Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity Sister Theresa Feldkamp, Sister Kathleen Murphy and Sister Julie Ann Sheahan were among the 120 Formators and Vocation Directors who participated in the Council of Major Superiors of Women Religious Formators Workshop held this year at Immaculate Conception Seminary, Huntington, New York. The theme was Human Formation: Assisting Formators in Recognizing and Addressing Areas of Human Maturation. This year’s workshop, on human formation, continues a five-year cycle based on the four dimensions of formation (human, spiritual, intellectual, pastoral/apostolic).
Speakers included Fr. Paul Hoesing, Rector of Kendrick-Glennon Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri, Sister Regina Marie Foley, ACJ, Novice Mistress for the Handmaids of the Heart of Jesus, and Sister Maria Amata Rossi, RSM, Religious of Mercy of Alma, Michigan currently working on a doctorate in Clinical Psychology.
Sister Kathleen commented: “The CMSWR Formators’ Workshop is always a time for learning on multiple levels. The input from Father Paul Hoesing, Sister Regina Marie Foley, and Sister Maria Amata Rossi was both informative and challenging. The panels on working with the various levels of formation by those “in the trenches” was practical and filled with the wisdom of experience. The breakout sessions provided a panorama of practices across the spectrum of various communities each with their unique spirituality and set of charisms. Finally, it is always good to see familiar faces and to check in on how everyone’s year has gone since we last met. We surely left Long Island, New York better prepared to “go out and spread the good news.”
Sister Theresa notes individuals who made a difference in our lives along the way to and from New York who were examples of human formation at its best:
Sister Carmen Marie who left Manitowoc at 3:00a.m. to take us to the airport and was cheerful at that hour
The woman at the baggage claim in New York who directed us to a quieter place where we could wait the 3 hours until our shuttle bus arrived
The woman whose aunt was a Religious who offered to buy us something to eat or drink
The bus driver who navigated the traffic of New York so calmly during rush hour to take us to the Retreat Center in Huntington where the workshop was held
The Franciscan Sisters of Christ Our Light who offered to share their Uber ride with us so we could make our flight that was earlier than the regular shuttle
The airport employee who helped the three of us with our first-time experience using a Kiosk
The woman who paid for our breakfast and was so grateful to do it
The man who came over to thank us for the influence that Religious Sisters had in his life
The mother of two young children who was grateful we were sitting behind her
Sister Adrianna who navigated rush hour in Milwaukee to pick us up and deliver us home safely
Photos: Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity, Little Servant Sisters of the Immaculate Conception, Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Church
