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Bernardine Franciscan Sisters

An Intercultural Congregation of Women Religious
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READING EAGLE
Tuesday, February 4, 2020

Bad weather brought Bernardine sisters to Berks County
By Dan Kelly
Sister Cara Garofalo, director of the Mother Veronica Grzedowska Resource Center, 449 S. Sixth St. Reading, PA
It’s hard for me to imagine the destiny of a great institution like the Bernardine Franciscan Sisters, who founded Alvernia University and do missionary work around the world, relied in part on something as mercurial as the weather.
But the fact the sisters have graced Reading and Berks County with their blessed presence for more than 126 years is due in large part to the whims of Mother Nature. 

Sister Maria Bartos, director of development and mission for the sisters, shared the story with me recently when we met to discuss the Bernardine Bonanza, an annual Mardi Gras casino celebration. It's the order’s biggest fundraiser set for Feb. 22. For tickets and information call 484-334-6815 or visit www.bfranciscan.org.

I’ve been writing about the Bernardine Bonanza for almost a decade now and every year Sister Maria lures me in with an interesting story on the exploits of a different Bernardine sister. This year she mentioned Sister Cara Garofalo, director of the Mother Veronica Grzedowska Resource Center, 449 S. Sixth St.
Mother Veronica led the first group of Bernardines to America. In 1894, the sisters came from Poland to teach English to the children of Polish miners in the coal region. 

After a year of teaching in Pennsylvania's famous anthracite region, the sisters decided to go home to the peace and solitude of their cloistered convent in Poland. On the trip a freak storm forced the Bernardine missionaries to spend the night in the Franklin Street Station in Reading.

Not wanting the sisters to spend the night sleeping on benches, a conductor directed the sisters to St. Mary’s Church on South 12th Street, another Polish congregation. The dauntless sisters started teaching English to the children in St. Mary's parish. Later, Mother Grzedowska bought some land that grew into Alvernia College, which became Alvernia University in 2008.
Coming full circle in their mission to teach English as a second language to immigrants, in 2014 the sisters opened the Mother Veronica Resource Center to teach English as a second language, GED and citizenship courses, this time to Spanish-speaking city residents. 

There would be no Bernardines in Berks, no Alvernia University, no resource center or other Bernardine missions downtown were it not for some timely bad weather. 
Who was it that said the Lord works in mysterious ways?
I bet it was a Bernardine. 

READING EAGLE
Monday, December 16, 2019

Alvernia University to expand, aid in downtown Reading's economic development efforts
By David Mekeel 
(l) President of Alvernia University, John Loyack with (r) Sister Marilisa Helena da Silva, OSF, Congregational Minister, Bernardine Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis.
 “Reading CollegeTowne is a strategy and model for championing economic redevelopment in downtown Reading. Through partnerships and collaborations with the City of Reading and local businesses and organizations, Alvernia serves as a strategic enabler for strengthening the local economy downtown.” 
– Alvernia University website
 Sister Marilisa addressing business members of our Reading/Berks County Community.
Standing inside office space on the third floor of 503 Penn St. Monday afternoon, just moments after leading a brief press conference, Alvernia University President John R. Loyack said he hoped to be headlining a similar event a year from now.
“Only, in my own building,” he said with a smile.
That building — a 260,000-square-foot mixture of classrooms, student dorms, eating facilities and other functions — will be located a block west of where Loyack stood Monday.
The university announced at Monday’s press conference that it is in the process of purchasing 401 Penn St., the large brick building that houses I-LEAD Charter School, with plans of turning it into the centerpiece of Alvernia’s new CollegeTowne initiative.
“The time has come for Alvernia to establish a physical presence in downtown Reading,” Michael Fromm, chair of the university’s board of trustees, said as he kicked off the press conference.
CollegeTowne is Alvernia’s effort to help revitalize downtown Reading. It includes the rebranding of Alvernia University’s O’Pake Institute to the O’Pake Institute for Economic Development and Entrepreneurship. It also includes shifting the institute’s mission to encompass playing host to a business incubator, providing programming on economic development and encouraging businesses to open shop in downtown Reading.
In October, Dr. Rodney Ridley was named to lead those efforts as associate provost, vice president and chief operating officer of the institute.
And it includes expanding the school’s footprint into downtown.
“This is our place in the city to begin our vision,” Loyack said Monday. “This is the starting place for us.”
The new facility will house more than 200 students, Loyack said, and have the capacity to have twice that number taking classes there. It will be the home for Alvernia’s business, communications and engineering programs, and will include a national franchise restaurant.
Loyack said the building will be connected to Alvernia’s main campus through the university’s transit system, with a nearly constant stream of shuttles taking students back and forth between the two.
Alvernia has signed a letter of intent with I-LEAD Inc., which owns 401 Penn St., to buy the property, Loyack said. He said he expects an agreement of sale will be finalized soon, and the transaction should officially take place sometime over the summer.
The I-LEAD building
I-LEAD officials could not immediately be reached to answer questions about what a sale of the building will mean for the charter school.
I-LEAD owes more than $2.9 million in back taxes, penalties and fees to Berks County, the City of Reading and the Reading School District dating to 2014. It also owes just over $372,000 to the Downtown Improvement District.
Loyack said those issues are hurdles that have delayed the sale of the property, but that all the parties involved are actively getting that resolved.
Loyack said renovations to the building should begin sometime next year, and that he hopes the first parts of the remade facility are able to open before the close of 2020. However, he added, it’s still early in the process — a final design has not yet been selected — and a concrete timeline isn’t available.
Alvernia chose the 401 Penn St. location because of its central spot in downtown Reading, Loyack said.
“I felt we needed to be on Penn Street; the brand needed to be on Penn Street,” he said, calling it the city’s main drag.
Loyack added that the building also lends itself perfectly to how Alvernia plans to use it.
He said the building is Alvernia’s first step in the CollegeTowne initiative. He said he envisions the school expanding its future footprint in downtown Reading, and hopes the university’s investment leads others to follow suit. 
“Think of how this building will reshape the downtown,” he said.

