare for death.
The medication which she had received had relieved her pain and so on , June 6, she was up and about dictating letters to Sister Huberta in England and Sister Rigalda in Brazil - She was responding to anxious letters which she had received, especially since communication with these two countries was easier, since they were allies of the United States. She was placing her health and future into God’s hands.
During the two following weeks she prayed and meditated a great deal. It is reported that she told one of the sisters that she daily prayed three rosaries: for “Mutter” (it is unclear as to whether she meant her mother, Mother Franciska or Sister Donata), for Sister Aquila and Sister Valeria.
With all those sisters who came from the nearby convents to visit with her laughed and chatted, encouraging them and allaying their fears. Sister Mary Winkler had been sent from New York to nurse her. Until the last week, when she was too weak to raise her arm, she signed the forehead of each daughter with a cross as she had always done. According to a Professor Sales Hess, who reported her last illness and death to a Frau (Sister?) Steden in a letter written from Engelberg, dated September 18, 1943, “Grandmother Bauer” spoke daily of her distant children whom she had hoped to see once more before dying.
Ncw, Mother Kostka grew more and more anxious to see Mother Margaret and Sister Hermenegilda Szabo, two of the original American pioneers. The two were notified of the request and immediately made arrangements to travel to the Midwest. The two sisters finally arrived in Detroit on June 16. Sister Melissa Gubica, superior of St. Mary’s Residence there, met them at the railroad station and immediately the three went to the hospital where they found Sisters Olympia and Mary at Mother Kostka’s bedside. The drastic change they witnessed shocked the two; Mother had lost a great deal of weight in just two and a half weeks; her breathing was labored.
Yet even now, in the midst of her sufferings, she was the ever-loving and consoling mother. When she noticed the effect her condition had on Mother Margaret, she tried to console her and the others, saying that all was in God’s hands; they were not to worry.
To the sisters it was evident that the end was near. Accordingly, they asked the chaplain at the hospital to administer the Holy Viaticum and to bless Mother Kostka and give her absolution. The priest came immediately into the room and told her that he was going to bless her and give her the last rites of the church. With serenity and resignation Mother Kostka replied, “Good, Reverend Father.” In a few minutes the priest returned with a nursing sister who brought a cross, candles, and holy water. All the sisters who were present knelt and prayed with and for their beloved mother. Mother Kostka was completely conscious throughout the administration of the sacrament and with great fervor recited the prayers with the priest. With her customary politeness, she thanked the chaplain for his kindness. Then she looked lovingly at the sisters kneeling around her bed.
Mother Margaret stood up, bent and kissed Mother Kostka’s ring and started to speak. Before she could utter a word, however, the patient spoke up.
Pardon me for all I did wrong. Ask the Sisters, in my name, for their forgiveness. Tell them they should hold together, they should be one heart and one soul and remain united with the Motherhouse. Do not be afraid, I will help you in all your problems; come to me with everything. Also tell the sisters, I am ready to help them. Tell them, they must make a good retreat.
A weeping Mother Margaret then asked for pardon in the name of the entire province. “I have nothing to forgive,” replied the compassionate mother. “I thank you for everything you have done for me.” At this, the sisters present all began to sob. With a calm smile she looked at her beloved daughters as though to say “don’t cry -- I am happy.” After a few minutes of silence she tried to ease the sorrow that pervaded the room by inquiring about Arrochar: the postulants, novices, sisters, boarders and students. Then she began to joke with them in her usual jovial manner.
Her lightheartedness, however, did not conceal the critical nature of her condition. Sister Myriam Kovacs, the superior of the provincial house, was called and told of Mother Kostka’s impending death; she, in turn, relayed the distressing news to the eastern convents while the nearby convents were immediately contacted -- it was just a matter of time.
Sister Myriam left Arrochar for Detroit immediately after receiving the message. From the midwestern convents, the sisters began to arrive to get their Mother’s last blessing. Sister Leonore Vurnik arrived from Rankin, Pennsylvania; Sisters superior Fidelis, Medarda, Irma, Marietta, Elvira, Callista, Marianna and Erica all knelt at the bedside and were consoled by her. To Sisters Margaret and Leonore she said, “I cannot wish for a more peaceful death.” She was ready to go home.
