A Marvelous Journey religious life

A Marvelous Journey: S. Regina Kusnir celebrates 60 years of religious life

By Erin Reder

“God’s ways are a marvelous journey. Sometimes it’s like sitting on the hillside and getting fed with the multiplication of fish and loaves and sometimes it’s like traveling through the desert for the 40 years. When you look at it in its totality you see the fidelity of God to us. God’s faithful despite us. I’ve always felt graced by the people who were part of the different experiences I have had along the journey.” - S. Regina Kusnir

Throughout her 60 years of religious life, S. Regina Kusnir has seen God’s work as He has re-shaped and re-formed her for the many challenges and changes in her life and ministries. And while the reasoning behind those challenges and changes may not have been known at the time, eventually they unfolded to bring with them new understandings, relationships and joys.

As a child growing up in Akron, ohio, S. Regina recalls her parents being active parishioners at St. John’s Church, which was located just up the street from their home. Her father was a handyman and would volunteer his time helping with odds and ends. often her parents would invite the Sisters at the parish to come for dinner or dessert. Her memories of the Vincentian Sisters of Charity (VSCs), and their kindness and compassion for the poor, left a lasting impression and eventually led S. Regina to enter their community after the eighth grade.

S. Regina Kusnir (right), who celebrated 60 years with the Sisters of Charity in 2020, has happily ministered at Light of Hearts Villa in Bedford, Ohio, for 15 years as the director of pastoral and special ministries. In 2017, S. Regina Kusnir (right) was one of six recipients of awards from the Western Reserve Area Agency on Aging at its Annual Luncheon and Conference Day. She had been nominated for the award in Excellence in Service Provision recognizing her work in the creation of Light of Hearts Villa’s Seton Safety Net, a program which serves seniors in need providing non-perishable food, gift cards and assistance with paying bills and house payments.

entering religious life at such a young age, S. Regina recalls her group of six growing up together during those first years of formation. Their bond, and with the guidance of S. Petronella Huzicka, the novice directress at the time, allowed a lot of fun to come into their life experiences. She recalls: “one time while we were in the novitiate we decided to decorate an old-fashioned Christmas tree and string it with popcorn. We had no access to popcorn and so we got one of the ladies in the kitchen to buy us the popcorn. We would sneak down at night, pop the popcorn and then take bathroom breaks throughout the course of the day to string the popcorn on the tree. Those were fun memories! … There was something about us all coming together, we were all about something that we believed in and were learning along the way. And, for the most part, it was a happy time.”

By final profession, S. Regina was the only one of the six to remain in the community, and while each were called to new chapters in their life’s journey, S. Regina was just beginning to unfold the blessings she would find in religious life. With a bachelor’s degree in education from St. John’s College, her first assignment was teaching second grade at Holy Family in Parma, ohio. The next school year she taught fifth grade with 42 children in her class followed by another change when two weeks before the start of a new

school year she received a phone call saying that she would be teaching junior high religion! Her ability and willingness to welcome each new adventure would serve her well as the years continued to provide surprises.

After receiving her master’s degree in education and majoring in religious education, S. Regina ministered as a director of religious education and then pastoral minister at St. Mary’s in Bedford, ohio. eventually she was called to serve in leadership for her Vincentian community, which she said expanded her horizons and honed new skills. “I was in Leadership when we merged with the Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati,” she explained. “That was such a graced time. There are so many blessings to be able to watch God fill the lives of people to literally risk all and do something that you know in your heart of hearts is the direction God is calling you to.

“When [the VSCs] closed Lumen Cordium High School in Bedford and we needed to do something with the building, S. Helen Therese Scasny and I were asked to undertake that ministry,” S. Regina continued. “And that was walking into the deep. We had no idea what to do. Thankfully, we had people who offered their services to us. We learned a tremendous amount throughout the course of that process.”

Following the merger, S. Regina found herself joining the staff at Light of Hearts Villa (the former home of Lumen Cordium High School and the same place she helped transform into the successful independent and assisted living residence that it is today). She has happily ministered there for 15 years as the director of pastoral and special ministries. In this role S. Regina works one-on-one with residents, plans the Villa’s formal liturgical celebrations and prayer services, and leads Bible study, which she says is one of her favorite things to do. “Their insights are so marvelous because their lives have been so rich,” she says.

S. Regina Kusnir (right) was a member of the Leadership Team for the Vincentian Sisters of Charity when the community merged with the Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati in 2004.

The pandemic has provided its challenges. In a ministry that is predominantly one-on-one, S. Regina has had to go to the line of the creative. In its early days, when residents were not able to have Mass, she was determined to find a way for them to still be able to celebrate the Lenten season. She found a portable microphone, enlisted the help of two resident priests and they took a cart up and down the halls and hosted roving services. Residents were able to sit in their doorways, follow a worship aid and participate in the prayer services. She says the creativity and additional thought has been worth it when receiving the gratitude from residents.

In addition to her professional life, S. Regina has seen how she has been re-shaped and re-formed in her personal life as well. She explains: “As as an adult I have had some significant health issues and they have always been shrouded in mystery; they don’t follow the medical books. until two years ago I had a genetic disorder that was the only known case in the Cleveland Clinic’s history. In the midst of that there’s not a lot of satisfaction, there’s a tremendous amount of question, angst and pain. You may not know in the moment what the reason is but somewhere along the line it unfolds. Maybe it’s my understanding of seniors and those I work with at Light of Hearts, or the friendships I have developed as a result of my doctor visits. Along the way good people come into your life and you learn to simply say, you have to deal with whatever it is and move on with that.”

Throughout her 60 years S. Regina has faithfully accepted whatever path she has been led down. each chapter has unfolded into the next, gifting her with life’s blessings and graces and always assuring her of God’s faithfulness. In her words, “God’s ways are a marvelous journey.”

Charity Family

SCs Donate Seton hall furniture

With the help of S. Pat Wittberg (left), a group of Cincinnati area volunteers secured beds and bedding, lamps and desks from the Motherhouse’s Seton Hall for a “Reverse Yard Sale” for Guatemalan residents. The sale offered clothing, toys and small furniture items to those who had never experienced such choices and amenities before. Read more at: https://www.srcharitycinti.org/2020/10/27/when-theres-a-will/.

WelCome neW aSSoCiateS

Associate in Mission Tom Laverty Associate in Mission Kathy McDonald Congratulations to Tom Laverty and Kathy McDonald who made their commitments as Associates in Mission on nov. 7, 2020. Due to the pandemic the commitment ceremony was held via Zoom for all Community members to participate in.

reaChinG out

The Sisters of Charity participated in the PB&J outreach Project of our Daily Bread (Cincinnati) in September 2020. A group of Motherhouse Sisters prepared 200-plus sandwiches to be delivered to the soup kitchen and social center. Read more at www.srcharitycinti. org/2020/09/08/giving-back-2/.

SiSterS Support Seton hiGh SChool

Twenty-two Sisters of Charity participated in Seton High School’s annual walk on oct. 31, 2020, to benefit Seton families in need of support. Wearing Seton T-shirts the Sisters participated virtually, walking around the property of Mother Margaret Hall and the Motherhouse.

S. Shirley Dix was pleased to receive her TinySaints bookmark from the SC Associates.

tinySaintS BrinG Joy to mmh

As the pandemic continued to require caution and distance, SC Associates found creative ways to keep their connection strong. TinySaints bookmarks of elizabeth Seton were delivered to Sisters living in Mother Margaret Hall. It is their hope that the bookmarks let the Sisters know their Associates are thinking of them, praying for them and looking forward to the day when they can be together again.