On Sunday, June 6, at a 2:00 p.m. mass at Immanuel Courtyard Chapel in Omaha, Nebraska, Sister Consolata Sonka celebrated the 70th anniversary of her religious profession as a Notre Dame Sister. Sister Consolata was born in Pierz, Minnesota, but soon moved to Cedar Rapids, Iowa with her family. Sister Consolata is the daughter of the late Frank and Julia (Medek) Sonka. Her brothers Frank and Charles and her sister Josephine are deceased. Her sister Rose Marie resides in New York and Theresa, another sister, resides in Oregon.
Sister Consolata is a graduate of St. Ludmila Elementary School in Cedar Rapids, Iowa; Notre Dame Academy in Omaha, and the College of St. Mary, in Omaha. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the College of St. Mary and did further studies at Duchesne College in Omaha and Loretta Heights College in Denver. Sister Consolata became a novice with the Notre Dame Sisters in 1938 and professed temporary vows on August 13, 1940.
Sister Consolata’s career in education was launched when she was named Directress of resident high school students at Notre Dame Academy in 1940. At the time she also taught gym to both grade and high school students. In 1946 she was transferred to Our Lady of Lourdes in Porcupine, South Dakota, where she remained until 1952. It was then that she returned to Notre Dame to again direct the resident students. Future ministries in Iowa included St. Michael’s in Harlan; St. Ludmila’s in Cedar Rapids; St. Wenceslaus in Spillville; St. Mary’s in Guttenberg; and St. Alphonsus in Davenport. Ministries in Nebraska included Howells Community School in Howells; Assumption School in Omaha, St. Wenceslaus in Dodge, and St. John Neumann in Clarkson. Sister Consolata formally retired from teaching in 1994, celebrating a teaching career of 54 years.
In addition to her teaching duties through the years, Sister Consolata taught many Religious Education courses in the summer and through the school year. Because of her great love for Mary and the Rosary, Sr. Consolata used rosary slides to pray with residents of nursing homes and prayer groups. Over the years she had opportunity to visit Rome, Garabandal, Lourdes, Medjugorje, Fatima, and San Giovanni Rotondo.
In September of 2009, Sister Consolata moved to Immanuel Courtyard Assisted Living. She is most grateful for the care she receives there, often wishing her mother could have received the same care. At Courtyard, Sr. Consolata continues her prayer ministry, attends daily mass and many of the planned activities for the residents, and when she is able, joins a prayer group in the city. She enjoys contacts from former students and friends she has gained through the years. She holds the distinction of being the oldest Notre Dame Sister in the United States.
Sister Consolata is an artist at heart. She has produced many paintings of nature and of the Blessed Virgin Mary. She has great skill in quilling and has produced pictures and cards displaying this art. In her short time at Immanuel Courtyard she has taught the other residents how to work the small papers into beautiful art pieces. She loves to knit baby outfits for friends and paints dishtowels for the Notre Dame Gift Shoppe.

Sister Agnes Marie Ostry Celebrates the 70th Anniversary of her Religious Profession

On Sunday, June 6, at a 2:00 p.m.private liturgy at Immanuel Courtyard Chapel in Omaha, Nebraska, Sister Agnes Marie Ostry celebrated the 70th anniversary of her religious profession.
Sister Agnes Marie Ostry (formerly Sr. Mechtilde) is a native of Prague, Nebraska, and the daughter of the deceased Frank and Anna Ostry. After receiving her elementary education at St. John School in Prague and the Prague Public High School, she enrolled at Notre Dame Academy in Omaha to complete her high school education in 1936. After graduation, she attended the College of St. Mary for two years. On August 12, 1938 she became a novice and professed her vows two years later on August 13, 1940.
Sr. Agnes’ first teaching assignment was at Assumption School in Dwight, Nebraska, teaching primary grades. Sometimes she had three classes in one room, a definite challenge. Sister’s next assignment was St. Therese School in Omaha. Since there was no convent available for the Sisters, they taxied to and from the Notre Dame Motherhouse each day. Soon after, the parish rented a home for them near the school.
In 1953 Sister Agnes was assigned to St. Wenceslaus in Wahoo where she taught the middle grades. After two years she was called to begin a new school, St. Michael’s in Harlan, Iowa, where there had never been a Catholic school before. Her companions were Srs. Martin Kubesh and Gabrielis Lutovsky. There the Sisters taught two grades in each room and were responsible for finding the lay teachers to assist them.
By 1956 Notre Dame Academy was in need of a Latin teacher so Sr. Agnes Marie responded because of her great love for languages and history. In 1963 Sr. Agnes was called to teach at the new Christian Brothers LaSalle High School in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Four years later she returned to her Alma Mater, Notre Dame Academy, to teach Latin and History. Sr. Agnes vividly remembers in the late ‘60s telling her students to put their history books back in their lockers for they were going to study the history happening at the time, the Vietnam War. Newspaper articles and news reports with spirited discussions made up the content of the course. After seven years Sister Agnes joined the staff of the newly formed Roncalli High School and remained there for 11 years until her retirement in 1986. Her teaching career totaled 46 years of successful teaching in Iowa and Nebraska.
In her years of teaching, Sister Agnes held other positions with the Notre Dame Sisters. She was the directress of high school candidates for religious life for many years and spent hours translating documents from the Sisters’ archives, providing access to very important documents of the community’s history, especially the early history in the United States.
Even in her retirement Sr. Agnes was quite active tutoring students in math, grammar, and Latin; raising exquisite violets, and also translating various documents. One of her favorite assignments was to translate the biography of Cardinal Beran who had lived in Czechoslovakia during the time of the Nazi occupation and Communism. Many Czech families in the United States also relied on her to translate letters from their relatives in the Czech Republic. She served as translator at the 1974 international meeting of Notre Dame Sisters from the United States and Europe.
Family is very important to Sr. Agnes and she keeps in touch by phone or letter with her nieces and nephews and is able to visit her sister Lillian in a Wahoo care center quite often. Her great love for centering prayer afforded her the opportunity to attend many workshops and retreats on the topic.
Today, Sr. Agnes is a resident of Immanuel Courtyard Assisted Living where she attends daily mass and prays with the other Notre Dame Sisters living there, forming a little community. She also takes part in many of the activities provided for the residents at the complex. When she is physically able she attends meetings and activities with the larger Notre Dame community as she loves discussion of new ideas and wants to hear all the news first hand.
Sister’s family today consists of Lillian Ostry of Wahoo, nephews Joe, Larry and Art and nieces Sisters Marie Alice Ostry and Rita Ostry, both Notre Dame Sisters. Her siblings Sister Mildred, Emil, Ivan and Joe are deceased.
A private reception honoring Sr. Agnes Marie will follow the celebration. Joining in the celebration and also celebrating 70 years of religious profession will be Sr. Consolata Sonka, her classmate.