Ridley, leader of the rebranded O’Pake Institute, said he sees Alvernia’s new downtown facility as a driving force in revitalizing Reading. Saying he doesn’t believe any business should fail for non-market reasons, he said the mentoring and support that will be available through the institute’s student-driven business incubator will greatly enhance the success rate for businesses in the early stages of development.
Room for 2
At the same time, Ridley said, the model’s real magic will be providing unique, real-life learning opportunities for Alvernia students.
Berks County Community Foundation President Kevin Murphy, who also spoke at Monday’s press conference, said he welcomes Alvernia’s downtown efforts. The community foundation has run its own business incubator since 2012, he said, but it has become clear it’s just not enough.
“We proved it works,” he said, touting the 60 businesses that formed in the foundation’s incubator. “But we know it’s too small.”
With Alvernia entering the fold, and making a very real investment in downtown Reading, the city may finally be getting the spark it needs for things to really take off, Murphy said.
“We’ve know we have not yet had the lightning bolt until today,” he said. “This is what it looks like when the lightning bolt hits.”
City Councilwoman Johanny Cepeda-Freytiz said Alvernia’s presence downtown is exciting.
“I’ve been yearning for college kids to be walking in the downtown area and now it’s going to happen,” said Cepeda-Freytiz, who represents the area where Alvernia will be located.
Councilwoman Lucine Sihelnik, who represents District 1, Alvernia’s campus home, said, “I’m proud to see an institution like Alvernia from District 1 investing in the revitalization of our downtown.
“I’m glad to see them work with other major institutions like RACC and Albright, because together they can really impact the development of our city.”

READING EAGLE
Tuesday, November 5, 2019
Written by the Reading Eagle
READING EAGLE
Tuesday, November 5, 2019
Written by the Reading Eagle

Editorial: Alvernia ready to help Reading grow -
The college and the religious order that founded it continue to provide great service to the community.

The Issue:
A city institution starts to shape its vision for boosting downtown fortunes.

Our Opinion:
The college and the religious order that founded it continue to provide great service to the community.

