Category CYO/Camp Howard

The Garage Door

Sr. Krista von Borstel Leave a comment

October 14, 2020

18 days till National Vocation Awareness Week

#7 in a series of 25

The Garage Door

During my canonical year, that streak of fun came out in me and I couldn’t help myself.  I had tasks that required me to go between the men’s shop and the garage.  There was a garage door opener in the men’s shop and I often had it in my apron as I took wood back and forth.  One day, one of the elderly sisters was standing near the garage door and I showed her how I could kick the drainpipe and the garage door would go up.  Actually, I was clicking the clicker in my pocket.  She was thoroughly amazed.  After I had my fun, I went on my way just as one of the more boisterous Sisters drove up to the garage.  Sister Thomas called me back to show Sister Elma what I could do.  I was all too happy to go back and do it again.  I kicked on the drainpipe and up went the garage door.  Kicked it again and down it went.  Again, thoroughly incredulous at this demonstration. 

About that time the men came out of the shop and Sr. Elma motioned them over.  She encouraged me to show them what I could do.  I kicked the drainpipe and up went the door.  The head of maintenance kicked it and down it went.  He kicked it again up it went, kicked it again started to go down then overheated.   Then he kicked in between all of the garage doors (6) to see if there were any similar issues.  Then he started talking jack hammer to open up the area behind the drainpipe to see what was going on.  Uh oh…I waited till everyone left then I went out to the shop and told Dave I had the clicker in my pocket and was fooling the Sisters.  He hung his head, didn’t have to say a thing, and I felt bad I had sort of humiliated him.

OK time to self-report.  I went to Sr. Fidelis and told her what I had done.   She of course laughed and enjoyed the story and told me not to worry about it.  Whew!  The story made the rounds.  About two weeks later, one of the Sisters was seen kicking the drainpipe trying to get into the garage.  Sr. Thomas saw this happen and told me about it.  Sister Dismaria had been watching from second floor of the convent out the window and surmised the garage door would go up if you kicked the drainpipe.  She did not hear the rest of the story and figured it would not have been fixed yet.  She just couldn’t seem to find the right place to kick!

The Canonical Year

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October 13, 2020

20 days till National Vocation Awareness Week

#6 in a series of 25

Sister Fidelis Kreutzer gives an inspirational talk before giving my classmate and I our white veils.

My Canonical Year

I talked about “Formation” in an earlier piece as a time of discernment before making final vows with the Sisters of St. Mary of Oregon.  This process can take seven and a half years in our community.  After finishing six months minimum as a “candidate”, I wrote a handwritten letter to ask to become a novice with the community.  This then began a two year “novitiate” and for the first time, we were then referred to as “Sister.”

The first year of novitiate is generally referred to as a “Canonical Year.”  This year is dedicated to prayer, studying all aspects of the vows and really learning about religious life and the unique charism or spirit of the community.  The second year of the novitiate is often spent in furthering education or ministry.  In my case, I entered after college but went on to get a fifth year at Portland State while teaching part time at the high school and engaging in formation classes at the convent.

I clearly remember the gift of my canonical year as I had the time to think, pray, work, study and come to really know the community.  Some interesting aspects of the year included ringing the electric bell which reminded us hourly to say a prayer and turn our thoughts to God.  The switch for the bell was located in chapel and I had to remember to ring it on the hour.  I found a simple egg timer to remind me as it was well before I phones with timers!

Canonically, most of our time was to be spent at the Motherhouse and we could make few trips outside to do things.  It was a year set apart, a special year and not one that was to be in competition with the distractions of the world.  I did not listen to music, watch TV, or go to movies that year. 

I cleaned the tables in the grade school cold and hot lunchrooms after their lunch each day which gave me an opportunity to meet people who taught or worked at the grade school.  My classmate and I also led a rosary every day at 1:00 to pray for vocations to religious life.  The elder Sisters would join us in the chapel.

We learned all aspects of setting up for Mass each morning.  The Sacristan would teach us everything about the liturgical seasons, the rites and rituals and it was our job to carry it out.  It was very interesting to me and I appreciated this knowledge.

There were many projects we were kept busy with during that year along with formation classes, writing papers on the vows and deepening our prayer lives.  By the time the canonical year was finished, we had a sound foundation about religious life, the sisters, prayer, the ministries of our community and much about ourselves. 

Candidate von Borstel

Sr. Krista von Borstel Leave a comment

October 12, 2020

20 days till National Vocation Awareness Week

#5 in a series of 25

Carol and Krista begin the candidacy phase of religious life with the Sisters of Sr. Mary of Oregon in February of 1980.
After being accepted in a ceremony as a “candidate”, Krista is welcomed and hugged by Sister Fidelis Kreutzer. Superior General (1980) of the Sisters of St. Mary of Oregon.