Hour by hour Mother Kostka grew noticeably weaker. Now her greatest sorrow was that she was unable to participate in the dedication of the new house at St. Elizabeth-Briarbank. Therefore on June 20, she instructed her nurse to awaken her at 3 o’clock so that she could be with the sisters in spirit.
The dedication ceremony on June 20 was subdued; in the midst of the joy, the imminent loss of the mother saddened the gathered sisters. After the ceremony His Excellency, Most Reverend Edward Mooney, Archbishop of Detroit, traveled to St. Joseph’s Hospital to visit Mother Kostka. The deep love and loyalty to the Church, its priests, and especially its leaders, shone forth as Mother Kostka expressed her deep gratitude to the prelate for the special honor he bestowed on her by this visit.
From the evening of June 20 on, there were always at least two sisters at the bedsideof their failing mother. In the late afternoon of Tuesday, June 22, the sister superior of the hospital suggested to Sister Olympia that she call the sisters to recite the prayers for the dying. A telephone call brought Sisters Margaret, Hermenegilda and Myriam hurrying to the hospital.
Moth er Kostka was in her last agony. Her breathing was heavy and irregular. Her eyes were half-open; her face, although peaceful, indicated that she was in intense physical pain. When they spoke to her, she nodded weakly. She understood, but was too weak to respond.
As they recited the various litanies, she made a great effort to strike her breast whenever they intoned “Lamb of God. ..” A number of times she tried to speak but she was too weak even to move her lips. For more than two hours the death struggle continued. The hospital sisters summoned the chaplain to the bedside. As he entered the room at 7:25 p.m., the sisters whispered, “Mother, Father is here to pray for you.” Peace transfigured her suffering countenance: this is what she had been trying to say. Slowly the priest began the prayers for the dying. As the invocations reached her ears, her face was transformed; a beautiful other-worldly expression appeared. Repeatedly she tried to raise her head; her eyes widened and she gazed into the distance with a look of wonderment on her face. Her breath became shallow, then stopped altogether. She had entered eternity at 7:33 p.m., in the 74th year of her life. The chaplain finished the prayers and then imparted a final blessing. She was with her beloved.
Immediately the sad news was cabled to Sister Agnes in Vienna. Because of the war, the message was brief: “Mother Kostka died June 22 in Detroit, Michigan. Details will follow.”
The body of Mother Kostka was brought to Briarbank the next day. The sisters from the midwest convents gathered to pay their last respects and to bid farewell to their beloved mother. After the recitation of the solemn Office of the dead, Monsignor Hickey, secretary to Archbishop Mooney, and Reverend Stephen Bali, assistant pastor at Holy Cross Church in Detroit, conducted a prayer service. Following the service, her sorrowing daughters lighted candles in their hands, processed to the gate where the hearse awaited the coffin which was to be transfported by train to New York City.
Mother Kostka arrived for the last time in Arrochar on Thursday morning, June 24. She, whose life had been spent in traveling on behalf of her beloved Congregation, had made her final journey. As the convent bell tolled, announcing the arrival of their faithful mother, the sisters, novices and postulants, together with the chaplain formed a guard of honor at the main entrance, just as they had done countless times before. After the blessing, the coffin was placed into her office where now in death, as often in life, she had been visited by her daughters for advice and consolation. Throughout the day and night the sisters kept vigil by the coffin, praying and grieving for their deceased mother. That evening, the solemn Office of the Dead was recited.
The solemn requiem mass for Mother Kostka Bauer was celebrated at Saint Joseph Hill Chapel on Friday, June 25. Priests from all the parishes which were served by the Daughters of Divine Charity; Father William Biskorovanyi, who welcomed the weary traveler as she arrived in America; representatives of the House of Hapsburg, the Hungarian consulate, and numerous acquaintances attended the funeral to express their respect for this indefatigable woman and in thanks for her thirty years of missionary zeal in the United States.
The liturgy was offered by Reverend Stephen Chernitzsky, one of the first priests to offer her support in 1913. The eulogy was preached by Reverend Terence A. McNally, O.F.M., pastor of St. Stephen of Hungary Church in New York City. The line from St. John’s gospel, “You have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and appointed you, that you should go and bring forth fruit, and your fruit shall remain” was the basis for his evaluation of the life and work of Mother Kostka.
Only God and herself -- with perhaps a few close associates can know the pains and the sorrows -- the disappointments and the joys which accompanied the fulfillment of her vocation and apostleship....
