October 2005 - Download Now DOC

							                                                                             October 2005


Brother Armand and Brother Martin will visit communities
   As part of Brother Frank Carr’s schedule for community visits this year, Brother Armand Alcazar and
   Brother Martin Spellman will make some of the visitations. Brother Armand will visit the following:
   De La Salle Blackfeet; La Salle Manor; Roncalli, Manitowoc; Casa Benedicta Community/San Juan
   Diego School, Racine; San Miguel, BOY Community/School; Harvey House Community/San Miguel,
   Gary Comer; Lasalle, Cincinnati; Roncalli, Omaha. Brother Martin will visit these communities:
   Benilde, Driscoll and Westmont and also Brother Pius Kamphefner in Mississippi and Brother
   Joseph Wilhelm in Kentucky.

Holy Family Catholic High School will celebrate
   On Wednesday, October 19th, Holy Family Catholic High School in Victoria, MN, will celebrate its
   affiliation as a Lasallian school. Bishop Richard E. Pates, Auxiliary Bishop of St. Paul and
   Minneapolis, will preside at the morning liturgy. Brother Frank Carr, Visitor, will represent the
   Midwest District for the official ceremony. A reception and lunch will follow the service.

Brother Armand announces sabbatical and advanced studies deadlines
   Brother Armand Alcazar has announced that the deadline for sabbatical and advanced study
   proposals for 2006 is November 1st. Contact him as soon as possible with details. Sabbatical proposals
   will be due by January 15, 2006.

RCCB meeting held in October
   The Regional Conference of Christian Brothers met in Burr Ridge on October 14th and 15th. The
   gathering followed a day of reflection on October 13th on the Spirituality of Leadership led by Fr.
   Howard Gray, SJ, at the Carmelite Center in Darien, IL.

Brothers encouraged to speak on Retirement Fund
   The annual appeal for the Retirement Fund for Religious will be on December 10th and 11th throughout
   the country. Sister Andrée Fries, CPPS, requested that religious become involved in this appeal in
   their local parishes. Brothers should contact their diocesan office for information or to offer to speak at
   local masses the weekend before the collection. Interested Brothers may contact Brother Joseph
   Martin at Burr Ridge for information for homily preparation. jmartin@cbmidwest.org
Medicare Part D (Prescription Drug Program) starts in November
   This is a reminder to all of the Brothers on Medicare that registration for the new Prescription Drug
   Program (Medicare Part D) does not begin until November 15th. Karen Powers and Brother Joseph
   Saurbier are attempting to learn as much as possible about this new program and the kinds of
   information (especially financial) that need to be reported on the form that every Brother should have
   received from the Social Security Administration. Please continue to hold onto the form. Brothers can
   easily obtain a replacement if anyone has misplaced his copy. Brothers will receive more information
   from Karen and Brother Joseph by the end of October. Thanks for your patience.

