SC Community launches Transforming Grace initiative.
In the Name of Peace 6-7 Justice Circle working to create a more just and caring world.
Cultivating Compassion 10
Associate Pat Grubelnik’s dedication to the Charity mission.
In the Name of Justice .............................. 11
S. Jean Miller’s passion for justice.
A Celebration of Faith 16
Associate Karen Martin’s involvement with the Festival of Faiths.
A Channel of Peace and Nonviolence 17
S. Nancy Bramlage is a conduit of God’s love. Angels of Peace in a Time of War 18-19 The Angels of the Battlefield transmit a message of love and peace.
Be a Spark for Justice ........................... 20-21 Sisters of Charity embrace the mission of Ignite Peace.
The Joy of the Heart 23
S. Carol Power’s music ministry in New Mexico.
In All Things Charity 24-25
S. Mary Ann Flannery celebrates 70 years of religious life.
Listening to the Spirit 26-27 SCs use liberation theology to help poor and oppressed communities.
On the Cover: Sisters, Associates and SC employees join others in compassion, peace and friendship for the Cincinnati Festival of Faiths Peace Walk on Aug. 29, 2024.
Disclaimer: The information contained in Intercom is intended for general information and educational purposes only. Opinions expressed herein are the views of individual authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or policies of the Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati.
Welcome Sisters, Associates and all who support the mission and ministry of our Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati.
This Intercom issue not only focuses on peace and nonviolence, but also particularly highlights the spirit, enthusiasm, and creative ways we have met the call to address the needs of our time. This sense of call or vocation goes far beyond performing a job, punching a timeclock, doing what we are told, or even honoring what the world values.
There are limits to the language(s) we use in describing a particular phenomenon or feeling. We talk around them using phrases, sentences or even treatises. Sometimes we come across a single word from another language that captures the essence and spirit of what we intend to convey. The English language is rich in words we have appropriated from other peoples, when the poverty of our own language limits expression. One such word coming from the Japanese is Ikigai (ee-kee-gai). It roughly translates as the reason why you get up in the morning. Looking at it from a Western lens of utilitarian values, it speaks of the intersection of “what you love, are good at, can be paid for, and the world needs.” Ikigai is so much more than that though.
In his book “Awakening Your Ikigai,” Kenichiro Mogi describes Ikigai as not being a guarantee of success. In Christian terms we are not called to be successful, we are called to be faithful and learn lessons along the way. Ikigai is a lifetime journey toward harmony and sustainability, the many ways we choose community, peace, nonviolence, interdependence, and synodality. It is about starting small and being attentive to quality and details, living in the present, listening deeply and with reverence to the person in front of us, accepting ourselves as we are, accepting the person in front of us just as they are, delighting in humor and simple pleasures, not asking for immediate reward, or recognition. It is about being resilient and choosing to rise again. It is about a balanced spirituality and lifestyle.
This Intercom issue is full of stories of those from our SC Family who chose to be faithful to God’s call. As you read the stories, do you recognize the Ikigai? Are you inspired by why they did what they did? Are you challenged by what they did? Does the example of their actions offer possibilities for you to learn and embrace?
Do you find resonance in your own aspirations, in God still calling you?
Your Sister,
Sister Montiel Rosenthal, SC
IN MEMORIAM
Please visit “In Memoriam” at www.srcharitycinti.org for biographical information and reflections on the Sisters of Charity and Associates who have died. May our Sisters and Associates enjoy the fruits of their labor as well as peace with God.
Associate Helen Snoha
August 20, 2024
S. Stephen Ann O’Malley August 11, 2024
S. Barbara Padilla July 27, 2024
S. Esther Marie Humbert June 22, 2024
Associate Erna Gray June 21, 2024
Associate Lee Hemminger June 12, 2024
Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati Welcome Novice Karina Montes-Ayala
Members of the Sisters of Charity Community welcomed Karina MontesAyala into the Canonical Novitiate during a vespers service on June 9, 2024, in the Motherhouse’s Immaculate Conception Chapel. The purpose of the one-year Canonical Novitiate is to enable Karina to learn more about religious life, and to deepen her connection to the congregation’s roots and history.
S. Karina, the oldest of four children, grew up in Northern Kentucky. As a member of Cristo Rey Parish in Florence, she came to know and love Sister of Charity Juana Mendez. “S. Juana started the first Spanish-speaking parish in our diocese,” S. Karina recalled, “and she was involved in everything. I came to admire and love her selflessness and willingness to help everyone. … So when I started to feel a call to religious life in 2016, she was the first person I went to.”
“It was a beautiful experience,” she recalls. “Despite the hardships they’ve had in their lives, they were some of the most joyful, fun-loving children I’ve ever met. I think about them every day and miss them.”
As a Novice Karina is now a part of the community at St. Joseph House, a place where she appreciates the Sisters intentionality, peacefulness and joy. In August she began the ICCN (InterCongregational Collaborative Novitiate) in Chicago, Illinois, a ninemonth program designed to provide a quality Novitiate experience with peers from multiple congregations. She is living with five other Novices from different communities and cultures.
S. Juana introduced Karina to the Sisters of Charity Community. She attended peace rallies, Community events and discernment retreats. “Each Sister I met, I was like ‘wow’ another S. Juana!” she smiles. “I could see myself being a part of the Community. I visited other communities as well but ultimately I felt that this was where I was meant to be. It was the Sisters energy and joyfulness.”
S. Karina graduated from Northern Kentucky University in May 2020 with a degree in biology and began working in a diagnostic laboratory in infectious disease and blood testing. It was during this time that she decided to dive deeper into the call to religious life. In December 2020 she started preentrance, and on Oct. 30, 2022, she became an Affiliate.
Among other things, Affiliation provided S. Karina with the opportunity to live in community. She enjoyed being in a house with other Community members, sharing meals and gathering together for morning and evening prayer. Towards the end of her Affiliate year, she lived with the Sisters at Casa de Caridad in Anthony, New Mexico. There she volunteered as a teacher’s aide at Proyecto Santo Niño in Anapra, Mexico, and welcomed refugees with the Assumption Sisters in Chaparral, New Mexico.
S. Karina says it’s an honor to be the first Sister of Charity of Cincinnati Novice to take part in the program. “I’m very excited about having the opportunity to be with other Novices from different congregations. They have different charisms from ours, and I look forward to bringing ours into it and showing them what the Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati are all about.
“The inter-congregational aspect of it, is what the future of religious life might look like,” she continues. “I recently had the opportunity to attend the Giving Voice national gathering. Being with Sisters from all over the world and knowing that in the future as congregations decrease in numbers, this space to gather together and to provide support for one another is important. We don’t know what will happen in the future. We are relying on God and the connections we have with others to help us continue to push our mission forward.”
The Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati welcomed Karina Montes-Ayala into the Novitiate on June 9, 2024.
S. Juana Mendez (right) has served as a mentor to S. Karina MontesAyala since the two met at Cristo Rey parish in Florence, Kentucky.
transforming grace:
Transforming Grace: Being a Peaceful Presence in Turbulent Times
virtual prayer sp
ace
Together in Silent Solidarity & Prayer for Discernment, Peace & Transformation
By Mackenzie Doyle, justice promoter
WThe Leadership Conference of Women Religious invites you to 24 hours of contemplative prayer throughout the days of the United States Republican and Democratic National Conventions and the days of the National Election.
hat’s the work that’s ours to do? This is the question that many of us have reverberating around in our heads as we enter yet another contentious election season and open our eyes to the injustices around us (i.e. war, unprecedented heat despite a lack of action to address climate change, and the implementation of an extremely restrictive border policy). It is so hard to know what step to take or how to be a nonviolent and peaceful presence in a world full of violence and injustice.
These days of prayer are open to all, bridging the divide between culture, religion and politics through the witness and commitment women religious make to the power of collective contemplation.
In March, the Justice Circles hosted Bridget Bearss, RSCJ, associate director for Transformative Justice for the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR). Bridget led us in a reflective workshop on the very question of what’s the work that’s ours to do. This was a teaser of a larger conference that LCWR offered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, at the beginning of May for elected leaders, justice promoters, and communicators. As religious life is shifting and changing, LCWR is inviting all congregations into the present moment through an initiative called Transformative Grace. This initiative is grounded in the contemplative spirit of religious orders and encourages all of us to practice skills that will enable us to be in right relationship with one another and enact systemic change. The work of Transforming Grace has been primarily aimed at addressing polarization. We believe that this is key to advancing justice and helping us converse in respectful, nonviolent, and dignified ways with one another and our family and friends.
There will be no presentations or comments during the virtual gathering. To participate, log in, review the orientation to our gathering in the waiting room, and join women religious from around the world as they pray in silence.
To join the Virtual Prayer Space visit: bit.ly/VirtualPrayerRM or scan the QR code.
Schedule
The Virtual Prayer space will be open during the following days:
WEEK OF AUGUST 19-22
opens: Monday 12:00 a.m. ET closes: Thursday 11:59 p.m. ET
We invite members of the Charity Family to pray together at the following times:
11 a.m.–12 p.m. ET / 9 a.m.–10 a.m. MT
5:30 p.m.–6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m.–4:30 p.m. MT
7:30 p.m.–8:30 p.m. ET/5:30–6:30 p.m. MT
Some key things we talked about at the workshop were the importance of recognizing our own feelings and being able to both articulate and invite the Divine into these feelings. So as the election approaches, what are you feeling? How can you open yourself up to the feelings and allow God to be with you in them? How are these feelings impacting your relationships with others? We also discussed the following five steps to practice in conversations with those who disagree with us: breathing deeply, creating common ground, asking a genuine question, listening to learn (not to be right), and asking another question – tell me more! This is counter to what we have been taught in American culture, but together, we can transform the dialogue from one of distrust, hatred, and avoiding conflict, to building a bridge to a deeper relationship and respect.
