Spring 2007 Volume 5, No. 2
Brescia University
Service in the Ursuline Tradition Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph Proclaiming Jesus through Education and Christian Formation
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F rom O ur C ongregational L eader Sister Michele Morek, OSU
Dear Friends, The Ursuline Sisters of the Roman Union have a oneword Latin motto I like: “Serviam” — “I will serve.” Service certainly was the theme of Angela Merici’s life — service to women and other powerless people of her time, service to rich people who were poor in knowledge of God or in how to live a more perfect Christian life. Two hundred years ago the Catholic church recognized Angela as a saint, attesting to her life of holiness, service, and to the revolutionary framework she invented to help women live a more intentionally spiritual life while living “in the world.” In this issue we also celebrate the long tradition of service at Brescia University. Even yet, 472 years after Angela’s original foundation, Brescia and other Ursulinesponsored schools across the world continue to serve people of all ages. The best testament to Brescia’s special tradition of service are the lives of its graduates, who are characterized by their leadership and service roles in their respective communities. We thank you, our friends, associates, and donors who live your own lives of faithful service, and partner with us in ours. Asking God’s special blessings on you and your families,
In this issue A Tradition of Service .................... 3 Brescia University community responds to Ursuline heritage Brescia President to Retire ............. 5 Sister Vivian has served Brescia University for more than 30 years Following the Spirit ....................... 6 Ursulines worldwide celebrate the canonization of Angela Merici Charitable Annuity Opportunities 9 Heritage Society members receive thanks from Ursuline Sisters In the Joy of Eternal Life Our sisters go before us in faith....10 Development Statement of Accountability ............................... 11 Our generous donors join us in continuing our mission Soli Deo Gloria .............................. 12 We rejoice in the gifts of our sisters, given for the kingdom of God
Sister Michele Morek, OSU Congregational Leader, Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph Ursulines Alive is published by the Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph, Maple Mount, Kentucky. Three Issues are published each calendar year. Editor: Sister Ruth Gehres, OSU Photography and production assistance: Jerry Birge, Jennifer Kaminski, Melanie Sears Mission Advancement Staff: Sister Suzanne Sims, Director of Mission Advancement Sister Rose Marita O’Bryan, Director of Mission Effectiveness Jerry P. Birge, Director of Marketing and Communications Marian Bennett and Sister Marietta Wethington, Co-Directors of Ursuline Partnerships Sister Ruth Gehres, Associate Director of Communications Melanie Sears, Christi Bowman, Administrative Assistants Jennifer Kaminski, Administrative Assistant/Graphic Designer We welcome your response to Ursulines Alive. Contact us at: Ursulines Alive, c/o Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph, 8001 Cummings Road, Maple Mount KY 42356. Phone: (270) 229-4103. Fax: (270) 229-4953. E-mail: rgehres@maplemount.org. Web site: www.ursulinesmsj.org.
Cover photo: Ursuline Sister Vivian Bowles (right), president of Brescia University, looks over the plans for The Learning Villa, a Brescia-sponsored project that will provide housing for single parent college students. With her is Tracey Glasscock, a Brescia student who with Sister Vivian has been a vital force in the effort to make this project possible. See story beginning on page 3.
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Brescia University, a sponsored ministry of the Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph, began in 1925 as Mount Saint Joseph Junior College for Women, at Maple Mount. In 1950 the college moved to Owensboro as Brescia College, a four-year coeducational institution. Under the leadership of Sister Vivian Bowles, it achieved university status in 1998. Brescia offers associate, bachelor’s, and master’s degrees in more than 40 fields of study.
Our Mission We, the Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph, sustained by prayer and vowed life in community, proclaim Jesus through education and Christian formation in the spirit of our founder, Saint Angela Merici. Our vision As Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph, we will: • Commit ourselves to simplicity, hospitality, justice and service; • Reverence the values of our founding rural heritage; • Live and minister contemplatively as women of hope; • Witness gospel values through the charism of Saint Angela Merici; • Bind ourselves to one another in charity, celebrating and respecting the uniqueness of each person; • Invite and mentor new members; • Respond to the signs of the times and the needs of the Church and the world through collaborative relationships; and • Stand in prophetic witness to the world by living in right relationships with the earth and the human family to effect justice through systemic change.
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A Tradition of Service Brescia University community responds to its Ursuline heritage
by Rev. Larry Hostetter
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few years ago, I led a group of students, alumni and friends of Brescia University on a pilgrimage to Italy. Among the many sites we visited was the final resting place of Saint Angela Merici in the city of Brescia. Members of the Company of Saint Angela gave us a tour of the facility, and we celebrated Mass together. It was a beautiful experience, but perhaps the most inspiring moment for me was when I witnessed our students praying before the tomb of Saint Angela. They had done this without direction or encouragement from anyone, except maybe the Holy Spirit. Afterwards I asked some of the group how they felt being in the presence of Angela. Their responses were the same — they felt connected to Angela’s work and mission as never before. They had heard the stories about Angela from the Ursuline Sisters. They knew that Angela shared God’s love with all she met and was sought out by many as a counselor and guide. They understood that Angela had a vision for social renewal through the reform of family life, which would be achieved through the education of women and children. All of this was made real for them when they walked the same streets that Angela had walked. Their identity as students of Brescia University was recharged with the spirit of Angela Merici.
