I spent much of yesterday and another hour and a half this morning in my car traveling from Mankato, MN where I live to Dickinson, ND.  The nearly 600 miles between these two places hold a variety of landforms and sights to see – from the hills, lakes, and trees of central Minnesota to the Red River Valley in eastern North Dakota, statues of the world’s largest buffalo and a Holstein cow affectionately named, “New Salem Sue”, as well as the wide open expanses of western North Dakota. 

While I was traveling I stopped to make a phone call to a woman who lives in the Chicago area.  I sensed from our conversation that traveling to western North Dakota would not be her idea of a dream vacation destination.  But I was thrilled by the opportunity to travel the open highways, listening to my favorite CDs, and sensing my spirit becoming a bit lighter and freer the further west I traveled.  Truly the sky seems bigger as you enter into this prairie land which holds its own stark beauty and invites a type of reflective contemplation.  Beyond this, what is the lure of this prairie expanse for me?  Why did my westward travels make me feel so at home? 

As I traveled I was aware that although I’m a native Minnesotan, for eleven years I called western North Dakota and the land of the Standing Rock Reservation home.  So traveling westward brings me back “home” to memories of the years I lived here, people I know in many towns along the highway, and the excitement I feel in knowing that I will get to connect with many people who were a part of my journey during the years I lived here.   

Today and tomorrow are “work days” making vocation presentations at Trinity Catholic Schools which are rich in SSND history as our sisters staffed the high school when it first opened.  While I’m delighted to be able to visit these schools, in my free time I plan to soak up as much of the open skies and prairie beauty as I can for I know this land holds a special treasure for me.  

Last evening was Super Tuesday across the nation with 24 states holding primary caucuses.  For the first time in my memory Minnesota held their caucuses early joining other states in this important evening.  I don’t claim to be very politically involved but with a sense that caucus night would have an impact on both the selection of candidates for the presidential bid and provide an opportunity to influence the party platform by introducing and/or supporting resolutions I chose to go to the caucuses last evening. 

I was amazed as I neared the school in Mankato where our caucuses were being held – there was a long line of cars heading the same direction as I was causing a traffic jam to even get to the site.  Once at the school the number of people streaming into the building was impressive and a bit chaotic.  I ended up meeting several other School Sisters of Notre Dame who were also attending the meetings.  The number of participants at the caucus evening far exceeded anyone’s expectations so people were lined up wall-to-wall as they entered the school.  Both Democrats and Republicans were holding their caucuses at this site and so there was a great mixing of people from both parties helping one another find their precinct number and then the room assigned for their meetings.  After considerable confusion about where our precinct was located we settled into one of the precinct meetings. 

As a newcomer to the process, I was interested in how the evening would develop.  The leader of our precinct did a great job walking all of us through the process, which included an opportunity to give your presidential preference, and the electing delegates to the county conventions (I’ll admit I was glad that there were several others who wanted to represent us at the next level.).  We also had an opportunity to bring resolutions to the group for discussion and voting.  I came prepared with a few resolutions that reflected concerns which would be consistent with our beliefs and values as School Sisters of Notre Dame – holding within that a concern for women, children, and those most vulnerable as well as care for our Earth and its resources.   When it was time to bring resolutions to the floor I stood and shared a resolution regarding immigration policy which was supported by the other members of my precinct.  Several others in our group, including some of my Sisters, brought other resolutions.  Hearing each resolution and having an opportunity to vote on them gave me the opportunity to “make a difference” even if in a small way.

Coming home after the caucuses I watched with greater interest news reports of the caucuses across our state and nation.  I was excited to know that I had been a part of record-breaking participation levels in our state.  Being involved at the local level helped me feel a greater ownership for the whole process.     

For the past month the people of Kenya have experienced a level of violence which has surprised many and left over 850 people dead and thousands homeless.  While the violence has shaken this previously peaceful country, we in the United States see little of what’s happening reported in the news.  In the first days following the crisis we saw reports of the crisis but our news media has largely turned to other interests since then. 