From 11 a.m.-12 p.m. ET during Aug. 19-22, the prayer space will be available in the Mother Margaret Hall Community Room and on Channel 2.
bit.ly/VirtualPrayerRM
Do?”
In March, the Justice Circles hosted S. Bridget Bearss, RSCJ, who guided participants in the reflective workshop, “Being a Peaceful Presence in a Turbulent Time: What’s the Work That’s Ours to
Let us pray together our SC Community Prayer which is grounding us in the Transforming Grace initiative:
Called as members of the Family of Charity, we ask, Spirit of the living God, to fall afresh on us. Inspire us with hope for what is possible. Free us from things that cloud our vision or confine us. Creator God, be the center that holds us as we journey together.
May you lead us to dream new dreams and see new visions arising from our sacred roots. May we generously share our collective and individual gifts, talents and insights to move us to new horizons. Permeate us with your grace to go forth in service to your people and all creation. Heal us where we are broken, as we listen deeply with reverence and respect for one another. Let us speak from the heart. Relying on your faithfulness, we place ourselves into your hands. Amen.
– SC Community Prayer
We, as a congregation, are trying to practice these skills together this election season and beyond through individual and collective prayer, reflection, and action opportunities. We are providing a monthly prayer resource aimed at helping all of us center ourselves and reflect more deeply on how to engage others in constructive conversations rather than destructive ones. We are offering opportunities to engage differently in the election such as volunteering to be a poll chaplain through Faiths United to Save Democracy. We have organized opportunities to pray together during the Republican National Convention and Democratic National Convention, and plan to offer monthly prayer reflections with Bill Tonnis, Mother Margaret Hall chaplain, leading us in music and reflection reminding us that the time to love is now. We also hope to offer scenarios and role play to practice together some skills to have more respectful and constructive conversations with family and friends post-election.
Through this eight-month Transforming Grace initiative, we are hopeful that by grounding ourselves in prayer we can begin to transform our relationships and invite others into a hopefilled future that is emerging even while many things are dying.
Putting the skills into practice
Imagine you are engaging with a friend or family member who sees things differently than you do.
1. What’s the first step you should take, especially if the person you are talking with said a comment that made you feel upset? Take a deep breath.
Neuroscience tells us that by breathing deeply, we can reduce our defensive reaction and respond from our prefrontal cortex where emotion and cognition can coexist. Breathing deeply also helps to calm us and to not react defensively.
2. Actively create common ground.
Invite the person you are talking with into this process with you. Suggest: “I know that you and I are going to disagree about this issue, but I know that you are so much more than just this issue, can you remember the same about me?”
3. Where to go from here? Before stating where you are coming from, ask a sincere question.
Be a leader who doesn’t need to be right all the time. Ask the other person: “What do you think I’m missing about where you are coming from?” You are modeling what it takes to move the conversation to a place of inquiry rather than inquisition.
4. Listen to Learn, not to be right.
Ask yourself: While I am listening, am I trying to poke holes in the other’s argument? If yes, how can I shift to a posture of listening to learn? Go into this listening with the mindset of “I have something to learn,” rather than “I’m here to change their mind.” Radically, go into this with an attitude of hoping they will change your mind, because you do not know everything. When you are able to do this sincerely, you are listening to learn.
5. Finally, ask another question.
This time begin with three words: Tell me more. Dive deeper into the other’s response, and once again listen to learn.
Hopefully, by practicing these five skills, we are entering into a way of being that will exponentially increase the chances of a healthy outcome to contentious conversations.
More resources for Transforming Grace can be found at our website: https://www.srcharitycinti.org/ministries/scjministries/jpic/priority-issues/ Weekly reflection guide with resources can be found at the LCWR website: https://www.lcwr.org/transforming-grace
In the Name of Peace and Nonviolence
By Katelyn Rieder, Communications co-op, and S. Louise Lears
In March 2023, a group of Sisters, Associates and community justice partners gathered for the first meeting of the Peace and Nonviolence Justice Circle. This Circle is one of six formed by the Sisters of Charity to bring about, in partnership with others, a more just and caring world. The concept of selforganizing Justice Circles emerged from months of discernment, reflection and outreach centered on the call to remain faithful to social justice outreach and advocacy.
Once the concept of selforganizing Justice Circles was introduced to the congregation, Sisters Andrea Koverman and Louise Lears felt called to invite others to form a Peace and Nonviolence Justice Circle that would focus on the understanding and skills necessary for both personal transformation and ways to address injustices and suffering that do not cause further harm or division. Those who joined the Circle share the conviction that following the nonviolent Jesus is the best way to fulfill the call as Sisters of Charity and work towards world peace. A study program created by Pace e Bene, titled “Engaging Nonviolence: Activating Nonviolent Change in Our Lives and Our World,” shapes the work of the Circle.
Wear Orange Weekend is one of the many initiatives Sisters of Charity have participated in to unite with others to raise awareness of the national gun violence crisis.
S. Louise said, “I knew in my heart I had to be involved with a Peace and Nonviolence Circle. The opportunity to teach a class on the Spirituality of Nonviolence at St. Louis University opened my eyes to nonviolent alternatives and to the inspiring lives of so many nonviolent teachers. Each week, my students and I gathered for a voluntary 20 minute ‘silent stand for nonviolence’ (signs only, no talking) in the center of campus. Though students could opt out, they described the experience as energizing and affirming. Their willingness to stand for nonviolence taught me the importance of solidarity in witnessing to a nonviolent life.”
S. Andrea Koverman has had her share of ministry with people directly affected by violence. Before she discerned her current ministry of working on the U.S.-Mexico border, she was a program manager with the organization now known as Ignite Peace. “I found myself becoming immersed in the issues of human trafficking, capital punishment, immigration, and war,” she explained. One of the most profound experiences during this time was working on a publication that had been started years prior at Ignite Peace, called “A Death Before Dying,” which looked at prisoners in the United States suffering on death row. To complete the project, S. Andrea read through and compiled interviews with the family and friends of those prisoners. “As I read the interviews, I was sickened by the level of violence and neglect that these people lived through as children. I thought to myself, what is a logical, reasonable expectation for a person who was formed in that kind of environment? Would you expect them to be peaceful? Probably not,” she said. The saying that “hurt people hurt people” really crystalized for S. Andrea during her time at Ignite Peace. She says that if we want to end the cycles of violence both big and small, we have to commit to doing no more harm ourselves. We have to learn how to look beneath the surface of violence and address the root causes rather than exasperate them.
(From left) S. Peggy Deneweth and pre-entrant Sandra Ramirez at a peaceful protest against the death penalty in El Paso, Texas.
Since its founding, the Peace and Nonviolence Justice Circle has focused on spreading nonviolence education and awareness, both to its members and to community justice partners. One of the ways Circle members encourage nonviolence is through an awareness of language. Phrases like ‘kill two birds with one stone,’ have morphed into something else than the literal, violent meaning. “I’ve had people use the argument that it’s just throw-away language and they don’t mean it,” said S. Louise. “I say that’s a great idea—just throw it away, because we don’t need one more ounce of violence in the world and certainly not in our language.”
Speakers have enhanced the work of the Peace and Nonviolence Circle. In January 2024, Eli McCarthy, adjunct professor in Theology and Peace Studies at Georgetown University, shared his experience of traveling to Kyiv to meet with Ukrainian faith leaders. Professor McCarthy learned about 230 nonviolent actions by Ukrainians, whose resistance has protected civilians, undermined the Russian narrative, and built community resilience. Long-time anti-nuclear weapons activist, Dominican S. Carol Gilbert described nonviolence
as a circle on which everyone can find a spot to enter; there are no privileged spots, no hierarchy of actions. All of us are called to follow, in their own way, the example of the nonviolent Jesus. Peace and nonviolence can encompass multiple issues, including gun violence, war, and human trafficking, among others. The Peace and Nonviolence Justice Circle emphasizes how we as individuals can be more nonviolent in our relationships, workplaces, families, communities, and everyday lives. “Just look at our world now,”
S. Louise said. “Turn on any news station or read any paper—our world desperately needs a commitment to peace and nonviolence.”
S. Andrea agreed, “We say that our Sisters of Charity mission is to live the Gospel values, and the Gospel and teachings of Jesus were all about radical love, nonviolence, and acceptance. All of those things that we say in our mission and vision statements really come down to being a good practitioner of nonviolence,” she said. “And as the world becomes more and more polarized—especially in the last eight to 10 years—it’s more critical than ever that there are people that not only have a desire, but the skills, to stay grounded and not get caught up in the violence.”
The Peace and Nonviolence Justice Circle has been learning and practicing nonviolence for more than a year. Their monthly meetings through Zoom include multiple ways to engage the surprising power of nonviolence. All of these avenues serve to continue the exploration of active, creative nonviolence, both for the members and justice partners. S. Louise reflected, “How could we as a religious community not be committed to peace and nonviolence? If we’re going to be followers of Jesus, we have to be followers of the nonviolent Jesus.”
Community members participate in a prayer service on International Day of Peace in 2023, led by the Peace and Nonviolence Justice Circle.