It is not an exaggeration to say that anyone associated with Brescia University is charged with Angela’s spirit. Through the witness of the Ursuline Sisters, we have come to understand what is meant by that spirit. It is a spirit of faithfulness to the Gospel, generosity, respect for the individual, and hospitality that permeates the Brescia community. Angela’s call to make a difference in society through education resonates through the halls and over the campus of Brescia University. Angela’s spirit is contagious. When people come to Brescia University as students, faculty or staff, they quickly become aware of the opportunities that exist here for service, whether through individual initiative or through programs and clubs. continued on page 4
“Learning Villa” Will Serve Single Parent College Students Brescia University is sponsoring an innovative new project called “The Learning Villa.” The Learning Villa is a transitional living/learning community setting for single parents enrolled as full time students in a two- or four-year degree program with a Kentucky accredited institution of higher education. This project’s mission is to empower low-income single-parent families through education, enrichment programs and services, and to assist them in successfully living and working within their communities. This project will be located on approximately 10 acres in Owensboro, Kentucky, with 56 twobedroom apartments nestled around a 9,951 square foot daycare facility and a 1,644-square-foot community building housing a computer lab, a kitchen, and large meeting area for workshops and tenant socials.
by Tracey Glasscock
Brescia will establish a board of directors to oversee the operations and services of this project, with members consisting of other participating educational institutions, local nonprofit service providers, and community leaders who will facilitate the project’s mission. Audubon Area Community Services, a state community services agency and nonprofit daycare/headstart provider, will administer the continued on page 5 operations of the daycare facility. 3
Brescia student Kristen Main was among students and faculty who spent their 2006 spring break cleaning out flood-damaged homes in New Orleans’ Ninth Ward. A second group worked in New Orleans during this year’s spring break, March 4-11.
Brescia Campus ministry, and a large number of campus-based organizations, are committed to service, as their members — students, faculty, and staff — dedicate themselves to Angela Merici’s dream for a renewed society.
Integral to the mission of contemporary Ursulines is a special care for the liberation and nourishment of women and children. As an extension of the ministry of the Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph, Brescia University shares this concern. This is clearly seen in the service initiatives that members of the Brescia community are involved in. I’ll highlight just a few. Many of Brescia’s students who are in training to become teachers are involved in the University’s chapters of the Kentucky Educational Association and the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC). This year, CEC members participated in the 2007 Owensboro Polar Bear Plunge. In the middle of winter, these brave souls jumped into freezing cold water for a good cause. The money they raised will help support Special Olympics, which aids over 7,000 children and adults with intellectual disabilities. The CEC is also involved in a book drive for local elementary schools. Another education-related organization, the Brescia KEA chapter, recently received a grant to help build an outdoor classroom for Foust Elementary School.
The terrible aftermath of Hurricane Katrina provided us with an opportunity to reach out. With students from the Paul VI Discernment Experience in the lead, Brescia staff, faculty, students and alumni helped collect backpacks and school supplies for displaced students who had found refuge in Shreveport, Louisiana. There, under the able guidance of Ursuline Sister Carol Shively, superintendent of Shreveport Catholic Schools, 500 students were integrated into the local Catholic school system until they could return to their homes. Brescia is proud to have been part of that effort. During their spring breaks in 2006 and 2007, groups of Brescia students and faculty traveled to New Orleans with the director of campus ministry, Ursuline Sister Pam Mueller. While there they participated in “Operation Helping Hands,” a project of Catholic Charities. They helped clean out flooddamaged houses in the Ninth Ward. Their labor helped bring
Members of the Brescia University Chapter of Habitat for Humanity worked last fall with the Owensboro Chapter on the city’s 70th Habitat house. Helping with landscaping are (in foreground) James Constant, Sherri Guffy (with shovel), and (on porch) Jennifer Patrick, Caitlin Owen, and Megan McGrath. Dr. John Marvin is faculty advisor for the Brescia Habitat chapter.
stability and hope back to two displaced families. This year another group left for New Orleans March 4 for another spring break work week.
Special Education major Laura Mattingly and her husband Jon (left) enjoy some fun with a participant in the annual Buddy Walk last October 7 at Owensboro’s Moreland Park. Sponsored by the Green River Area Down Syndrome Association, this event is a celebration and a fundraiser. Brescia students and faculty volunteered to serve food, provide games and crafts, and assist with registration. 4
On the local level, the Brescia Chapter of Habitat for Humanity also helps families in their efforts to find stable housing. Over the last few years, Brescia students, staff and faculty have assisted in building houses for the economically disadvantaged in Owensboro. Part of the Habitat program involves the future owners’ providing “sweat equity” by assisting in the building of their own homes. This gives students the opportunity to meet those who benefit from their service and to hear their stories. Service at Brescia is not just about giving charity; it is also about an education in the problems that the poor face in our society today. continued on page 5
Students who major in Speech Pathology/Audiology belong to the National Student Speech and Hearing Language Association (NSSHLA). They have held yard sales to help fund programs to help children in need of speech therapy. Every summer, under the guidance of speech pathology/audiology professor Donna Goodlett Collins, area children gather at Brescia University for a speech therapy camp. Children are also served through speech and hearing screenings at local schools.