For me, and others in our community however, our minds and hearts are often turned toward Kenya as about 30 of our sisters live and minister there.  For most of these Sisters, Kenya is their homeland and the tribes that are currently clashing are their tribes, and their families are caught in the midst of the violence.  Additionally, other Sisters from the US live and minister in Kenya along side our Native Kenyan Sisters.  Although half a world separates us, those of us in North America know many of our Sisters who are in the midst of this crisis – these are our Sisters, our friends, our community members.  And so our hearts and minds turn naturally toward Kenya as we daily pray for the safety of our Sisters there and an end to this violence. 

Earlier this week we received an update from Sister Mary Maher, our international leader, on the situation in Kenya.  She states in her message on January 29, 2008: 

“Once again I am writing to update you on the situation of our sisters in Kenya.  Sister Mary Kerber, the District Leader, called to say that the ethnic violence is escalating day-by-day.  It is not safe for some of our sisters to go out to their ministries.  They are either staying at home or are being moved to a safe place for the interim….

Sisters, there seems to be a general feeling among those who deeply desire peace that only the power of God, the power of God’s mysterious grace and love, can bring reconciliation to this situation.  Our sisters, along with others, are trying to witness to God’s grace and love.  Please let us all pray together and, where possible, set aside a day of fasting, in solidarity with the peoples of Kenya.”

As I continue to watch the events unfold in Kenya, I was excited today to read that the leaders of the two opposition parties, with the assistance of Mr. Kofi Annan, have agreed today to a peace plan.  This agreement to end the violence and restore peace inspires me to continue pray for peace, and to choose days of fasting in solidarity not only with my Sisters but for all the people of Kenya.  May this agreement truly lead to a lasting peace and end the violence there. 

Have you ever wondered what its like to be a Religious Sister?  Have you ever been curious about why women choose to become Sisters?  Have you ever wondered what its like to spend time at a convent?  Have you ever wondered what Sisters do when they’re not at work?  Have you ever, if even just for a brief moment, felt like you might be called by God to become a Sister?   

If you answered “yes” to any of the previous questions I’ve got a great opportunity for you!  The School Sisters of Notre Dame are hosting a Come and See weekend at our Provincial House in Mankato, MN from 7 PM Friday, February 15^th to 1 PM Sunday,   February 17^th.  This weekend will provide participants with an opportunity to meet our sisters, learn about our community, learn more about what it’s like to be a School Sisters of Notre Dame, join our community in prayer, and ask questions you may have about the life of the School Sisters of Notre Dame. 

The Come and See experience is open to single women between the ages of 18 and 40.  The weekend is free of charge but pre-registration is required by February 8th.  To register click on the following link and sign up:  http://www.ssndmankato.org/BecomeInvolved/comeandsee.php

If you have questions about the weekend, feel free to contact me – either by responding to this blog entry or emailing me at jbrandt@ssndmankato.org

One of my favorite traditions in our community is the praying of the Christmas Novena for the 9 days before Christmas.  We gather for the Novena each evening outside our darkened chapel where we each take our vigil light and prayer booklets before forming two lines awaiting the procession into the Chapel.  When the first notes of one of the three entrance hymns is played on our Chapel organ we begin to sing as we process into the darkened Chapel, giving me a sense of being connected to the hundreds of Sisters in our community who have gone before me and who kept this tradition over the years. 

Singing the chant tones of the prophecies, “The Lord our coming King; hasten to adore him”, invite us to remember the ways that prophets long ago foretold of the coming of the Messiah.  The psalms and canticle, reading from scripture and reflection, the Magnificat and finally the Alma Redemptoris Mater complete this special prayer.  In the more than 20 years that I’ve been in the community, the Novena has remained for me a significant part of our Advent-Christmas tradition.   

Advent has always been my favorite season of the Church year.  I love the images of light coming into the darkness of our world and the anticipation of Jesus being born among us that is evident in so many ways in these days.

