Sr. Cynthia's work at Wayne State College in Wayne, Nebraska, has encouraged her to create a Web site as part of the Catholic outreach to students. You can get a good picture of Sr. Cynthia's work at http://www.wsccatholic.org/

September 2005 Homecoming Horse Float

We sure had lots of fun making a horse.
Yes, it was a GMC truck with spools for joints.
The legs moved 'like on a train'.
The hood of the truck...well, you'll see that it made a NECK...
The mane and the tail are made from hoola skirt.
The bring red-yellow 'blanket' made of contact paper.
Yes, it was quite a horse!
And in the student organization category, we got first.... $75.00

April 2004

July 2003

This photo is taken after the weekend at the St. Mary's Catholic Center. We are in the new addition where there is a lobby, recreation space, and general gathering space. The windows to our left make the WHOLE WALL and face the campus. To our right is a balcony with classrooms an below are the offices..... What a place!

The Aggie Awakening and the Missouri Awakening weekends each began more than 20 years ago from the weekend formed in Louisiana. After meeting some of the originals from the 'Aggie branch' my admiration of how the Spirit works in God's willing people skyrocketed and all I could do was praise God.

March 2003 - Fourth Spring Break Trip Journal 

I just got back from the Rio Grande Valley this morning about 8 am.
Walkie-talkies kept our Wayne State College van + my Notre Dame car connected and kept drivers awake when everyone else was asleep! The schedule of this trip was quite different from my three previous trips with students. Many of you have prayed for us so I want to share some pieces of our trip... By the way, everywhere we went, we gave the cards made by the Bishop Neumann students to children. I have a few pictures. 
-- We left for the Valley Fri 4:45 pm and drove Saturday to San Antonio for an Alamo & Riverwalk lunch (after missing an exit and getting VERY lost and frustrated and even vehicles separated with walkies static.... Praise God for cell phones and student connections because one in each car had a phone so we called and talked ourselves back together). 
--Saturday our destination was the San Juan Shrine, arriving 9 pm Saturday where we stayed at the Pilgrim House in the family 'units' (nice price!). Due to the San Antonio LOST-ness, we arrived too late and the Shrine was closed for the night : ( 
-- Sunday we went to Mexico for 9:30 am Mass with Sr. Maureen Croby who also took us to the colonias around the Mexican town of Neuvo Progreso. One student joined me and Sr. Maureen for a 2 pm lunch at Renee's while the other six headed out to explore the shops. Because I went back to our van with stuff and got caught in the 45 minute bridge inspection traffic jam with Sr. Maureen, I got back across at 4:50 and had ten minutes to shop.
Mostly I wanted to replace items raffled in our fundraiser and with the help of one of the students who knew where the bargains were, my goal was accomplished! About 5 pm we met, walked back across the bridge and headed for our Good Neighbor Housing Settlement 'home' in Brownsville. 
-- MTW we put in about 20 hours (with breaks and lunch) roofing a house. The $35/day included room and three meals. The plan was for breakfast and dinner to be brought to 'our dining' room with lunch brought to the work site. After Monday, it worked better to let students decide on sleep or breakfast. Those who wanted to eat joined the homeless in their dining area. We squeezed in an afternoon Tuesday trip to South Padre Island trip and an evening Wednesday visit to La Posada Asylum (last three times this was home base for the group I went with but St. Louis U. had priority). At Posada we had supper with the St. LU students and the residents participated in a reflection with the students. The reflection was led by one of their student leaders and one of ours. Seemed like a good experience for all.
-- Thursday, after tour and lunch at the homeless shelter Casa Ozanam, a tour of the youth detention center (permission NEEDED from the INS), supper and shopping in Metamoras, we headed north and drove from 8:30 pm to about 11:30 pm via Hwy 77 & I-37 near Corpus Christi then took I-37 before staying overnite south of San Antonio (overnight from 11 pm - 7 am). We were exhausted, evidenced by no one hearing the alarm clocks set for 5:30 am and those who did thinking I was coming to wake them. Oh, well, the extra sleep was likely needed.
-- Friday we continued north about 8 am (brunch north of San Antonio, OK City bombing memorial around 7 pm) to 8 am (18 hours). At our McD's late supper, the McD toys provided entertainment. Play was good! 
CONFUSING...?... Yeah! but we had rested drivers and rotation worked out quite well. My 'leg of the journey' was from 1 am through 8 am in Wayne. The highway lines between Norfolk and Wayne began to spin and I was grateful for the connection by walkie-talkie to the other group. 
It was a week of lots of input, hard work, and personal stresses for all. The group processed well and seemed to have an internal monitoring system that keep them moving through the feelings and thoughts from various experiences with increasing respect for one another's different ways.
At the Friday morning Denny's breakfast, two students lead the sharing on advocacy. A piece of this I will always carry with me. I'll attempt to pull together what I heard: 
The Holy Spirit is our Advocate. We are called to be disciples of Jesus empowered and led by the Spirit. We bring into ourselves (our soul, heart, mind, total self) the Scripture and life experiences. We take how we have been formed, let the Word challenge and shape us. The Word and world are taken within each... The Word meets into OUR own reality. Thus, we become disciples and strive to live as Jesus would want us to live. During this week, we met REAL people in poverty and now have memories of their eyes and voices and homes and lives. We faced our own prejudices/assumptions/fears (from climbing a ladder to heights to all the metaphors that can go with the physical challenges). We have a chance now to become the voice for the voiceless, advocates for TRUE justice.
Question:
HOW will we do this?
....anyway, that's how I put together what I heard. Our conversation was interrupted by the waitress bringing our breakfast so we focused on a much needed real-meal. I look forward to how the students will pull together their reflections and hope to share their insights and transformations with you in the spring Catholic Connections newsletter. As in the past, at this point I pray that the 'rough edges' and 'harsh experiences' and 'stresses' fade away and the benefit of the experience is lifted up and shared. 
Song adapted: Lord, I lift 'this week' on high. Lord, help us to sing your praises. You came from heaven to earth to show the Way. Your people in poverty now show us your face, help us be a voice for the voiceless....
YEAH, I know, this needs some work on the syllables! 
Well, that's an update on what absorbed my life and energy for the past month. Now for debriefing, resting, and heading into prep for the Busy Person Retreat and Lenten BREAD groups and other Lent activities... I look forward to Easter! 
Tonight I'll head out to Grand Island to see my mom. I'm bringing Czech Stop kolaches from Texas! I planned to bring Texas grapefruit but when I saw this shop on the way down, my mind changed. 
Happy and Recuperating in Wayne...
Sr. Cynthia

