The Month of January (With a Christmas and New Year Bonus)...in Three Installments

Installment 1: Christmas and New Year's

Ok...my life since Christmas has been nuts, wonderful, but nuts: Christmas, New Year's, back-to-school, make-up concert, Confirmation retreat, Giving Voice, and now this week is Catholic Schools Week! All good...just a lot on one month! So I thought I'd share a bit about these days and some pics to catch ya'll up on the life of this "fun nun". (This one is really the "photo album" installment)

I had a few good Christmas Celebrations (which have some photos to share!)...the family one, my White House group one...just to name a couple.

My grandma and grandpa always put on such a great celebration on Christmas Eve!

Here's my mamma...opening her gift from me! Yay for Jill!

And there's me with two of my most favorite people in the whole wide world: my grandma and Judeen. (after the gift opening, if you couldn't tell by my accessories)

I also spent my Christmas vacation with Judeen at the White House; the other Sisters were visiting their families for the holiday! We had a really nice time together. Judeen's sister Jeanne, from Arizona came to visit too...another great time. It was nice to have some time off of school to relax and slow down a bit.

Judeen and Jeanne were making this nostalgic meal "slicker noodles", (sounds gross, tastes pretty yummy!) and I had the pleasure of photodocumenting it. Jeanne to the left...Judeen to the right! (Stand up, sit down, ...oh wait...nevermind.) For me it was entertainment, watching those two go at it in the kitchen (I think it would be much like my sisters and me in a few years).

For New Year's Eve, I was in Chicago with two of my other most favorite people in the whole wide world! We had a very relaxing time. I made a New Year's dinner for them. They requested Vodka Pasta (yum!), salad, and chocolate raspberry mousse. The mousse didn't turn out like I had hoped, but like Mary Ann said, "I guess you'll just have to practice on us some more!"

Now, my dear friend Mary Ann...she is all about goals (for OTHER people). So I decided to make my 2009 goal right away and get it over with. I am not a fan of the fish-type foods and neither is Mary Ann. She does take a walk on the dark side by eating herring on New Year's for prosperity.

I've watched people eat herring for years and just can't figure out why cold, scaly, fish in cream sauce on crackers is a good idea. So my goal for 2009, was to try herring! Mary Ann took the opportunity to make sure there was photo documentation (I was happy she was taking them for proof that I set and met my 2009 goal). She claims that the best faces occur ed in between shots, don't believe her...these are good enough!

Sr. Katy Sets and Meets 2009 Goal

Operation: Herring

Here's the play-by-play: Does she like it? Will it become a "fun nun tradition"? You be the judge!

Katy, slightly apprehensive, picks up the jar and says,

"Herring? Really? What is this stuff?"

Peering into the jar, hesitantly, she calls out,

"Here fishy, fishy, fishy! Oh...my...they have scales!"

"Buck up skippy! Put it on a cracker," Mary Ann calls out from behind the camera. "Ok, ok...I'll do it. Just let me ease into this...I don't know that I've ever accomplished my yearly goals in 7 minutes before, geeze."

Glancing sheepishly toward the camera, Katy puts herring a la cracker into her mouth. Recognizing the familiar look when Katy stops breathing, Mary Ann cries out, "Breathe! Chew! Swallow! Get a grip! Gotta have goals!"

Is raising those eyebrows in delight? Is she making a kissy face because she's just recently joined PETA and realized that fish are people too? Is she grimacing because she has a slimy, scaly, cold fish in her mouth? Dun...da...dun.....What will be next? What will she do?

Oh...she's swallowing, but it looks painful, folks. Poor herring? Poor Katy? Was it worth the prospect of prosperity? Is she internally joyful that she met her goals? Should canoes be made out of wood? Or Aluminum? (Veggie tales anyone?)

Well, Katy of course never walks away from any experience and challenge without the opportunity for growth. This is what she learned from Mr. Herring and Sr. Mary Ann:

Sometimes you set goals and when you achieve them it's like waiting for the right moment and then enjoying a tender, medium-rare steak; can't have it all the time, but when you do, wow.

Sometimes it's like eating herring on New Year's: short, sweet, over...but still a mouthful of YUCK.

All in all...you did it and there's the sheer glory of just doing it and meeting the challenge...and there's always the opportunity for chocolate afterwards.

Stay tuned for Installment #2!

Great Day for the WORLD

Just a quick update...I hope to fill ya'll in on my weekend with GIVING VOICE, etc this coming weekend.

