Here is another installment in our Get to Know series comes from the Poor Clares of Cincinnati. They are a contemplative order of the Franciscan tradition. Below is a “fact sheet” of sorts provided by Sr. Mary Pia Malaborbor, Vocation Director of the order.

Poor Clares of Cincinnati

We are a community of sisters known as the Poor Clares, the contemplative branch of the Franciscan family, founded by St. Clare of Assisi in the 13 century. As Poor Clares,  we take the vows of poverty, chastity, obedience th and enclosure. Our mission is to pray for the needs of the church, the world, and all people.

In 2009 we celebrated the 800th anniversary of the beginning of the Franciscan movement and the 150th anniversary of the Tyrolese friar missionaries becoming the Custody of St. John the Baptist in Cincinnati, Ohio. In 2012, we celebrated 800 years of Poor Clares, and the 22th anniversary of the day the first Poor Clare took up residence in Cincinnati, at the invitation of the Minister Provincial of St. John the Baptist Province, for the purpose of forming a Poor Clare foundation and bringing the contemplative Franciscan tradition to the area.

1212 On Palm Sunday, March18, 1212, the young noble woman, Clare di Offreduccio, became the first of St. Francis of Assisi’s “Poor Ladies” at Our Lady of Angels, the Portiuncula. Thousands of pilgrims continue to visit the Portiuncula each year, where the Franciscan movement began.

1253 On August 9, 1253, Clare became the first woman to have the Rule she wrote receive Papal approval. Clare died two days later. Clare had spent 40 years with her sisters at San Damiano living the life of the gospel. Many women wanted to follow Clare’s example. During that 40 year period, 147 monasteries had been founded throughout Europe.

1255 Two years after her death, on August 15, 1255, Clare was canonized by Pope Alexander IV.

1875 Mother Mary Magdelene Bentivoglio was sent by Pope Pius IX to the United States to found a Poor Clare monastery. Although attempts were made in these early years, Cincinnati would not see a Poor Clare foundation for many years.

1956 The Poor Clares in Evansville, Indiana requested Archbishop Alter of Cincinnati to permit the sisters to establish a Poor Clare monastery, but Cincinnati would have to wait another 34 years for a Poor Clare foundation.

1990 On June 24, 1990, Sr. Doris Gerke, Huehuetenango, Guatemala, Sr. Anna Marie Covely, Langhorne, PA, and Sr. Dianne Short, Bronx, NY, moved into St. Vivian’s Parish Convent in Cincinnati. The Duncan, B.C. monastery became the sponsoring monastery for this Poor Clare foundation.

1991 On January 2, 1991, Rome approves the establishment of the foundation in Cincinnati.

1996 On September 1, 1996, after many prayers, and the generous donations from many benefactors, the sisters celebrated the groundbreaking ceremony and blessing by Archbishop Pilarczyk for the new monastery building project.

1998 On March 19, 1998, Archbishop Pilarczyk presided at the first Mass in the Chapel at our new Monastery on Miles Road.

2002 On April 13, 2002, we celebrated our first Solemn Profession of Sr. Ann Bartko. Sr. Ann’s brother, Fr. Louis Bartko, a friar with St. John the Baptist Province, was one of the concelebrants.

2012 We are thankful for the many blessings we have received during our first 22 years here in Cincinnati.

Visitors are Welcome (Please contact us for more information)
Meeting Room– Our Meeting Room provides space for up to 35 people to meet for workshops, day long group retreats, meetings or special occasions.
Guest Area– Our Guest Area provides a wonderful prayerful atmosphere for those who want to schedule a private retreat.
Chapel – We welcome anyone who wants to come and share in prayer with us for Mass, Morning, Noon and Evening prayer.

 Vision Statement

As followers of Clare and Francis, this is what we ardently seek and long for: To live as a loving community the Gospel of Our Lord Jesus Christ in poverty, littleness, simplicity, and joy; open and sensitive to the Spirit working within us, among us, and beyond us; lovingly surrendering ourselves to the Lord; witnessing to the primacy of contemplative prayer and trusting in the care of the Lord each day of our lives.