S. Kateri Maureen Koverman: Imaging God ’ s Gentle Love
By S. Patricia Wittberg
In the Book of Genesis we learn that we are created in the image and likeness of God. In St. John’s letter, Christians are told that God is love. S. Kateri Maureen Koverman’s entire life reflected these teachings: war and violence, she said, destroys the love image that God created each of us to be.
This belief called S. Kateri to accompany those terribly affected by wars. Her call first came while she was studying at The Catholic University in Washington, D.C. in the 1960s. A guest speaker in her class said there was a need for religious to go to Vietnam. S. Kateri didn’t know where Vietnam was, and had to look on a globe to find it. But she had a profound experience of God calling her to go there.
It took some time for arrangements to be made, but S. Kateri found other ways to work for peace and nonviolence in the meantime. She opened a Youth Club for Santa Maria Community Services in Cincinnati’s East Price Hill neighborhood, where she worked to lessen tensions between the Black and white teens there. Using creative means, she raised enough money to take both groups on a bus trip to Washington, D.C., so that they could get to know and understand each other better. But her heart was in the
call to Vietnam. S. Joyce Brehm, who served with S. Kateri at Santa Maria, remembers her excitement when she was able to announce, “The Community is letting me go to Vietnam!”
Initially, S. Kateri felt her role was simply to accompany and help those afflicted by the war. Her first mission was to gather the elderly people left behind in a village which the warring armies had destroyed. She helped them start an aquaculture fish pond and plant banana trees to support themselves. But during the withdrawal of the U.S. forces and the fall of Saigon, she was asked to help in “Operation Babylift,” so that hundreds of children, orphaned or simply caught up in the war, could be sent to the U.S. for adoption. Originally, the program was very organized, with each baby baptized, provided with I.D. papers, and sent to adoptive parents selected and waiting in the United States. But at the end things became chaotic.
S. Andrea Koverman, her cousin, remembers S. Kateri telling her how babies were abandoned in the streets or simply shoved into their arms as the planes were taking off. Initially, they placed the babies in banana crates, one baby to a crate, for transport. But the infants actually seemed calmer if there were two of them in each box. Plus, more children could fit on the plane that way.
After Vietnam, S. Kateri went to El Salvador to work with the inhabitants of Tenancingo, a supposedly neutral “peace village.” But in those days immediately after the martyrdom of lay missionary Jean Donovan and Sisters Maura Clarke, Ita Ford and Dorothy Kazel, no place was neutral or peaceful.
S. Kateri said that it was the most brutal place she had ever been. She recounted how once, after she had finished a children’s religion class about God’s love, one little boy came running back a few minutes later in hysterics. His mother had been brutally murdered by the guerillas while he was in S. Kateri’s class – for giving food “to the wrong side.”
S. Nancy Bramlage, who visited S. Kateri, said she felt the villagers’ pervasive fear. While she was there, they helped a woman look in the forest for her “disappeared” husband. He was never found.
S. Kateri Maureen Koverman saw first-hand how the experiences of war caused much suffering to civilians as well as soldiers serving.
S. Kateri’s own life was in danger many times. Once, she was going in a U.S. army helicopter to retrieve children left behind in a destroyed Vietnamese village. In mid-flight, the pilot’s orders changed and he had to leave her in a rice paddy while he went to rescue some soldiers. She waited all day for him to come back; he had been shot down. William Yaley, who with his wife adopted a Babylift child, said, “She put her life on the line – driving orphans to Tan Son Nhat Airport in Saigon, dodging artillery explosions, rockets and small arms fire, then bribing officials to get children onto airplanes.” In El Salvador, she was threatened with death several times, and once had a loaded gun pressed against her chest as she challenged the guerillas. As she told S. Andrea, “I have seen the worst things a human being can do to another. I have looked into eyes that have no soul. That is why they do such terrible things.”
so that she could continue her ministry. One of the very last things she did was to get support for a Veteran’s Pod at the Cincinnati Justice Center, so that the veterans who are incarcerated there can support each other.
S. Andrea said that S. Kateri let nothing stand in her way. On a shelf in her office at Them Bones she had a toy Bradley tank, to which her picture had been affixed. She told S. Andrea that the veterans had given it to her. Disturbed by the warlike image, she had asked if they really saw her that way. “Yes,” the soldiers said, “you are as relentless as that tank in advocating for us.” She kept the toy and looked at it every day to remind herself that God’s love is also gentle.
S. Kateri died in 2016, but her influence has not. Both Sisters Joyce and Andrea said they “idolized” her and “had her on a pedestal.” Her example and invitation were the reason they became Sisters of Charity themselves. The teens she gathered at Santa Maria’s Youth Club hangout still remember her as “Our Mother Teresa right here in Cincinnati.” William and Arlene Yaley named their adopted daughter after S. Kateri; as he said, “She is truly an unheralded saint who will be missed dearly.” Alicia Patterson, the current director of Joseph House, believes its “astounding growth” – from a small beginning to its new facility with 58 residential beds and outpatient services – is because of S. Kateri:
“Because she believed in the guys, because she cared.” Because she answered the call to image God’s love.
iWilliam Yaley, “The Unsung Saint of South Vietnam.” Notre Dame Magazine, November 16, 2016
iiDan Warnock, “Fire Station and Sister Kateri Maureen.” Price Hill Historical Society, Heritage on the Hill, Volume 33, Number 9, March 2023
S. Kateri did not return home from these experiences unscathed. She found herself reliving her memories over and over and worried that she was losing her mind. “After much anguish,” S. Andrea said, “she realized she was suffering from Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).” This convinced her that the soldiers who had served in Vietnam were as much victims of the war as the civilians were. She devoted the rest of her life to helping them. In 1994, she co-founded Joseph House in Cincinnati as a safe haven for veterans suffering from PTSD, addictions, and homelessness. Later, she established a counseling center called “Them Bones” – a reference to the prophet Ezekiel’s vision of God breathing life back into dry bones as an image of Divine love for those who have lost hope. Even at the end of her life, she was working for her veterans, moving Them Bones to the Motherhouse
iiiWilliam Yaley, “The Unsung Saint of South Vietnam.”
S. Andrea Koverman, cousin of the late S. Kateri Maureen Koverman, addresses the audience at the dedication of Joseph House’s new facility for women and men veterans in June 2024.
In 2000 S. Kateri Maureen Koverman started Them Bones Veteran Community, a treatment and advocacy organization for veterans in Cincinnati.
S. Andrea Koverman (left) and her sister, Teresa, stand next to the plaque in the Board Room of the newly dedicated Joseph House honoring their late cousin, S. Kateri Maureen Koverman.
Cultivating Compassion
By Associate Dave Scharfenberger
When Associate Pat Grubelnik heard about the formation of the Peace and Nonviolence Justice Circle, she immediately knew that she wanted to become a part of it. “Peace and nonviolence is one of the most important issues in our world as it addresses every aspect we encounter today,” explained Pat. With all the division and polarization we encounter, Pat wanted to learn how to be a peaceful presence to others rather than making a situation worse. In the year and a half since joining the Justice Circle, Pat says she values what she has learned through featured speakers, readings and discussions during its monthly Zoom meetings.
Pat first made her commitment to the Sisters of Charity 20 years ago when she and six other women were invited by the late S. Mary Jean Fields, a Sister of Charity, to become Associates. “If not for S. Mary Jean’s invitation, I would not have known about the Associate program,” Pat shared. Her decision to join the Community is one that she doesn’t regret as she found a new life. “I am an Associate because I like the sincerity of the mission and lifestyle of the Sisters. I feel a friendship and a shared common bond with both Sisters and Associates that is almost ageless.”
The Charity Mission of helping others resonated with Pat. She also learned patience and how to listen to herself through Centering Prayer. “I have learned to leave out the noise of the outside world and focus on God,” Pat explained.
Pat and her husband, Skip, in addition to having full-time jobs, raised three children, started a small business, “Buttons and Balloons,” and still manage their rental properties. Pat’s youngest daughter, Chanin Wilson, later became an Associate and is now director of the Associates program. When she talked about Chanin, Pat’s face lit up, proud of all that she has accomplished in serving the position.
Besides helping to run the family business, Pat volunteers at the John Zay Guest House, a free home-away-fromhome for patients and family members who live at least 45 miles away and require services offered at Penrose Hospital in Colorado Springs.
Pat is enthused about the work of the Peace and Nonviolence Justice Circle and glad that she became a member. She shared how much she has appreciated listening to the various speakers who have shared their stories of working for justice. “It reminds me how ‘privileged’ white people are,” Pat said. “I can easily forget the challenges others face, especially the inequality of opportunities.” Pat said that through this Justice Circle, she is reminded how fortunate life has been for her. “It makes you realize that you can’t become complacent and do nothing,” Pat said. “We can’t just sit at home.”
Associate Pat Grubelnik (right) with her daughter Director of Associates Chanin Wilson.
Associate Pat Grubelnik (second row, right) appreciates the sincerity of the SC mission and the shared common bond with both Sisters and Associates.
IN THE NAME OF JUSTICE
By Angela Anno, Associate
S.Jean Miller’s passion for justice began at home with her father’s example and encouragement to not just talk about but actively respond to another’s need. It grew into a ministry of presence, listening and inclusion that eventually led her to nonviolent demonstrations for justice and peace.
