Reflections on a book discussion: Sr. Jean and Sr. Sheila

Salvatorian Sisters Jean Schafer and Sheila Novak organized a book event around author Debby Irving’s Waking up White for National Catholic Sisters Week. They offered it as a Lenten project at their Salvatorian parish in Orangevale, Calif. They hosted six discussion sessions at Divine Savior Parish with 14 women participating. In addition to facilitating the…

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Book talks open our eyes to white privilege

We called our 2019 National Catholic Sisters Week project, “Turning the page on conversations about race,” and hoped we could do so in some small way. We’re grateful to the women and men from around metro Milwaukee who gathered with us for “table talk” about Debby Irving’s book Waking up White and Finding Myself in…

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Reflections on a book discussion: Sr. Letty and Sr. Georgene

Our Salvatorian Sisters in Phoenix, Ariz. hosted a series of discussions about Bryan Stevenson’s book, Just Mercy for 2019 National Catholic Sisters Week. Stevenson is co-founder of the Equal Justice Initiative in Montgomery, Ala., a non-profit organization advocating for equal treatment in the criminal justice system. Here, Sisters Georgene Faust and Letty Regala each share…

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A Reflection on a Discussion Circle About Race

“I remember the exact moment in my childhood when I realized I was Native,” reflected one of the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate tribal members who gathered in our convent living room for our Discussion Circle about a book titled, Waking up White. She drew nods from others in the circle. “And I remember the moment when I…

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Turning the page on conversation about race

Sisters of the Divine Savior hosted book discussions at our Milwaukee Community House to celebrate 2019 National Catholic Sisters Week, March 8-14. People from the local community who registered for the events received a free copy of Debby Irving’s 2014 book, Waking up White and Finding Myself in the Story of Race. Generous grants provided…

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Our relatives need our prayers

On the Lake Traverse Reservation in northeastern South Dakota, blizzards have finally stopped. Now, snow-melt and rains have left many tribal members homeless in an area known as “Peever Flats” about 10 miles southeast of Sisseton. Salvatorian Sister Patrice Colletti lives and serves in Sisseton, S.D., along with Sister Rita Vogelsang, SDS. Sr. Patrice teaches…

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Birthday memories: Sr. Clarice

A memorable birthday for me was my big 90 last year in 2018! As I came into our dining room at SSR, I was greeted with a loud “surprise!” And that it was!!! There at table were friends Sisters Margaret Bosch, Pat Kieler, and Virginia Honish and from Wisconsin Rapids, my younger sister Marilyn, her…

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Birthday Memories: Sr. Mary Jo

My 50th (over the hill) birthday party was one to remember. Sisters Carol Jean Zais, Patrice Colletti and I lived at Sauk Rapids, Minnesota with the Little Falls Franciscan Sisters. Our inter-community living was a positive and life giving experience.

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Birthday Memories: Sr. Sheila

I am not sure that this will qualify as my favorite birthday memory, but it is still very vivid for me and is the only one that comes to mind. At the time I was turning 30 there was a great deal of discussion in the culture about the fact that when you became 30…

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Salvatorian Sisters are Treasures of the Church

Sisters of the Divine Savior is this year’s recipient of the Treasures of the Church award presented to a religious community for social justice ministries. The award acknowledges our sisters’ work to advocate for women and children, immigrants and refugees, and especially to combat human trafficking. The Milwaukee Archdiocese’s Treasures of the Church awards were…

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