Before officially entering a community, a woman will spend 6 months to a few years while she and the membership get to know one another.  Our community calls this stage “candidacy,” while when I entered it was called “postulancy.”

I entered in February of 1980 and wrote a handwritten letter prior to August 15, 1980 to request admission into the novitiate.  Sister Fidelis Kreutzer was Superior General (leader) of our community at that time and was a very special person to me.

As a “candidate” I spent the next 6 months helping out wherever needed, was given a schedule of projects to accomplish and started at the very basic level of getting to know what this life was all about.  I started wearing a black skirt and a white blouse.  I did not wear a veil and I was not called, “Sister.” 

I had a classmate, who joined with me and we were a team figuring things out together.  She had just graduated from high school and me from college.  Little did we know the exciting things that lay ahead for us.  I was ready!

Why Religious Life over Boeing?

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October 11, 2020

21 days till National Vocation Awareness Week

1979 Krista and blood sister, Karla von Borstel at Sigma Kappa, OSU

A former student texted me the question, “What qualified you for work at Boeing and why did you choose religious life over Boeing?”

Great question and one that many people in my situation may struggle with.  Returning to that religious experience I wrote about earlier this week where I realized the importance of and shortness of a life, I reflected with Sr. John Therese about my decision to go to Boeing.  In my mind I knew there was the possibility that once I got wrapped up in work and life at Boeing, the convent would become a thought of the past.  Was it worth risking the opportunity and desire I had always longed for, to live a religious life?  It did not take much wisdom from Sr. John Therese for me to see the value in making a decision to enter the convent.

The thought of working for Boeing as a college graduate was very enticing to me.  My degree in Industrial Arts with studies in mass production and process management were particularly desired at that time and they contacted several of us at the University to consider working for them.  I had completed the extensive background check and was ready to go!  Fortunately, I made that trip to the convent.

I have often reflected on how grateful I have been to have worked at Valley Catholic, CYO and Camp Howard over the years.  I have always considered the kind of work I do to be “heart work”.  A work that fulfils the heart and gives meaning to life.  God is never outdone in his generosity to us or the plans he has for our lives.  We just have to be willing to trust him and say “yes”.

Finding the Sisters of St. Mary of Oregon

Sr. Krista von Borstel 2 Comments

My Journey to Religious Life by Sister Krista von Borstel – in preparation for Vocation Awareness Week I will write 25 short stories that paint a picture. 1 of 25

VOCATION APPRECIATION WEEK November 1-7, 2020 Countdown 25 days to go…I am going to start with my own vocation story. I grew up in Sherman County in Oregon (North Central) the second smallest county in Oregon next to Wheeler! I remember having a very serious religious experience as a very young person where I realized how short life is and how important it is to make the most of it. This inspiration hit me at my grandfathers funeral, it was also the first funeral I remember. About two years later I went to my first “CCD summer classes” taught by Sisters of the Holy Names in Grass Valley. I knew at that moment (third grade) that I would be doing that some day. Still amazed by that insight. I liked what they were doing and I was inspired to want to do it too. The thought lay on my mind the rest of my youth and through college. Though I dated in college, I knew I did not want to get married because I wanted to enter religious life. I had not yet found the Sisters of St. Mary of Oregon. That happened my junior year when I met Sister Maureen Kalsch. We were taking a class together and met one day as we were checking our grades. I invited her to come to my sorority (Sigma Kappa) for dinner and she accepted. Later she invited me to make a retreat in Sublimity (near OSU) where I did go and meet several SSMO’s (Sisters of St. Mary of Oregon) Finally I was invited to make a trip to the Motherhouse in Beaverton and made another retreat. I loved it! When I finished college my Senior year, I had a job offer with Boeing which I had planned to accept in order to pay off my college debt ($2,000). I went to the convent and met with Sr. John Therese to tell her I was going to Seattle and accept the job with Boeing. Before I left the convent that day, I was going to enter the convent in February! A neighbor farmer, and close family friend, John Schadewitz, who was Baptist I might add, handed me a check for $2,000 to pay off my debt and the rest is history. I entered the convent February 3, 1980 with the Sisters of St. Mary of Oregon

Catholic Sentinel Free Digital Subscription Available NOW!

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For the past 150 years, the Catholic Sentinel has connected generations of parishioners to what’s happening in western Oregon and beyond with information that they trust.  CYO/Camp Howard has partnered with the Sentinel since 1952, and ever since, we’ve delivered in print the excitement of CYO programs and the achievements of our kids to families, friends, and future campers and athletes.

Now, the Catholic Sentinel has added MySentinelNow – the free and complete digital version of each issue.  Delivered to your Inbox, it’s easy to use and pages “flip” as if reading in print.  Find CYO/Camp Howard sports and camp news wherever and whenever you want.  Subscriptions are FREE – click www.mysentinelnow.org to sign up.

