Diversity

In my course this semester on the Multicultural Church we are reading and discussing journalist John Allen's The Future Church, a look into world trends that are dramatically changing Roman Catholicism. Gathered at the table are two Vietnamese Americans, a Micronesian, one Hawaiian, a seminarian from Rwanda, an Anglo raised in China, someone born in Vietnam who came here after high school, another Vietnamese who was born in the United States, a professor of mixed heritage with Japanese grandparents, another seminarian who was born and lived childhood in Poland, two who were born in Mexico, one with a Filipino parent, and only four Americans with Western European heritage.

We meander through Allen's trends--the rapid expansion of Catholics into Africa, Asia, and Latin America where the majority of Church-goers now reside; the morally conservative but socially liberal views prevalent in third world countries; the seminaries at capacity in Africa and the sending of Southern Hemisphere priests to the United States and Europe; the indifference toward religion in the  Western world; the rise of Islam and tension with Muslims; the shared tenets of faith that might ally Muslims and Catholics in grappling with secularization; the challenges of a multicultural church at the parish, diocesan, national, and global levels; and the hope that these trends can be recognized, embraced, and utilized for the betterment of God's Kingdom and Christ's Body.

Just as important as the content, though, is the meeting of minds. How is it that such a diverse group of people that could choose to do many other things with their lives come to meet here at Mount Angel Seminary twice a week in preparation for future ministry as priests? The mystery of God brings us to gather. We are drawn to something greater, more ancient, more lasting than any of the careers or aspirations we might otherwise know.

That's not to say every statement and conversation we speak is wise or that we avoid the typical temptation to nod in and out of attention, but we share a journey in our diversity, a purpose in our presence, and that is enough to intrigue. As we sort through the muddiness of culture clashes, religious fervor, historical shifts, and the need for humility in this rapid, charged era of the world, we fill our minds with the direction needed to lead people effectively, whether in ordained ministry or elsewhere. The seminary experience is one with high demand of our time, intellectual exploration, cultivation of virtue, commitment to prayer and divine relationship, and formation of our temperament, character, and skills. In settings like this classroom we see foretaste the fullness of the eternal, immense, diverse Church, and we are invited to explore as far as we are able. I thank God for the opportunity.

Snowfall

Classes were canceled on Friday, and so were all our weekend activities as the snow began to accumulate. Our hilltop is magnificently covered in inches of powder, shrouded in the fog of the Willamette Valley, blanketed by the quiet snow brings. I have been slowly reading, pondering, praying, and breaking from life during this unexpected respite from the normally jammed schedule.

That's not to forget the fun we've had during this winter storm: A few snowball fights ensued, the seminarians from warm weather climates played like grade schoolers, a tackle football game took place, a few cars were stranded at the bottom of the hill, and even now, many of us have spent the additional time to do homework figuring out ways to avoid doing homework.

This winter reveling has been wonderful, but I'm almost ready to return to normalcy. Almost.

I suppose one more day of messy roads and canceled classes would probably be welcomed by all of us procrastinating seminarians.

Joani

All my activities seem to have been back-to-back for the last few weeks, so I have not been able to spend time here blogging. I promise to write more soon. A couple topics are swirling in my head already. For now, here is a piece I wrote for the Journalism Practicum on a friend of mine and of many on the hilltop who recently retired.

Joani Steffen Retires, Remembers, is Embraced

By Daniel Miller

After ten years, 121 tubes of lipstick, hundreds of meals, and untold hugs, Joani Steffen retired from Bon Appetit’s food service at Mount Angel Seminary on Thursday, January 30. As an overseer for the dining room, Steffen gained the friendship of seminarians, staff, faculty, monks, and members of the hilltop community.

“With Joani, she’s so much more than an employee,” seminarian Andres Emmanuelli of the Diocese of Sacramento said. He added, “She makes her ordinary work an extraordinary thing, the way she’s living it—with her whole attitude of loving care and the small things she does for each seminarian.”

Many that entered the Aquinas Dining Room when Steffen worked found the greeting to be as welcoming as the fare. Steffen became known for her hugs that helped fill the void of motherly affection for many seminarians. Abbot Peter Eberle, O.S.B., said Steffen's hugs would be the thing most missed by the seminarians upon her retirement.

“Her sheer goodness is such a delight to bump into at meals every day,” Eberle said.

For seminarians with particular dietary needs, Steffen vigilantly watched over the supply of foods they could eat and made sure they were fed well, Emmanuelli said. Steffen kept track of the many people in the dining room by studying the photo directory each autumn and matching names to faces. Steffen’s co-worker and friend Annette Dettwyler said that through her collection of current and previous directories and her notes in a small notebook, Steffen tracked where past seminarians had relocated through graduation to new institutions, ordination to the priesthood in particular dioceses, or discernment to other vocations. Steffen came to know much of the hilltop community personally. Seminarians often confided in her and felt uplifted by her demeanor, hugs, and advice.

"There is nothing she doesn't do for [seminarians] that she doesn't do for her own kids," Dettwyler said.

With Steffen at the helm, many noticed a distinctive sparkle about the dining area. She constantly picked up crumbs or stray bits of food to make the presentation of meals pristine. Steffen was sure to have the fruit bowls overflowing, with no intermixing of fruits from bowl to bowl but always a variety of colors to appeal visually to diners, Dettwyler said. A bowl of lemons, though functionally not useful, enhanced the display and showcased Steffen’s care for appearance and cleanliness.

Steffen also kept a professional personal appearance. Dettwyler said she went through a tube of lipstick about every month, which would amount to 121 containers over her tenure.

“I have lipstick I have been using for years!” Dettwyler said.

It was Dettwyler that advocated for Steffen to be hired 10 years ago after the two worked together at a special seminary event. Then in need of medical insurance that came with the job, Steffen joined the staff. She and her husband Bill were grateful for the medical insurance in the years following her hiring. In 2007, Steffen was diagnosed with cancer and underwent chemotherapy, and in 2009, Bill needed quintuple bypass surgery for heart trouble. When she was being treated, Steffen took a leave of absence for many months, but she still visited the hilltop and kept her friendly disposition.

“Guys would pat her on her little bald head,” Dettwyler said. “She said she would take cancer any day over depression.”

Though she will not be spending 32 hours a week at work on the hilltop, Steffen will visit. Her connections are too deep to relinquish.

Since Steffen spent much of her childhood in Mount Angel, she has built relationships with many families, community members, and even a couple monks over some 50 years. Eberle has siblings that are Steffen’s age, and he will often ask how their mutual acquaintances from town are faring. Fr. Paschal Cheline, O.S.B., met Steffen when she attended Kennedy High School and he taught there starting in 1964, and they have maintained a friendship since.

“She has been an excellent witness to what the Lord asks from all of us: joyful service!” Cheline said. 

As retirement neared, Steffen wondered how she would replace her work routine. Her commute from the Silver Falls area provided time for a rosary and prayer, and as she reached the bottom of the hill, she would intercede for members of the seminary and abbey communities by name. Her trips between the dining room and kitchen helped her walk 3-5 miles per shift. But it was the relationships Steffen said she would miss most.

Still, her retirement to-do list is full: Deep cleaning the house, sewing, beading, scrapbooking, helping Bill with their tree farm, spending time with her twelve grandchildren and four children, all of whom live within an hour.

Steffen ceased full-time employment with a lunchtime celebration on her final day featuring house-made cupcakes, fried Twinkies, punch, and affection from the community she embraced in her decade of service.

“I had to work, but loving my job is an extra benefit,” Steffen said.