The Journey Vol. 02, 2022

Running With a Mission

In a sight reminiscent of 2019, crowds of men, women and children flocked to the picturesque Nazareth Motherhouse Campus, greeted Sisters with big smiles and learned more about the missions and ministries as they attended the Nazareth 5K Run With a Mission. The event, held on June 4, 2022, near Bardstown, Kentucky, was the first in-person gathering of its kind since the race launched three years ago. The race brought together new and returning visitors alike and placed the Sisters back in their element of engaging with the community after years of lockdown and restrictions.

Runners leave the start/finish line

“It’s so beautiful out here! I don’t think there are words to explain it,” said Carolyn Lucas as she took in her surroundings before the start of the race. Lucas was among a handful of women sporting bright pink tutus and socks that morning. The women were running as representatives of the Flaget Cancer Center and were part of a larger team of employees with Flaget Memorial Hospital, which was established by the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth in 1951. Many of them were participating in the 5K for the first time.

“We’re not here to run. We’re here to walk,” Lucas said with a grin before heading off slowly but steadily with her teammates. While some participants were giving their all to cross the finish line first, the day was about having fun and supporting a good cause.

A team with Flaget Cancer Center wears pink tutus

The 5K took participants around the campus, starting and ending at the Motherhouse. Along the route, signs and photos offered a glimpse at the global ministries and impact of the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth. Several Sisters, clad in red shirts to designate them as such, lined parts of the route waving pompoms, homemade signs and bells to cheer on the runners. Sangeeta Ayithamattam, SCN, president of the Congregation, said she noticed how the 5K brought a lot of life and energy to the campus that had been absent since COVID-19.

Sisters, at left, cheer on participants as they pass through the course

The Nazareth 5K began in 2019 as an idea to engage the community in a new way. Chris Kunze, SCN, and Lisa Polega, SCN, were working with the Office of Mission Advancement to determine a way to draw people in, bring them to campus, and spread the word about what Sisters do. It so happened, at the time, Sisters Chris and Lisa had started running 5Ks together. The idea of Nazareth hosting its own 5K began to churn in their minds.

“It would be a neat way to reach a different group of people and welcome people to Nazareth who may not normally come here,” Sister Lisa said of how they toyed with the thought.

The idea was introduced to the OMA team, which welcomed the challenge.

“From there, it just unfolded,” Sister Chris said.

As they planned and prepped, the Sisters and the other organizers thought it would be great to have at least 50 people turn out for the inaugural event. They watched as the registrant numbers surpassed 50, then 100, to 150, to 200 and then over 300.

“We were shocked,” Sister Chris said. The event had drawn more interest than they anticipated. “We certainly had those who run 5Ks, but then there were a lot of people who had a connection with the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth who wanted to come and show support.”

While a massive success, the pandemic hindered participation the following year, and the event was canceled for 2020. In 2021, with restrictions still looming, the 5K returned but only as a virtual event. This year, participants were offered a virtual and in-person option, and most chose the latter. Just shy of 300 people registered for 2022.

The 5K serves as a fundraiser, and this year supported the Pabalelong Hospice in Botswana. The event serves another important purpose, however, of promoting the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth’s work and building connections. “It’s really about gathering people,” Sister Chris said. This year, just as in 2019, neighbors, long-lost friends and even strangers found themselves drawn together by a common interest.

A young family heads to the finish line

Most of those who attended the 2022 event were Kentuckians who live near the campus. A local, Kyle Crawford, was the top finisher for this year’s race. He has competed in his fair share of 5Ks, but this was his first time participating in the Nazareth event.

“We used to come to Easter Mass at Nazareth,” Crawford said, and he often runs on the campus recreationally. Still, the 5K took him on a new route, one that has enticed him to explore further on future visits.

Having the Sisters there and having the mission signs placed throughout the course helped educate visitors on the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth and who they serve.

“It gives people an opportunity to see what we are about,” Sister Lisa said. “Yes, we are in Botswana. Yes, we are in Nepal. They might not know that we scale the globe.”

In addition to new faces, there were many returning visitors and participants from out of state this year. Connie Blake, SCNA, traveled in from Chattanooga, Tennessee and walked with a participant who came in from Kansas. The 5K was the first time Connie had been back to visit the campus since COVID-19, and she was delighted to return.

“This is such a special place. It’s such a holy place,” Blake said. “It just makes sense that once they opened this back up to come and do this, we would come.”

For Blake, who has been a Sister of Charity of Nazareth Associate for 33 years, the mission, connection with the Sisters and personal challenge of the 5K was more than enough to warrant the long commute.

It didn’t matter who crossed the finish line first or what it was that brought them to the campus. At the end of the day, all walked away with a better understanding of the mission of the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth and an opportunity to connect with those who see it through.

The 2022 return of the Nazareth 5K was indeed a success and a blessing.