A native of Dayton, Ohio, S. Jean first met the Sisters of Charity in grade school and continued that relationship into high school, coaching grade school teams and entering the Community after graduation. Her first assignments were teaching—first at St. Boniface in Cincinnati where she had 65 first-grade students in her class and later in Colorado and Maryland. In 1962 she was assigned to teach at Villa Nazareth in Rome, Italy, where the Sisters taught and ministered in the all-boys residential school.
It was an exciting time to be in Rome with the Second Vatican Council going on. Because there were so many bishops and scholars in town, they needed places to say Mass and the school hosted many of them who often shared what was going on at the Council. It was like having an inside view of the meetings and the likely changes that were to come. It brought promise of a new and more vibrant Church. After the Council she worked for a while in the Vatican archives.
After a short time at St. Albert the Great in Dayton, S. Jean was missioned to Peru to work on the outskirts of Lima with people living in shacks who had no access to water. They were barely surviving. It was here that she learned how to do reflective listening with the women on ways to get what they needed. Everyone’s voice needed to be heard. As a result, the people gained power as they came together as a community. Yet, the unjust economic system in Latin America remained pervasive.
In Lima she met a woman on leave from fighting with a Sandinista insurrection group in Nicaragua. Over lunch one day S. Jean asked her, “Why do you do this dangerous work?
Her response, “To take care of my children. Why do you do it?”
Before leaving for battle the woman handed Sister a note and told her to read it later. When she opened it, S. Jean learned that the woman had asked her to take care of her children if she died. The next day S. Jean opened the newspaper and saw the woman’s picture. She had been killed in battle. Although Sister would have lived up to her promise to care of the woman’s children, a relative stepped up to do it.
As a result of knowing that woman’s story, Sister was curious about Nicaragua and went there to work for a while when the country was rebuilding. After returning to the U.S., she expanded her awareness of justice in the area of the environment as she learned more about solar energy while working with women on the U.S.-Mexico border. After researching about effective building materials for housing, she settled on straw-bale construction and joined with other religious Sisters helping to get 47 solar straw bale houses built on a tract of land in New Mexico. Later, she was often a speaker on environmental justice and care of the environment.
S. Jean says she is “grateful to be living in this time of change.” She describes her life as “a wonderful experience of meeting all kinds of people, experiencing good and bad times, and joining in the sufferings and joys of others in working for justice and peace.”
Network’s Nuns on the Bus is one of the many advocacy organizations S. Jean Miller has been involved with through the years speaking for justice and advocating for adequate federal policies.
S. Jean Miller joined with other religious Sisters in the mid-1990s to construct Tierra Madre, a sustainable community of straw-bale houses for those living in poverty along the U.S.-Mexico border.
Walking the Way
By Sisters Caroljean Willie and Andrea Koverman
Sisters Andrea Koverman and Caroljean (Cj) Willie participated in a pilgrimage from May 2-7, 2024, entitled “Walking the Way: Following in the Footsteps of Our Black Catholic Foremothers in Faith,” sponsored by FutureChurch. The pilgrimage started in Atlanta, Georgia, and continued to sites in Birmingham, Montgomery and Selma, Alabama, as well as New Orleans, Louisiana. The purpose of this trip was to engage in prayer, education and reflection in order to understand more deeply the roots and effects of the slave trade on the African American population as well as on the racism which continues to affect our society today.
Many people think that the Civil War ended slavery, and on paper, it did. But the reality was much darker as new laws were created to continue the oppression of the Black population. The Jim Crow laws, named after a Black minstrel show character, emerged in the South after the Civil War and existed for about 100 years, from the post-Civil War era until 1968. Their purpose was to marginalize African Americans by denying them the right to vote, hold jobs, get an education or other opportunities. These laws appeared throughout the South as a legal way to put Black citizens into indentured servitude, to deny voting rights, to control where they lived and how they traveled, and to seize children for labor purposes.
One of the first stops on the pilgrimage was the National Center for Civil and Human Rights. The exhibits at this museum connect the American Civil Rights Movement with today’s Global Human Rights Movement. A wall outside of the center highlighted Martin Luther King’s (MLK) six principles for a nonviolent life: 1) Nonviolence is a way of life for courageous people; 2) Nonviolence seeks to win friendship and understanding; 3) Nonviolence seeks to defeat injustice not people; 4) Nonviolence holds that suffering can educate and transform people and societies; 5) Nonviolence chooses love instead of hate; and 6) Nonviolence believes that the universe is on the side of justice. You could not help but think of what a different world we would live in if we embraced and lived out of these principles as a society. Another feature outside of the center was a beautiful pool with four steps on which were written MLK’s words, “We will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
Other sites visited in Atlanta included a guided tour of MLK’s neighborhood and a visit to Ebenezer Baptist Church.
Our next stop was Birmingham, Alabama, where we visited Kelly Ingram Park, a central staging ground for large-scale demonstrations during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. We also visited the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church which was the site of the bombing that killed four young girls in 1963 and the Birmingham Civil Rights
In Selma, Alabama, Sisters Andrea Koverman (left) and Cj Willie visited the Edmund Pettus Bridge and heard eyewitness accounts.
One of Martin Luther King Jr.’s six principles for a nonviolent life displayed outside the National Center for Civil and Human Rights in Atlanta, Georgia.
A water feature outside the National Center for Civil and Human Rights in Atlanta, Georgia, displaying MLK’s words.
Institute. The institute showcases a walking journey through the “living institution, which displays the lessons of the past as a positive way to chart new directions for the future.”
Our first stop in Montgomery, Alabama, was the Rosa Parks Museum followed by the Legacy Museum which emphasizes the road from enslavement to mass incarceration. This museum is built on the site of a former warehouse where enslaved Black people were imprisoned. As you enter the museum you walk into a long room with crashing waves on both sides of the walls and hundreds of sculptured heads of Africans in the sand everywhere you look representing those who died on the crossing from Africa. Between 1501 and 1867, nearly 13 million African people were kidnapped, forced onto ships and trafficked across the Atlantic Ocean to the Americas. It is estimated that 2 million people died during this Middle Passage.
sculpture in Kelly Ingram Park dedicated to the foot soldiers of the Birmingham Civil Rights Movement.
This museum’s exhibits clearly state that, “A tragic, false narrative of racial difference was created in America that has resulted in centuries of racial bigotry and injustice. This belief in racial hierarchy was used to legitimate, perpetuate, and defend slavery—and it survived slavery’s abolition, fueling racial terror lynchings, demanding legally codified segregation, and spawning our contemporary mass incarceration crisis.” The Legacy Museum traces the evolution of this dehumanizing myth from our nation’s founding to today.
The National Memorial of Peace and Justice near the Legacy Museum is dedicated to the enslaved Black people who were lynched. More than 4,400 Black people killed in racial terror lynchings between 1877 and 1950 are remembered here. Their names are engraved on more than 800 steel monuments—one for each county where a racial terror lynching took place.
The Freedom Riders Museum celebrates the Freedom Riders, young men and women, Black and white, all of them in their early 20s. On May 20, 1961, they stepped off a bus at the Montgomery Greyhound Station prepared to meet mob violence with nonviolence and courage. Their goal was to help end racial segregation in public transportation and they did.
Steps away from the Alabama capital, we visited the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church where MLK organized the Montgomery Bus Boycott in the church’s basement.
Several hours from Montgomery we stopped in Selma, the heart of the Civil Rights Movement. Here we met women who shared their stories of living during the civil unrest and
gave eyewitness accounts of life during that time, including the violence encountered walking across the Edmund Pettus Bridge.
Our last stop was New Orleans where we visited multiple sites, including St. Louis Cathedral, St. Augustine Church, the site of the memorial to the unknown slave and Xavier University founded by St. Katherine Drexel to serve the Black community. We finished the tour with Mass in the university chapel.
S. Andrea’s Reflections
This pilgrimage was a deeply moving and profoundly sacred experience for me. It was also very challenging and disturbing. Though there were moments of enjoying the company of the group of wonderful pilgrims we were with, we delved deeply into some of the most horrendous acts of violence and oppression perpetrated against Black people in our country, from the early days of the establishment of slavery, through the vile days of resisting and retaliating against those fighting for change during the Civil Rights era, up to and including the present day. Each site presented the shocking and shameful reality of racism in America, even for those with a wealth of prior knowledge. The tragic history came to life as we walked through realistic sculptures of Africans in metal collars and chains struggling against their captors; read thousands of names and descriptions of horrific lynchings during the days when the Jim Crow Laws codified such practices; heard audiotapes and saw photographs of the distraught mothers of the young girls who were killed in the bombing of their church while they were helping each other get ready for a special children’s program; sat in pews where Dr. MLK Jr. preached and rallied his supporters; walked across the Edmund Pettus Bridge and heard first-hand stories of the terror experienced while trying to cross in a march to Birmingham from a woman who was just an 11-year-old
A
A memorial at the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama, the site of the bombing that killed four young girls in 1963.
Legacy Museum in Montgomery, Alabama, where the sculpture represents those who died on the crossing from Africa between 1501 and 1867.
The National Memorial for Peace and Justice recognizes the thousands of lynchings that occurred across the U.S., many of which were undocumented.
child on that “Bloody Sunday;” gazed at graphic life-sized images of the burned out buses of the Freedom Riders; and saw the results of the violent attacks on the bodies of those brave young men and women who put their lives on the line for social change.
