Sister Bernie Will Be Missed

Meg Goorley, Executive Director, Catholic Charities of North Louisiana

IF YOU’VE EVER BEEN TO LAKE PROVIDENCE, LOUISIANA, YOU’VE HEARD OF SISTER BERNIE. Sister Bernadette (Bernie) Barrett, SHSP, has been living in Lake Providence for the past 21 years helping the poor and vulnerable by preventing homelessness, helping with work readiness, and providing hope. She has been running the Catholic Charities office in East Carroll Parish since the day it opened in August 2013. It is with much sadness that I am announcing her departure from Louisiana at the end of May, but also much joy to share her good news of being appointed an administrator at her Mother House, Sisters of the Holy Spirit and Mary Immaculate, in San Antonio, TX.

Born in Dublin (number six of 10 children), this energetic scholar left Ireland after high school in 1962 to attend college. She attended Incarnate Word College in San Antonio and studied to become a teacher. Ultimately, she graduated from Our Lady of the Lake and taught in a couple of schools in Houston before taking her final vows in 1967.

Sr. Bernie taught at many poor African American schools in south Louisiana where she felt comfortable with the friendly people. Her Irish brogue may have broken the ice when she spoke as an apostolic teacher. It is probably because of the trust she gained with people of all races and faiths that led her to northeast Louisiana.

She is a tiny hard-headed mastermind who figures out how to solve a problem her way.

In September 2002, the Region 5 Leadership Conference of Women Religious assigned four sisters to a poor town in Lake Providence, Louisiana, for a project to make a difference with their presence.These sisters, two African Americans from the Holy Family order out of New Orleans, one from the Daughters of Charity, and Sr. Bernie were to live in community (all in a trailer) as an example to everyone, and they were to use their talents to bring the community together and work with women and children to bring them hope. All of them were educators and three of them volunteered at schools and one volunteered at a nursing home. Eventually, all of them left but Sr. Bernie—she spent eight of the 21 years there by herself.

Did she get lonely? If she ever felt she needed to talk to anyone, she would simply go outside and spend time with the people of Lake Providence. Everyone knew who she was. It was also helpful that her Mother House would send her back to Ireland every couple of years to visit her family.

Flowers, Family, and Faith

St. Ann Ebarb-Zwolle

It has been a privilege for me to get to know Sr. Bernie. She is the “favorite” among all the staff of Catholic Charities. She is a tiny hard-headed mastermind who figures out how to solve a problem her way. She is hard on our clients while she is teaching Money $chool®, yet she is compassionate with them because she understands that “things happen” and everyone needs help with their challenges. God put Sr. Bernie in my life for a reason---and I am a better person for knowing her.

Four sisters from St. Ann-Ebarb visited 15 Catholic churches on a recent 750 mile round-trip to enjoy the bluebonnets in the Texas Hill Country! Each church was unique in its own way. Attending Mass at St. Mary’s Catholic Church-Fredericksburg Texas was a highlight of the sister trip during this Lenten Season!