June 2011
Spiritual Work “Continuetodoyourownspiritualwork,”—thesearewordsfromourVisioningCircleinresponsetoourongoingquestion:“HowdowefacilitateasecurefutureforClare’sWell?”You’veallheardusaskthatquestionbefore;itwaseveninapreviousissueofThe Well.OurVisioningCircle’sresponse,“Continuetodoyourownspiritualwork,”ispowerful.ItgroundsusintheSpiritofGodatworkinsideandamongushereandnow.
Atthetimeofourfounding,23yearsagothisJune9,wereceivedthemotto,“Wisdomisdeepwithin;drinkfromyourownwell.”Somehowitwasclearfromday-onethatClare’sWellwastobeaplaceforgueststocometopray,enjoysolitudeinnature,re-focusandre-engagetheirownsouls.Whileitistemptingtoover-reachwhenwereceivemanycataloguesofprogramsofferedbyotherfacilities,weknowourcallistosimplepresenceandhospitality. Iamremindedofourfriend,Basil’s,words:“Repetition.Repetition.”OnewhoseeksGod’swillmustfocusand“practice,practice,practice,”hesaid.Preparemeals.Preparemeals.Washdishes.Washdishes.Dailyprayerandaspiritualpracticeoffaith-fulwelcomingarenotoptionalforourgrowthandguidance.Pursuingeasyanswersinapotpourriofspiritualitywon’tbearfruit.Whydowekeepasking,“WhatcanwedotobesureClare’sWellcontinueswhensomedaywecannolongerdothework?” “Whatisourstodo?”ItisourstodrinkfromthisWellourselveswhilewetenditforothers.Wedon’tknowifweareclosertoananswertoourquestion.Thefutureisnotwithinourreach.WhatiswithinourreachisaWellofgrace,drinkingfromit,listen-ingforguidance. Whatisspiritualwork?Itinvolvesapracticeofstayinginthepresentmoment.Godsaid,“Iam,”not“Iwas,”or“Iwillbe.”Godcontinuestotouchheartstomovepeoplewheretheyneverthoughttheywouldbecalledtogo.WebelieveGodiscallingsomeonetosomedayhelpmaintainthisWell.Untilitbecomesclearwhothatis,wewillfocusonwhatisourstodotoday.Wewilldoourspiritualwork. Sister Jan Kilian
2 Clare’s Well, annandale, Minnesotathe Well • June 2011
Earth Citizen? What is that? Old Turtle Answers...
Nicaragua FatherTeddyNiehauscalledtheSundaycongregationtoMasswiththepealofthisuniquescrap-ironbell.(picturedatleft)FamiliesarrivedearlyonSunday,January16,2011,togettheirchildrenreadyforBaptismorFirstEucharist/PenanceorConfirmation.Onecouple,surroundedbytheirchildren,wasmarried;thennearlyeveryoneinthechurchwentforwardtoblessboththebrideandgroom. ThroughouttheweekweNorthAmericanvisitorsformedfriendshipsandworkedwithmembersoftheFelicianocommunitytogivetheirchurchafreshcoatofpaintandfinishthesecondflooroftheeducationbuilding.Withgenerousdonationsfromfriendsandfamily,themedicalteamwasableto
attendnearly400personsattheclinic.Inthelittle“school”somechildrenplayedgamesandusedwatercolorsforthefirsttime!Franciscanmembersofthisyear’sgroupwereSistersCarolSchmitandJaniceWiechmanandFranciscanAssociatesJeffOdendahl,hisdaughterKateKrantzOdendahlandMonicaRudawski(notpictured).Thiswasthe12thyearamissiongrouphasgoneintothenortheasternmountainareaofNicaragua. Sister Carol SchmitJeff Odendahl, Sister Janice Wiechman, Sister Carol
Schmit and Kate Krantz Odendahl.