The saddest moment of all for me was in Selma, standing on the steps of the church where so many of the Civil Rights actions were planned and just a couple blocks away from the Edmund Pettus Bridge. From the steps you look out upon a low-income housing community that was there during the Civil Rights Movement, and still houses Selma’s population of impoverished citizens. Our guide shared with us that she had to fight for years to correct the inscription on the memorial to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. that stands on the church property. Instead of quoting him correctly as saying, “I have a dream…” the words, “I had a dream” were inscribed as if to tell that community to give up on the dream because it failed and is over. Thankfully, the powers that be did finally change it. But, for me, the fact that those same buildings that housed poor disenfranchised Black families more than 60 years ago are still serving the same purpose today was sobering. We like to tell ourselves that slavery is in the past, that we have
come a long way in righting racial injustices and that racism is all but dead or dying. But as I stood on those steps and could imagine how hollow, inaccurate and insincere those words must sound to the Black families who are no better off than they were 60 years ago because the systems of institutionalized discrimination continue to hold them down, I couldn’t help but feel the weight of such sinfulness and evil. I was so ashamed of how little progress has been made for the majority of the Black population and can better understand the current context we find ourselves struggling with.
We have such work to do. I found myself wishing every American could have the experience I was privileged to have. Ignorance and false narratives keep us spinning our wheels in place instead of burning rubber as we speed ahead to a new day of true equality for all in America. That continues to be but a dream, but I am more committed than ever to be a part of bringing it to fruition and am deeply grateful for the experience.
The Dexter Avenue Baptist Church where MLK organized the Montgomery Bus Boycott in the church’s basement.
The Tomb of the Unknown Slave at St. Augustine Church in New Orleans, Louisiana.
The Rosa Parks Library and Museum in Montgomery, Alabama.
S. Cj’s Reflections
It has taken me a while to even begin to process all that we saw and heard during this pilgrimage. Learning about this period of time from the museum exhibits and through hearing the violent experiences from those who lived it brought a depth of understanding of the horror of slavery, the Jim Crow laws and racism today that I never had before.
One of the women we met in Selma, Joanne Blackmon Bland, recounted what it was like as an 11-year-old to walk across the Edmund Pettus Bridge. She said that she was toward the back of the demonstrators but saw her 14-year-old sister and multiple others get beaten with clubs and attacked by dogs as they reached the center of the bridge. This first attempt to march to Montgomery, the capital, was called Bloody Sunday. Turned back by the extreme violence, the demonstrators regrouped and tried again on Tuesday which became known as Turn Around Tuesday as they were again attacked and beaten. On Thursday they succeeded in crossing the bridge and marching the 54 miles to Montgomery with the help of the National Guard.
Martin Luther King Jr. and other Civil Rights leaders taught their followers the importance of nonviolence and through all the attacks and beatings, the daily overt acts of racism at lunch counters, in stores, on buses, and the bombings of their homes and churches, they did not respond with violence. They marched and demonstrated with an inner strength borne out of a deep understanding of their dignity as God’s children.
As many of the people we met talked of never knowing their ancestors, I could not help but think of the many African men and women I have met while traveling to Africa many times during the past 10 years with Microfinancing Partners in Africa who also will never know their ancestors. Theirs is a blank slate of several hundred years where their forefathers and mothers simply vanished.
For me the most troubling aspect of this journey is the realization that as a country we are repeating the sins of
More than 4,400 Black people killed in racial terror lynchings between 1877 and 1950 are remembered at the National Memorial for Peace and Justice. Their names are engraved on more than 800 steel monuments.
the past. We have leaders who continue to demonize “the other” whether on the basis of color, religion, sex, gender, nationality, etc. Civil Rights leaders gave us a template of how to address injustice with nonviolence and I realize that we need to recognize our own call to struggle for human rights proactively. The many stories we heard from ordinary people revealed a deep inner strength that not only changed the South but was a wake-up call to the entire nation. We cannot be silent witnesses to the racism and injustices taking place in our country today. We are the ones called at this moment in history to act. The following words of MLK provide a vision for what is possible if we work together:
“The Beloved Community is a realistic vision of an achievable society, one in which problems and conflict exist but are resolved peacefully and without bitterness. In the Beloved Community caring and compassion drive political policies that support the worldwide elimination of poverty and hunger and all forms of bigotry and violence. The Beloved Community is a state of heart and mind, a spirit of hope and goodwill that transcends all boundaries and barriers and embraces all creation…”
On Aug. 25, 2024, Cincinnati’s seventh annual Festival of Faiths was held at the Xavier University Cintas Center. The festival is the flagship event for EquaSion, an interfaith organization that promotes greater respect towards everyone. More than 30 faith traditions are represented at the festival, but the celebration is open to anyone who wishes to engage in peaceful dialogue and experience a loving community here in Cincinnati.
A Celebration OF FAITH
By Katelyn Rieder, Communications intern
The Festival of Faiths originated in Louisville, Kentucky, and has been running since 1996. When a group of EquaSion board members visited the festival, they immediately knew they had to bring something like it to Cincinnati. From there, word slowly started to spread to other organizations, like the Metropolitan Area Religious Coalition of Cincinnati (MARCC). As a delegate for the Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati, Associate Karen Martin works with MARCC to support their mission. When the executive director of the organization approached Karen to ask if she would be their representative at Festival of Faiths, she accepted.
“That first meeting was just amazing,” said Karen. “Everyone was so excited to do this.” The first Festival of Faiths in Cincinnati eventually came together and was held in 2018, where more than 1,000 people attended. Involvement has since snowballed to even larger numbers.
The annual opening prayer marks the beginning of the festivities and involves many different faith traditions. Inside the event center, there are several tables and booths dedicated to learning about different religions. There also is a dedicated theme every year that aligns with meditation sessions, this year’s theme being “Compassion Through Action: Engaging with the Spirit of Hope and Peace.” These sessions provide a quiet, shared space for reflection and prayer to participants. The new labyrinth room added to this goal of shared divine energy, allowing attendees to do a self-directed walk.
After a week of optional Zoom sessions, which included two presentations by S. Caroljean Willie, the Festival of Faiths concluded with the Peace Walk around Ault Park on Aug. 29.
This addition to the festival is fairly new, with the first one being held last year in 2023. Karen was especially involved when planning this walk.
“We wanted an opportunity for people to gather again, but with a focus,” she said. “It’s really a time to just be together after all the energy of the festival and to have a culminating experience.”
Karen is also involved in the Sisters of Charity’s Peace and Nonviolence Justice Circle, which upholds similar values to the Festival of Faiths. Even from a young age, Karen has opposed violence, from slapstick cartoons to the Vietnam War. She said, “As I grew up, I started to learn how much more there is to violence. What about our language? What about what we write? That has become a big focus for me now.”
Looking to the future, she hopes that both the Peace and Nonviolence Justice Circle and the Festival of Faiths can cultivate a more peaceful world for everyone, regardless of their backgrounds or beliefs.
“What I love about the Justice Circles and the Festival of Faiths is that they’re not just keeping it to themselves. They are both open to everyone. You don’t have to be a Sister, an Associate, a Catholic, a Christian—we’re all in this together.”
The Cincinnati Festival of Faiths concluded on Aug. 29, 2024, with the Peace Walk, with Associate Karen Martin involved in the planning.
Associate Karen Martin (right) and justice promoter Mackenzie Doyle at the 2024 Festival of Faiths.
A Channel of Peace and Nonviolence
By S. Regina Kusnir
Achannel, by definition, is a means of communication. As a verb, it can mean to convey or direct into or through a channel. God uses people whose hearts are open enough to be the conduit of God’s love. They channel God’s love into a world in need of healing and to those in need.
Peace and nonviolence are deep in the heart of S. Nancy Bramlage. Her life – rich in experiences – has become a channel for these efforts.
A Meandering Channel
S. Nancy taught French at Alter High School in Dayton, Ohio, for nine years. When joining Sisters in Africa, she figured she would be teaching French. But the Sister heading the mission decided that the English-speaking state of Malawi was preferable so that more Sisters could join the ministry there.
After seven years in Malawi, S. Nancy became coordinator of 18 Sisters on mission in six different countries, all dealing with poverty and social justice issues. In the 1980s four of these countries were at war: El Salvador, Nicaragua, Peru, and Mexico. Visits left her heart heavy; yet, she witnessed the hope the Sisters offered the people.
Channels of Hope and Nonviolence
A visit to S. Kateri Maureen Koverman in El Salvador cemented S. Nancy’s commitment to nonviolence and hope. The visit occurred after the deaths of Archbishop Oscar Romero and the four churchwomen.
S. Kateri was living in Tenancingo, which means hope. The people were peaceable even amid harassment from the army. When soldiers came and took over the village chapel for their quarters, the people were distraught but remained nonviolent. S. Kateri convinced the army leader to leave as it was a sacred place where people prayed.
S. Nancy learned how in many places people came to the door seeking help looking for their missing husbands, fathers or family members. She accompanied the Sisters and knew the heartache, for many were dead.
Experiences and conversations with the Sisters over four years surfaced concerns: “How can we help the poor who are victims of war?” “What factors contribute to the perpetuation of oppression?” “What can we do?” S. Nancy began looking for answers. She found that in some situations our country funded the war or trained the military.
Channel of Action
S. Nancy was hired as one of 18 campus ministers at the University of Dayton and then as director of the university’s Center for Social Concern. Students at UD were interested in anti-war protests. With the approval of the university president and parents, S. Nancy trained students to protest nonviolently and accompanied 10 students to the School of the Americas in Ft. Benning, Georgia, to join with others there. Jesuit students invited the group to pray with them and celebrated Mass together. Some crossed the line and were arrested for doing so, though none were kept overnight. These were powerful experiences for students.