Our Ministries

• Spiritual Direction/Spiritual Companioning
• Directed Retreats
• Classes on Prayer and Franciscan/Clarian Spirituality
• Clerical Work
• Sewing Habits for OFM Friars
• Selling Individually Designed Cards and Craft Items
• Providing Meeting Room Space for Groups to Meet
• Providing Space for Retreatants in our Guest Area

For more information, please contact:
Monastery of St. Clare :::: Telephone: (513) 825 -7177
1505 Miles Road :::: E-mail: contactsisters@fuse.net
Cincinnati, OH 45231 :::: Website:www.poorclarescincinnati.org

Andrew Dinners – Spring 2013
Andrew Dinners have been scheduled for the Spring for the following dates:
• April 4 – Precious Blood Parish Basement, Chickasaw, OH
• April 10 – St. Margaret of York
• April 16 – St. Henry, Dayton
The schedule for the evening remains the same:
• 5:30 Doors Open
• 6:00 Dinner
• 6:45 Presentation on the Priesthood
• 7:30 Evening Prayer
• 8:00 Departure
These dinners are a success because of the priests who invite young men from their parishes and/or school assignments to attend with them. Please consider inviting those young men whom you consider to have the traits necessary for the priesthood to attend a local dinner with you. As you make that invitation, it is most successful if you are able to name why you believe he has what it takes to be a priest in today’s world. Please call the Vocation Office (513.421.3131, x2890) to let us know how many you are bringing from your parish at least a week in advance.

WORLD DAY OF PRAYER FOR VOCATIONS
The Fourth Sunday of Easter (commonly referred to as Good Shepherd Sunday) is observed as the annual celebration of the World Day of Prayer for Vocations. For the Year of Faith, Pope Benedict issued a statement centered around the theme of ‘Vocations as a sign of hope founded in faith.’ It would be appropriate for homilies that day to reflect on the nature of the call to the priesthood and/or religious life as avenues in which our faith continues to grow. The Holy Father’s message can be found here: http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/messages/vocations/documents/hf_ben-xvi_mes_20121006_l-vocations_en.html

RUN FOR THE CALL
For the second year in a row, the Vocation Office is gathering a team of runners and prayer warriors to raise money for seminarians and awareness for vocations. This year’s Run for the Call team will be entering in all the races of the Flying Pig Marathon weekend, May 4-5, 2013. If you are a runner and would like to be part of this great cause, or if you would like to support us through your prayers or monetary donations, please visit http://runforthecall.wordpress.com or call Wayne Topp at 513-421-3131 x. 2891. All Run for the Call team members receive a significant discount on race registration costs. Events sponsored as part of Run for the Call include:
• Young Adult Square Dance at St. Gertrude, Madeira, April 6
• Spaghetti Dinner at Holy Redeemer, New Bremen, April 20
Prayer Partners for runners, volunteers for cheer stations, and event volunteers are also needed. Please see the above linked address for details.

MARTHA DINNER
Young women interested in learning about religious life are invited to join Bishop Binzer at a Martha Dinner, 5:15 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., April 8, 2013, at St. Denis Parish, Versailles, OH. Please encourage young women from you parish to make plans to attend. More information will follow later; Mary Yarger, CPPS (myarger @ preciousbloodsistersdayton.org or 937-837-3302) is willing to answer questions. This event is being sponsored by the Vocation Ministers of the Greater Cincinnati Area and this Office.

NUN RUN
This event, sponsored by the Vocation Ministers of the Greater Cincinnati Area, is for women 18 to 45 years of age. It will be held April 19 and 20, 2013. What’s a Nun Run? It is an opportunity for a woman to satisfy her curiosity in regard to Religious Life, experience community life with Sisters, learn about the various communities of Sisters and pray with Sisters. For a brochure contact Sister Marilyn Kerber, SNDdeN at mkerber @ catholiccincinnati.org.

Several of the religious orders that minister in an around the Archdiocese of Cincinnati would like to meet the young women who are considering their call to the religious life. They want to invite you into their homes and pray with you and help you discover their charism and decide if it might be where God is calling you. So, they got together and planned the second annual Nun Run.

A Nun Run does not involve any athletic exertion, rather it is a sort of one night pilgrimmage that takes you to various religious communities where you will stop to pray, to talk with the sisters and to learn a little bit about their spirituality and charism. You will stay at each location for a brief time and be transported to the next all while spending time with both religious sisters and those in discernment just like you.

If you are interested, please check out this 2013 Nun Run brochure or contact Sr. Cathy Bauer, OSB at bauerosb@yahoo.com or call Sr. Carolyn Brink at 513-658-1142.

