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by Mary Alice Bramming, Denver Associate, and Sister Rose Ann Kaiser, Vocation/Associate Coordinator
The spirit of adaptation has continually marked the history of the Victory Noll Sisters, in keeping with our founder’s (Father John Joseph Sigstein) aim to "Meet modern needs with modern means." In that spirit, the Sisters approved the creation of covenant associate membership in the congregation.
Photo: Mary Alice Bramming.
Association with religious orders is not a new concept. Nor is the concept new to Victory Noll Sisters. We have always had men and women associated with us from the very beginning - such as Will Frey and the many individuals/groups throughout the country who raised money for our ministries, made religious articles for children in our religion classes, gathered food and clothing for the poor, and worked hand-in-hand with us in many other ways, and were known as Associate Catechists of Mary. Some of our Sisters were Associates before they became vowed Sisters.
Dominicans, Franciscans, Benedictines have had lay members for centuries, usually referred to as 3rd Orders. But the current movement of lay associates is uniquely American/Canadian of the late 20th century. Generally speaking, lay associates are defined as laypersons who are outside of the vowed membership of religious institutes, but who share in their mission and goals. Victory Noll Associates are committed to the struggle to live the Gospel with an emphasis on those values embodied by the Victory Noll Congregation: commitment to the poor and oppressed; personal noninstitutional ministry; simplicity of life-style; hospitality; and the struggle to live as just and peaceful persons.
Mary Alice Bramming was in the first Associate group which formed in Denver in 1979. Under the leadership of Sister Mary Alice Murphy we met for a year and a half with Sisters discussing, discerning what association with the Victory Noll Congregation meant to us, laity and Sisters.
After the congregation approved the creation of the Associate program, our group of 5 associates-to-be and the Sisters of the Fillmore House worked on the writing of a covenant. In February, 1979 we were ready to publicly proclaim our covenant. We had a wonderful celebration with Mass and all pledged their covenant. This was followed by a meal with all of our friends and relatives. (A hallmark of our group has always been food. At every event we share food.)
 Photo: East Chicago Associates circa 1991, left to right: Mary Ruth Peterson (recently deceased), Nora Rosellini, Jack Brandush, Mary Paz, Lupe Villa and Amelia Martínez.
Over the next few years we added to our numbers, incorporating new members in over a year of orientation culminating with a covenant ceremony where new members made their promises for the first time and old members renewed theirs.
One of the promises both the Sisters and Associates made was to evaluate the program. Over the years we have had several evaluations and the decision has always been to continue the program. Victory Noll appointed directors/coordinators of the program; sometimes Sisters, sometimes Associates, sometimes both. At present Sr. Rose Ann Kaiser is serving as Coordinator with a six member planning team: Mary Alice Bramming, Helen Espinosa, Palmira and Steve Hay, Sr. Mary Alice Murphy and Andrea Rodriguez. After 24 years, Covenant Associates are a firmly established component of the Congregation of Our Lady of Victory Missionary Sisters. Partnerships have been established in various locations in Colorado, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Texas, New Mexico, Utah, West Virginia, Washington, Arizona and Bolivia.
In Denver we have changed over the years. We have worked in a variety of ministries with the Sisters, such as preparing meals at the Catholic Worker Soup Kitchen, working with Hmong Refugees and helping in religious education programs and with emergency assistance.
All of us chose Victory Noll because of its noninstitutional life style, its commitment to the poor, and its provisions of services to those in need that are underserved by the Church and society. All of us had been and continue to be heavily involved in work and volunteer activities which directly affect people.
We have always had a monthly meeting with shared prayer. After we decided we could no longer do a service project we felt that sharing what we were doing in our lives within the context of a supportive prayer community was what gave us strength to carry on.
We now have a monthly meeting with prayer, time to share our lives and usually a topic to discuss — an article or book we have chosen the month before. Last year we read Out of the Depths by Sr. Miriam Therese Winters.
Our group has always included the Victory Noll Sisters in the area. At one time there were 2 houses in Denver - Holy Spirit and Fillmore - and all of the Sisters were faithful in attending. Srs. Kathleen Rice and Dennis Kerr, who continue living in Denver since they retired from Holy Spirit Center, and Sr. Mary Alice Murphy in Ft. Collins, who was the pivot around which the group initially formed, grace our meetings. When Sr. Paula Wellnitz was in Colorado she frequently journeyed to Denver to our meetings.
One of the questions which has been asked over the years is what happens when the Victory Noll Sisters leave the area. My feeling is that the Associate group can continue with a commitment on the part of the members to continue the spirit of Victory Noll in the area and with written and voice communication from Indiana. As one grows individually and as a member of a group in the Victory Noll spirit the connection to a particular Sister lessens. This element of friendship is important and will remain, even when that Sister leaves, but it is only one element of the connection to Victory Noll as Associate members.
We celebrated our 25th Jubilee as Associates in 2004. Associate membership is a new way of religious life - stretching the Spirit’s influence in ways unheard of in our past as Church.
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