World Youth Day
July 2002
"You are the salt of the earth...You are the light of the world."

Tuesday-Friday, July 23-24 – Understanding the Theme 

Our Omaha group of 45 met at Eppley Airfield at 5 am July 23 to catch our American Airlines flight to Chicago where we would transfer to the flight to Toronto. We arrived at our destination about noon and shuttled to the registration building. We were offered a pilgrim lunch of water and delicious bread. By late afternoon we were settled in with a family a family from St. Justin the Martyr parish in Markham. Our daily trip to the WYD events began about 8 am. Travel was just short of two hours so our time on location was about 10 am to 8 pm. We returned to the parish about 10 pm each night.  

Various bishops led the morning catechesis presentations followed by Mass. These were designed to unfold the theme: salt as the difficulties of life, the suffering, the self-sacrifice; light as the joy that comes with accepting God’s promises and reaching out in loving service. The Friday foot washing prayer service gave me clarity and motivation to continue the experience. On one afternoon I visited the Vocation Booths which had a steady stream of visitors collecting freebies. The SSND booth, of course, was one of my favorite. Our cousin community had several provinces represented.  

Noon and evening mealtimes were another experience! If your ticket was not among the six taken by a member of your own group, you went to the “auction block” where others without partners gathered. This happened to me once and I ended up completing a “six pack” from China and found myself eating with wonderful Marquette High School students and their chaperone near the Chinese group. 

For me, the days before the long walk to Downsview Park were “the salt” of the journey could be received. We endured long walks, long lines, waiting in the heat, miscommunication and disorganization, disappointments (did not get to do the service afternoon or walk the Stations of the Cross) and we found creative ways to keep our attitudes focused on the pilgrimage.  

Thursday, July 25 – Mirror, Mirror on the Wall 

 
Thursday I began to feel my over 50 age and lack of physical preparation for the walking. I could also feel a cold coming with each sneeze, although I hoped it was only some allergic reaction to Toronto subway/train air. Our group had terrific accommodations in the homes of St. Justin the Martyr parishioners, room for several in front of a large vanity mirror. Thursday morning I was talking with the teen I was 'booked with.' As she talked and I fussed with my hair, I looked at her by looking at the image in the mirror. She was in a 'morning prattle' that was interesting but I could not turn to see her directly because I was busy. Then the insight: Here I was, listening and responding to the image of her and not looking AT HER except once in a while.
MY INSIGHT: How often do I communicate with others...with God... even with myself ...and only through the image????? I turned to her, told her my insight. She paused in the silence, her eyes lit up, then she said softly: Deep! Sister, Deep!  