The Last Thing I Did…..

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In December of 1979 I was asked to make a sign commemorating the area the Oregon Trail passed through Sherman County. I had just finished student teaching and had graduated from Oregon State University. I was waiting for February 3, 1980 to enter the convent with the Sisters of St. Mary of Oregon in Beaverton. A women’s group in the North end of Sherman County asked me if I would make a sign for them. I told them I would be happy to do it. It would be the last thing I would do before entering the convent.

I was living at home on the farm near Kent, OR the southern most part of the county. Wasco was toward the north end of the County. Sherman is the second smallest county in Oregon, only Wheeler is smaller in both population and acreage. The Columbia River to the north, the Deschutes to the west and the John Day to the East cut out the shape of the county.

I found several good pieces of Douglas Fir in the loft of the barn. Who knows how long it had been there. It was just what I needed as it was two inches thick, almost a foot wide and 5′ long. I laminated the pieces together with pegs and clamps to get them to the size I needed. I went to work hand routering the design onto the wood. After finishing, I painted it and finished it. The whole project took about two weeks to complete. I delivered it to the ladies in Wasco and they got one of the farmers to put it up. I saw it over the course of 40 years as I traveled home from time to time.

My cousin, Carsten von Borstel who lives in the county told me the sign had been reported stolen this fall. Someone had seen it in the back of a pickup truck on its way out of the county. There was a lot of commotion on the Sherman County Facebook page over the sign. People were pretty upset by it. No one really knew the details of the sign or how it got to mark the location. My cousin, Carsten informed them. I reached out and told them I would make a new sign. I am posting a photo of the old sign on this blog and at a later date will post the new sign. I have finished routering it on a CNC machine and am in the process of paining it now. It is a different design entirely from the first one. Stay tuned!

1980 Oregon Trail sign commemorating site in Sherman County, Oregon where the trail passed through the county.

2020…Reflections on Entering a New Decade

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  • Fresh fallen snow at Camp Howard 1.14.2020

Like many people, I like to usher the new year in by going through my calendar, making notes of the highlights and lowlights of the year, write up the highlights in my Christmas card and do a general self reflection as we turn the corner into January.

With the beginning of a new decade, it seems that deeper reflection is called for. As we look at our personal timelines, some of us are looking at the second half of the timeline, the downhill side! For me, that makes reflection as well as staying on track important!

I would like to share some questions I used from a Google search which I tweaked and made my own. I hope you might find them worthy to consider! Happy New Year!

LOOKING BACK

What was one of my best decisions? How did it impact my life?

How am I thoroughly different today compared to who I was in 2010? How am I the exact same as who I was in 2010?

Which people have been the core anchors of my life over the past decade? Who have I relied on in my moments of need?

What has been my deepest suffering and what have I done to embrace it or heal it? How have I chosen to deny it or run away from it?

What have been my sources of deep wisdom, faith and intelligence?

Where have I already achieved intense excellence? Why did that happen?

What were my peak experiences of the past ten years that lead to joy and peace?

Have I found a tribe that I feel deeply aligned with? If no, what concrete things am I really seeking, and why haven’t I found them yet?

What are the most important memories of the past decade and how will I carry them with me?

LOOKING FORWARD

What do I want to achieve in the next ten years?

Am I willing to embark on a bold adventure if life invites me on a journey?

What will I do for the first time in my life?

What will keep me grounded, mentally and physically in the years ahead?

What am I going to do to heal my traumas? How far am I willing to go to really deal with problems?

How am I going to do a better job of exploring and being my true self? (Spiritually, authentic personality, deepest talents, passions, artistic expression, inner voice.)

How do I see my relationship with God as a factor in how I will live my life the next ten years?

How am I going to fully activate in the years ahead? How am I committing to live the most dynamic, intentional, profound, authentic and aligned years of my life?

THOUGHTS ON THE EXAMINATION OF OUR LIFE

Bill Gates said, “We overestimate what we can accomplish in a year and underestimate what we can accomplish in ten years.”

“The unexamined life is not worth living.” Plato

The unexamined life is not worth living, but the unlived life is not worth examining.” Andrew Klavan, The Great Good Thing: A Secular Jew Comes to Faith in Christ

Lisa Sanders Presents CYO/Camp Howard to East Portland Rotary

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Thank you to Central East Portland Rotary for inviting CYO/Camp Howard to present today

Mark your calendars for our 9th annual Champions of Faith Benefit Dinner – October 15th

Champions-of-faith.org

Photo – Lisa Sanders, our Development Director, Rotarian – Eric Johnston, a 2018 Champions of Faith sponsor and Ron Quinonez, Jr. an Executive Board Member for CYO/Camp Howard.

Morning Drive With Guest- Galen Rupp, Olympic Athlete

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April 30, 2019: Morning Drive Guest- Galen Rupp, Olympic Athlete