As I’ve entered into this Advent season I’ve also recently returned from our community’s General Chapter in Brazil and am entering into my ministry once again.  Amidst this time I find myself being aware that my ministry that has no clear cut plan of action or definitive way of doing this ministry, and so it feels a bit nebulous right now.  While I can become very busy with the activities of daily life and could fill my time to a point of exhaustion “doing vocation work”, I find myself pondering more deeply what it is that I am really called to be about as vocation director. 

Sitting with this sense of nebulousness as I pray and reflect on the readings of this Advent Season I am coming to realize that this sense may not be as much about my ministry as vocation director as it is about my life journey in general, and this time of Advent journeying in particular.  As I ponder the readings from the liturgy these days, I find myself imagining how the people of the Old Testament times waited in a sense of nebulous unknowing for the birth of the promised savior.  And certainly Mary must have at times sensed a nebulous wonder as she pondered the promise of the angel and the Advent being born in her.  Her own question of “How can this be?” followed by the response, “Let it be done in me as you say” speaks to me of the faith she held in a balance.  She knew both God’s faithfulness in her journey along with the mystery of the promise of Jesus being birthed through her.   

And so as I enter more deeply into this Advent time I realize that my path through this time of nebulous journeying is similar to Mary’s.  This time invites me to ponder, to trust, and to affirm God’s faithfulness in calling new life to birth within me.  It is this awareness of the deeper call of this time which transforms the sense of nebulousness which I feel into a new hope in my Advent journeying.       

For two days this past week we had no internet service here in

¨      What if there was an emergency and someone needs to contact me by email? 

¨      I wonder what’s happening in the world. (I don’t know Portuguese in order to read the newspaper.)

¨      I wonder what the weather is supposed to be like tomorrow. (I get daily updates from the Weather Channel’s website.)

And I was much more aware during this time how far away from “home” I was as I wasn’t able to email family and friends. 

Others sisters here at the Chapter didn’t help my preoccupation with the non-functioning internet.  I often do my writing in the computer lab so during their breaks chapter members would pop in the door and ask, “Is the internet working yet?”  I was asked this question so frequently I began to feel they were holding me personally responsible to get it fixed.  (Believe me by the 2^nd day I would have done anything I could have to make this happen!)  And then there would be glimmers of service; I’d be able to get on line for a brief time and I might be able to read or send one or two emails before being cut out again. During one of these brief periods I was able to send a message to our Provincial House in

Then I realized that my work – the weekly report from the Chapter that I was writing - is normally published to our website (www.sebjob.org) so that sisters around the world can get a sense of what’s happening at the chapter. What would happen if we weren’t able to get on line to post it?  Even more of a concern for those of dealing with the communications aspects of the chapter was the awareness that if we didn’t have internet service by the time the Chapter members elected our new general superior, it would be much more difficult to get the word out to the rest of the congregation.  I found myself wondering, “What did they do in the “olden days” when we didn’t have internet technology during the Chapters?”  (We either got the word via phone message or much later in some written communication that went out via postal services.)  

Thankfully on Thursday evening the internet service was restored in the city.  (We were becoming increasingly worried that it wouldn’t be completed before the national holiday on Friday which could potentially leave us without service over the long weekend.  – Just thinking of this possibility made more than one of us cringe.)  Our connection is still much slower than most of us are accustomed to back home.  Often when too many people are on line at the same time, someone gets “bumped off”. But none of us seems to be complaining about these inconveniences while the thought of being totally disconnected is still very fresh in our minds.

On Friday we joined our Sisters from the Porto Alegre Province in Southern Brazil to celebrate a national holiday honoring the Feast of Our Lady of Aparecida. We left the Retreat Center aboard 3 buses and traveled to São Sebastião Church in Porto Alegre for a festive liturgy honoring Our Lady of Aparecida with our sisters and members of that parish. With a combination of lively music and singing and great reverence for this feast, the liturgy gave me a sense of how vibrant the Catholic Church is in Brazil.

