August 8, 2022
In this Issue:

Peak of the Week

Welcome Sister Death

Get Your Tickets!
Canticle Farm's Annual
Farm to Table Dinner

BayCare 25th Anniversary

Giving Voice's National Gathering

Sharing Our Ministry in Bolivia

Canticle Farm - Volunteer of the Year Award

Progress at the Old Motherhouse Property
Peak of the Week
Something to make you smile this month!
August 9th
Book Lovers Day
August 9 is Book Lovers Day, an unofficial holiday that encourages people to pick up a book (or two) and spend the day reading.
On this day, honor all the bookworms and book lovers in your life. If you are a book lover yourself, then treat yourself to some quality reading time.

Studies have shown that reading can not only be entertaining, but can also have many health benefits. Reading helps reduce stress, keeps the brain sharp, and can help you sleep better. Scientists have also found that those who read are much more likely to be empathic and understanding of others.

Get into your most comfortable clothes, curl up on your couch with a cup of hot tea, and take yourself on a great adventure with your favorite book.
August 13th
Left-Handers Day
August 13 is Left-Handers Day. Created in 1992 by the Left-Handers Club as a way to celebrate left-handers.
Left-handed people use their left hands to carry out tasks that require the use of hands. About 10% of the world's population is left-handed. Despite this, most equipment and day-to-day articles are designed and manufactured for the use of right-handed people - those who use their right hands to perform tasks.

The purpose of Left-Handers Day is to make the majority right-handers aware of the frustrations that left-handed people face while using devices designed for
right-handed people.
The day also encourages designers to think about the convenience of those
whose left hand is their dominant hand.

Did you know that people who are ambidextrous can easily perform tasks and
use devices with
both their hands?
Ambidexterity is rare and only occurs in about 1% of the population.
September 4th
Eat an Extra
Dessert Day
September 4 is
Eat an Extra Dessert Day,
a day that encourages people to treat their sweet tooth with a second
(or well, even a third)
helping of dessert.
It is unclear who created this awesome but unofficial holiday, but we think that whoever it was, deserves a big slice of cake after a huge bowl of ice cream!

Guiltlessly indulge yourself in a little extra dessert on this day and inform everyone you know about this happy holiday. We are convinced that it will soon become everyone's favorite
made-up holiday!
To see where we found these fun holidays and check out more from around the world, visit: www.timeanddate.com/holidays/fun
Welcome Sister Death
Sr. Therese Marie Van Bourgondien, OSF
Born: Therese Maria Van Bourgondien, Hillegom, The Netherlands, December 12, 1929
Died: August 4, 2022, St. Elizabeth Motherhouse, Allegany, NY

Daughter of: Pieter and Emilie Stehmann Van Bourgondien, Hillegom, The Netherlands
Obituary:

Sister Therese entered the Franciscan Sisters of Allegany on September 3, 1957, was received into the Congregation on August 15, 1958 and professed her final vows on August 16, 1965. As an Allegany Franciscan Sister for 65 years, she lived joyfully her call to reflect God’s love and mercy to all with whom she came in contact.

Sister attended elementary school in The Netherlands until she was ten years of age, at which time her family emigrated to the United States. She completed her elementary education at St. Joseph School in Babylon, NY and graduated from the Academy of St. Joseph in Brentwood, NY in 1948. She attended Trinity College, Washington, D.C. and Manhattanville College, Purchase, NY, earning a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Biology with a minor in German. She continued her education receiving a Master of Science Degree in Microbiology from St. John University, New York, NY.

Upon graduation, she entered the Franciscan Sisters of Allegany. Her first ministry was at St. Francis Hospital, Olean, NY as a lab technician. For the next several years, Sr. Therese taught at St. Joseph School and Archbishop Walsh High School in Olean, NY, as well as St. Elizabeth Teachers College at the Motherhouse. She began doctoral studies at St. Bonaventure University, earning her doctorate in 1967 in Biology, with a minor in Microbiology and Physiology.

For the next 12 years, Sr. Therese was a Nursing Instructor at St. Clare School of Nursing in New York City, simultaneously conducting research and instructing at Good Counsel College in White Plains, NY and Community College in Brooklyn, NY.

She had a passion for lifelong learning and teaching, while at the same time she quietly and unassumingly enjoyed time at the ocean and lakes creating gorgeous watercolor images of nature. Walks along the Allegany River were treasured pastimes. Therese was fluent in Dutch, German and English languages. She loved growing up with her favorite breed of dog, the dachshund, and the beautiful tulips grown in her parents’ floral shop.
In 2011, Therese was warmly welcomed home to St. Elizabeth Motherhouse, where she continued to create artwork and images to share with everyone. 

She is predeceased by her parents, Pieter and Emilie Stehmann Van Bourgondien and an aunt, Martha Stehmann. She is survived, loved and cherished by many generations of cousins in Germany, Holland and the US.

A Wake Service will be held at 4:00PM, Sunday, August 7, 2022 in the Chapel of St. Elizabeth Motherhouse, Allegany, New York. The Mass of Christian Burial will take place at 10:00AM, Monday, August 8, 2022 in the Motherhouse Chapel, followed by burial in St. Bonaventure Cemetery Allegany, New York.

