Posts by Sr. Mary Valerie Schneider

A couple walked into the parish office and said they had phoned ahead to ask for a meeting space.  As I was showing them the community room, the wife excitedly told me that she was going to meet her birth mother. Some time ago the wife had graduated from our parish elementary school and was…

Summarizing Two Great Books in One Word:  Relationship This past week I began reading two books.  The first The Divine Dance by Richard Rohr was one I’ve tried to get hold of since its publication in 2016. The second is Barking to the Choir: The Power of Radical Kinship by Gregory Boyle, author of Tattoos…

The Way Forward is the Way Inward Our readers may know that the four United States provinces of the Sisters of Notre Dame are in a process of becoming one province over the next two years. Some efforts toward unification have been in the works over the past few years, but with the proximity of…

The Miracle Story of Annie the Bus Driver On a day in April the entire student body at St. John High School, Delphos, gathered in the gym to pray for Annie, one of our associates, who had bone cancer. Because the foundress of the Sisters of Notre Dame, Sister Maria Aloysia, lived in Delphos several…

Jubilee!! Around this time of year you may hear of priests’ anniversaries of ordination and religious sisters’ jubilees. Some religious orders mark the years from the time of entrance into the community as postulants. My congregation marks jubilee from First Vows. (The first vows a Sister makes are temporary for a few years until her…

Scripture asks, “Pray always.” Throughout Church history there have been two major ways to follow this demand. Monastic orders make the Liturgy of the Hours top priority, while other aspects of their day (work, meals, recreation, sleep) revolve around these times of prayer. There were even times in history when monks would allow themselves  only…

Probably many of you have a sign that you know comes directly from God. Maybe it’s a butterfly that shows a deceased loved one is present. Maybe it’s a deer that reminds you of God’s great care for you. For me, it’s a heron often seen at Lial Renewal Center in Whitehouse, Ohio. Generally I…

Someone recommended a book to me that she had heard recommended by Oprah Winfrey. The title?  The Sun Does Shine. It’s written by Anthony Ray Hinton, who spent 30 years on death row for a crime he did not commit. Although at first, he was justifiably angry for the blatant racism and his lawyer’s ineptness…

First Mass On May 27 Father Andrew Wellmann officiated his First Mass after the previous day’s ordination.  I can’t imagine the thoughts that went through his mind as he lifted the paten and chalice for the first time “in persona Christi.”  Were they nervous thoughts like “I hope I do this right”? Were they feelings…

Ordination Day The diocese was blessed May 26 by the ordination of three newly-minted priests. The two and one-half hour liturgy was resplendent in its beauty and symbolism. The Rite of Ordination begins with the Director of Diocesan Priestly Vocations attesting to the candidates’ worthiness. Then the candidates promise to fulfill their duties and responsibilities…