Channels of Learning
S. Nancy took part in a six-month sabbatical with the School of Applied Theology in San Francisco, California, where she deepened her scriptural and theological understanding. There she joined a protest against nuclear production in the area, resulting in a court appearance, but no charge.
She also participated in a three-month study program in Israel with the Catholic Theological Union. It was a time when there was a small amount of hope among the Palestinians and Israelis. Some rights the Palestinians fought for were restored, and she was able to celebrate some peace in Israel. But peace was short-lived.
The Channeling Challenge
S. Nancy is currently engaged with the Community’s Peace and Nonviolence Justice Circle. She firmly believes that being a peacemaker in today’s world is critical. “Nothing’s going to change, unless we make it change.” Reading, talking, hearing from others who have experiences creates the atmosphere for change. And, “It has to be nonviolent,” she says.
The Prayer of St. Francis, “Make me a Channel of Your Peace” sums up the channels we must become. To paraphrase one line, “Where there is hatred, make me a channel of your love.”
After ministering in Malawi, Africa, S. Nancy Bramlage served as coordinator of Sisters on mission in countries dealing with poverty and social justice issues.
Through the years S. Nancy Bramlage (right) has attended many peaceful protests at the School of the Americas in Ft. Benning, Georgia.
Angels of Peace in a Time of War
By S. Judith Metz
“She seemed like a ministering angel, and many a young soldier owes his life to her care and charity. Happy was the soldier who, wounded and bleeding, had her near him to whisper words of consolation and courage. She was reverenced by the Blue and Gray, Protestant and Catholic alike.”
Although the above words were written about S. Anthony O’Connell, they could readily be applied to every Sister of Charity who served in the Civil War. The Sisters’ reputation for extending care to the poor and the sick was well established, and once the war broke out they were anxious to respond by alleviating suffering in every way they could.
Less than a month after South Carolina’s bombardment of Fort Sumter, The Catholic Telegraph reported: “The Sisters of Charity have, by letter to Mayor Hatch (of Cincinnati), tendered their services at any time or place.” Just four days later they were called upon to send nurses to the Union Army camp at Camp Dennison near Milford, Ohio.
Beginning with their arrival at Camp Dennison, the Sisters offered their ministry of both physical and spiritual healing to thousands of soldiers for the duration of the war. As one historian described it: “Nurses cared for the sick, washed clothes, cleaned hospital wards, assisted at surgeries, wrote letters to loved ones, distributed rations and care packages, and did whatever was necessary to comfort their patients.” One task he failed to mention was the culinary department where the Sisters’ skills were deeply appreciated. One report from Cumberland, Maryland, noted, “The change for the better in cooking and preparation of food suitable for the conditions of the sick are subject of grateful remark by the patients.”
These dedicated women poured themselves out, often risking their health to ensure the well-being of their patients. Whether at St. John’s Hospital in Cincinnati, or in far-flung camps and military hospitals, “the Sisters and nurses seem ubiquitous in their ministrations of tenderness and healing.” No matter how “fatiguing and often disgusting to flesh and blood,” they were there to provide comfort and healing. In
S. Anthony O’Connell became widely known as the “Angel of the Battlefield” due to her outstanding medical work as well as her dynamic personality.
cases of communicable diseases they often encountered in the military camps, victims were often herded into isolated barracks and left without care until the Sisters arrived.
S. Anthony O’Connell tells of walking into one such ward where a score of smallpox victims lay huddled together without ventilation or plumbing. “The odor from their poor suppurating [festering] flesh was so terrible,” she admitted, “that I did not think I could endure it.”
The Sisters also risked physical danger passing through enemy lines, ministering in camps under bombardment, and on steamboats transporting the wounded. On one trip from the battlefield at Shiloh, their floating hospital with 700 aboard encountered dangerous shoals on the Ohio River at Louisville, Kentucky. The captain, planning to try to navigate a dangerously shallow passage, told the Sisters they should disembark if they wished to live. Willing to risk their lives, they decided to remain with their patients all the while earnestly praying their way safely through the danger.
For all the tireless physical care the Sisters provided to the wounded and the ill, equally important was the spiritual comfort, psychological support and personal peace they offered to their patients. In some cases, “the soldiers were unable to comprehend the devotedness, zeal and unwearying patience of the Sisters.” When they were preparing to move from one field hospital to another after a battle in Tennessee, the soldiers passed around a petition urging them to stay. One soldier responded, “I want to sign that paper … I would sign it 50 times if asked. For the Sisters have been to me as my mother since I have been here, and had I been here before, I would have been well long ago. But if the Sisters leave, I know I shall die.”
In some cases the Sisters were met with religious prejudice but it did not deter them. At Camp Dennison they were cursed by some as they went about their ministrations, and at New Creek, Virginia, at first they “received much opposition from soldiers and civilians.” “But,” S. Beatrice Hastings noted, “by patience and kindness we succeeded in gaining the good will of all, and were amply repaid by conversions, repentances, and the removal to a great extent of certain prejudices to our Holy Faith.”
A vehemently anti-Catholic patient in Gallipolis, Ohio, experiencing a change of heart, commented, “I never seen such disinterested charity.”
Another in Cumberland, Maryland, who S. Jane Garvin perceived as having no love for the Catholic Church, was so touched by the care he observed the Sisters dispensing that he told her, “Sister, I would like to be baptized. I have been a very bad man.” Soon he was baptized, and a few hours after receiving first Holy Communion “this beautiful soul went to enjoy the beauty and light of God.”
Responding to the teaching of Jesus in the parable of the Good Samaritan, the Sisters set no limitations on their outreach. “We cared for Unionists and Confederates alike,” S. Agnes Phillips noted. “We knew no difference. Made no difference.” Neither did they exclude anyone who suffered from the war. While in Nashville the Sisters visited the nearby “contraband” camps housing slaves who had fled their homes in the upheaval of the war. Many of these impoverished and displaced people had been stricken with small pox “and would have perished were it not for the Sisters of Charity who visited them in their hovels and camps and saved many from perishing.” In light of this work The Catholic Telegraph wrote, “They did not fear being called abolitionists as long as they could extend mercy to God’s suffering creatures.”
Some describe the Sisters Civil War ministry as “heroic women who worked in the interests of the highest and purest
form of humanity.” One cited S. Anthony O’Connell as standing out in bold relief. “To the soldiers of both armies her name had a magic ring of wonderful power. To them she was the incarnation of angelic goodness that seemed like a visitation from the realms celestial.” But to S. Anthony and to each of the Sisters who ministered during the war, their power came from God, from their faith and commitment to live the Gospel of Jesus by transmitting a message of love, of peace, and of embracing all – a living out of their Community motto, “The Charity of Christ Urges Us!”
More than one-third of the Sisters of Charity Community saw active service as nurses during the Civil War on the eastern front in Ohio, Maryland and Virginia, and on the western front in Mississippi, Kentucky and Tennessee.
IGNITE PEACE: BE A SPARK FOR JUSTICE
By S. Louise Lears
On a hot, humid Cincinnati day in 1984, Sisters Joyce Hoban, SNDdeN, and Louise Akers, SC, met at the swimming pool of the Mount St. Joseph Motherhouse. Sitting poolside, they dreamed of ways for women religious to share their skills and resources to act for justice and peace. The dream blossomed and, within a year, representatives met from five founding sponsors: Sisters of Charity, Sisters of Mercy, Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, Sisters of St. Francis of Oldenburg, and the Sisters of St. Joseph of Medaille. S. Louise Akers served as the first coordinator of what was then called the Intercommunity Justice and Peace Center, now known as Ignite Peace.
Though the name has changed, the mission has remained the same over these nearly 40 years: educate and advocate for peace, challenge unjust systems, and promote the creation of a nonviolent society. Since 1985, a number of Sisters and Associates have been inspired to embrace the mission of Ignite Peace by serving on the staff, board and committees.
S. Judith Metz was a board member of Ignite Peace during its founding years. What she remembers most was the “the enthusiasm among women religious that we had such a center. It was exciting to be part of creating something new. S. Louise was such a great leader and invited prominent speakers from around the country to lead workshops and offer presentations that garnered large audiences and broadened many peoples’ horizons.”
For current board member S. Marge Kloos, Ignite Peace is “emblematic of the simple-yet-profound wisdom women religious have grown into since Vatican II. As individual communities each of the founding congregations has a formidable past as ambassadors of justice and peace. What S. Louise and her sister-companions ‘sparked’ for all of us was the common flame of passion for addressing injustice, division, inhumanity, and violence together. Ignite Peace has been the embodied collective consciousness of Catholic Social Teaching-in-action.”
Among the people whose horizons were broadened by Ignite Peace were SC Associates Mary Jo Mersmann and Karen Martin. Mary Jo led Immersion Experiences throughout Cincinnati with S. Louise Akers. “One of our stops was always Ignite Peace. The team would give presentations about the work they were doing and how everyone could get involved. It was eye-opening for many of the Associates and others who attended.” Karen remembers S. Louise’s intense compassion, advocacy and action for social justice issues. “Ignite Peace was an outcome of her mission for a just society. She knew working with many voices and resources was an asset to this important and challenging work.”
S. Andrea Koverman was first attracted to working at Ignite Peace as a program manager when she learned that the Sisters of Charity co-founded the organization and then even
S. Louise Akers (center) served as the first coordinator of the Intercommunity Justice and Peace Center (now Ignite Peace) from 1985 until 1992.