I'm not a big emoter (don't understand crying at commercials etc). Today, though...knowing the good and the change that I'm anticipating with our new President, I was just very hopeful.

All of our students gathered to watch the swearing in and President Obama's speech...it was electrifying in the "send goose bumps through you" "I'm so elated I don't know what to do" way. My students were engaged and many were excited. We clapped, we cheered...it was just a wonderful day.

I believe it is a wonderful day for our country, our people, and the world community. My prayers and blessing go out to our new President and his family as they begin a long and difficult journey . I am grateful that he has generated so much energy, excitement, and hopefulness.

Happy Day!

Images (and Insights) of the Journey...and it Continues

St. Roman was supposed to have our Christmas concert on Friday, but we got walloped with 15 inches of snow during the night! So no school for us...begin our Christmas break a day early! I was pretty wiped...so I stayed in my PJs all day (and shoveled), loafed (and shoveled), opened up my presents from school (and shoveled), and worked on a few projects (oh...and I did some shoveling). It was nice. Yesterday, we got oh depending 3-5 more inches...and this was light, fluffy, but make the roads icky snow. Today... -4 degrees with a -30 windchill! Translation for those of you where the sun shines always: THAT IS REALLY REALLY COLD.

4th Sunday! This is it folks...our Advent journey is almost complete. I can't very well, write about the last three and skip the 4th. Plus, being cooped up in the house, I took the opportunity to play with my replacement camera (replacing the one that was stolen out of my suitcase) and took some neat photos. For me they are familiar signs that our preparation is almost complete and JOY and NEW LIFE are right around the corner.

My 4th experience of community during this week of Advent was with my staff. The week before Christmas break in a school is so exhausting. Kids are checked out and crazy, staff is worn out, Christmas concert preparation, etc...let's say we are all ready for break when it arrives. On Thursday (not knowing for sure that we'd be off the next day), we had our little staff Christmas gathering after school. It was lovely...nice conversation, low key, yummies...I stepped back and observed for a while and thought...wow! The energy was so positive and cheerful, despite the tiredness of the days before. It was a delightful time and people seemed to enjoy it. That's a happy!

Transition is a hard thing in general; I've come to appreciate the perspective of a leadership transition for a staff/school. I work with gifted professionals who have been successful teachers, at St. Roman for 30+ years. They've had principals/pastors/colleagues come and go...philosophy changes, transition...transition...transition. I work with gifted educators who are relatively new (myself included!) to the field and have an energy and enthusiasm for the possibilities. For myself, I have a good knowledge base and clear directions in which I'd like to see education (universally) go. Put all of this into a big pot and mix it up and then empty it...and then ask people to find what was theirs. Um yeah...it's a journey (ACK...that's one of those formationy words that I swore would never come out of my mouth! HELP!).

Stepping back and "observing" has been one of my processes as I transitioned into this new school. That's not easy for me; I'm a watch you for 2 minutes to see how you do it, jump in and do it, and adapt/learn as necessary person. Stepping back and observing...sometimes makes the journey seem a bit tedious at times, but the relationships that form are worth it. I stepped back and observed for a few minutes at our party and it hit me. We've come very far since we began our journey together in August. Relationships have formed as a staff . The spirit in our school is lively and supportive. People seem to be free to share ideas and weigh in with an alternative perspective. We can enjoy each other's company, outside of "shop talk".

I used to think (although a lover of Advent as a kiddo) that Christmas was this burst of JOY and EXCITEMENT...that it all started with that day. In light of my 4th week of Advent experience, I realize that unless the journey happened, the JOY and NEW LIFE could not be the end result.

Oh geeze...now that I type that...I think--"Great, Kate...that's one of those insights that has multiple meanings." I know this entry will come back to bite me sometime; another Spit in your Soup moment courtesy of the Fun Nun.

I found this simple poem written by one of my nuns, Sr. Irene Zimmerman, in her book Incarnation, which spoke to me this morning in my prayer time:

Christmas Sky

That once-in-a-world-time night

even the stars, otherwise

so distant in their ancient skies,

came to adore the in-the-beginning Light.

May the "blessings" (yes, even those ones that don't seem like blessings...and don't I know that!) be with you as the JOY and NEW LIFE of Christmas emerge. Cha, cha, cha.

(It's like the birthday song...all this seriousness, needs a "cha cha cha" once in a while.)