Then we traveled to Viamão where the province’sMotherTheresaRetreat
Center is located in a beautiful setting in the country.   Here we were treated to a churrasco – a traditional southern Brazilian feast featuring meats grilled on large skewers.  Our sister hosts had labored to prepare this wonderful feast that included many fruits and vegetables along with the churrasco meat.  Later after an opportunity to visit, tour the retreat center and properties, we were served many different deserts before we headed home. 

  I found myself reflecting as we traveled home on the many ways we had been wholeheartedly immersed in many customs of the Brazilian people as we experienced the richness of this feast day.  Our sisters and the students and staff at the school certainly made it a wonderful, memorable experience of culture and tradition.  This is a memory of Brazil I will carry with me forever.       

As I’ve shared previously I am currently in Brazil where I am a part of the staff for our congregation’s general chapter.  I’ve now been here for three weeks and am certainly learning much about what a general chapter is all about.

Our current general chapter gathering includes 82 members representing the 20 different units of our congregation from nearly every part of the world.  During the first week of the chapter the members listened to many reports on the current realities in our congregation and in our world.  From these reports sisters began to gain a sense of what direction we may be called to in the next five years. 

Last week the chapter members spent much of their time working in smaller groups which include a mixture of languages and cultures.  This provides an opportunity for sisters to get to know members from other part of the congregation and to gain a better understanding of what direction we wish to take for the entire congregation; both broadening our perspective of the world and our mission.  From these conversations which challenged members to listen deeply to one another – especially when language and cultural differences were present - there is a direction which is emerging for us.  I believe that it will be a direction that both challenges us to further growth and transformation, and reflects the essential elements of who we desire to be as community.   

This week and next the chapter members are in a process of communal discernment regarding the selection of our general leadership team.  While as a staff member I am not a part of the election process, I have been able to pick up enough of the spirit of these proceedings to know that this discernment is being done in a very contemplative and prayerful manner as together the chapter members search to know who can best serve the needs of our congregation at this time in our history.  I have been in awe of the willingness of the women who are being considered for this ministry of leadership in our international community.  To be a leader in an international community in the church and world today is no easy task.  But I also believe that those who will be chosen will indeed be blessed with the gifts and skills necessary to do so.

Finally the chapter members have been able to experience how our charism is expressed here in Brazil where our sisters have ministered since 1935.  How wonderful to see our charism so alive and vibrant as our sisters here in Brazil respond to the needs of the people. 

The end of our chapter also coincides with the 174^th anniversary of the foundation of our community on October 24, 1833.  As we mark this special time in our history we do indeed have much to celebrate as we realize how we have grown from the handful of young women who joined together in Germany to form a community who would respond to the educational needs of young girls who otherwise were not provided with an opportunity to attend school.  Now 174 years later we are over 3000 in number serving in over 30 countries around the world.  And as the call of this chapter seems to be emerging we continue to embrace our unity and internationality as a congregation, our experiences of Eucharistic living, and our role as transformative educators.

What a gift it is to be here!

If you’d like to learn more about the General Chapter check out our international website at www.sebjob.org.    

Last evening a few of us went out onto one of the porches at the Retreat Center where we are staying here in Sao Leopoldo, Brazil for my community’s General Chapter.  We wanted to see if we could see the full moon.  And there it was, big as could be in the eastern sky.  As we looked at the beauty of the sky I was aware of the reality that the stars we see here in Brazil are not the same as those we see in the northern skies of Minnesota.  There was obviously no Big Dipper or North Star. But the stars were beautiful nonetheless despite not being the familiar constellations I know from home. 

I learned to love the night sky when I lived on the Standing Rock Reservation of North Dakota for eleven years.  There was no place that I’ve ever been where you could see the stars as clearly and brightly as on Standing Rock.  The lack of city lights on the reservation allowed the star’s radiance to be seen brightly in the expansive skies of North Dakota.  They became my “companions of the night” over the years somehow instilling a sense of comfort that they were there, shining brightly upon me.  Their presence in some way always helped me to feel connected to God as well as to the rest of the universe. 

Finding the full moon and gazing at the Southern sky here in Brazil gave me this same sense of comfort knowing that I am indeed connected with God and those I love even though I am indeed far from home.