Ignite Peace is a leader in advocating for the abolition of the death penalty.
more so when she understood the mission. “It seemed like the perfect place to put my new religious vows into concrete action. Being a program manager was the hardest job I ever loved. Working on capital punishment, human trafficking, and efforts for nonviolence in all its forms shattered my naiveté, broke my heart and inspired my commitment to social justice.”
Associate Dave Scharfenberger appreciated the role that Ignite Peace played in listening to those most directly affected and in encouraging people to listen to each other through the peace dialogues. “Through my participation, I was reminded of the importance of not just responding to what someone said but listening first to make sure I understood what they were saying.” The peace dialogues encouraged people to face issues of polarization, partisanship and divisiveness.
Ignite Peace’s response to the executions in Kentucky and Ohio grew out of listening to the voices of those most directly affected. An Ignite Peace committee to oppose the death penalty became a local chapter of Ohioans to Stop Executions; members of the chapter were a presence at every execution. Through the creation of Families That Matter and Murder Victim’s Families for Reconciliation, Ignite Peace became, and continues to be, a leader in advocating for the abolition of the death penalty
YES (Youth Educating Society) brought immigrant young adults and their allies together to develop leadership skills and work toward comprehensive immigration reform. The Rethinking Racism initiative published a Race and Racism in Cincinnati Toolkit, later becoming a three-part docuseries. Ignite Peace partnered with legal representation to win a class action lawsuit against the Ohio BMV for discriminating against 16- and 17-year-old U.S. born children of undocumented parents. As a result, all eligible teens in Ohio can now apply for a permit, drivers’ license, or state ID.
In 2022, recognizing the emerging signs of the times, Ignite Peace began to reevaluate the programs and issues of concern. A year later, after much prayer and deep discernment, the organization reintroduced itself as Ignite Peace, with a focus on criminal justice and immigration justice, peering through the lens of nonviolence and anti-racism.
The name change, in the eyes of former Executive Director Allison Reynolds-Berry, is “an invitation to both secular and non-secular people that peace and justice issues are the things that we all care about. What has remained constant has been the hope that a different reality is possible. The many dedicated individuals who show up, speak out, commit to learning more, provide financial support, and talk about the work of Ignite Peace with those in their network have been a mainstay in our work for peace.”
As Ignite Peace moves into its 40th year of work for justice, Program Director Samantha Searls reflects on the partners, individuals and organizations who have laid the organization’s foundation since 1985. “Your legacy as brave justice seekers led us into deeper relationships and into the streets over the years, working to ignite peace in new ways.”
The swimming pool is gone, the name has changed, the mission of Ignite Peace lives on.
(For an extensive history of Ignite Peace, see ignitepeace.org/ history).
Since 1985, a number of Sisters and Associates have been inspired to embrace the mission of Ignite Peace through various avenues of participation.
Ignite Peace works in partnership with immigrant leaders and local organizations to identify, call attention to, and organize around issues facing the local immigrant community.
Community Hosts Spring Gathering
Sisters and Associates came together April 19-20, 2024, for the Spring Congregational Gathering. It was a time of reflection, discussion and collective discernment for the emerging future – as well as a time of fellowship and celebration. The weekend together concluded with Cheri Bissett making her initial commitment as an Associate in Mission.
Director of Associates Chanin Wilson (left) and S. Noreen Ellison (right) welcome Cheri Bissett as the newest Associate in Mission.
Tables were filled in the Motherhouse Dining Room with Sisters and Associates for the Saturday morning session.
On Saturday, April 20, Associates gathered in the Rose Room to continue to discuss the process toward the emerging future.
The spring congregational gathering brought Community members together to pray, play and deepen the communal path toward the future.
Sisters and Associates came together Saturday morning for reflection, discussion and collective discernment.
S. Mary Ann Flannery led the Saturday discussion on “Grasping for Discernment.”
S. Whitney Schieltz’s game night entertainment brought Sisters and Associates together for an evening of fun and laughs.
TheJoy of the Heart
By S. Georgia Kitt
Singing is twice praying.
In the fifth century St. Augustine of Hippo is known for speaking these words, proclaiming that our voices are gifts that can be used to make music for God and thus enhance our worship and praise of God. This has come true today in area parishes in Albuquerque, New Mexico, through the music ministry of S. Carol Power and her fellow musicians, choirs, leaders of song and accompanists. They are expressing the joy of the heart, the happiness resulting from those who have encountered Jesus. The weekend liturgy has become more beautiful through participation and the lifting of voices.
S. Carol served as a primary teacher for more than 40 years, most being spent in New Mexico. Being organized and giving attention to detail has carried over to make weekend liturgical experiences more prayerful for those who come.
“God has given me this voice as a gift. I am grateful I can still sing,” S. Carol shared. Her involvement in numerous Albuquerque area Catholic parishes since 2008 has made her sensitive to the needs. Experiencing a shortage of priests as well as church musicians among the parishes has led to this active music ministry of inviting, using and sharing gifts from among the parishioners. S. Carol serves as the coordinator and has created a valuable resource center in her own living room. This includes a keyboard, tablet and ministry board along with updated binders each week with the current responsorial psalm, new group-led songs and harmonies to learn. She is always planning!
The heart of this ministry is to call forth the shared gifts of the musicians and participants, making the liturgy a prayer to God. S. Carol prepares bilingual binders each week for the coming weekend liturgies with practice on Thursdays. The parishes that participate, each particular to their needs, are St. Jude Thaddeus, St. Therese of the Infant Jesus, St. Ignacio and the Shrine of St. Bernadette. The parishes value good music and voice participation by their members. This all began through S. Carol’s home parish of St. Therese in 2008 where she ministered as choir member, leader of song, cantor and guitarist. As parishes offered fewer Mass times and their needs became more defined, the music ministry for area
During her 66 years as a Sister of Charity, S. Carol Power (left) says a highlight has been meeting Alma Sisneros in 2017, the actress who played the role of S. Blandina Segale in Tomas Sanchez’s movie, At The End of the Santa Fe Trail
A number of scenes in the movie were taken while S. Carol led the tour for the filmmakers at St. Therese of the Infant Jesus Church.
Catholic liturgies was born. Over the years Patricio Trujillo has become the main accompanist on the piano; he relies on S. Carol’s clarity of direction and organizational skills. They carry responsibilities for weekend liturgies (St. Jude has seven Masses on the weekend), First Communion, weddings, anniversaries, Confirmation, Marion concerts as well as funerals. Among them they value their complementary gifts.
S. Carol was born in Denver and is a 1958 graduate of Cathedral High School. Prior to Cathedral Carol lived with her family in Israel where her dad worked as a civil engineer while she was in junior high. Arriving at Cathedral for high school, Sisters Rose Clare Church and Mary Immaculata McCarthy reached out to her, making the transition a happy remembrance. So much so that this sowed the seeds of her religious vocation. S. Carol entered the Sisters of Charity in September 1958 and remains forever grateful.
Being geographically far from Cincinnati, S. Carol appreciates the presence of the current Albuquerque area Associates, their connections and sharing when they gather. When possible she travels to Pueblo, Colorado, to spend time with Sisters Nancy Crafton and Barbara Jeanne Krekeler. S. Carol shared a special friendship with the late Associate Virginia Johnson, appreciating Virginia’s joy and adventuresome spirit. Her gardening hobby continues to feed her soul. She enjoys the peace the garden provides.
“Daily gratitude wells up in my heart that God has given me a voice for sharing through music and the sacred liturgy,” she says. “I give thanks for an abundance of grace and peace. Singing has provided me a twice praying opportunity.”
S. Carol Power (left) and Patricio Trujillo, through their music ministry, carry the responsibilities for the weekend liturgies of several parishes in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
In All Things Charity
By S. Joan Elizabeth Cook
Many of our readers know S. Mary Ann Flannery through her “In All Things Charity” blog posts, presentations, retreats, spiritual direction, and other ways of encouraging people to become their best selves in relation to God.
S. Mary Ann was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; her mother, Elizabeth, loved being a homemaker for her family. She was a skilled cook and baker, and she sewed all the children’s clothes. Mary Ann’s father, Paul, a talented musician, played the saxophone. With his show name of Red Martin (he had red hair), he led the Red Martin Dance Band during the Big Band era. In World War II he was not able to serve in the military because of an eye injury, but his band members served, and several did not return from the war. Their loss diminished his interest in band leading; he secured a steady income as a window washer in a high-rise complex. The huge size of the buildings assured that he would always have work – when he finished the last building, the first was ready to be washed again. He played his sax on weekends, mixing it with standup comedy.
Mary Ann, the oldest of seven children, has two sisters and four brothers. When she was 6 years old, the family moved from Pittsburgh to Bedford, Ohio, where she attended St. Mary Elementary School. There she first met the Vincentian Sisters of Charity (VSC). She was attracted to their happy spirit and their loving interaction with their students. After she graduated from eighth grade, she entered the aspirancy program at the VSC Motherhouse in Bedford, and at the time of her investiture was given the name, S. Mary Regis. After her canonical year, she began completing high school at Hoban-Dominican, and was sent to teach primary grades at St. Pius X School in Bedford for three years. She was then sent to study at Siena Heights University in Adrian, Michigan. Then she joined the faculty at Lumen Cordium High School in Bedford. S. Mary Ann loved working with students, teaching English, Latin, Fine Arts and Drama, and directing school plays. She also taught English part-time at Cuyahoga Community College in Parma.