Peace out!

Gaudete! Rejoice!

Not writing since November 1st...even I miss me! Ha Ha Ha...

Actually, I've had a lot of material to write about, but just not a good chunk of time to sit and write. Let me give a brief update before launching in to my real thoughts (which will actually relate to the title)...

I had a magnificent Thanksgiving surprise! My mom surprised my sisters and grandmother with a cruise to celebrate her 50th birthday. We had 4 days to make arrangements, pack, etc...I don't do spontaneity very well, but I managed. We went to the Bahamas and had a wonderful time together. I have great pictures too; I'm not going to post them though. Why you may ask? Unfortunately, my suitcase was ransacked sometime after we checked our luggage in Miami and picking it up at MKE...camera and pictures...all gone. Booo! I guess I can hope that the person who took it needed a camera; I'm mostly bummed about the pictures.

School is good...really good, but crazy these weeks. These kiddos (who am I kidding? The teachers and principal too) are R-E-A-D-Y for break. We have Christmas concert rehearsal this week, concert on Friday, by 10:00 p.m. Friday I am officially on break! Woo hoo!

That's about it for the updates...and now for our regularly scheduled entry:

Gaudete! Rejoice!

I LOVE ADVENT; I have since I was a little kid. Something about the anticipatory excitement, the stories, the rituals at school, the multi-sensory experiences, I love it! I was always fascinated in grade school, hearing the Isaiah stories and thinking, "WOW...how did he know all of that?" Obviously didn't get the whole concepts of prophecy and fulfilment yet. NO, this was not last year, I was little...like 1st/2nd/3rd grade. Ha ha...

When I started teaching, I was even more excited because it became a challenge for me to get my students more involved in Advent than skipping right over it and launching to Christmas. My classroom always had a shift during Advent (and Lent too) where our routine would change slightly, so that we had time to consider why our faith tradition has this intentional time. Business is not as usual, or should not be as usual, during this time of preparation. When I see my former students, they often remember our change of pace, activities, and projects we did during these special times of the year. I love it just as much as a principal; planning the school wide, community building events with the teachers is energizing. It's one of those, "Yeah...that's why I am a Catholic educator" moments.

Community building...that's what has struck me this Advent Season. Three different experiences, yes, one each week. All of which have been outside of the context of my religious community (I mean, C'mon...that's a given). Rather, they were profound moments of how important a ministerial community is to my call and commitment to serve.

1st Week of Advent--O Come O Come Emmanuel

The Advent committee at St. Roman, decided that each Monday of Advent we would gather as an entire school for an Advent Prayer around our Advent wreath at the entrance of the school. The student council kiddos led the prayer each week. I stepped back that first week and was just goose-bumped--do you know what 287 kids and 20+ adults, packed into the entrance of a school around a wreath, praying and ending with O Come O Come Emmanuel is like? It was awesome! The big inquisitive eyes of the 4 year olds when the candles were lit, to the attentive middle school kids making sure their "younger buddies" were not goofing around. I was so proud of our students and was happy they have these experiences of being the "living church".

2nd Week of Advent--Be Born is us Today

We have an extraordinary volunteer who is adored by EVERYONE (and that is no exaggeration!). He had to have minor surgery as was going to be out for a few days. We had a regular Tuesday liturgy scheduled and after the homily, we participated in the sacrament of Anointing of the Sick for Tom with the children.

Now, my practical side thought, "Oh what a great learning opportunity for our students as a part of their faith development." I was so moved by the experience. All of the school staff were called forward with Tom to lay hands on him together as Fr. John led us through the sacrament. He involved the children in the Rite too. When those little ones all extended their hands in the gesture of blessing over Tom, if you couldn't feel the Holy Spirit present--WAKE UP. Then we all hugged Tom and finished our liturgy.

I was very moved by what a witness and expression of community we shared. Tom gives so much to our school and our students--we adore him too! The kids were able to be a part of the healing prayer of our church and in such a special way. I tell the children how the love of God is in all of us; Advent is the time to prepare for Jesus to be born in us again, year after year. I can't think of a more profound moment with students that gave me a tangible experience of what I teach the children. Light and love of God...born in each of us...Holy Spirit all over the place...yeah that was quite special.

3rd Week of Advent--Gaudete! Rejoice!