Brother Frank reported on the District Council
   The District Council at its October 6, 2005 meeting asked the Visitor to determine ways to get
   information on the Council deliberations and decisions to the communities of the District in a more
   timely manner. While suggestions ranged from getting the minutes out sooner to a DVD following each
   meeting, this entry in the Midwest District News Notes will be an attempt to inform and encourage
   others to take a more active interest in the District Council.
        The Council heard and reacted to some very positive reports.
        1.      The report on the “Quality of Life” survey is taking shape, and the Council plans to use the
   results of the mutual exploration of personal and community quality of life issues as the focus of future
   discussions and action.
        2.      The “Lasallian Teacher Immersion Program” has been extremely well received in the high
   schools, and three retreats are scheduled for senior males who are interested in teaching as a vocation.
   (See separate article in these News Notes). This effort partners the secondary schools and the
   universities, and it engages teachers and administrators in ways they have not been mobilized in the
   past. It is an exciting and unique venture that encourages young men to consider teaching and that
   recognizes the dignity of teaching as a ministry and profession.
        3.      Next year’s District Day will be combined with a District Assembly, which while not as
   extensive as the 2003 Congress, will get an update on the Action Plan and the accomplishments and
   hopes of the Assembly on Association and Mission scheduled for Salt Lake City in November. The
   jubilee celebration will be a high point of the weekend of July 28-30, 2006.
        Planning for the next District Chapter has begun, even though Brother Superior approved the
   request to delay the District Chapter until after the General Chapter of 2007. The next District Chapter
   is to be a combined Brothers Life and Mission chapter, with two prongs occurring at the same time. We
   anticipate it being somewhat complex in its organization so we will begin development of an
   appropriate structure in the next few months. In the meantime, the Mission and Ministry Council and
   the District Council will continue to meet jointly at least once each year to address mutual concerns and
   to set a common vision for the District.
        The two Councils of the District worked together on evaluating the Brother Visitor. I am grateful
   for the positive support and encouragement I received, as well as the concerns and cautions expressed
   to share more work with others and take more time for personal needs. The next meeting for the District
   Council is Friday, January 27th. The day before, January 26th, the Mission and Ministry Council also
   meets in Burr Ridge, and that evening a joint dinner and meeting is scheduled
Regional Assembly will be in Salt Lake City
   From November 15th to 20th, Brothers and Lasallian partners from every type of educational ministry in
   the USA/Toronto Region will assemble in Salt Lake City, Utah. In response to the call of the General
   Chapter, 115 people will gather to assess how the Region is responding to present educational needs
   and developing new structures of association.
       Made up of one-third Brothers and two-thirds lay partners, this assembly will reflect the reality of
   our ministries today that actually are about 95% lay men and women. The Midwest District will send
   36 delegates to the Assembly. The purpose of this Assembly is two-fold: (1) to create a formal
   opportunity to describe and assess from a Regional perspective the Districts’ implementation of the
   43rd General Chapter’s mandates regarding mission and association; (2) to develop appropriate
   statements and/or proposals to be considered by the delegates to the 2006 international assembly.

Brother Pat reported on vocation and formation programs
   As of October 14th, the faculties from fifteen of the seventeen Lasallian high schools in the Midwest
   District attended a formal presentation on the Lasallian Teacher Immersion Program (LTIP). Each
   faculty member received a folder containing a narrative and chart explaining the program, a brochure, a
   copy of a letter that is given to senior males, and an evaluation. Brother Pat Conway has also spoken
   with seniors in fourteen high schools. Faculty, staff and administration have been very helpful
   arranging for him to meet with both faculty and students. Faculty and staff have been very supportive in
   promoting the notion of teaching with the seniors and soliciting names for the follow-up meetings and
   retreats.
       On October 10th sixty-one seniors from Cretin-Derham Hall, De La Salle High School, Holy Family
   Catholic High School, and Totino-Grace High School attended the first regional retreat. Students spent
   the day discerning their future as possible education majors at one of the three Lasallian universities.
   Follow-up retreats are scheduled for October 30-31st at Glencoe (for CBC-St. Louis, CBHS-Memphis,
   and La Salle-Cincinnati), and November 7th at Lewis University (for Driscoll, Montini, Roncalli-
   Manitowoc, St. Joseph’s, and St. Patrick’s). Because of a lack of interest, the retreat for Bishop Kelley,
   Archbishop O’Hara, and Roncalli-Omaha was cancelled. On October 18th Brother Frank Carr, Mr.
   Leo Hirsch, and Brother Pat Conway will meet with administrators in Institutional Advancement of
   the three universities to begin the process of approaching foundations to secure monies for the program.
   The hope is that ten to fifteen students will choose to participate in the LTIP beginning in the fall of
   2006.

All Brothers invited to Christmas brunch
   All the Brothers of the District are invited to the Christmas party at the Provincialate Community on
   Sunday, December 4th. The brunch will be from 10:30am to 1:30pm. Brothers Frank Carr. Armand
   Alcazar, Martin Spellman, Bede Baldry and Pat Conway will prepare the meal and host the event.
   Those who expect to attend should call (773) 586-0562 so that the Brothers know how many guests will
   attend.