Her Sisters elected her in 1971 to serve as First Councilor of the VSC congregation for six years, then as General Superior for another six years until 1983. This was the postVatican II time of renewal and re-imagining of religious
Mount St. Joseph University honored S. Mary Ann Flannery (right) on Oct. 26, 2022, with the St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Medal, established to recognize distinguished women in theology.
life for all religious congregations. For the VSCs a particular challenge was to adapt the post-Communist Eastern European customs that had sustained their families in mostly ethnic parishes, in order to meet the challenges of the quickly changing realities of the 1970s and early ‘80s. S. Mary Ann and the other members of the VSC Leadership Team encouraged the Sisters’ renewal, organizing institutes on topics that enriched the Sisters’ understanding of the teachings of Vatican II.
The planning of the new VSC motherhouse chapel was an opportunity to incorporate the liturgical updates of the early 1960s. The Chapel of the Visitation illustrated the biblical story of the Visitation: the simple openness between Elizabeth and Mary, and their shared awe at the marvels of God’s gifts. It invited the Sisters to reflect on the marvels God had worked in each Sister’s life. The design of the chapel incorporated circular design, open space, soft lighting and uplifting colors.
She wrote in her application for tenure, “The motivation for my work whether teaching, advising or participating in student activities is largely based on an effort to bring students to an awareness that we stand in reverence before the Word of God.” That Word comes to us, she explained, through the Church as it communicates faith seeking understanding of the world as it is. In the spirit of her Jesuit colleagues, she stressed the importance of seeking, exploring, “testing all things in the Spirit.”
Ecclesiastically, when the pope asked religious congregations to serve as missionaries, particularly in Central and South America, the VSCs participated in the newly formed Cleveland Diocesan Mission Team. Several VSCs served in El Salvador. As the political realities and injustices became more and more obvious, S. Mary Ann wrote frequent letters to United States leaders, urging a stop to military aid to El Salvador. In the aftermath of the 1980 killing of the four Cleveland missionaries, S. Mary Ann participated in the diocesan discernment about whether to continue to serve there.
During her years in congregational leadership, in addition to serving the VSC congregation, S. Mary Ann served as president of the Major Superiors Association of Cleveland, the Interreligious Task Force on Central America, and the Sisters Coalition for Justice.
The years following S. Mary Ann continued to share her gifts for writing and teaching. She taught Writing at Notre Dame College in South Euclid, then enrolled in the doctoral program in Journalism and Communications at Kent State University in Kent, Ohio. She earned a doctorate in Rhetoric and Communications, then joined the faculty at John Carroll University in University Heights, Ohio. There she taught Communications and Peace and Justice courses and moderated the student newspaper.
At the time of her retirement from John Carroll the Jesuits were searching for a new director for the Jesuit Retreat House in Cleveland. Her JCU colleagues encouraged S. Mary Ann to apply, and she was appointed the first non-Jesuit director. In her position Mary Ann continued her commitment to supporting people’s spiritual lives. She scheduled retreats, hired directors, offered spiritual direction, and began planning and fundraising for a much-needed expansion of the facility.
Now officially retired and celebrating her 70th year in religious life, S. Mary Ann continues to write, speak and serve at the Jesuit Retreat House as needed, and to walk the house dog, Lily. She constantly thanks God for her very full life of opportunities to use her gifts in service of others.
S. Mary Ann Flannery (right) served as the first non-Jesuit director of the Jesuit Retreat House in Cleveland, Ohio.
S. Mary Ann Flannery celebrates 70 years of religious life in 2024.
Liberation Theology: Listening to the Spirit
By S. Jean Miller
As Sisters of Charity, we have been aware of how important peace is for everyone around us – in our community, in our neighborhood, in our world and within ourselves. Prayer, reflection, listening to the Spirit within and among us is part of who we are.
After the Second Vatican Council, we had a variety of ministries in different areas and with different needs. Sometimes our ministries sent us to foreign countries. Sometimes cultural, justice or economic issues were causing serious poverty and severe suffering. A new response was needed to the injustice in our world.
In Latin America where some of our Sisters were ministering, Gustavo Gutierrez had just encouraged the use of liberation theology, especially when assisting the poor, the vulnerable and the oppressed. The process brought attention to the socioeconomic structures that caused social inequalities and encouraged active participation in changing those structures.
I was in Peru when liberation theology was recommended. One evening we had our usual meeting to solve difficult situations in the community. After our Scripture reflection,
a discussion began about the need for a small concrete slab to help people enter a certain piece of property without getting caught in sand. We heard all the reasons for and against this: the financial pros and cons, the social advantages, and how it could be completed.
We felt the meeting was completed and we could move forward on designing the proposed concrete block. As we were about to leave, a man raised his hand and said the woman next to him had fallen asleep and we had not heard her opinion. Of course we needed to hear from everyone. We extended the meeting, woke her up and discussed her suggestion. Everyone is important in this approach.
S. Mary Barbara Philippart spent many years ministering in Peru. Her experience in Puno happened when Gustavo Gutierrez had just encouraged parishes to use liberation theology for the discussions needed at that time. The bishop of Puno, Bishop Jesus Miteo Calderon, was a good friend of Gutierrez so S. Mary Barbara was able to learn from the expert himself.
S. Carol Brenner was in St. Lucia after Vatican Council II in the 1960-’70s. Archbishop Kelvin Felix came to St. Lucia and told the people that he was there to set the Church on fire! One way he did that was by having a synod and inviting the people to be involved. Later he told the Sisters how grateful he was that they shared his vision and were able to help in carrying it out.
In 2001, while working with immigrants in Northern Kentucky, S. Juana Mendez said liberation theology encouraged her commitment to advocating for human rights for all, especially in the workplace. Most of the immigrants she ministered to worked in hotels, landscaping and roofing. After their discussions, she was able to serve as a voice to ensure just wages and safe working conditions for them amidst the language barrier.
S. Martha Gallagher was fortunate to be one of the few Sisters of Charity who, along with S. Pauline Apodaca, worked with Cesar Chavez in Salinas, California, at the
S. Mary Barbara Philippart (left) was ministering in Peru during the time liberation theology was introduced by Gustavo Gutierrez.
S. Carol Brenner (left) ministered in St. Lucia after the Vatican Council II in the 1960s-’70s and assisted Archbishop Kelvin Felix in his vision to “set the Church on fire!”
United Farm Workers Union medical clinic. The purpose of the union was to empower migrant farmworkers and to improve their wages and working conditions. Utilizing the principles and philosophy of liberation theology, Cesar, along with many members, set about educating farmworkers to liberate themselves from unjust structures and to seek personal liberation for oppressed peoples.
S. Barbara Busch says in her current ministry at Working In Neighborhoods, staff members believe that the people affected by the problem need to be the group in the room to develop the solutions. Without their knowledge it is impossible to develop working solutions. She adds that the second step to finding solutions is for the people themselves to speak the truth to the people with the power to change the injustice. In her 45-plus years in the inner city of Cincinnati, S. Barbara has seen success come from building a community of those affected and then finding a way to develop a partnership with those who have the money and influence to create the right solutions. This is sometimes a slow process, she says, but it has been the only one she has seen to have a long-term effect on the needed change and to address other forms of inequality.
S. Delia Sizler is involved in the process through her counseling ministry. She offers empowering support to oppressed persons in need of counseling to help develop personal confidence, self-esteem and courage. Her services enable individuals to be a voice for themselves and to speak their truth to power. This counseling can be the prerequisite that helps in the liberation process.
These are just a few of our Sisters of Charity using a process that worked and helped the poor and oppressed communities speak and act for themselves without violence or war.
How wonderful it would be if a new process was developed that met these times and brought people together to solve social, economic, justice issues that would prevent violence, war, inequality and poverty. Let us pray for a new Gustavo Gutierrez, man or woman, who can help us find that method again. A method that could maybe, “set the Church on Fire.”
Intercom is the official magazine of the Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati. This apostolic Catholic women’s religious community exists to carry out the Gospel of Jesus Christ through service and prayer in the world. Sisters are joined in their mission by Associates (lay women and men). Sisters, using their professional talents as ministers of education, health care, social services and environmental justice, live and minister in 13 U.S. dioceses.
Intercom Staff
Editor
Erin Reder
Graphic Design/Layout
Michelle Bley Director of Communications
Erin Reder
Executive Council Liaison
S. Barbara Hagedorn
Letters to the editor, articles and photos are welcome. The staff reserves the right to edit for space and readability. Make submissions to: Communications Office 5900 Delhi Road
Mount St. Joseph, OH 45051
Phone: 513-347-5447
Email: erin.reder@srcharitycinti.org
Subscriptions: $15 per year
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S. Juana Mendez (left) used liberation theology to advocate for human rights for immigrants living and working in Northern Kentucky.
S. Barbara Busch (center), as executive director of Working In Neighborhoods, understands the importance of empowering and educating individuals to be leaders in their communities.
The Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati welcome Karina Montes-Ayala into the Novitiate in June 2024.
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Sisters of Charity attend the dedication of Joseph House’s new facility for women and men veterans and honor the late S. Kateri Maureen Koverman for her role in the foundation of the organization.
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Sisters Andrea Koverman (left) and Caroljean Willie participate in “Walking the Way: Following in the Footsteps of Our Black Catholic Foremothers in Faith,” a pilgrimage sponsored by FutureChurch.