If you can honestly say to me that finally getting to that "different" candle wasn't the most exciting...you need an attitude shift! C'mon it's PINK CANDLE SUNDAY! Really...it doesn't get more exciting than that! By the way...this excitement began circa 1985 for Katy...well B.C.(before convent); so don't blame the nun thing. We're almost there...

I cantored the Mass this morning at St. Roman. After the homily (do you see a pattern here?), Fr. John announced that we were having a wedding at Mass today. This couple who had been married 60 (that's right folks SIXTY) years were going to received the sacrament of marriage through the Catholic church. The wife was not Catholic and this year decided to go through the RCIA program and they both agreed they wanted to renew their vows and officially be married in the eyes of our faith. These two elderly people, with corsages and all, walked up to the front of the church. Fr. John went through the marriage rite and they exchanged vows. Fr. John adapted the Rite so eloquently to acknowledge that they have been in a sacred union for 60 years and now being sealed by the Holy Spirit through this sacrament. The husband could barely get through his vows...teared up and all. (98% of the church was all teary and stuff) They looked into each other's eyes with nothing but JOY, for what has been and what is yet to come for them.

It was beautiful and again, moving. And in the context of the Parish community...wow...again, to have the support from your parish community to celebrate and be vehicles of the spirit working through us...how can you not GAUDATE?? That was the PERFECT 3rd Sunday experience for my theme of ministerial community this season of Advent.

1 more week!!! My ministerial community at St. Roman's has helped with these important "pre- Christmas reminders" that: God will send Emmanuel; Jesus will be born in us again; and we will REJOICE once again!

Blessings these final days...

The Call...Quite Literally/Communion...Come Union

"The captain has indicated that you must fasten your seat belts, we are experiencing some turbulence." It's one of "those" blog entries...Yes there are two titles; you'll understand why in a moment.

Without further adieu...The "fun nun" presents something fun:

"The Call...Quite Literally"

I begin with a moment of hilarity and spiritual irony (betcha didn't learn that one in middle school language arts!!) which actually occurred today and would be more appropriately placed in the middle of this entry:

[from my interior prayer monologue--yes all true; the double negatives and even the quoting of an educational theorist--my brain works in strange ways]:

So...what is it? What is the "it" that I'm still wondering about? How/where do I fit? Where am I doing? I understand the bigger picture of where I'm called; no it's more than that. Um...I am totally content with the bigger picture of call. Ok, yes, it kinda weirds me out sometimes because there is no other area that I don't worry or question about; but it's mostly freeing. So, it's not the big picture. It's the little one. It's the now. It's the Bronfrenbrenner hierarchy: with the concentric circle design--except "most people" (according to the model) start with the inner circle and move outward. Oh no...not me...let's get the big picture down and then move inward. Makes perfect sense...NOT. I'm not struggling with where am I called for LIFE or forever or with whom. NO...I'm thinking about where am I called in myself, in my day-to-day...Call it's always about CALL...

No lies...absolute truth--at that very moment THE PHONE RANG. Now...that may not seem like such a big deal EXCEPT for one little detail:

I WAS IN OUR MOTHERHOUSE CHAPEL (alone).

It was your typical, non-digitalized, non cell, hang on the wall with a cord...RING of a PHONE; in our CHAPEL. I NEVER in my LIFE have heard a phone (like that) RING in our CHAPEL. Who calls the chapel? Where is the phone in the chapel? And all of this at the same time I'm trying to have another one of my arguments with the divine about call?? Nice...really nice sense of humor SPIRIT.

I burst out laughing...and this "phone" didn't stop ringing. (I was in the choir loft) So I thought...as soon as I get up it will stop. I got up, started walking back toward the relic chapel...and got in the room...Stopped. Didn't see a phone anywhere. Hilarity...I thought I better blog this story just because it was so unbelievable.

Now that I have your attention....

The nun, who is also fun, now presents (something less humorous, albeit hopefully just as intriguing):

"Communion...Come Union"

(I'm throwing some random pictures in this part because it helps break up all of the text and I can't figure out the formatting rules of blogger--so there, blogger!)

Today after I slept LATE and knew I just had some time to chill, I knew I needed some uninterrupted quiet. There are 6 of us living in our house...uninterrupted quiet is difficult to achieve sometimes and when I'm in my bedroom there are too many "distractions". So I thought I'd go hang at the MamaCasa in the chapel for a while. (yeah...I don't really do this much at all)

I grabbed my "Saturday-I get to take my time today" coffee mug, filled it up, grabbed the ol' journal and mosyed on down the hill to the big house. I actually was drawn to the adoration side of the chapel (that was weird to me), but couldn't quite bring myself to bring my coffee in there and hang. So I settled on my favorite spot...up, up, and away in the choir loft on the director's stand. Spent some time in quiet, drinking my coffee, thinking, praying...[insert story above here]. There was not a sound and no one around...it was just what I needed.