When the Bernardine Franciscan Sisters began serving Pennsylvania 125 years ago, few could have imagined the impact they would have on this community.
In 1894, a group of Franciscan Catholic sisters came to eastern Pennsylvania from Poland to educate the children of immigrant coal miners in the late 19th century. Twelve years later the order established a motherhouse in Reading.
From these humble roots has emerged an educational powerhouse that serves Pennsylvania along with places all over the country and internationally.
The order's tremendous body of work is a great source of pride for our community, and we join the many who have extended heartfelt congratulations on its recent anniversary observance.
In Reading, the group's best known legacy is its founding of what's now known as Alvernia University. The once tiny college was established alongside the order's home. It was the culmination of a broader effort to educate orphans in the sisters' care.
Today Alvernia is a regional educational leader that is growing in size, influence and popularity. The campus, which once primarily served commuters, is being transformed and expanded to provide students with all the amenities of a traditional college experience.
Now it's looking to extend its influence beyond its campus near Reading's southern border. The college's growth already has helped to bring new economic life to the city's 18th Ward neighborhood adjacent to the campus. The next stop is downtown Reading.
Alvernia has renamed its O'Pake Institute for Ethics, Leadership and Public Service to reflect the university's plans to help in downtown Reading's redevelopment. Today it's known as the O'Pake Institute for Economic Development and Entrepreneurship.
College officials said the O'Pake Institute will play host to a business incubator, provide programming on economic development and most importantly, encourage businesses to set up shop in downtown Reading.
The effort will be spearheaded by Dr. Rodney Ridley, who has experience doing similar work in Wilkes-Barre on behalf of Wilkes University's Allen P. Kirby Center for Free Enterprise and Entrepreneurship. Ridley worked on revitalizing Wilkes-Barre alongside Wilkes administrator John R. Loyack, who is now president of Alvernia.
Loyack is implementing a CollegeTowne strategy in Reading. Alvernia will expand its footprint into downtown Reading, establish new academic programs in the center of town and breathe new economic life into the heart of the city by having students and staff there regularly. The O'Pake Institute will be at the heart of it all.
Ridley, who will serve as associate provost, vice president and chief operating officer of the institute, says his experience in Wilkes-Barre will serve Reading well. Having already learned what works and what doesn't, he expects to get off to an effective start once he takes office in January.
Ridley said Alvernia students will play critical roles in everything the institute does. This should benefit the city and give students valuable real-world experience. It may very well also help build a strong attachment between the students and the city and encourage them to stay here after graduation. The importance of that cannot be stressed enough.
Alvernia is to be commended for taking a leadership role in working to establish a brighter economic future for Reading. Other institutions in the area should watch this carefully and consider joining the effort. A stronger downtown Reading benefits the entirety of Berks County. After all, so many addresses outside the city carry the Reading name. Wouldn't everyone prefer to have that name associated with success rather than poverty and decline?
We look forward to seeing Alvernia's presence grow downtown and the university's efforts here bear fruit.
Order marks 125 years of service
Cindy Castner congratulates the Sisters with a citation from Reading Mayor Wally Scott.

The Bernardine Franciscan Sisters are celebrating a 125th year of service to Reading, Berks County and the world.  In 1894, Mother Veronica Grzedowska and four companions left their cloister in Poland to respond to the educational needs of children of immigrant coal miners in Schuylkill County and other northeastern Pennsylvania counties where anthracite coal was king.  Twelve years later, the small group of sisters established a motherhouse in Reading.  The community grew from four to 90, and the Sisters engaged in teaching and caring for orphans.  As the years progressed and the community grew, the Sisters pursued formal education in teaching, nursing and other professions.  Eventually, their ministries took them beyond Pennsylvania to the New England states, the Midwest, the mid-Atlantic region, Virginia, Texas, new Mexico , and California.  The Sisters now have missions in North and South America, Europe, the Dominican Republic and Africa.  During the anniversary, Sisters are visiting Reading from Poland, Brazil and other states and nations.  The Sisters had a celebratory Mass and dinner in October in the Alvernia University Physical Education Center.
READING EAGLE
Tuesday September 10, 2019 08:28 PM 

Alvernia University dedicates and blesses new Tom and Helen Flynn PLEX
The 100,000-square-foot facility will be used for recreation, wellness and health sciences.

WRITTEN BY DAVID MEKEEL 
READING, PA — 
Standing behind a podium on a small stage Tuesday afternoon, the Alvernia University logo behind him, John Loyack smiled.
"What a great place, right?" the Alvernia president said to enthusiastic applause from the crowd seated and standing in front of him.
It was an apt description.
Many of those in the crowd were sitting on black folding chairs set up on a brand new basketball court. Behind them, three more glistening courts stretched out.
The courts were wrapped in an eight-lane track, colored Alvernia maroon and gray.
Behind Loyack, a mezzanine filled with tables and chairs overlooked it all.
A great place indeed. And that's just a small piece.
Alvernia officials, students and alumni joined members of the Berks County community Tuesday to officially dedicate and bless the Reading school's newest addition: the Tom and Helen Flynn PLEX. The more-than 100,000-square-foot recreation, wellness and health sciences complex is the largest project in the university's history.

