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Omaha Serrans’ book honors Poor Clares’ 125th Anniversary

by Charlie Wieser, The Catholic Voice, Omaha, Neb.

A simple invitation from Bishop James O’Connor led to the Poor Clare Sisters establishing their first U.S. community in Omaha in 1878.

Bishop O’Connor first met the Poor Clares on the east coast when they were searching for a location for their first U.S. monastery. After finding no success in New York City, Philadelphia and Cleveland, the sisters were invited to America’s heartland by Bishop O’Connor, the second vicar apostolic of Nebraska.

It proved to be a perfect match, and the Poor Clares celebrated their 125th anniversary in the Archdiocese of Omaha with a Mass and buffet luncheon on Aug. 30.

Archbishop Elden Francis Curtiss presided at the anniversary Mass at St. Cecilia Cathedral.
When reflecting on the 125th anniversary, Sister Mary Clare Brown, abbess, said the Poor Clares “praise the Lord for his mercy and kindness and for all the good people we’ve come to know through the years.”

As part of the celebration, a history book about the cloistered community’s 125 years in the archdiocese has been published. The book will be given free to people attending the Mass and luncheon at the cathedral, and later sold at local book stores.

Poor Clares, written by Omaha Serrans William E. Ramsey and Betty Dineen Shrier, was published just in time for the upcoming celebration.

Ramsey said the book is dedicated to St. Clare of Assisi – the patroness of the Poor Clare Sisters throughout the world.

The Omaha community of the Poor Clares was established by two blood sisters who were nuns – Mother Magdalen and Mother Constance. Prior to entering religious life, they were countesses of the Bentivoglio family in Italy.

Pope Pius IX granted permission to the two Poor Clare sisters to travel to the United States to begin a community in North America.

Shortly after their arrival in Omaha in 1878, the sisters met John Creighton, whose generous support enabled the Poor Clares to settle in Omaha.

It wasn’t long before the power of the Poor Clares’ prayers was being discussed in the city.

Here is one example from the book:

“The wife of a physician reported that the sisters’ advice – to give good example to her husband – might bring him to conversion some day. However, when their daughter became seriously ill, and medical skill along with appropriate medications brought no relief, the distraught doctor asked his wife to have the Poor Clares pray for their daughter’s recovery. Their prayers were answered and the child was immediately cured.”

The physician later converted to Catholicism, and provided medical care for the Poor Clares.
“The Poor Clares have many wonderful stories of helping people,” Ramsey said. “They have made quite an impact in the Omaha Archdiocese.”

Eventually, a permanent convent was built, but not before a couple of fierce storms destroyed earlier construction efforts. The location of this convent on a hill proved a bit difficult for the sisters and visitors due to poor roads, so a new monastery was built at 29th and Hamilton Streets, with the dedication taking place on Sept. 15, 1904.

The new book also details the Poor Clares’ eventual move to a convent at St. Bernard Parish as well as information from the sisters’ archives.

Following are a couple of examples:

“On Easter Sunday 1913, a tornado ripped through the city and took the back porch jumping over the extern quarters. It swept away the statue of the Sacred Heart in our front yard to the neighbor’s yard across 29th Street.”

1975 was the year of the terrific snowstorm. Then in May a devastating tornado ripped across the center of Omaha, especially along 72nd Street where many homes were demolished . . . We heard what sounded like a freight train roar over our heads. Roofs of homes near us were hit and our yard had plenty of debris. We did not know if we would find anything left of the monastery, but the Lord preserved us.”

And the book looks at the time in 1976, when Mother Teresa stayed with the Poor Clares in Omaha.
“Mother Teresa was in Omaha to receive an award from Boys Town,” Ramsey said. “Her visit left the Poor Clares with many fond memories.”

The Franciscan Poor Clares now have eight members in the Omaha community – Sister Brown, abbess, and Sisters Maria Benedicta Czerwien, Virginia Hassing, Mary Celine Hutfless, M. Clarissa Leyendecker, Veronica Luebbert, Coleta Pfister and M. Cecilia Switalski. Their charism is to follow Christ in a hidden life of prayer and penance.

“We live a life according to the Holy Gospel,” Sister Brown said, “depending totally on God as did St. Francis and St. Clare.”

On the evening of May 5, 1976, Bill Ramsey brought Mother Teresa and her companion, Elizabeth Collins, to our monastery. The Poor Clare community extended a warm and hearty welcome to them. Mother Teresa paid a visit to the chapel before she was escorted to the library where a comfortable chair awaited her. She surprised the Abbess, Sister Mary Clare, when she pulled her quickly into that soft upholstered chair and seated herself on one of the wooden straight-backed library chairs.
For almost an hour, we had a delightful visit with her as she told us about the Missionaries of Charity and all that she required from those who wished to enter the community. She said that if a candidate possessed a sense of humor and a spirit of joy, she would have passed the primary qualification for admission.

Privately Mother Teresa spoke with Sister Clare about forming a new community of a more contemplative nature. Mother had numerous requests from former women religious who sought to join her in her active ministry for the poor. She had to refuse them admittance because they lacked the formation of her sisters. This new community would attract women whose daily routine focused on a contemplative life combined with the apostolate of teaching catechism to children whose instruction in the faith needed steady guidance. She was most interested in our faithful commitment to prayer.

When Mother retired for the night, we do not know if she slept in the bed or not. She had no suitcase but rather traveled with a carryall that resembled a bucket. Her gray sweater was worn and frayed. The next morning, she and Elizabeth attended the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass with us. At breakfast, she ate only a banana and drank a glass of water and a cup of coffee. Being distracted with conversation, she put sugar in the cold water instead of the steaming coffee. When the sisters attempted to remove the water, she would not allow it to be wasted but rather swallowed the sweetened beverage.

Mother Teresa’s crowded itinerary included this 24-hour stop in Omaha to receive an award from Boys Town, visit the Good Shepherd Sisters and the Poor Clares – the two cloistered communities in the city – and then proceed to Eppley Airfield to board a jet to Guatemala. She was establishing a new branch of the Missionaries of Charity and entrusted their foundation to prayers of the Poor Clare Sisters in Omaha.

It was her practice to ask a contemplative order to pray for the successful mission of each newly established convent.

Before her departure, Sister Regina produced her camera and we posed for a photo of Mother Teresa in front of our monastery. Bill Ramsey arrived to drive Mother and Elizabeth to Boys Town and asked if he could take a picture of us with Mother Teresa. We framed that treasured photograph and it is prominently displayed in our monastery parlor.

Just before she left, Mother Teresa was surprised when a florist delivered a lovely plant for her. It was sent by actress and movie star Dorothy McGuire, who was from Omaha. Mother took it to the chapel and placed it near the altar where the Blessed Sacrament is present.

What happy memories we have of this remarkable woman who will soon be canonized a saint!
--Sister Mary Clarissa Leyendecker, O.S.C.

The above account and photos accompanying this feature were taken from the book Poor Clares by William E. Ramsey and Betty Dineen Shrier. For more information on the Poor Clares, or to request prayers, visit them at www.omahapoorclare.org.

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