Publication of Brothers’ addresses is requested
   Brother Frank Carr has received two requests for the publication of the addresses of all the Brothers
   in the Midwest District. The first request is from the Generalate in Rome to publish all the email
   addresses on the Institute web page. The second request is from Brother Stephen Synan, FMS,
   President of the Religious Brothers Conference. He is requesting the names, addresses and email
   addresses of ALL the Brothers in the District to update the RCB mailing directory. Any Brother who
   does NOT want his address published in these two formats should contact Charlene at the District
   Office.
Send Hurricane Katrina reports to the Provincial Office
   All the ministries and communities of the District are asked to send brief reports of their responses to
   Hurricane Katrina to Brother Joseph Martin at jmartin@cbmidwest.org for a district report in the next
   News Notes. Do not send reports to him at Lewis University.

Brother Louis sent news from New Orleans
   Brother Louis Welker, Visitor, sent word that De La Salle in New Orleans will re-open on October
   18th at 5300 St. Charles Ave. FEMA has given approval. De La Salle will be the only Catholic High
   School operating in the city of New Orleans. He is now trying to obtain money for tuition assistance for
   needy students at De La Salle and at St. Paul.

World Mission Day is this month
   Sunday, October 23, 2005 has been proclaimed World Mission Day by Pope Benedict XVI, a day in
   which all Catholics unite in prayerful and practical recommitment to the common mission to proclaim
   Christ to all peoples. This year’s theme for the World Mission Sunday is “Mission: Bread broken for
   the life of the world.” As the year of the Eucharist comes to a close, Catholics are invited to reflect on
   the meaning of the day dedicated to pray for the Missions. Communities and ministries throughout the
   District are encouraged to join with the church in prayer.

Brother Superior made new appointments
   Following the French District Chapter in September, Brother Superior named Brother Nicolas
   Capelle as Visitor of the District of France effective November 15th. To succeed him, Brother
   Frederick Mueller (LINE) will become Secretary for the Lasallian Education Mission. Brother
   Frederick will live in Providence, RI. Brother Alfonso Novillo of the CIL team in Rome will become
   the Assistant to the MEL Secretary in Rome supervising publications.

Sacred Heart Brother offers high school religion database
   Retiring Mobile, AL, Sacred Heart Brother Malcolm Melcher after 30 years of teaching high school
   religion is offering a gift to current teachers of religion: 600 questions and answers in multiple choice
   and free response format. His reason is that many teachers do not have the time and energy to acquire a
   bank of questions of this magnitude. All questions have been student tested and when necessary
   rewritten to improve clarity. Website www.boshf.org/moraltheologyback carries an imprimatur from
   Mobile Archbishop Oscar Lipscomb and a nihil abstat from chancellor and censor librorum, Father
   Michael Farmer. For access and a password religion teachers can send a letter on school stationery
   including the applicant’s email, current teaching assignment, and signature to Brother Malcolm
   Melcher, 60 N. Catherine St., Mobile, AL, 36604.

R.B.C. will begin study of U.S. Brothers
   The Religious Brothers Conference (formerly NARB) has undertaken a “Study of Brothers in the
   United States.” The study is being conducted by the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate
   (CARA). Sponsored by RBC, the research was initiated at the organization’s Convention in Denver last
   August by Sister Mary Bendyna, RSM, Director of CARA. During the convention she conducted
   focus groups of participants. As a follow-up, a survey will be sent randomly to Brothers in the U.S.
   Brothers who receive the survey are encouraged to participate. A formal presentation of the findings
   will be presented at the July 2006 convention in Dallas, TX.
Congratulations to
      Bob and Lori Dressel of La Salle Manor Retreat Center who will receive the Lewis University De
       La Salle Award on October 16th for outstanding service and dedication to the Christian community.
      Brother Tim McNary who received the lifetime Achievement Award at the CBU Alumni Awards
       ceremony on October 9th.
      Brother Stan Sobczyk whose article, “Venerable Sisters: A Letter of Thanks,” was published in
       the September/October edition of Momentum, the NCEA magazine. The article features the Sisters
       of St. Francis of the Seraph of Perpetual Adoration who served at St. Stanislaus Church in Omaha,
       NB, in his tribute to all religious Sisters who helped to build the Catholic school system in this
       country.
      Brother Thomas Dominic Vance who will be inducted into the Saint Patrick H.S. Hall of Fame
       during the 2005 Induction Ceremony on November 4th.

