Story by Amy Eichsteadt
We are a pilgrim people. Inevitably, as soon as we get comfortable with a place, situation or routine, it changes. The Lord intends for this to happen; He wants us to find our comfort and reliance in Him alone. We should not get comfortable but instead listen to His call and be ready to follow His voice. Perhaps no one is a better example of this than those in a religious order and missionaries, who give their lives in ministry to God’s people. They continuously listen in prayer and adapt their work to best meet the needs of those they serve.
Central Wisconsin has a rich history of being served by such role models, much like many regions across the country and the world. Religious orders arrived as missionaries and founded and staffed schools and hospitals. In fact, the Stevens Point Catholic high school history is rooted in the Sisters of St. Joseph and the Christian Brothers. Additionally, the Catholic community in nearby Polonia was nurtured in its early days by the Felician Sisters of Poland, who established their first foundation in the United States there. The decades of ministry provided by these religious orders created a strong foundation for the Church and Catholic schools in the area. However, as these founding orders aged and vocations declined, their absence was keenly felt. The last Sister of St. Joseph retired from Pacelli in 2016, and the Felician Sisters left Polonia in 2018 after 150 years of service.
The faithful in Polonia were pained to see the convent empty. Bishop William Callahan felt the same way. When he named Father Alan Guanella the administrator of Sacred Heart Parish in Polonia and Immaculate Conception Parish in Custer in July 2019, his first order of business was to find an order of sisters to once again reside in the convent and serve the community. Several orders came to view the convent and expansive grounds, but none found it a good fit for their communities or particular charisms.
Mary’s Intercession and a Providential Connection
Father Guanella shares, “In the back gardens of the convent is a small shrine chapel to Our Lady. I had heard and read about the various miracles that had occurred after praying at the shrine. One day, realizing that I needed to pray more about this convent, I grabbed the keys for the shrine chapel and walked over to pray. I asked for Our Lady’s intercession. I recall saying to Mary, ‘This is your convent. If you want sisters here, you need to find some to come here. I leave that up to you.’ After a while, I left the shrine chapel, hoping something would come of my prayers. I do not recall if it was the very next day, but it was certainly within a few days, a priest by the name of Father Jude Dioka emailed me.”
Father Guanella explained Father Jude was the former pastor of St. Mary’s in Custer, where he was also pastor, and was now working in the Diocese of Rockville Centre, N.Y. He was the spiritual director for a group of sisters, the Missionary Sisters of the Divine Image (MSDI), who were looking to establish a foundation in the United States.
They were based in Germany and had convents in Ghana and Nigeria (where most of their sisters are from) and wanted to expand to the United States. He asked if Mother Vivian and he could come to Polonia to visit St. Clare Convent and see the facility and its grounds. Father Guanella immediately offered an invitation.
“When they arrived, I shared with them the story of how I prayed in the Marian Shrine at the convent, placing the convent’s future in Mary’s hands, and how Father Jude contacted me within days. We all agreed it was a sign from God through Mary that the Divine Image Sisters should establish their American foundation at St. Clare Convent.”
Mother Vivian explains that her order’s charism is rooted in the concept of the divine image from the history of creation. “Because of God’s special love for man, He created man and woman in His own image. Our order is dedicated to preserving life from conception to natural death, and we have the charism of identifying the image of God in every human being.”
Trials, Delays and Perseverance
Two sisters arrived in Polonia in the final days of 2019, and inherited the convent of St. Clare from the Felician sisters. Excitement was high for the order settling in Polonia. Father Guanella explains, “Everything was working well, and plans were coming together for a group of sisters to come to the USA.” Then the pandemic hit. The borders were closed, and one of the sisters at the convent was stuck there.
“Without sounding too defeatist, things fell apart. The plans were postponed, changed or simply disappeared.” In the next few years, Mother Vivian made several trips from Germany to Polonia to discern and develop a strategy for how the sisters could best serve the community.
After numerous trials and extensive networking, there was a promising job opportunity for one of the sisters. This led Bishop Gerard Battersby and the diocese to petition the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services for R-1 (religious work) visas for Mother Vivian and Sister Justina. Following this, Sisters Philomena and Rosemary also submitted their petitions, and they all arrived together this past April.
Father Guanella continues, “Through the tenacity and hard work of Mother Vivian, the sisters persevered and came through the difficulties.”
A Joyful Return of Sisters to Pacelli Catholic Schools
The attorney responsible for filing the visas for the sisters was John David from John David Law in La Crosse. Understanding the sisters’ situation and their need for employment, John David contacted the superintendent of the diocese’s Catholic schools and Pacelli Catholic Schools President Phillip VanDenBrink to inquire about job opportunities for Mother Vivian at Pacelli. VanDenBrink was delighted to welcome the sisters into the community. To help them acclimate when they arrived this past spring, the sisters worked with the early childhood students. Originally from Nigeria, the sisters already spoke English, as it is the primary language of the former British colony.
“Their arrival marks a joyful milestone for the Pacelli community,” VanDenBrink said. “It has been 10 years since sisters last served at the school, and their presence is already bringing a renewed sense of spiritual vitality and mission.”
This school year, Sister Justina, an engineer by trade, is working as an aide at Pacelli High School. She is preparing to teach online programming. Sister Philomena specializes in early childhood and will continue working with the youngest students. Similarly, Sister Rosemary, who focuses on middle school science and math, will remain in her position for the time being. Mother Vivian works as a substitute teacher for the system as well as coordinating the administration of the order and sharing their charism and apostolate.
Visas are being arranged for two more sisters to come to Polonia and join in the intergenerational ministry of the order. VanDenBrink hopes that one day there will be sisters in each of the Pacelli system schools.
He is excited for students to see sisters in habits and to observe their prayerful lives dedicated to God, hoping they will take inspiration from that. Additionally, he notes, “It is good for the kids to learn about a different culture.” He also points out that the sisters are always happy, smiling and joyful.
Father Mark Miller, the current pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Polonia, echoes VanDenBrink’s sentiment, stating that it is beneficial for “people to see women living out their vocation as religious sisters.”
Witness, Service and Community Life
As neighbors to Sacred Heart Parish, the sisters actively participate in the parish activities, Masses and celebrations. They host adoration and vespers every Sunday for parishioners along with periodic recollections and programs for youth and women. Additionally, they provide religious education and assist with sacristy duties.
Mother Vivian expresses “it would bring us great joy to welcome young and middle-aged women who aspire to become nuns into our community.” She also invites everyone else to consider becoming lay associate members, embracing the spirit of the congregation. “If we encourage more people to promote the divine image, helping them recognize that the person sitting behind me, in front of me, or to my right is an image of God, our love for one another will grow.”
If you would like to support the Missionary Sisters of the Divine Image and further their mission, they have some urgent needs. The convent they inherited requires significant maintenance and repairs. For example, the elevator doesn’t work, and it’s important to repair it to improve accessibility for public ministry, events and Masses in their beautiful convent chapel. Additionally, the heating system needs maintenance, and urgent repairs are needed for the leaking roof.
If you are able to help, please contact Mother Vivian at
info@divineimagesisters.com
or by written correspondence
to the convent at
7381 Church Street
Custer, WI 54423.