The funeral arrangements are under the direction of Letro-McIntosh-Spink Funeral Home, Inc. 646 East State Street, Olean, NY . For condolences and comments, please visit www.letromcintoshspinkfuneralhome.com
Get Your Tickets!
Canticle Farm's Annual Farm to Table Dinner
Sunday, August 14, 2022
For more information or to purchase tickets, go to the website:

Or visit the local farmer's markets
Tuesday's at 3809 Old State Rd, 12pm-6pm. 
Saturday's in Lincoln Park, 8am-1pm. 
BayCare 25th Anniversary!
This year marks an august occasion – 25 years since the region’s strongest not-for-profit health care providers came together to make sure not-for-profit care would survive and thrive for our community. I am very proud of what BayCare has become and appreciate, individually, how each entity has contributed to their community, and how, collectively, we have grown even stronger in that service.

We have posted at BayCare.org/newsroom a story and video marking the occasion. I hope you will enjoy them but also feel free to share them with your network in celebration.

Thank you for your service to our Mission and to BayCare. Happy anniversary to all of us.

Sincerely,

Tommy Inzina
President / CEO
Giving Voice's National Gathering
By: Margaret Foley, OSF
From July 14 to July 17, I was blessed to participate in Giving Voice’s National Gathering in San Antonio, Texas. 77 sisters from 40 different religious congregations gathered at the Oblate Renewal Center in San Antonio, Texas. We came from at least 14 countries of birth. We spoke at least 13 languages natively. The youngest registrant was born in 1996 and the eldest in 1973.
Our theme was “Stir into Flame: the Gift of Global Sisterhood”. The whole gathering consisted of deep sharing. We began by walking together as Global Sisters. This included prayer and sharing our Emmaus journey in intimate small group and powerful large group sharing. Then we journeyed on our call to discipleship as Global Sisters. We listened to fellow Giving Voice sisters share their stories of discipleship as women religious. On the last day was giving voice to our global sisterhood as we went forth with gratitude, blessing and many new friendships.

Giving Voice is a peer led organization that creates space for younger Roman Catholic women religious under the age of 50 to give voice to our hopes, dreams, and challenges in religious life. As a network of younger sisters, Giving Voice strives to cultivate peer accompaniment and community that empowers young women religious to live our vocation fully.
Sharing Our Ministry in Bolivia
By: Elvira Donaldson, OSF, and Maria Miranda, OSF
Two years after COVID 19, we are still living with the aftermath of the virus. Like everyone else, we found ourselves isolated and powerless in the face of the magnitude of this crisis. We suffer the pain of those who lost their loved ones, including our own families.

During that time, our ministry was limited and we communicated virtually. Presently, we have returned to our activities in the Pedregal community in person and the personal contact with each family was a joy.

Our service in Pedregal consists of:

  • Attention to children and young people who wish to prepare for the Sacraments of Baptism, First Communion and Confirmation.
  • Visits to the most needy families, assisting them with provisions such as food, school supplies and clothing for children of school age.
  • Economic support for some young people with limited resources (women and men) who are of school age or who want to continue with higher education and need to pay their tuition.

There are other needs that arise in their daily lives, such as illnesses or emergencies in their homes, and they are given the necessary support.
Canticle Farm - Volunteer of the Year Award
By: Gina Anderson, Canticle Farm President
For the first time ever,
Canticle Farm is presenting the
Volunteer of the Year Award
at its annual Farm to Table
fundraising dinner.

The name of the award is the
"Sr. Anne Rothmeier,
Volunteer of the Year Award"
and it will be given to Tom Steen.

Tom for years has been an extremely dedicated volunteer using his carpentry skills to fix our barrel washer, mend broken down picnic tables, repaint the ceiling of our market, and put up new wood around the columns of our market.

When asked why Tom dedicates
so much of his time to Canticle Farm
he says the answer is simple,
"He will do everything in his power to help the farm succeed. It's selfish really, I just want to keep eating those
wonderful vegetables!"

Sr. Anne was shown the award,
which was named in her honor on
Wednesday, August 3 at
the St. Elizabeth Motherhouse.
Sr. Anne was surrounded by many of her Sisters, cheering her on.
From left to right Gina Anderson, Canticle Farm President, Sr. Anne Rothmeier, and Shaunna Keesler, Board Chair for Canticle Farm
Progress at the Old Motherhouse Property
If you take a drive past the property where the old Motherhouse used to stand, you will see a new sign sits on the hill, marking the future site of Allegany Rescue & EMS Inc.
We look forward to watching the progress and development of this site.

Watch for more updates in upcoming newsletters!
Attention Sisters, Associates, Partners, and Friends!
We are looking for your assistance in
gathering photographs of our sisters with all of you.

Our hope is to receive pictures that tell the FSA story!
We hope to show who the sisters are, what they do, and
the continuing relationships with our associates, partners,
and friends all over the world.

If you have photos that you wish to send to us, reach out using the "Email Us" button below or by contacting our Archivist.
Newsletter Content Submission Deadline:
August 22th Publication: Due 12:00pm EST - August 17th
September 12th Publication: Due 12:00pm EST - September 7th
To submit information for our newsletter, please look over our Guidelines for Submission.