Directory Change
      Brother James Saiz will move to De La Salle Hall, 810 Newman Springs Road, Lincroft, NJ,
       07738. Phone: (732) 530-9470.
      San Miguel in Chicago has a new general mailbox: info@sanmiguelchicago.org

Health Updates
      Brother Cyril Paul was admitted to St. Joseph Hospital in St. Paul, MN, for intestinal problems.
      Former Brother Luke Lynch, 91, was admitted to Oak Park Hospital in Chicago with pneumonia
       on September 27th. He graduated from SMC in Winona in 1937.
      Brother Justin Lucian has a month of chemotherapy now for lung cancer
      Ed O’Neill, husband of Maryann O’Neill of Montini H.S., is scheduled for surgery as part of his
       treatment for leukemia.

Rest in Peace
      Brother Bernard (Anthony Timothy) Beleto, 66, of the NOSF District died on September 13th in
       Lafayette, LA. He received the habit in 1957 and made final profession in 1964. During his years of
       teaching he was at Christian Brothers High School in Memphis from 1995 to 1998.
      Rosalie Grace, 93, sister of Brother Mark Gault, died on September 15th in Kansas City, MO.
       She had been ill with Alzheimer’s for several years. Besides Brother Mark, her sisters Margaret
       Jackson and Mary Frances Moore, and her daughters Mary Carol Ramm and Joyce Lowther survive
       her. Her funeral mass was at St. Mark’s Church on September 19th.
      Dr. Irving Kernis, 89, father of Jackie Multack, died in Chicago on September 25th. Survivors
       include another daughter, Jean Harpster. The funeral and interment were private.
      Brother Peter William Drake, 65, of the New York District died on May 4th and was buried on
       May 7th. He was the Academic Vice President at Christian Brothers College from 1989 to 1992.
      Maria Schwander, 80, sister of Brother James Saiz, died on October 7th in Sun City, AZ. Her
       remains were cremated, and interment was in New York.
MINNEAPOLIS STAR TRIBUNE NEWSPAPER
August 14, 2005
Editorial: De La Salle Field - It's worth doing right

Life on a small island can turn especially sour when neighbors disagree.
De La Salle High School's plan to expand its athletic field has turned Nicollet Island on its ear, a condition
that the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board should remedy by insisting on a logical pathway to solving
the bitter dispute rather than pursuing its current course.

First some geography. Most Minnesotans don't know that in the midst of their busiest city there's a small
island, which over the past 20 years has been transformed from a slum to an enchantment. Nicollet Island is
special. Nowhere else in America can you glimpse blue herons and skyscrapers through the trees while
strolling down quiet lanes, past picket fences and historic homes and expect to see Huck Finn around the
next corner.

De La Salle, a highly regarded Catholic high school, has been a mainstay on this magical island for 106
years. In tougher times it could have fled to the suburbs, but instead has stuck to its noble mission of
educating inner-city kids, rich and poor.

In 1983, as the island's turnabout began, the school negotiated a joint agreement with the Park Board to
construct an athletic field for the school's use, partly on park land. Now, 22 years later and still longing for
a field of its own, the school wants to resume the project and the Park Board seems poised to go along. But
affluent neighbors who have arrived in the interim are furious.

Actually, both sides are right on this issue.

De La Salle can't be faulted for wanting its own field and bleachers on campus.
And the Park Board is obligated to pursue some sort of "athletic facility," as the 1983 agreement stipulates.
There's nothing sinister about such a partnership -- the Sculpture Garden and the Nicollet Island Inn are
examples of others. And, in this case, the Park Board is right to seek concessions that shift financial
burdens to the school and broader use of De La Salle's field and gym for the public.

But the neighbors are right, too. Although the Park Board owns the land on which their homes rest, they've
invested heavily in their properties, and they and the wider public deserve extra consideration because of
the island's unique character.

Before anything else happens, the public deserves to know precisely the design of the proposed field and
how it would be used. Would the 750 seats be ugly metal bleachers, or a snug grandstand built into the
natural fabric of the island, buttressed by rocks and trees? Would it be natural grass or synthetic turf?
Would there be lights, and if so, how high and bright would they be? How many extra parking spots would
be needed and where? How many football and soccer games could be played per year? How late would
games run? Would there be a scoreboard, restrooms, loud music and public address announcements?

The Park Board staff cannot now answer those questions. Yet it proposes on Wednesday to push ahead
with passing an updated version of the 1983 shared-use agreement.