Sr. Rosalee Burke has begun work as the Volunteer Coordinator for both the Domestic Violence Coordinating Council and the Family Justice Center of the Midlands.
The Family Justice Center is a newly opened one-stop location for victims of family violence. It offers:
• Counseling
• Legal advice
• Obtaining a protection order
• Talking with the police
• Seeing a chaplain
• Obtaining transportation
• Finding shelter
Sr. Rosalee was attracted to working with the Domestic Violence Coordinating Council and the Family Justice Center of the Midlands because of her Notre Dame Community’s nonviolence focus, particularly helping women and children. “While the majority of my time is spent with volunteers, I still have a chance to interact with the people who need help,” Sr. Rosalee said. She is recruiting people to give two half-days or one full day a month to work at the Family Justice Center. The volunteers may babysit, offer hospitality, assist the receptionist or enter data. Volunteers must be willing to attend a ½ day training session and attend one evening meeting a month, must have a background check, and must commit to one year of service. The volunteers enable the center to see and help more women and children. To contact Sr. Rosalee, email srrosalee@dvccomaha.org or see the web site www.dvccomaha.org.

May Day

May 1, 2010

A Blessed Sacrament fifth grader and a Blessed Sacrament third grader delivered May Baskets to Notre Dame, assisted by parish and school volunteer, Mr. Carney. The Sisters, who often attend Mass at Blessed Sacrament, appreciate the outreach into the community by the students.

www.blessedsacramentomaha.org

Sr. Cynthia Hruby serves as Campus Ministry Coordinator and Catholic Newman Council Advisor at Wayne State College in Wayne, Nebraska. http://www.wsccatholic.org/ In April 2010, she is helping sponsor a Catholic experience for students. She sends this information:

THE BIG VISION: Future leaders of Catholicism are young adults today who have experienced a life-changing encounter with Christ through the Church (Deus Caritas Est 1). We need to find more ways to bridge the gap young adults often experience between contemporary culture and the Catholic faith.

THE LOCAL VISON: We are called to enhance the faith community by being more present and engaging with students in hopes that they continue participation in their Catholic faith (2007-2009). We envision more parish connections and increase of relationships with the parishioners (2009-2010). ~ Catholic Newman Council

OFFERING “A WAY” TO BRIDGE THE GAP: For April 16-17, we invited Jason Simon, the director of Evangelical Catholic (www.evangelicalcatholic.com) to facilitate a “Wide Awake in Wayne” experience. He will focus on conversion to Jesus and what is needed to be grounded a life of faith. The desired outcome is for each parish and campus participant to bring renewed life to the local ministry as well as to dioceses to which each returns.

"The transition we are experiencing as a Notre Dame community is on many levels and we keep reminding each other that we are walking into something new! Taking the steps necessary to arrive at the new destination can take a great deal of energy and trust. The most challenging things in life take a deep commitment of faith, hope and love.
So why are the Notre Dame Sisters making such big changes and what do these mean for the community? Why would a group of women who deeply value prayer, community and service give up their motherhouse so that it can be re-developed into affordable senior housing? And what will these changes mean for the future of mission and community life for the Notre Dame Sisters?
As I reflect on the journey we have been on it has been the faith, hope and love of each member of our community, living and dead, that has brought us to this point. Our founder, Fr. Gabriel Schneider said: “My trust in God is as great as the obstacles God places in my path.” As a community we have felt the challenge of our diminishment – aging members, a limiting financial reality, and property that is difficult to maintain. We have taken this to God in prayer; we do this by looking at our reality, listening to one another and discerning where God is leading us. And through this discernment we have felt called to embrace a community life with fewer possessions and great energy for the service we can offer to our church and world. We have heard God’s voice directing us to something new and we know that these steps we take in faith are of God."

On Ash Wednesday, Sr. Joan Polak spoke to the elementary school children at St. Wenceslaus School in Omaha, Nebraska. Joined by Sr. Ann Marie of the Servants of Mary, she talked about what it means to live as a vowed religious and what it means to "retire" from paid ministry into a life of volunteer work and prayer. The young people of St. Wenceslaus School prayed and thought about almsgiving all during Lent, and at the end of 40 days they presented the retired Notre Dame Sisters with a gift of more than $3,000.00 that they raised theselves.