Saturday, July 27 – The Long Walk 

We awoke early, me with swollen throat and aching muscles. The big question: Do I go on the five mile pilgrimage walk or not? My hostess gave me Budkley’s Syrup (tasted like Pine Sol and went down like whiskey) and in a few minutes I was better. Several Ibuprofen took care of the rest. After the 9 am Mass at St. Justin’s, I was much better. I even found a parish wheelchair for a student whose feet blistered. The five mile walk left me with memories of songs in various languages, images of many flags, voices of pilgrims in different languages, rest in the shade and trudging in the heat, and of course, the refreshing WYD waterbottles! The WYD scarf proved to be a creative veil from the sun during the walk and waiting in the park for the evening Vespers with JPII. For me the evening prayer came into focus during the singing of the Magnificat. I felt a surge of joy thanking God for my vocation as a Notre Dame Sister.
MY INSIGHT: My walk in life is truly a pilgrimage. Each step, each person I meet, each act of kindness, each song…. That’s what makes the journey. The destination is important, but I believe the ‘being’ and the ‘doing’ on the way is essential preparation for an encounter of the Spirit. 

Sunday, July 28 – The WYD Pentecost? 

The big question from those not at WYD: Did you get wet? The answer is no, not me. All night the heavy air threatened to dump the rain and thunder and lightening added to the tension. In addition, our group seemed to keep losing members and those who knew them were concerned, especially since two of the lost were injured. I went out looking at first, but then I got disoriented and found myself on the wrong side of the swamp (much to my delight, I walked into African youth leading a circle dance). I went back around the swamp then I excused myself from ‘the hunt’ since I had a medicated throat and an extremely stuffy head from sinus congestion.  

From about 12:30-3:30 am we heard the vocation presentations but could not see since our viewing screens went out. The African dance and drumming continued after the vigil and I tried to rest but did not sleep.  
I was zipped into my plastic mattress cover and warm in my sleeping bag when, about 5:45 am on Sunday, a five minute downpour hit. I quickly zipped shut my breathing hole. Snug as a bug, I listened to the screeches and cries of surprise and fun. It was delightfully entertaining. When the rain quit, we crawled out and assessed the 'damage.' Most were soaked. Then another downpour, then drizzle and spotty showers. By 9:30 am or so, the wind was blowing hard.... The Spirit moved in!.... the clouds moved southeast and there were blue skies to the northwest. The wind continued, some drops of water then .... SUNSHINE just as the pope read the Gospel of our being "light for the world." By the time of his homily, clear skies and a slight breeze! Yes, impressive nature show by the CREATOR! ALLELUIA! 

MY INSIGHT: All of the above has become a metaphor for the spiritual journey. Sunday morning was the “Pentecost.” Now I am renewed in the wonder of the universalism of our Catholic faith and in my call to minister with the young adults who have such great hunger for a relationship with Jesus, His People, and living the Gospel. 

Monday-Tuesday, July 29-30 – The Journey Ends 

Monday the city was quiet. It was a day for each to do whatever. I chose to see the ROM display of religious art. This was near Toronto University so I also visited the Catholic Newman Center, a historic house and church. Lunch in an Asian restaurant with Tongay from Columbus topped off a relaxing day. On Tuesday, the return trip was eventless, except that Corinne from Marian High School stayed in Toronto for the next flight…. Her ticket was “eaten” by the baggage belt… Ahhh…, such was our journey, filled with memories of the unexpected and the wonderful!  

Thank you for your prayers! I’m still unpacking the experience…  

Sr. Cynthia

Third Annual Spring Break Trip

March 2002
Sr. Cynthia Hruby ('66 ND alum) coordinated her third Spring Break Trip to south Texas March 2-9 and the first trip for Wayne State College Students. Two previous trips were with Southeast Missouri State University. 
The purpose of the trip is to introduce students to the issues and concerns of immigrants and migrants. The group of seven students (all women) included five Catholic, one Methodist, one Baptist plus the minister for Crosspoints (United Ministries of Higher Education).
After digging the WSC 15 passenger van out of the snowdrifts, the group took Hwy 77, 15, 81 from Nebraska south on interstate through Wichita and San Antonio then back on Hwy 77 to Harlingen and more than 25 hours later, to La Posada Providencia, the asylum for refugees in San Benito, Texas. La Posada is the ministry of the Providence Community from St. Louis.
The 'home for the week' was with refugees from the Dominican Republic, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Honduras, Nigeria. Most of the nine or so guests during the week were from Central America. 
The task of the WSC group was to offer hospitality through visiting with the guests, playing cards, preparing meals and learning from Sr. Margaret Mertens the difficult task of obtaining legal status. Trips were made to the the border, to the immigration office, pro-bono legal services, a homeless shelter, the Brownsville Cathedral, the San Juan Shrine, and to colonias and a clinic in Mexico. The FUN of the trip included visits to the Alamo and Riverwalk in San Antonio, South Padre Island, shopping in Mexico, and on the way back, a stop at the memorial in Oklahoma City. 
Students are still 'digesting' the experience of the poverty observed in Mexico and at the homeless shelter and the stories of the refugees.