This would place the cart squarely before the horse. It's hard to pass a proper shared-use agreement without
knowing the answers to the above questions. It would be like signing mortgage papers before ever seeing
your new house. It would be unfair to the neighbors and to the wider public. The unique character of
Nicollet Island demands that design be the primary factor in this decision, but no one has yet seen the
design.

Yes, De La Salle should have its field, but it cannot be ordinary. A well-designed field could easily
improve the current landscape if low bleachers were built into the hillside and screened heavily with
plantings, if lights were unobtrusive, if the playing surface were natural grass, if the fences were not wire
mesh, and if the field's programming were limited to a half-dozen varsity football games a year and a
limited number of soccer matches. We doubt there's a need for more parking. There's plenty at the school
and at several ramps a few blocks away. And there's a derelict bus stop on Hennepin Avenue that De La
Salle should be obligated to fix and beautify as part of the agreement.

This field can be a win for all parties if everyone starts acting neighborly and if the Park Board provides
coherent leadership in crafting an extraordinarily beautiful, low profile field that enhances De La Salle and
the rest of the island.
De La Salle Blackfeet expanding to meet their growing need for space.

By John McGill, Glacier Reporter Editor
Wednesday, September 7, 2005 5:42 PM MDT


Just entering the De La Salle Blackfeet School in Browning this year is a new experience. Where one would formerly pass along a
sidewalk and knock at steel doors, one is now greeted with a light and airy entryway, complete with a tile floor. While the
improvement is just one of many that are very nearly done at De La Salle, according to Brother Paul Ackerman, it was one of the
most difficult items to plan.

                                                                           "John Grigurich is a retired shop teacher from St. Louis,"
                                                                           Ackerman said Tuesday, "and he and his wife ride out on
                                                                           motorcycles every year. They just need a place to stay, and
                                                                           they spend about 10 days here, doing projects for Father Ed
                                                                           [Kohler]. This year they designed and framed in the new
                                                                           entryway. I mean, there was no way to tie all the buildings
                                                                           together, but he did it."

                                                                           Starting around the end of last April, Ackerman said, plans
                                                                           were laid to expand the school. As Brother Paul explained,
                                                                           De La Salle has added one grade level per year since its
                                                                           inception, and now the school houses fifth through eighth
                                                                           graders. Along with the need for Little Flower Parish to
                                                                           accommodate its Cursillos and pilgrimages, around 62
                                                                           students and 15 adults were finding bathroom and classroom
                                                                           space steadily shrinking.

                                                                           The school sought and found funding from four sources,
Students in Beth Lask's classroom are clearly excited about changes at De La      starting with the Catholic Extension Society, the same group
Salle, particularly with carpeting being installed the next day. The classroom
shares a removable wall with a science classroom on the other side, so the entire
                                                                                  that funded the St. Vincent's De Paul building in downtown
space can be used as one large area when needed. Photo by John McGill             Browning. Funds were also supplied by De La Salle School
                                                                 itself, along with the Little Flower Parish and a series of fund
raising events. A Christmas Bazaar, Super Bowl party and a New Year's Eve party and dance brought the donations in, along with
a contribution from the Blackfeet Tribe.

"That was a welcome sign of support for the work of the church, especially through the Cursillos and pilgrimages," said Ackerman.

"We just didn't have any room anymore," Brother Paul continued. "We had small classrooms with limited storage. The parish
needed room for its retreats, and the need for bathroom expansion was desperate."

Grigurich was only one of a long line of volunteers who worked on De La Salle Blackfeet this summer. Brother Paul said the first
group to make a big difference when they arrived was the St. Petronille Parish of Glen Ellyn, Ill. The parish showed up with 23
students and adults and stayed for a week, taking only about three hours off one evening to visit Glacier Park.

The rest of the time the group put up new walls and insulation, and installed a new roof on the building, all in a week. "The
amazing thing was many of them were kids with no experience in even holding a hammer," Ackerman said.