Father Teddy Niehaus
HaveyoueverreadtheprofoundlittlebookOld TurtlebyDouglasWood?ItspeaksofatimewhenallbeingsofEarth-rocks,trees,wind,birds,animals-couldspeakandunderstandeachother.AndthensomehowtheygotinanargumentaboutwhatGodislikeandwhereGodis.TheycouldonlyseeGodintheirownlikeness.TheydidnotseeareflectionofGodinanyoftheotherbeings.OldTurtlesetsthemstraight. EachbeingreflectsGodinsomewayandyetGodisbeyondallofthem.OldTurtleannouncedthecomingofawonderfulnewfamilyofbeings,humanbeings,whowillberemindersofallGodis.Theywillbe“amessageoflovefromGodtoEarthandaprayerfromEarthbacktoGod.”Butthehumanbeingsforgotwhotheywere.TheyforgotthatallbeingsofEarthreflectthepresenceandbeautyofGod.AlltheotherbeingsofEarthtriedtotellthehumanbeingsaboutthepresenceofGod,butmanycouldnotseeorhearwhatwasbeingsaid.Theyfoughtwars,usedpreciousresourceswastefully,alwayswantedmoreandmore,killedotherbeingsandweredisconnectedfrombothGodandEarth.Earthandallbeingsbegantodie. Andthen,asbyamiracle,somehumanbeingsbegantohearandseeagain.Perhapssomeneverstoppedseeingandhearing.Perhapssomehavealways
knownthattheyare“amessageoflovefromGodtoEarthandaprayerfromEarthbacktoGod.” Humanbeingsbegantowalkwithnewawarenessofthebeautyallaroundthem,andarefilledwithgratitudeknowingthatitisallpuregift.Theyaregrowinginadesiretosupportlife,alllife,becauseGodissomehowreflectedinauniquewayineachbeing.Thesehumanbeingstakeborderswithagrainofsalt,havingrespectandknowingthat,intheend,weareallonefamilynomatterwhichsideoftheborderwewerebornon.Thesepeopleworktoimprovethelivesofbirdsandbeesandofimmigrants,“legal”or“illegal”,becauseweareallonefamily.TheylookforcleaningagentsthatdonotharmEarth,yethelpcleanclothes,dishesandfloors.Theyplanttrees,protestwarsandthebuild-upofweapons.Caringforoneanotherismoreimportantthanhavingmoreandmorethings.ThesearecitizensofEarth. AsourFranciscancommunitycontinuestostudytheEarthCharter,Iamjustbeginningtosee,hearandgrowingratitude.Howaboutyou?HowareyoubecomingacitizenofEarth-notoftheU.S.,notoftheU.N.,butofEARTH.Wearecalledtobe“amessageoflovefromGodtoEarthandaprayerfromEarthbacktoGod.” Sister Janice Wiechman
3Clare’s Well, annandale, Minnesota the Well • June 2011
Lacy remembers
FSLF Leadership
Idon’tgostraightaheadanymore.Iwalkoutoftheporch,steponthegroundandgetmybearings—drivewaytotheleft,barntotheright.Blindly,straightaheadcanbeunforgiving;Ibumpmyheadandmakemistakes.UnthinkingstraightaheadleadsmetothinkIamthecenter,whenreallyIamonlyapartofthewholeandneedtoconsidermyentiresurroundings.So,you’llseemeliedown,rolloverafewtimes,listentotheearthandremember. Irememberblueasinsky,asinoveralls,asinbluebirds.OurfriendStuputupnewbluebirdboxesinplentyoftimetoattractourreturningfriends.SomeofthehouseswerehandmadebyhimandsomeweregiftsfromConnie.Ialsoremembertheimageofthepeacocks,thosestrangedignifiedbirdswhowanderedaroundouryardforayear,alwayswithincallingdistanceofeachother.Theynowliveattheiroriginalowner’sfarm.I’msuretheirlookingoutforeachotherwillnotchange. IthoughtourJulyhailstormscary,anditleftalotofdamage—nowallisrepairedandbetterthannew.ThenIlistentonewsaboutJapan.Theearthmoved,andwaterandeartharoundtheglobewereaffected.Theysaytheanimalsknewthattheearthquakewascoming.Weneverfinishlearningfromearth. Ourpoliticalleaderscouldlearnsomethingfrommyexperienceofbeingblind.Theyneedtolearnfromtheleftandlearnfromtheright.Feelandlisten,alwayswithcompassion,willingnesstoarriveatnewwaysofknowingandnotchargeaheadblindly.Thelightinmyeyeshasgoneout,butIhardlyknowthedifferencesincemyinsidelightisallthemorekeen. Westillgetasked“WhoisClare?”IpassononeofthemostfamouswritingsofClare,our13thcenturypatron.Sheunderstoodthegraceofwalkingwithopenness.
