The Illuminated Path Early influence of Sister, epiphany helps longtime agnostic return to faith Col. J.J. Hansbrough says he spent
for me. I nervously approached her desk
much of his life blissfully unaware of God’s
and issued a heartfelt apology. She
plan for him. He had fallen away from the
immediately hugged me and thanked me,
Church for more than three decades, but
noting that I was the only one in the class
is now an active parishioner in his parish
to do the right thing. Later that evening,
and supporter of the Sisters of Charity
she called my mother to tell her about her
of Nazareth. His early Catholic education
wonderful son. I’d never seen my mother
with the Sisters and the influence of Sister
so proud.”
Rose William continue to impact his
Hansbrough said the story of
life today.
his good deed soon spread
“We were poor, but
around the convent, and
my family managed to
his future at Our Lady
send my older brother
of Nazareth “became
and
me
to
Catholic
pure gold,” he said.
school, where we both
“In the Italian military,
excelled academically,”
they
Hansbrough said of his
as
early years.
path.’ Even when I fell
“The Sisters of Charity
refer ‘the
to
this
illuminated
away from the Church,
loved me,” he said of his 10
I always remembered this
years of Catholic education
incident as a high point in my
at Our Lady of Nazareth. “My biggest fan was Sister Rose William, who was both my mentor and protector.”
life.” Hansbrough thoroughly enjoyed his time with the Sisters, but in his tenth-
Hansbrough recalls how one morning
grade year, his family moved out of the
in the third grade, Sister Rose became very
city. After the move, Hansbrough began
frustrated with the students’ misbehavior
to shift away from his Catholic upbringing.
and ordered the entire class to stay after school and write her an apology.
While
Hansbrough
found
companionship with those of the Catholic
“When the final bell rang, every pupil
faith during his time in the Air Force,
scrambled for the door and left, except
including an army assistant and a young
SISTERS OF CHARIT Y OF NA Z ARETH • VOL . II 2022
19