Loyack excitedly announced that the capital campaign had hit its $9 million goal on Aug. 21, more than four months ahead of schedule. The project was also completed on time and on budget, Michael Fromm, chair of the boar of trustees said.
Tuesday's ceremony was filled with thanks — for fundraisers, donors, school leaders, construction crews — with prayers, with words of excitement and with blessings. Over and over again, those who took to the stage marveled at how many people had their hands on the project, on the effort by so many to bring the PLEX to life.
"We have seen our dream, an abstract concept, come to life," said Angel Helm, co-chair of the PLEX capital campaign.
The PLEX began as a simple desire about a dozen years ago to build a second gymnasium on the Alvernia campus. Over time the idea blossomed to become so, so much more.
The PLEX is not only a fieldhouse with basketball courts and a track, but a multi-use building that features cutting-edge lab and classroom space. There are lecture halls, a lab with three virtual dissection tables, locker rooms, training rooms and even a smoothie stand inside the front door.
Honorees
The complex is named after Alvernia's former president, Dr. Thomas Flynn, and his wife, Helen. Speaking to the crowd Tuesday, Thomas Flynn said he was grateful for the recognition, but added that it was by no means necessary.
Getting to be president of Alvernia was its own reward, he said.
Speaking after the ceremony, Helen Flynn had only one word about having her name on the side of the building.

"Overwhelmed," she said.
Thomas Flynn said he was thrilled to be able to see an idea that started so small more than a decade ago turn into something so impressive. He eschewed credit, instead lauding the support Alvernia received from the community.
"It's just wonderful," he said. "It's another example that Alvernia can do what it does because of the people around Berks County."
Marissa Cosgrove, an Alvernia junior who spoke on behalf of the student government association at Tuesday's event, noted that as well. She said students are keenly aware of what alumni, administrators and the community have done for them.
"We have immediately embraced this tremendous opportunity. We are very grateful," she said, adding that she hopes to one day be on the other side of the equation. "I will pay it forward as you did for me and my generation."

READING EAGLE
Friday May 3, 2019 11:51 PM 
Bernardine Franciscan Sisters celebrate 125 years of ministry
The order's Motherhouse is adjacent to the Alvernia University campus in Reading.
WRITTEN BY SUSAN SHELLY - READING EAGLE CORRESPONDENT 

Four Polish religious sisters and a novice disembarked from a ship in New York City on Oct. 16, 1894, with little idea of what lay before them.  Led by by Sister Veronica Grzedowska, who is considered the founder of the Bernardine Franciscan Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis in America, the women made their way to a parish in Mount Carmel, Northumberland County, where they had been called to teach children of Polish immigrants who had settled there.

A century and a quarter later, the Bernardine Franciscan Sisters, many of whom reside in the Motherhouse adjacent to Alvernia University, still are teaching and welcoming immigrants, as well as providing a variety of other ministries in the United States and abroad.  “We are trying to be open to the needs of the Church today,” said Sister Marilisa da Silva, congregational minister of the Bernardine Sisters who also serves on Alvernia University's board of trustees. “We are working to build relationships as we go out to the people.”  The Bernardine Franciscan Sisters have been observing their anniversary year with special services and events, with a closing Mass set for Oct. 19 at the Motherhouse.  

How the Bernardines came to be based in Reading is its own story.  About a year after arriving in Mount Carmel, the sisters began experiencing conflict with the pastor there regarding duties they felt were contrary to their rule. Two sisters traveled by train to Harrisburg to meet with the bishop of the diocese, from whom they planned to seek permission for transfer to another parish.
A heavy downpour occurred on the return trip to Mount Carmel, and the train stopped for the night in Reading. Alone in a strange city and not able to speak much English, the sisters found their way to the nearby Polish church of St. Mary on South 12th Street.
They were welcomed there and offered residence in exchange for teaching the children of the parish, an opportunity they gratefully accepted.  “There was some sort of storm or something, and the train stopped in Reading, and they had to spend the night,” said Sister Rose Colette Rowe, archivist for the Bernardine Franciscan Sisters. “They went to St. Mary's parish and ended up staying there for a while.”  

In addition to teaching, the Bernardine Franciscans began taking in orphans. Their accommodations were small, however, and there was little room for the order to grow.  To accommodate their growing numbers, Mother Veronica, as she had become known, purchased Ridgewood, a former convalescent home near what is now the Flying Hills development.  The community moved in 1898, but it quickly became clear that conditions at Ridgewood were not ideal. Water and firewood had to be carried to the house, and students and teachers faced a mile-long walk to school and back every day. Still, the community continued to grow, and space again became an issue.  When a generous donor offered Mother Veronica a 10-acre piece of farmland near the center of Reading, she accepted, and a new Motherhouse was built on what is known as Mount Alvernia.

