May 2020

We look for ways to reduce our carbon footprint, notably with our buildings’ energy usage. Over the past several months, we worked with Melink Corporation — a Cincinnati-based clean-energy company — to establish solar arrays on two open grassy areas on our property in Dayton. “Rain, wind, cold days — those guys don’t mess around!” said Sister Patty Kremer, vice president of the Congregation. “Melink has worked diligently through all kinds of conditions for several months.” The two arrays being constructed could potentially produce up to 60% of the energy used at the four-story Salem Heights, our central house and our largest building.

In recent weeks, the company has erected the frames for the solar panels and installed hundreds of panels. The electrician has been conducting on-site assessments, and the Congregation looks forward to completion of the entire project, most likely in mid-May — just in time to celebrate Laudato Si Week.

Laudato Si Week, May 16-24, marks the fifth anniversary of the pope’s encyclical letter Laudato Si: On Care for Our Common Home. “The cry of the earth and the cry of the poor cannot continue,” Pope Francis said in a video message announcing Laudato Si Week. “Let’s take care of creation, a gift of our good Creator God.”

When the arrays are completed, a pollinator prairie will be planted that will further enhance the ecological health of the property by increasing biodiversity and sequestering carbon in the soil and plant material.

In 2018, the Sisters of the Precious Blood were part of the inaugural group of Laudato Si community recipients in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. The Congregation was recognized among 12 other parishes, congregations and organizations who demonstrated a commitment to sustainability and to engaging community members in creation care education.

In addition to the new solar array, the Congregation has made a number of recent changes in its practices and operations in order to reduce impact on the earth, including the installation of a geothermal energy system at the administrative offices and solar panels on three buildings.

By Mary Knapke
Communications Assistant

Liturgy requires that we surrender our self to being something bigger than ourselves. It’s where we are transformed. Our foundress Mother Maria Anna Brunner’s first major devotion was Eucharistic devotion, and our Community was founded to continue Mother Brunner’s adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. With Eucharistic spirituality as the bedrock of our Congregation’s spirituality, we Sisters of the Precious Blood focus on images that bring us to the foot of the cross, while remaining keenly aware that the cross leads to Resurrection, death to Life, anguish to hope, sorrow to joy, emptiness to fullness, salvation to redemption.

Christ died a common criminal because he came with a mission and he was totally faithful to that mission. But the death wasn’t the end. What startled his followers in their fit of depression after that first Good Friday, was, He’s alive. He rose from the dead. So what Mother Brunner gave us is the fullness of what liturgy is about: the celebration of the death and Resurrection of Christ, and our entering into this Mystery.

In the liturgy, we are invited into Christ’s Mystery. With my most recent book, How Deep the Mystery: Meditating on the Words of the Mass, readers may enter ever deeper into this mystery by praying and reflecting on the liturgical texts outside a liturgical celebration.

Everything that I have is a gift from God. It’s not mine. I’ve always thought, if there’s any affirmation of a vocation, it’s all of the grace and blessing God has given me in showing me the way. My work is to use the gift to the best of my ability. What makes me tick is this core — for me as a religious, the fact that I’m a vowed, consecrated person within the Church, within this Congregation with this spirituality — that is what makes me who I am. Everything flows from that.

By Sister Joyce Ann Zimmerman, C.PP.S.
Director
Institute for Liturgical Ministry

We had served in the Parish of Our Lady of the Precious Blood with the Missionaries of the Precious Blood and laity for 22 years, with monthly meetings with the people who wanted to share in the spirituality of the Congregation.

The chapel that is closest to our new home is named Corpus Christi. When we heard the name of the chapel, we thought that our Precious Blood spirituality may be welcomed by the people. The image in front of the altar is a very large image of the Risen Jesus with a chalice above Him. This same image is repeated on the altar and the processional cross. Communion is distributed under both species in the Masses, which is not the usual practice here in Chile.

Due to COVID-19, it seems that we will be quarantined until May or so. Thus, we have not really entered pastoral activities in the area. Time will tell how we can incorporate and offer our gifts and abilities to accompany the people.

They are very happy we are here. We have contact through WhatsApp, an electronic messaging system. It is admirable how the priests have offered daily Eucharist in their community and send this out by WhatsApp messages to members of their parishes. Catechists accompany groups online, sharing ideas such as how to celebrate Holy Week in the family by placing palms, candles or crucifixes in windows or doors according to the feast each day. We share the daily Scripture readings by WhatsApp, and share other appropriate videos and messages to encourage one another.

As I write this letter (in mid-April), 105 people in Chile have died of COVID-19. We live day by day. These months of quarantine and isolation have presented us with time for prayer, reading, sharing in community and enjoying ample time at meals. With plenty of time on our hands, we have grown more closely in community. When this all passes by, we will become very involved in getting acquainted with the parish.

God be with all of you. … May Jesus’ Precious Blood be a saving grace for all.

By Sister Maria Luisa Miller, C.PP.S.
Volunteer, pastoral ministry

I love to encourage the study of fungi (my forte) as God’s gift to us to encourage “connectedness” as it is a lively and fun activity — mycologists have more “FUN-gi,” you know! Mycology is an integral part of our lives, though not as visible as other forms of life! As you venture outside this spring, you may see fresh mushrooms, which God gave us to be the fruiting bodies of fungi, already starting to come up — namely “turkey tail” types, both real and false morels, Dryad’s saddles and many more. If you are not familiar with varieties of mushrooms, you can visit the North American Mycological Association at to find a wealth of information.

For me, a lifelong family-based study of mycology perfectly complements my life as a Precious Blood Sister: The key is, yes, connectedness. The mycelium, the “root” system of fungi, connects with all kinds of plants, sharing and developing reciprocal relationships. In fact, plants will not grow without their particular fungi “buddies” next to their roots. Experiments prove this!

That is exactly what we do with our Precious Blood spirituality! Jesus’ Precious Blood circulated through his body, connecting various organs, allowing Him to be human; He used this humanity to love and help others through personal connection. There was a fruitful stage with the Cross and Resurrection! By working to connect ourselves to one another and with all forms of life on the earth, we build and use the Spirituality of Jesus in our “space” on the planet.

Thus we share not only ourselves, but continue to build and strengthen that complex network of relationships that our Creator wants for and with us. Our “fruiting bodies” are forms of new life given to us to share with those around us. You could also say we send off the “spores” of our new lives to grow in others. This is what Jesus did! In these pandemic days, we know God is still with us as we find new forms of connectedness on the internet and other electronic devices as we participate in love and share it with others!

By Sister Marie Kopin, C.PP.S.
Chair, National Education Committee, North American Mycological Association