Her spirit of love and charity were the fruit which she had brought forth.... If true humility -- if the sincere love of God and man -.- if the spirit of patience and tolerant understanding combined with honest zeal for the law of God -- if all these constitute sanctity and sainthood -- and we firmly believe that they do -- then in all truth we can say of her in the words of Scripture, “PRECIOUS IN THE EYES OF THE LORD IS THE DEATH OF HIS SAINT!”
After the singing of the Libera and the final blessing, the coffin was placed on a hearse behind which the priests, sisters, and a large number of people went in procession, praying the rosary, to St. Mary’s Cemetery, to the plot reserved for the Daughters of Divine Charity. After the final prayers, the earthly remains of Mother Kostka were laid to rest in a grave next to those of her American daughters who had predeceased her. This was to be her resting place until the end of the war when the General Chapter would make the final decision as to her permanent resting place.[1]
Cardinal di Belmonte, the Cardinal Protector of the Congregation, was informed of the death of Mother Kostka by Mother Margaret Gergely. In a letter dated July 1, 1943, addressed to Sister Agnes, the general vicaress of the orphaned Congregation he wrote: “Be brave and be that mother full of love who will continue work in the Congregation, as Vicaress General, until more peaceful times will let us have a General Chapter which for the moment is impossible.”
A solemn requiem mass was celebrated at the Motherhouse Church in Vienna on July 7, at 8 o’clock. Now, the mother was gone; Sister Agnes would trust in God and continue on, according to the advice of the Cardinal Protector.
Two letters, one from Professor Sales Hess, and another dated September 30, 1943, provided Sister Agnes with further details of the last days of Mother Kostka. At that time, she reported what she knew to the sisters and wrote:
... .Mother Kostka had traveled throughout all parts of the world in order to settle disputes, and to bring comfort and help -- she had a holy fervor; in self1ess sacrificial courage she did not draw back from any difficulties which she encountered; her confidence in God, as well as her acceptance of God’s will were examples; she worked assiduously to develop her spirituality and she worked with her whole heart for God and the Congregation -- it is the wish and prayer of all that she be rewarded by the Almighty Merciful God for the power and strength to struggle for the good of all which she had continued for decades.
(DC VIII, pp. 55-61)
It was not until January, 1946, that a very detailed record of the illness, death and burial of the third superior general would arrive in Vienna and, from there, in the various provinces of the Congregation.
The Daughters of Divine Charity had lost a woman of faith, a loving soul had striven to be a mother to all; a victim soul who was tried by the conflagration of the world chaos who said, the day before she died: “I had always wished to see all my loved ones once more; God, however, wished this sacrifice and I do it willingly, as God’s will is my joy.”
The last will and testament of this faithful steward to future generations of Daughters of Divine Charity around the world: “to work together in love and unity,” should continue to be the most sacred obligation and commitment of every daughter of Mother Franciska. Undoubtedly, Mother Kostka Bauer continues to pray for this love and unity for her beloved Congregation before the throne of the Almighty -- it was her quest -- it should be our goal!
[1] The General Chapter of 1947 acceded to the petition of the North American province to allow the foundress to remain among her daughters in the province which she had co-founded.
Monday, April 6, 2009
Something Important to Consider today....
In this time of the Redemption of all people of all time we must make sure we are open to all...
In Three Cups of Tea: One Man’s Mission to Promote Peace . . . One School at a Time , Greg Mortenson, and journalist David Oliver Relin, recount the journey that led Mortenson from a failed 1993 attempt to climb Pakistan’s K2, the world’s second highest mountain, to successfully establish schools in some of the most remote regions of Afghanistan and Pakistan. By replacing guns with pencils, rhetoric with reading, Mortenson combines his unique background with his intimate knowledge of the third-world to promote peace with books, not bombs, and successfully bring education and hope to remote communities in central Asia. Three Cups of Tea is at once an unforgettable adventure and the inspiring true story of how one man really is changing the world—one school at a time.
