Posted on 04/03/2013 5:58:41 AM PDT by NYer
.- The Sisters of St. Francis of Perpetual Adoration are thrilled at the approved beatification of their German founder, Mother Maria Theresia Bonzel, after a Vatican-recognized miracle in Colorado.
“We are enthusiastically surprised,” Sister Clarice Gentrup, the congregation's vicar general, told CNA April 2.
“After all these years, we’re coming closer and closer to beatification and canonization, possibly.”
Pope Francis approved the 19th century nun's beatification on March 27. The ceremony will be celebrated at the Catholic cathedral in Paderborn, Germany on Nov. 10 and her hometown of Olpe will host an event on Nov. 11.
The miracle attributed to Mother Maria Theresia involves the healing of a Colorado Springs boy named Luke Burgie. In September 1998, at the age of four, he began suffering chronic diarrhea. Many doctors and specialists could not cure him.
“Nobody could really diagnose what the cause of it was,” Sr. Gentrup said. “They tried to heal him, but nothing helped. He was losing weight, and a little four-year-old doesn’t have a lot of weight to lose.”
Luke's older sister Jill met some Sisters of St. Francis when they visited her parish elementary school, where she was a student. Her family invited two sisters to supper at their home, where they learned about Luke’s illness. The sisters began a novena to Mother Maria Theresia for Luke in late January 1999.
Luke was suddenly cured on Feb. 22, 1999, without scientific explanation.
His mother said that he “just got up from the couch and began playing like a normal happy kid,” the Sisters of St. Francis reported on their website. At the time, Luke simply said “Jesus healed me.”
Sr. Gentrup, who lives in Colorado Springs, said the boy is doing well fourteen years later.
“He was a healthy strong, wrestler in high school. He rides his bicycle and runs marathons,” Sr. Gentrup said. “He’s a normal, healthy teenager.”
She and her other Sisters of St. Francis are glad to see recognition of their foundress.
“Right now we’re very grateful she will be beatified. She was such a wonderful woman and such an inspiration to so many, many, many sisters.”
Mother Maria Theresia was born in Olpe in the German region of Westphalia on Sept. 17, 1830. She founded the Sisters of St. Francis of Perpetual Adoration in Olpe in 1863.
Her sisters cared for orphans, worked in teaching, and provided health care among many other acts of charity. They suffered under the “Kulturkampf,” the nineteenth-century German government’s program against the Catholic Church.
“She lived in some very difficult times in Germany,” Sr. Gentrup said.
Many laws and regulations tried to suppress religious work. Government officials said Mother Maria Theresia could not take care of orphans and they had to be placed in homes. One day a government officer came to her door and objected that she was still caring for orphans.
“She called all the orphans together and said 'officer, here they are, they’re yours,'” Sr. Gentrup recounted. “And he said, 'okay, we’ll give you a few more months to place them in homes.'”
“That’s the kind of determination Mother Maria Theresia had.”
She died on Feb. 6, 1905, at which time about 1,500 sisters were members of her congregation. Her sisters now minister in Germany, the U.S., the Philippines and Brazil.
Sr. Gentrup said Mother Maria Theresia had “a deep, deep faith in God and in Jesus, the Risen Christ.” Her devotion especially focused on the Blessed Sacrament.
“She always wanted a sister in the church or in the chapel, always praying for her work and for the work of everybody in the world, to move the whole world closer to the reign of God here on earth.”
The Sisters of Perpetual Adoration foundress wanted her congregation to “balance works of mercy with prayer.
Mother Maria Theresia’s advance towards beatification also drew comment from Bishop Michael Sheridan of Colorado Springs
“I share the joy of our Franciscan sisters that their foundress Mother Bonzel will be beatified. It’s wonderful to know that she has been so close to us in her intercessory prayer,” Bishop Sheridan said April 2.
After she is beatified, Mother Maria Theresia will need one more recognized miracle to advance towards official sainthood.
I’m not seeing the relevence of the scriptures within the context of what we are talking about.
I believe that someone who has been a devout Christian for many years exhibits a more “pure” lifestyle than someone who is a new believer, but I believe that, on a scale of 1 to perfection, the former is a 2 and the latter a 1. That is statistically no difference. They are equal in the eyes of God and I am not a respecter of persons.
However, I do believe in emulating the behavior of those who seem to be more in harmony with the word of God, but what I’m really saying is that I believe in being in harmony with the word of God.
Meanwhile, I go to a southern baptist church and they consider ANY alcohol consumption to be a sin, though plenty of them smoke, and I have a full bar at home. I am an imitator of Paul in that I am not a drunkard, though I drink alcohol. And my savior’s first miracle was to, at the request of his mother, get more wine for a wedding where they were drinking so much the ran out.
That is lost on the “long time Christians” in my church who refuse to even discuss such subject. They just hold up their big marked up King James bible and say, “I believe what the word of God says.”
And all these people are demonstrating to me is that, like me, they are flawed. As are we all. We are all equal, though some do live more pure lives than others. But I don’t need to emulate them nor would I want to emulate some of them for the simple reason that they have different personality types than me. We are not all identical.
And one of the most rewarding things a person can do is gie to others who have not earned it. It is especially fun when it is not even your money. That does not make you “holy” or giving. In fact, it is kinda selfish.
Wrong Mother Teresa. The article was about Mother Maria Theresia, who was born in 1830, not Mother Teresa of Calcutta, the one Hitchens bashed.
You were so eager to crap on this thread you didn’t even read the article.
It’s very simple and one of the wonders of His message and the Gift of God. I look to no man other than my risen Savior. Others can be good teachers, examples, etc. but they are all ultimately mere sinners like me. Even guys in fancy robes and funny hats.
You said I’m no fan of Christopher Hitchins (to put it mildly) but he’s exposed that woman pretty well.
Hitchens wrote a book specifically denouncing Mother Theresa of Calcutta: "The Missionary Position: Mother Teresa in Theory and Practice." If he wasn't referring to Mother Teresa, and you were not referring to Mother Teresa by stating that Hitchens "exposed that woman pretty well" then who are you and Hitchens referring to?
I meant “that woman” in the video.
The internet can be very useful for making sure you get your sentences in without being interrupted, but it also lends itself to all sorts of missinterpretations from less than clear statements. It’s conversational, but gives the appearence of clearcut statements.
IOW, the reader tends to put too much importance on sentences that were, frankly, not structured very well. Plus it doesn’t give you the other 80% of communication like body language, voice inflection and facial expression.
It’s why I’m careful to come down on anybody for a viewpoint they express until I have strong confidence that I understand where they are coming from.
What video?
The video I posted in post #3. Language warning, however.
Yeah, the vile Penn and Teller rant, that requires a language warning, you felt compelled to post on a thread about the miraculous healing of a sick child.
Yeah, the vile Penn and Teller rant, that requires a language warning, you felt compelled to post on a thread about the miraculous healing of a sick child.
“The last perfect man died and rose again 2000 years ago.”
Who was the first one?
Adam...but he screwed up.
So Adam wasn’t perfect, right?
Of course he was...at least in the beginning, before he screwed up....
So is a baby, immediately after his baptism. What’s your point?
I do not believe in infant Baptism...dedication yes...but sprinkling the head of a baby does not remove his sinful nature which all men are born with.....when he or she is of age they will make a decision one way or another for Christ.
Until then parents are the teachers and instructors....and always having to keep children..in line.
The foot of the cross is on level ground for all...indeed.
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