The Serra Club of Cincinnati has worked to gather all the upcoming religious vocation events happening in and around the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. Please contact your parish and make sure these events are included in your weekly bulletin announcements:

Weekend of March 8-10, 2013

Welcome Weekend at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary
The weekend of March 8 and 9, Mount St. Mary’s Seminary opens her doors to men discerning the call to the priesthood for the annual ‘Welcome Weekend.’ Providing an opportunity to sample the routine of life at the seminary, including a sample class lecture, prayer times, a meals and a chance to talk one on one with a current seminarian; this weekend can help those discerning to see if seminary is the proper next step in their discernment process. For more information, call or email the Vocation Office: 513.421.3131, x2890 or vocations@catholiccincinnati.org.

Come and See Weekend with the Sisters of the Precious Blood
The Sisters of the Precious Blood are hosting a ‘Come and See’ Weekend of Reflection for women 18-45 interested in learning more about life as a consecrated woman. The event will be March 8-10 at St. Charles Senior Living Center, 2860 U.S. Rte 127, Carthagena. Reservations are due by March 3 and can be made by emailing Sister Mary Yarger at vocations@cppsadmin.org. There is no cost for the event

Weekend of March 22-24, 2013

Come and See Weekend with the Franciscan Sisters of Oldenburg, IN
Welcome Catholic Single Women between the ages of 18 -45 to our Come & See Gathering on Friday March 22 – 1 PM on Sunday March 24. Begin Holy Week with the Franciscan Sisters of Oldenburg, IN. Come, pray, play and get to know the Sisters of St. Francis, Oldenburg. No fee. For more info or to register, contact Sr. Joan Miller joanm@oldenburgosf.com or 812-455-9348.

At the request of so many who enjoyed the written response given by Fr. Schnippel to the Dodge Farmer commercial, we are happy to present to you this video created by our friend, Michael Liliedahl, who is a seminarian studying for the Priesthood at St. Patrick’s in Menlo Park, CA, please keep him in your prayers.

In the coming months, there are two great opportunities for young women who may be considering their call to the religious life right here in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati!

The first of these is a discernment retreat for women 18-45 happening on the weekend of March 8-10, 2013 with the Sisters of the Precious Blood. This retreat will feature the opportunity to meet other young women discerning this vocation as well as those who are currently living out their call. There will be Mass, adoration, time for group prayer and private prayer as well as an opportunity to visit the Shrine of the Holy Relics in Maria Stein and tour the St. Charles Center. For more information on this retreat, please check out the event flyer here: St Charles Collaborative Retreat.

The second exciting opportunity is for young women who are still in high school. There will be a Martha Dinner sponsored by various religious orders who minister in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. This dinner will be happening at St. Denis parish in Versailles, OH on Monday, April 8, 2013 from 6-8 pm. Doors will open at 5:30. The dinner is FREE and includes a presentation and opportunity to meet various religious communities as well as hear from Bishop Joseph Binzer. Please get all the details by checking out the flyer here: Martha Dinner April 2013 flyer.

One of the more striking commercials from the Super Bowl was ‘The Farmer’ by Dodge, featuring a speech given by Paul Harvey to the 1978 Future Farmers of America Convention.  I riffed it this morning for the priesthood:

So Jesus Called the Priest

And as He Ascended, Jesus looked down at His nascent Church and said, “I need a caretaker.” So Jesus called the Priest.

Jesus said, “I need to still be present to guide the lost; to organize the community; to build my Kingdom; to comfort those who sorrow; to encourage others to greatness in My Name; to shepherd My people.”  So Jesus called the Priest.

Jesus said, “I need to continue to teach and instruct, to form children in the ways of Truth; to guide academics in the mysteries of the universe I have shaped; to challenge governments to respect the order of creation; to preserve the integrity of my teaching; to pass along my teachings in the Scriptures; to respond to new questions with timeless answers.”  So Jesus called the Priest.

Jesus said, “I need to baptize children into My Name; to strengthen my disciples as soldiers of My Name; to give My Precious Body and Blood to nourish my people; to forgive their sins; to anoint the weak; to witness my love shining in the love of a married couple, to call others to take up the mantle of the Cross.”  So Jesus called the Priest.

It had to be someone who would be a sign of contradiction in this world.  Somebody who dwells here, but has his face set towards heaven.  Someone who would comfort the afflicted, but afflict those who are too comforted.  Someone who would embrace a life of sacrifice so that others might live.  Someone who can share a laugh with a friend and quick embrace with the stranger.  Someone who would be a father to all but a dad to none.  Someone who reject the pleasures of this world to show the glory of the life to come.  Someone who recognizes that, “Jesus called the Priest.”