“We share in the sorrow as people weep and suffer in America today,” he said, pushing his thick glasses firmly into place, “as we inaugurate this school. Those who have committed this evil act against the innocent, the women and children, to create thousands of widows and orphans do not do so in the name of Islam…. For this tragedy, I humbly ask Mr. George and Dr. Greg Sahib for their forgiveness. …. These two Christian men have come halfway around the world to show our Muslim children the light of education,” … “I request America to look into our hearts, “ Abbas continued, his voice straining with emotion, “and see that the great majority of us are not terrorists, but good and simple people. Our land is stricken with poverty because we are without education, but today, another candle of knowledge has been lit. In the name of Allah the Almighty, may it light our way out of the darkness we find ourselves in.”
“It was an incredible speech,” Mortenson says. “And by the time Syed Abbas had finished he had the entire crowd in tears. I wish all the Americans who think ‘Muslim’ is just another way of saying ‘terrorist’ could have been there that day. The true core tenants of Islam are justice, tolerance, and charity, and Syed Abbas represented the moderate center of Muslim faith eloquently.”
From THREE CUPS OF TEA
By Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin
p. 257
In Three Cups of Tea: One Man’s Mission to Promote Peace . . . One School at a Time , Greg Mortenson, and journalist David Oliver Relin, recount the journey that led Mortenson from a failed 1993 attempt to climb Pakistan’s K2, the world’s second highest mountain, to successfully establish schools in some of the most remote regions of Afghanistan and Pakistan. By replacing guns with pencils, rhetoric with reading, Mortenson combines his unique background with his intimate knowledge of the third-world to promote peace with books, not bombs, and successfully bring education and hope to remote communities in central Asia. Three Cups of Tea is at once an unforgettable adventure and the inspiring true story of how one man really is changing the world—one school at a time.
“We share in the sorrow as people weep and suffer in America today,” he said, pushing his thick glasses firmly into place, “as we inaugurate this school. Those who have committed this evil act against the innocent, the women and children, to create thousands of widows and orphans do not do so in the name of Islam…. For this tragedy, I humbly ask Mr. George and Dr. Greg Sahib for their forgiveness. …. These two Christian men have come halfway around the world to show our Muslim children the light of education,” … “I request America to look into our hearts, “ Abbas continued, his voice straining with emotion, “and see that the great majority of us are not terrorists, but good and simple people. Our land is stricken with poverty because we are without education, but today, another candle of knowledge has been lit. In the name of Allah the Almighty, may it light our way out of the darkness we find ourselves in.”
“It was an incredible speech,” Mortenson says. “And by the time Syed Abbas had finished he had the entire crowd in tears. I wish all the Americans who think ‘Muslim’ is just another way of saying ‘terrorist’ could have been there that day. The true core tenants of Islam are justice, tolerance, and charity, and Syed Abbas represented the moderate center of Muslim faith eloquently.”
From THREE CUPS OF TEA
By Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin
p. 257
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Franziska Notes April 2009
Franziska Notes
No.6/4 April 2009
Jesus promised to be with us all days. How comforting to know that He has found a way to accompany those who believe in Him and love Him in every situation of their lives. This has given courage to His disciples to risk life, reputation and fortunes to the glory of His name and help to His brothers and sisters in need.
It was this assurance that allowed Mother Franziska to take huge risks, going to foreign countries and different cultures to begin foundations. Her only cause for concern was that the venture truly be the will of God. How often she signed contracts when she did not even have the money to offer the other signing party a coach ride home.
This same kind of trust in God’s providence remained in the sisters of her Congregation. A sister in Austria who lived through the terrible years of the German and Russian rule said, “God took care of us. We always had something to eat even if on one day it was watery broth with a few potatoes and the next day a few potatoes with a ‘gravy’ of watery broth.” All those who have come to love the Daughters of Divine Charity have experienced the fruits of this faith in the structures, built with so much risk and daring but which benefited God’s children and youth, the needy and the aged on three continents for over one hundred years.
How can we participate in this kind of relationship with God? To get to know someone, we must know their language. Sacred Scripture is the language of God. Those who want to experience God’s presence in their daily lives must spend a few moments daily with His Holy Word. There are today many plans for daily scripture reading, in print and on the Internet. We must find one that suits our personality and be faithful to it. Soon we will see that Jesus keeps His promise to be with us and our lives open in personal joy and fruitful service to others.
www.godslovefdc.org
No.6/4 April 2009
Jesus promised to be with us all days. How comforting to know that He has found a way to accompany those who believe in Him and love Him in every situation of their lives. This has given courage to His disciples to risk life, reputation and fortunes to the glory of His name and help to His brothers and sisters in need.