While some mistakes were made and corrected, the school sports a new entryway and redesigned windows in the gymnasium.
While the original was fitted with long fiberglass sheets "as sort of stained glass windows," said Brother Paul, volunteers removed
the panels, filled the spaces and installed genuine windows at the top. The result is a great deal more light entering the gym.
                               San Miguel Middle School, Chicago




   This statue of De La Salle was originally at Christian Brothers High School in Quincy, Illinois. It was
      recently delivered to San Miguel Middle School in Chicago. The transfer came about through the
intervention of (former Brother) Robert Ortbal, who obtained it from another graduate of CB Quincy. Bob
 felt it should be located in a current Christian Brothers school to get proper recognition and appreciation.
       Brother Michel Fehrenbach provided this information and Adriana Rundle sent the photograph.
HEALTH NOTES: The following article was written by Maureen Guillou, the nurse in Winona who
has generously accepted to watch over the health and welfare of our Brothers in and around St. Mary’s
University of Minnesota. Thank you, Maureen.


STROKES

At a one-day conference, “Update in the Treatment of Cerebral Vascular Disease”, sponsored by
Franciscan Skemp Hospital, Mayo Health System, two main points were stressed: (1) A stroke is a medical
emergency, and (2) Strokes are often preventable.

Strokes are a medical emergency: Multiple studies have shown that Tissue Plasminogen Activator (TPA), a
blood clot-desolving medication, is beneficial for acute ischemic-type strokes. There are two kinds of strokes:
80% are ischemic (blood clot) and 20% are hemorrhagic (bleeding in the brain cavity). A CT (computerized
tomography) can usually determine which type is involved. However, because of risks associated with TPA,
there are strict guidelines for using it. The medication has to be administered in the first three hours of onset of
symptoms to have beneficial results, and the symptoms must be rated greater than 4 on the NIH Stroke Scale.
It is not used for minor or rapidly resolving symptoms because the risk could outweigh the benefits.

The following symptoms are warning signs of stroke: sudden weakness or numbness of face, arm or leg; sudden
loss or dimming of vision; sudden difficulty speaking or understanding speech; sudden severe headache; sudden
falling, gait disturbance or dizziness. Stroke patients often have more than one symptom. And it is important to
realize that these symptoms are not specific to stroke. The person having a stroke may not be aware as soon as
someone else. According to the American Stroke Association, to determine if a person is having a stroke, do the
following:
     1. Ask the person to smile.
     2. Ask the person to raise both arms.
     3. Ask the person to speak a simple sentence.
If unable to perform any of these, call 911 for immediate help and report that someone is having a stroke.

Strokes are often preventable: Stroke is the third leading cause of death in the United States and treatment
is not always satisfactory since the survivor is usually left with permanent dysfunction. Stroke means death of
some brain tissue and death is an irreversible condition. (However, sometimes other parts of the brain take over
for some functions.) The types of preventive medications for stroke are the following:
     Anti-platelets—most commonly used is 81 mg. aspirin (recommended daily dose for most people).
        Since it is an over-the-counter medication, it’s believed that despite its confirmed benefits, aspirin is still
        underused. An estimated one-third to three-fourths of patients at risk of strokes do not receive aspirin
        therapy. If aspirin has been unsuccessful in preventing a TIA or stroke or you can’t take aspirin for
        some reason, than Plavix or Aggrenox may be prescribed.
     Anti-coagulants—Heparin or Coumadin may be prescribed if you have certain blood-clotting disorders,
        atrial fibrillation (irregular heartbeat) or other heart problems. They are effective in reducing risk of
        stroke, but come with a possible side effect of bleeding.

These are things you can personally do to prevent stroke:
    Don’t smoke
    Exercise
    Eat healthily, maintain ideal weight.
    Alcohol: We’ve all heard about a glass of wine a day. A doctor at the conference said, “Let’s get real.
       No one who drinks daily only has one. Better not to drink at all or only socially, defined as a few a
       month.”
      Stress: One author notes that the aborigines of Australia say that stress is just a socially acceptable word
       for anger. We need to learn to handle it in a healthy way.

The good news is that when we do the things above to prevent strokes, we are also decreasing our chances of a
whole gamut of other diseases, like diabetes, gout, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, kidney disease, and
heart disease. I remember hearing of a famous physician giving the commencement address to the graduating
class of a medical school. He told them that if they were really interested in people’s health they should go
out and teach people how to live healthily, not just practice medicine.