Then I took out the journal and started writing. I go in journal spurts...sometimes I write, sometimes I don't. I know that if I really want to get somewhere with my journaling...I need to write down what comes without editing. I also am learning that when I have time to write, it takes me a little while to get out of the head; I'm not a fan, but big stuff comes out then. Here's where my reflections led me today:

Every year we have this liturgy for All Saints (the eve before) called Candles of Love. This is my 2nd favorite liturgical custom we have in my community. (The 1st changes--it's usually St. Francis Day) We celebrate the people who have walked with us in mission, our benefactors, friends of the community... We also celebrate the lives of those who have died this past year who have a connection with the SSSFs--family, friends, our Sisters, etc. People are invited to send in "Candles of Love" cards with the names of people to remember at this liturgy. The cards are presented at the offertory and then placed in the Adoration chapel for the Sisters to pray for this month. We get hundreds of cards each year!

We always have a litany during the liturgy; in typical SSSF fashion, it's not your run-of-the-mill litany of Saints, proper. Names are read of people, living and deceased, who have walked paths which coincide with our mission. We pray for/with those who give of themselves in order to partner with us in mission. We pray for our loved ones...we pray for justice and the pain around the world. It's always so powerful to hear those names; some of whom are often unspoken.

On the dome of the sanctuary there are these little gold crosses "floating" on a sky like backdrop. One of my Sisters, when I was having a really rough time in the novitiate, sat with me in chapel and told me to think about those crosses as our Sisters who have gone before us, watching over me. Every time I'm in chapel since then, I look up at that dome. Last evening, I was very aware of their presence among us.

Then the litany came...I was so moved; not so much by the names like usual, but what/whom they represented; commitments of people who minister to those who are or have been: poor, marginalized, afflicted with AIDS, terrorized, victimized by natural disasters, and all who have been affected. Those who work for peace and justice, in a profound way. People who have lost their life because of efforts toward a just and peaceful world. We prayed by name those who are often not prayed for: those recently executed and those who are incarcerated.

There was a presence in the space; I never experienced before. Maybe it was the space I was in? Who knows? The themes were quintessentially our charism and our mission to be present in the world. There was a connectedness...a unity present. This is pretty hokey...but it was real and profound: It was almost like you could imagine (see? dare I say feel?) the prayers being turned over to the spirit. It was another one of those "God moments" for me...hard to describe in words; even hard to figure out why.

Ok...so we talk about the "Communion of Saints". I talk about it with the kiddos. I think we have no real way of knowing who is a saint and who isn't...but that "they" are up there and walk with us. I rely much more on the Saints I can connect with or "know" (um...like some of our Sisters, friends, etc) much more than your official"Saint-a-day" "Patron Saint of XXX" variety...but they are cool too; especially Francis and Clare!

But last night (and this morning), I was like, "WOAH...back that truck up!" What does this mean? We talk about being in communion. Or receiving communion. Or the Communion of whatevers...like it's this existential, out-there, don't try to touch it, just do it, concept. Is it?

I thought, communion...hmmm. It struck me that communion implies some more action: being and receiving. Even those "saints"...whomever they are (living, dead, "official", not...) Being a part of the communion, implies that they've done something. Staying in communion with others requires something of you. Receiving "communion" is a commitment we make to be a member of the "body of Christ". It's the "do" part that gets this communion stuff rolling and then the "be" part that follows (like BE aware, BE connected...) is what creates the space for the communion to sustain.

So... Last night, I was listening to those names being read, aware of the spirit's presence, and the communion of people with whom we are connected through prayer, commitment, sharing of life and resources, world view, justice, ministry, and mission.

And then this morning...sitting back in chapel, with my coffee, looking up at the dome and thinking about the communion of people who walk with me in spirit and love...and realized that when I hear communion, I hear the invitation of come union. Union in love and mission. Listening those who are in need and those who speak to your heart saying, "come".

*Sigh*...reflecting and connecting is exhausting...LOL! :)

The captain has now turned off the fasten seat belts sign, please feel free to move about as you wish...