It was this assurance that allowed Mother Franziska to take huge risks, going to foreign countries and different cultures to begin foundations. Her only cause for concern was that the venture truly be the will of God. How often she signed contracts when she did not even have the money to offer the other signing party a coach ride home.
This same kind of trust in God’s providence remained in the sisters of her Congregation. A sister in Austria who lived through the terrible years of the German and Russian rule said, “God took care of us. We always had something to eat even if on one day it was watery broth with a few potatoes and the next day a few potatoes with a ‘gravy’ of watery broth.” All those who have come to love the Daughters of Divine Charity have experienced the fruits of this faith in the structures, built with so much risk and daring but which benefited God’s children and youth, the needy and the aged on three continents for over one hundred years.
How can we participate in this kind of relationship with God? To get to know someone, we must know their language. Sacred Scripture is the language of God. Those who want to experience God’s presence in their daily lives must spend a few moments daily with His Holy Word. There are today many plans for daily scripture reading, in print and on the Internet. We must find one that suits our personality and be faithful to it. Soon we will see that Jesus keeps His promise to be with us and our lives open in personal joy and fruitful service to others.
www.godslovefdc.org
Monday, March 30, 2009
A walk through our lovely park
A memorial to the American Sisters who have already experienced their Resurrection
One wants to sing "Alleluia" already today!
Monday, March 2, 2009
Franziska Notes 6/3 March 2009
Franziska Notes
No.6/3 March 2009
The word for Lent comes from an old Germanic term for Spring. So our holy season of Lent can be seen as a time of joyous renewal instead of painful privation. Mother Franziska was very suspicious of extreme forms of penance. She wanted her sisters to live the life of ordinary good Christians. At the same time she often called for sacrifice for good purposes. The sisters could not afford luxuries and sometimes even had to do without what seemed to be necessities because of the poverty of the young congregation and the urgent desire to use its limited resources for the good of those in their care. In one of her Lenten circulars she tells her sisters to “fast with the tongue”. At first reading I understood this to mean that the sisters must make renewed efforts to keep the silences that promoted prayer, recollection and useful work, and I am sure these were concerns of the early little communities.
The Lenten circular of our Holy Father, Benedict XVI gives a beautiful new emphasis to the concept of fasting. “Jesus brings to light the profound motive for fasting,…True fasting, as the divine Master repeats elsewhere, is rather to do the will of the Heavenly Father, who “sees in secret, and will reward you” (Mt 6,18). Today when so many people must limit themselves to the barest necessities or even suffer want, it is appropriate that we also limit our material wants to share with those in need. Following Mother Franziska’s words in the light of the positive slant in our Holy Father’s letter, we have, in addition, a beautiful program for Lent. We can “fast with our tongue” by making a positive effort to spread beautiful and kind words with a smile to strangers and our dear ones everywhere. We will be like angels leaving a trail of blessings which sooner or later will bring ourselves and many others to the joy and love of the Resurrected Lord.
The Lenten circular of our Holy Father, Benedict XVI gives a beautiful new emphasis to the concept of fasting. “Jesus brings to light the profound motive for fasting,…True fasting, as the divine Master repeats elsewhere, is rather to do the will of the Heavenly Father, who “sees in secret, and will reward you” (Mt 6,18). Today when so many people must limit themselves to the barest necessities or even suffer want, it is appropriate that we also limit our material wants to share with those in need. Following Mother Franziska’s words in the light of the positive slant in our Holy Father’s letter, we have, in addition, a beautiful program for Lent. We can “fast with our tongue” by making a positive effort to spread beautiful and kind words with a smile to strangers and our dear ones everywhere. We will be like angels leaving a trail of blessings which sooner or later will bring ourselves and many others to the joy and love of the Resurrected Lord.