Risk factors: The major risk factors for stroke are the following:

   1. Age: We all have this one. As we age our risk increases. The age group with the highest risk is the 60s
      and 70s.
   2. Hypertension: High blood pressure weakens and damages blood vessels in the brain. A decrease of
      even 5 in the diastolic pressure can reduce the risk of stroke by 40%.
   3. High cholesterol: LDL in excess builds up in the lining of blood vessels and hardens into plaque. HDL
      helps to remove the LDL from the blood. Recent guidelines set goals of
          a. total cholesterol less than 200 (as low as 150 if other risk factors are present),
          b. LDL less than 100 and
          c. HDL greater than 40

   4. Cardiovascular disease: Atrial fibrillation is the most common condition associated with strokes cause by
      blood clots.
   5. Elevated homocysteine levels: This is an amino acid found in the blood; elevated levels can cause blood
      vessel damage. B-6, B-12, and folic acid or prescriptions Foltex and Metex can work to reduce these
      levels.
   6. Diabetes: This puts one at a greater risk of high blood pressure. It interferes with the body’s ability to
      break down blood clots, increasing the risk of ischemic stroke.
   7. Obesity: Being overweight increases the risk of developing high blood pressure, heart disease and
      diabetes—all increase risk of stroke.
   8. Previous stroke or TIA: This increases the risk of having another stroke.
   9. Genetics: Risk is greater if a parent or sibling has had a stroke.

                                      Maureen Guillou, RN BSN        Winona Health Care Coordinator
                                 Christian Brothers Health Connection

HEALTHY NEWS

This is a wonderful opportunity to introduce myself as your new district nurse in the Midwest Province. I
graduated from St. Anne’s Hospital School of Nursing with a diploma in nursing in June of 1975. I
continued my education at the University of Illinois-Chicago and received a Bachelor of Science degree in
Nursing in 1980. I earned a School Nurse certification in the state of Illinois in 1991. I was introduced to
Parish Nursing by an ad in my monthly nursing newspaper back in September 2003. I attended the basic
parish-nursing course for graduate credit at the Lewis University Oakbrook campus site. I was fortunate to
have Janice Smith as my nursing instructor for that course and we crossed each other’s paths again when
she and Brother Martin Spellman interviewed me for this position just two weeks ago.
I became a parish nurse for Advocate Health Care in July 2004. I work part-time at First United Methodist
Church in Downers Grove. I believe in teaching people of all ages about health promotion of mind, body,
and spirit and disease prevention.

I’m grateful for the warm welcome I have received from the staff here at the Burr Ridge office. I’m
enjoying going through all of the great resources that Jackie left in her files. I’m looking forward to
meeting Jackie in the near future. I’m also looking forward to meeting all of you initially with Brother
Martin very soon.

I wish you God’s peace during these cool autumn days.
Sheila Hallmann

Every year when fall rolls around, I start to think about God’s bounty in the form of apples. I hope you
enjoy reading highlights from an article titled, “Eating any apple is better than eating no apple at all” from
the UC Berkeley Wellness Letter, September 2005 issue.
There was a recent Canadian government study done on the antioxidant power of apples. Apples teem with
antioxidants-the peels even more so than the flesh. Red delicious apples ranked No. 1
in antioxidant power. Northern Spy and Ida Reds did well, too, beating out Macintosh, Cortland, and some
others. The antioxidants in apples, such as quercetin, are mostly polyphenols-plant chemicals thought to
play a role in preventing cancer. Apples have other, proven virtues as well; their pectin (soluble fiber)
helps lower blood cholesterol. They supply some vitamin C and potassium. They are a filling low-calorie
snack, and they make good juice and cider.

If you have a Foley food mill at home, it might be a fun fall activity to simmer about a dozen apples for an
hour or so until they’re soft and make a great batch of applesauce for yourselves. You don’t even need to
add sugar. Cinnamon (1-2 tsp.) adds a great flavor to the apples.

Men Who Are Fit But Fat are still at risk for cardiovascular disease, according to the results of a study at
the University of Colorado in Boulder. Researchers there concluded weight management should be a
primary cardiovascular health goal for all men, and sedentary men should be encouraged to be physically
active, regardless of their weight. Vitality Magazine, August 2005.