The order grew rapidly, and the sisters soon opened a grade school, then a high school, to serve the children they cared for. In 1958, they established Alvernia College as a liberal arts college.  “It has been a real journey,” said Sister Rose Colette. “We've seen an awful lot of changes in 125 years.”  The interrupted train journey that brought the sisters to Reading may have been inconvenient at the time, but has had a fruitful ending. Nearly 3,000 students are enrolled as undergraduate or graduate students at Alvernia University, and the sisters continue to faithfully serve the community and beyond.

In addition to hosting many programs and diocescan events at the McGlinn Conference Center at the Motherhouse, the Bernardine Sisters offer several educational ministries in Reading and Chester.  They also minister in the Dominican Republic, Brazil, Liberia and Mozambique.

As they celebrate their 125th anniversary, they will continue to contemplate its significance and the good that has come from their ministry in Reading.  “It is a blessing to be immersed in the whole history of what has happened here,” da Silva said.

Contact Susan Shelly: life@readingeagle.com.

About the Bernardine Franciscan Sisters
For over 120 years the Bernardine Franciscan Sisters have answered God's call to serve his people.Their ministry was to educate immigrants and care for orphans. Later, their commitment expanded to include teaching children in Catholic schools, establishing foreign missions in Brazil, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Liberia and Mozambique, establishing retreat centers and working in the medical field.
Today, they continue to follow in the spirit of St. Francis and Mother Veronica by ministering through social work, immigrant programs, peace and justice service and in parish communities. Recently, they have invited men and women to join them in serving God's poor by establishing the Volunteers in Mission Program, or VIM.


READING EAGLE
THURSDAY OCTOBER 18, 2018 10:11 PM 
Bernardine Franciscan Sisters celebrate anniversary
A Mass will be held in Reading to kick off the 125th anniversary year of the religious order.
WRITTEN BY READING EAGLE


A Mass was held Tuesday at the Motherhouse of the Bernardine Franciscan Sisters, 450 St. Bernardine St., to kick off the 125th anniversary year of the Bernardine Franciscan Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis in the United States.

Mother Veronica Grzedowska, a native of Poland, came to Reading in October 1894 with three other nuns and established the religious order's first permanent home and ministry.

"We intend to mark these 125 years by honoring the past, celebrating the present and embracing our future," said Sister Marilisa Helena da Silva, congregational minister of the Bernardine Sisters.

Ministries in Reading include the Mother Veronica Resource Center that is a welcoming place for immigrants and other members of the community who want to learn English, pursue GEDs or become citizens. The Doorway of Hope Project is an early learning program for Latino and Haitian children at St. Joseph's Parish in Reading.

Other ministries include the McGlinn Conference Center at the Motherhouse, which hosts many Alvernia University programs and diocesan events.

The sisters also operate the Bernardine Center in Chester, an outreach social services agency offering educational programs.

The sisters also minister in Brazil, the Dominican Republic, Mozambique and Liberia.

All Bernardine ministries are rooted in Franciscan hospitality and the social teachings of the Catholic tradition.

Presentations, pictures, Power Point presentations, videos and a collection of oral history will be part of the anniversary year.

On Nov. 2, an All Souls Prayer Day service will be held in the Motherhouse chapel and in the congregational cemetery as well as in local areas where Bernardine Franciscan sisters serve.
Throughout the anniversary year of 2019, there will be special prayer services for major feasts special to the history and tradition of the sisters. These events will be held at the Motherhouse and in local areas where the sisters serve. These feasts will include the Feast of Mother Veronica on Jan. 13, the Feast of St. Bernardine on May 20, the Sacred Heart of Jesus in June and the Feast of St. Francis on Oct. 4.

Each sister in the order will receive a historical reflection journal for use during the anniversary year. In addition, all Bernardine Franciscan sisters will have the opportunity for spiritual renewal through a weekend retreat. U.S. retreats will be held at the McGlinn Conference Center in Reading or in the retirement facility of St. Joseph Villa. The first retreat will be in February. Bernardine sisters Patrice Klausing and Roberta Agnes McKelve will conduct the retreats. Retreats also will be offered for sisters in other countries.

A multi-day assembly for communal discernment will be held next month in Brazil and in June in Reading. The event will allow sisters to pray together, celebrate, have dialogue and set direction for ways to continue their mission in Jesus' name.

Bishop Alfred Schlert of the Diocese of Allentown will celebrate the closing Mass of the anniversary year at the Motherhouse in Reading on Oct. 16, 2019. Many guests will take part in the closing liturgy and festivities.

The AD Times

Bernardine Franciscan Sisters will Kick Off 125th Anniversary Oct. 16
Dioceses of Allentown
VOL. 30, NO. 15
AUGUST 9, 2018
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