www.godslovefdc.org
Letter to a young Daughter of Divine Charity
Letter to a young sister
Dear Sister,
You asked me, "Just what is our charism?" When I was a young sister I heard a lot about and asked, "What is our spirit?" I have been asking that question in one of those forms all of my religious life. The answers have changed for me over the years but they never contradicted each other. Rather, the years and various experiences have brought new insight to make the answer richer and more beautiful until in eternity, by God's grace, it will be complete. So what I am writing today is different than what I might have written ten years ago or twenty years from now. But so it is also with the charism of the Congregation as it grows into the future, responding in each time and in each place to the will of God. so "the poor" might be unschooled servant girls in a large city, or children of immigrants in a new country or mentally disabled or disturbed adults who need a sheltered environment, or the milkman who delivers every day to the convent kitchen or even our own sisters who are old, or sick, or busy and need the support of loving service. When we are young, it sometimes seems selfish to include "our Congregation" in our motto, but as time goes by we admire more and more the practical wisdom this demonstrates. The needs of the world and the Church are so great, and the limits of our ability, strength and wisdom beome gradually so clear that we learn to appreciate being part of something greater than ourselves. Without the Congregation I might have scattered and wasted my energies. Without the Congregation my service would have been limited to only those persons I myself could reach and touch, and all my plans and ideas would have died soon after my life ended. As it is, every prayer, every good deed, every smile of my religious life has become a part of something greater than myself. To the extent that I have loved I have been a blessing, enriching the lives of others, helping them to go on and bless other lives, on and on and on.
For awhile there was a movement to change the word "Daughter" in our title to the word 'sister' which is in the title of most other women's congregations. Thanks to God's wonderful providence that did not happen. The word "Daughter" was surely specially chosen by Mother Franziska to describe what she wanted us to be. Reflections on the ideal of "daughter" are enough for a lifetime of meditation. A good daughter serves her family loyally, but she is not a servant. She belongs. She is part of the family and is loved, often in a very special way by her father. She serves not for pay or out of fear but because she also loves. She loves her parents, even when they are not perfect. She helps and defends and supports the family, even when she is not thanked in words. We are daughters of God, of the Church and of our congregational family. The special "ring" of that word can ba a guide for the manner we bring to all we do. Mother Franziska wrote in one of her letters that a problem was so pressing that she had to force herself to be the cheerful person she otherwise was naturally. This demonstrates that she did not sit back and ask herself, "Am I happy?", but rather realized that happiness and joy were very much something we decided to be each day. Through God's grace and strength we could find in every situation, even suffering and persecution, a reason to be happy and to consciously bring the gift of cheerfulness and joy to those around us.
You are searching for our Charism. You do not realize that is is already visible in your very young religious life. It is expressed in the courage and generosity that brought you to our doors. It's beginnings are present in your loving conversations with the Lord and your enthusiastic work in the tasks assigned to you. It will continue to grow if you nourish it with prayer and obedience. Prayer will allow God, through the intercession of Mary our patronness and our Mother Foundress to guide and lead you, and obedience will keep you safe from the dangers of delusion and self-will, and channel your energies productively in God's plan. Through most of your life you will see that plan only in occasional glimpses. Most of the time you will have to live by faith. Sometimes you will feel there is no plan at all and you will be tempted to set things up according to your own plan. If you can perservere, however, our charism, colored by the uniqueness that is you, will be joined with the special gifts of your sisters throughout the world and the hundreds who have come before and who will follow, and will become a special and beautiful part of the Church. One day we will see it, completed and fulfilled and our hearts will overflow with gratitude to God and each other as we admire its breauty.
You challenged me to make our charism practical. I cannot do that for you,-- only for myself. Like Mother Foundress, I send you out with two instruments--prayer and obedience-- these two added to hers will show you the way. My love and my prayers go with you.
You asked me, "Just what is our charism?" When I was a young sister I heard a lot about and asked, "What is our spirit?" I have been asking that question in one of those forms all of my religious life. The answers have changed for me over the years but they never contradicted each other. Rather, the years and various experiences have brought new insight to make the answer richer and more beautiful until in eternity, by God's grace, it will be complete. So what I am writing today is different than what I might have written ten years ago or twenty years from now. But so it is also with the charism of the Congregation as it grows into the future, responding in each time and in each place to the will of God. so "the poor" might be unschooled servant girls in a large city, or children of immigrants in a new country or mentally disabled or disturbed adults who need a sheltered environment, or the milkman who delivers every day to the convent kitchen or even our own sisters who are old, or sick, or busy and need the support of loving service. When we are young, it sometimes seems selfish to include "our Congregation" in our motto, but as time goes by we admire more and more the practical wisdom this demonstrates. The needs of the world and the Church are so great, and the limits of our ability, strength and wisdom beome gradually so clear that we learn to appreciate being part of something greater than ourselves. Without the Congregation I might have scattered and wasted my energies. Without the Congregation my service would have been limited to only those persons I myself could reach and touch, and all my plans and ideas would have died soon after my life ended. As it is, every prayer, every good deed, every smile of my religious life has become a part of something greater than myself. To the extent that I have loved I have been a blessing, enriching the lives of others, helping them to go on and bless other lives, on and on and on.