Benefits of Walking. Research shows that walking may help reduce the risk of age-related conditions like
heart disease, insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes, as well as stroke, high blood pressure and metabolic
syndrome. Walking can also reduce stress and help control your body weight-even belly fat. Like many
other types of weight-bearing exercise, walking builds bone to help prevent osteoporosis. It also tones and
tightens your muscles, relieving arthritis symptoms.
“Those who are the most sedentary reap the greatest benefits from doing even a little bit of exercise,” says
Ann McDermott, Ph.D., a researcher at the Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging in Boston. The
adaptations your body makes when you start exercising are pretty much the same whether you are 25 or 65.
However, the net benefits may be greater as you get older. Environmental Nutrition, September 2005.
Balance Made Easy
As we age, our sense of balance changes, which can lead to accidental falls and serious injuries. Follow
these simple steps to stay on your feet.
     Schedule regular vision and hearing checkups.
     Because balance problems can be a result of improper medication, your doctor may recommend a
        different medication or test you for cardiovascular disorders.
     Install grab bars and non-skid strips in bathtubs and showers and bright lights in all rooms.
     Wear shoes that fit well, especially when walking for exercise. It’s possible to “forget” how to walk
        if you don’t do it often enough. By taking frequent walks, the body is more able to correct walking
        mistakes.
      This information was taken from Provena Good Life Magazine, Fall 2005.

Another reason to avoid trans fats: they may raise the risk of gallstone disease, according to a 14-year
study of nearly 46,000 male health professionals, reported in the Archives of Internal Medicine. Men who
consumed the most trans fats-formed when vegetable oils are partially hydrogenated into harder fats-were
more likely to develop gallstones than men who consumed the least. Trans fats increase LDL (“bad”)
cholesterol and triglycerides and lower HDL (“good”) cholesterol, and such changes, in turn, may
contribute to gallstone formation, the researchers said. The fats are prevalent in chips, baked goods, and
other processed foods. Manufacturers have been cutting back on them before labeling becomes mandatory
next year. That is good news for us, the consumers.
Taken from UC Berkeley Wellness Letter, Sept. 2005.

Passive but aggressive
Secondhand cigarette smoke is remarkably effective in damaging the cardiovascular system, according to a
recent report in the journal Circulation.
     Secondhand smoke accounts for at least 35,000 deaths in the U.S each year.
     Though passive smoking delivers only 1% as much toxins as active smoking, it has a surprisingly
        large effect on coronary risk: a 30% increase in risk, on average, compared to 80% for active
        smoking.
     Some of the coronary effects occur with even brief exposures (minutes to hours) to secondhand
        smoke.
     The cardiovascular system is “exquisitely sensitive” to the toxins in secondhand smoke. There are
        at least a dozen adverse effects, which interact to endanger the heart, including these:
     The smoke rapidly increases the tendency of blood to clot.
     It impairs the functioning of blood vessels.
     It increases atherosclerosis, partly by lowering HDL (“good”) cholesterol and oxidizing LDL
        (“bad”) cholesterol.
     It increases chronic inflammation.
     It creates cell-damaging free radicals.
     It decreases the body’s levels of antioxidants (such as vitamin C), which help protect against free
        radicals.
     It increases insulin resistance.

A nap in the afternoon can be a way of catching up on lost sleep. Quality naps, in which you sleep for 45
minutes to an hour, are a way of recovering and keeping your energy at a good level. Naps may not be the
best solution for people who have problems sleeping at night. Sleep is best undertaken at night, and
napping may affect the efficiency of your nighttime sleep.
Taken from The Cleveland Clinic Men’s Health Advisor, July 2005.
Post-nasal drip is one of the most common causes of chronic cough encountered in men who don’t smoke.
The typical symptoms are frequent clearing of the throat and an intermittent or chronic mild, but annoying
cough. People with post-nasal drip often do well with a decongestant combined with an antihistamine. If
the decongestant and antihistamine do not relieve your symptoms, you may need further evaluation and a
different treatment. Other common causes of chronic cough are gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD),
unrecognized asthma, and medications in the family of drugs known as ACE inhibitors.
Taken from The Cleveland Clinic Men’s Health Advisor, September 2004.