What's Happening

October 12, 2020, Detroit – At a time of harvest in the northern United States, Sister Janet Schaeffler, OP, has written a bumper crop of spiritual material: her 2020 booklet of Advent reflections, Miracles Abound, and a book on spiritual reflections and practices on aging, Let This Be the Time: Spiritual Essentials for Life’s Second Act.

Both works are meant to help people on their spiritual journeys. Miracles Abound offers short reflections based on the Scripture readings for each day of Advent, as well as suggested practices and short prayers. It is the latest of several Advent booklets that Sister Janet has written through the years.

A retreat leader and a consultant for catechists and adult faith formation leaders, Sister Janet also once served as Director of Adult Faith Formation for the Archdiocese of Detroit. A recipient of the National Conference for Catechetical Leadership (NCCL) Distinguished Service Award, she has written numerous books and resources for catechists.

“A lot of people will use the booklet because it’s short,” Sister Janet said. “I think this method of a short reflection book for Advent is a way of helping people in that whole busy-ness to reflect on what it really means.”

Sister Janet noted that Advent is a challenging time for Christians who want to prepare spiritually for Christmas. In our culture, she said, the emphasis is on getting ready for Christmas by buying the best gifts or putting up the best decorations. The message from our culture mitigates the spirit of Advent and draws away the time and attention of Christians, she said.

Over the years, Sister Janet has heard from people who appreciated her Advent booklets. “What I hear most from people is that it connects their faith with their everyday life in a way that they can understand,” she said.

A prolific writer, Sister Janet said that she has always written books at the request of publishers. Twenty-Third Publications asked her to write a book on the spirituality of aging – a topic she had covered already in workshops and retreats. She said she was glad to be asked to write on the topic because of the way society refers to aging – “as if it’s about diminishing and frailty and not being productive anymore.” Ageism, she said, is “the greatest bias in our country – the way we dismiss older people, their wisdom, their experience.”

Sister Janet, on the other hand, believes that aging is an important part of the spiritual journey of human beings. “Spirituality touches on every part of our life,” she said. “Our journey is a spiritual journey, a journey of holiness, a journey of wholeness and deepened relationship with God and other people.”

In the area of aging, Sister Janet said, Christians need to be counter-cultural. “We have to come to our own healthy, wholesome outlook on life,” she said. “Yes, there will be limitations as we grow older, but how do we approach those losses? How do we look at these years of life?” 

Let This Be the Time focuses on 12 needs adults have in the second half of their lives. Each chapter concludes with questions that could lead to personal or group reflection, as well as a list of suggested actions. “My hope is it will help people to think more reflectively and deeply about what’s happening at this point in their lives, so that the real meaning and the vibrancy of life can be lived,” Sister Janet said.

Both Miracles Abound and Let This Be the Time are available through Twenty-Third Publications or the Weber Center Shop at Weber Retreat and Conference Center in Adrian. To order copies from the Weber Center Shop, call or email: 517-266-4035 or webershop@adriandominicans.org.

October 12, 2020, Flint, Michigan – In the weeks before the November 3 national election, two stories related to the Adrian Dominican Sisters are among hundreds that are told by Nuns on the Bus 2020. Among the Nuns on the Bus is Adrian Dominican Sister Durstyne Farnan, OP, United Nations Representative for the Dominican Sisters Conference. In addition, the story of St. Luke N.E.W. Life Center – founded in 2002 by Sisters Carol Weber OP, and Judy Blake, CSJ – was told on September 29, 2020, during a virtual tour by Nuns on the Bus.  

Sponsored by NETWORK: A Catholic Social Justice Lobby, Nuns on the Bus explores election-year social justice issues through site visits to social service and community agencies, town hall meetings, dialogues, state voting information, and short videos featuring “nuns on the bus” who are involved in social service and social justice issues. 

Sister Durstyne Farnan, OP

In her video, Sister Durstyne speaks of her ministry at the United Nations and of her special concerns for the issues of equality for women, immigration, nuclear weapons, and climate change. She encourages voters to “make this election count” and to vote for candidates who will move the world forward.

During her visit to St. Luke N.E.W. Life Center, Sister Simone Campbell, SSS, Director of NETWORK, interviewed Sisters Carol and Judy, as well as staff members Tiffany and Christine, who had participated in the Center’s programs. 

Sister Judy explained the unique origin of the Center: a recurring dream that she experienced during a 30-day retreat. In response, Sisters Judy and Carol began a street ministry to the people of Flint. 

The Center occupies a former grammar school owned by St. Luke Parish. Programs include a Wednesday women’s group; a food pantry; a hot meal program; a literacy center, which offers both adult literacy training and preparation for GED; an employment preparation program for men and women; and social enterprises, such as commercial sewing and lawn care, which enable graduates to further develop their skills and work ethic. 

Sisters Judy and Carol told Sister Simone that, because of the pandemic, many of the Center’s programs have had to be adapted. Learners and tutors in the literacy program still work one-on-one, Sister Carol said, but now they meet via Zoom. 

The Commercial Sewing Enterprise – which once produced items such as medical scrubs, lab coats, designer aprons, and stadium blankets – now focuses entirely on masks, Sister Carol said. To date, women in Commercial Sewing have made more than 13,000 masks. “We really try to help our community mask up,” she explained. “The ZIP code we’re in is one of the highest in Flint for COVID.” 

While Sisters Carol and Judy spoke of the history and programs of the N.E.W. Life Center, Tiffany and Christine told their own stories: the impact that the Center has had on their lives.

Tiffany recalled discovering the Center while she was in the midst of depression, “on the verge of giving up.” Suffering from a back problem and unable to work, she heard about the food drive at the Center and brought some food from her own pantry. Immediately upon walking into the Center, she said, she felt love. “I felt like I’d been around there forever,” she said. She was invited immediately to the women’s Wednesday group, became involved in GED, and participated in the employment training class. 

“Right now, I pretty much run the donations department and I love the community,” Tiffany said. “They helped me get out of that dark place. I’m just the giving-est girl now. I didn’t know I was that kind.”

Christine had always loved helping people and hoped to start a homeless shelter. She moved from Flint to Georgia but returned home when her grandmother – now doing well – was diagnosed with cancer. She came to the Center at the suggestion of her sister, who told her of the employment program. “Coming here, it just opened up so many doors,” she said. “Everybody was so nice…. I can actually live my life now. All of these wonderful, beautiful people are behind me.” 

Both Tiffany and Christine are enthusiastic about continuing their work with the Center and helping with proposed programs, such as outreach to women suffering from abuse. “I’m looking forward to expanding this program, continuing this vision,” Tiffany said. “I would love to stay on board.”

Christine also expressed her joy at continue to work at St. Luke N.E.W. Life Center. “I look forward to working here,” she said. “I like helping people, seeing people with a smile on their face."

 

Feature photo: Sisters Carol Weber, OP, and Judy Blake, CSJ, founders of St. Luke N.E.W. Life Center, and staff members Tiffany and Christine chat via Zoom with Sister Simone Campbell, SSS, of NETWORK: A Catholic Social Justice Lobby, during a virtual visit by Nuns on the Bus.