For awhile there was a movement to change the word "Daughter" in our title to the word 'sister' which is in the title of most other women's congregations. Thanks to God's wonderful providence that did not happen. The word "Daughter" was surely specially chosen by Mother Franziska to describe what she wanted us to be. Reflections on the ideal of "daughter" are enough for a lifetime of meditation. A good daughter serves her family loyally, but she is not a servant. She belongs. She is part of the family and is loved, often in a very special way by her father. She serves not for pay or out of fear but because she also loves. She loves her parents, even when they are not perfect. She helps and defends and supports the family, even when she is not thanked in words. We are daughters of God, of the Church and of our congregational family. The special "ring" of that word can ba a guide for the manner we bring to all we do. Mother Franziska wrote in one of her letters that a problem was so pressing that she had to force herself to be the cheerful person she otherwise was naturally. This demonstrates that she did not sit back and ask herself, "Am I happy?", but rather realized that happiness and joy were very much something we decided to be each day. Through God's grace and strength we could find in every situation, even suffering and persecution, a reason to be happy and to consciously bring the gift of cheerfulness and joy to those around us.
You are searching for our Charism. You do not realize that is is already visible in your very young religious life. It is expressed in the courage and generosity that brought you to our doors. It's beginnings are present in your loving conversations with the Lord and your enthusiastic work in the tasks assigned to you. It will continue to grow if you nourish it with prayer and obedience. Prayer will allow God, through the intercession of Mary our patronness and our Mother Foundress to guide and lead you, and obedience will keep you safe from the dangers of delusion and self-will, and channel your energies productively in God's plan. Through most of your life you will see that plan only in occasional glimpses. Most of the time you will have to live by faith. Sometimes you will feel there is no plan at all and you will be tempted to set things up according to your own plan. If you can perservere, however, our charism, colored by the uniqueness that is you, will be joined with the special gifts of your sisters throughout the world and the hundreds who have come before and who will follow, and will become a special and beautiful part of the Church. One day we will see it, completed and fulfilled and our hearts will overflow with gratitude to God and each other as we admire its breauty.
You challenged me to make our charism practical. I cannot do that for you,-- only for myself. Like Mother Foundress, I send you out with two instruments--prayer and obedience-- these two added to hers will show you the way. My love and my prayers go with you.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Franziska Notes No. 6/2 February 2009
Franziska Notes No.6/2 February 2009
In the dark midwinter days in the northern hemisphere and the dull after Christmas – before Carnival in the South, we want to catch a little enthusiasm from one of Mother Franziska’s sayings. We don’t know exactly where or when she said these words that turned out to be a concise description of the work she envisioned for her Congregation…. to do good, give joy, make happy and lead to heaven…. She did not limit the ministry of the Daughters of Divine Charity to one social group or one kind of suffering to be alleviated. Her vision of the future was suited to all times and places, wherever God and the Church chose to use her sisters, and by extension those who are inspired by them..
To do good is the first step in ministry. We enter peoples lives by doing good to and for them. It might be a smile, a friendly word, a little gift or service to fulfill a need. It establishes a solidarity and trust. The second is to give joy. This is the Sisters’ motivation and it is on a spiritual level. The person ministering must be grounded in the unshakeable joy that comes from a loving union with God, nourished by prayer and the Eucharist. This is a contagious joy that wins others to Christ and His service. The third aspect of the ministry is to make happy. The sister must be free enough to use the simple things of life in the proper way. This brings happiness, especially when it is tied to gratitude to God. Some of the happiest people in the world are those living in the simplest of circumstances. In a village without electricity people can delight in the stars in their purest form. In a place where food is truly taken almost unprocessed from nature and eaten for basic life, there is happiness in each different taste and texture. The sister tries to live simply so that she can share this genuine happiness with those she serves. Finally, all true ministry must always have the final destiny of each child of God in view… to lead to heaven. This goal is the criteria for all of life and all service.
www.godslovefdc.org
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