“What you hold, may you always hold. What you do, may you always do and never abandon; but with swift pace, light step, unswerving feet, so that even your steps stir up no dust, may you go forward securely, joyfully, swiftly on the path of prudent happiness…”(Clare’slettertoAgnesofPrague)
EveryfiveyearstheFranciscanSistersofLittleFallselectpersonstocarrytheleadershipoftheFranciscanCommunity.BeginninginJune2011,SistersBeatriceEichten,RoseMargaretSchneider,CarolitaMauerandSusanKnutsonwillshinelightonissuesthatarecriticaltothepresentandfutureofthecommunityof160sistersandover200associates. Sisters Beatrice Eichten, Rose Margaret Schneider,
M. Carolita Mauer and Susan Knutson.
(Top) Lacy, the greeter. (Bottom Left) Two peacocks wandered around Clare’s Well for a year. (Bottom Right) Stu put up new bluebird houses.
4 Clare’s Well, annandale, Minnesotathe Well • June 2011
This newsletter is printed on recycled paper. Please don’t throw it away. Pass it on to a friend or recycle it.
Clare’s Well can be reached at: 13537 47th St NW, Annandale, MN 55302 Phone: 320-274-3512 • Web: www.clareswell.org
JulianaHoward,alongtimevisioningcirclemember,haspublishedachildren’spicturebook,CatietheCopycat,illustratedbyhergranddaughter,Sophie,andpublishedbyBeaver’sPondPressinEdina,Minnesota.Itisarhymingtaleaboutalittlegirlinsearchofherself.Inthestory,Catiehasadream,findsthequeenandherlifeisforeverchanged. RichardHagenstron,MethodistministerinRoanoke,Virginia,saysthisaboutthebook:“Thisbookissuperb.Sincemanychildrenlacktheconfidencetobelieveinthemselves,CatietheCopycatmeetsarealneed.Itsbeautifulillustrationsinvitechildrentoreadit,anditmakesitagreatread-aloudbookforparentsandteachers.I’magrandfather,andthemessageevenstrikeshomeforme,soit’snotforchildrenonly.”Formoreinformation,gotowww.catiethecopycat.com.
Catie the Copycat
Wish List• On-goinghelpwithbuckthornremoval• 2or3largespoolsforthegoatpasture• Animalfeedandbirdseed• Firewood• Donationsforrepair/replacementofthings that“goboom”inthenight,andforongoing expenses,i.e.utilities,supplies• Contributionsforscholarshipfund• Rubbergardenhose
Thank You• Forallcontributions.We’vebeengreatlyblessed byyourgenerosity.• Forhelpofeverykind,outofdoors,inthe house,hermitages,WellnessCenterandbarn.• Snowshoveling,shoveling,shoveling...and snowplowing.• Forfirewood,bluebirdhouses,granitefor driveways,householditemsandfood.• Foranimalfeedandbirdseed.• Fordonationstohelpwithgeneralupkeepof Clare’sWell• Foryourprayersandyourfriendship. God bless each of you.
We were blessed to share Easter dinner with Sisters Mary Obowa, Carolyn Law, Gloria Haider, Betty Martell and Joanne Klinnert with wonderful conversation around our table. May your tables be so blessed!
Pictured above: (top) Sisters Paula Pohlman, Jan Kilian, Carolyn Law. (bottom) Sisters Mary Obowa, Janice Wiechman, Gloria Haider.