Brescia President To Retire in May After 12 years as president and more than 30 years of service to Brescia University, Ursuline Sister Vivian Bowles has announced her retirement from the presidency as of May 31, 2007. Her tenure as president has been marked by campus expansion, the opening of 22 multimedia classrooms, substantial increases in fundraising, the doubling of the school’s endowment, new scholarship funding, and the development of an outdoor sports complex. “Sister Vivian,” said Brescia Board Chair Ernie Taliaferro, “was Brescia to so many people in the community. Everything she did was for Brescia.”
Four of six Spanish majors headed for South America this summer are (front) Khristina Greenwell and Nick Duvall, and (back) Gerardo Zavala and Gabrielle Murphy. Gabrielle points out the location of the Ursuline mission in Chillan, Chile, which the group will visit.
Six Spanish majors with their professor, Dr. Iris Moreno-Brown, will be traveling to Chile, Argentina, and Uruguay this coming summer. While in Chile they will visit the Dianna Ortiz Ursuline Center for Women (Casa Ursulina), directed and sponsored by the Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph. They plan to deliver a collection of money and materials to help with the mission’s work. Because of the nature of their discipline, the Social Work students are especially involved in service. Among many efforts, they maintain a closet of dress clothes for women who are preparing for professional job interviews. Most recently they began a duffle bag/car seat drive that will go until the end of April, which is Child Abuse Awareness Month. Brooke Daffron, president of the Social Work Club, notes that in 2006 there were 177 children in out-of-home care. Often these children had to put their belongings in trash bags as they continued on page 8
Sister Vivian has taken a lead role in the collaborative effort to make the Learning Villa a reality. “I am so thrilled about the Learning Villa because it so well personifies our Ursuline sponsorship of Brescia University which includes freeing and nurturing women and children,” she reflected. “Through this project, we will be able to encourage single parents to provide for their and their children’s futures by obtaining their degrees in the best situation possible. In addition, our students in early childhood education, social work, and psychology will be able to use the facility for valuable intern/practicum experiences. This long project has become especially worthwhile to me,” she said, “as I prepare to leave the presidency of Brescia University.” Sister Vivian hopes to continue working in the Owensboro educational community.
Learning Villa
continued from page 3
Brescia received an overwhelming show of community support for this project, receiving a large number of support letters from local agencies, government officials, interested citizens, and Bishop John J. McRaith. Everyone who has learned of the plans for this project is excited and pleased that this community will benefit from the social and economic good that the project will provide its citizens. On March 21, Sister Vivian Bowles received notice of an $8 million grant from the Kentucky Housing Corporation for this project. ***** Tracey Glasscock, Vice-President of Wabuck Development Company, Inc., Leitchfield, Kentucky, is an accounting major in Brescia University’s Weekend College program. Wabuck specializes in construction of affordable housing. About two years ago, Tracey alerted Sister Vivian Bowles to the possibility of working with the Kentucky Housing Corporation and Wabuck in providing a housing complex in Owensboro for single college students with children. “I am so proud to be a part of this wonderful project,” she says. “Helping people is what our business is all about, and this project will help low-income single parents rise above their current situations and provide outstanding benefits for the Owensboro community.” 5
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Following
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Ursulines worldwide celebrate the canonization of Angela Merici by Sister Ruth Gehres, OSU
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ngela Merici walked the streets of Brescia as a “santa viva” – a living saint. People who knew her respected her for her mysticism, her sacred knowledge, her human qualities, and her active participation in the life of this northern Italian city which she had chosen as her home. On May 24, 1807, Pope Pius VII officially declared Angela Merici a saint . . . a person whose holy life – whose fidelity to God’s grace – makes her a model for anyone who wishes to live in closeness to God. During this year 2007, Angela’s daughters throughout the world, with many others who admire her, joyfully celebrate the 200th anniversary of her canonization. Angela Merici first came to Brescia in the year 1516, when she was in her early 40s. Caterina Patengola, who had recently lost her husband and two children, invited this gentle woman into her home. It was the beginning of a new life for Angela. Growing up in the fields near Desenzano and Lake Garda, she learned about grief. While still quite young, she had lost a dear sister, and then her parents. For Caterina, Angela provided friendship and the consolation that came from her deep spiritual life. People found in Angela a person they could approach without fear, who could listen and advise, who could speak to them of God . . . the God she knew and loved. In this time of war, political and social instability, and distress within families, Angela was a peacemaker. People of all ranks came to her for counsel, and for what today we would call spiritual direction.
an Italian scholar who has done extensive study of her spirituality and of the nature of her Company of Saint Ursula. (See reference at end.) Actually, Mazzonis points out, Angela did not specify any particular ministry for her Company. Rather, her originality lies in her creation of a religious community around a uniquely feminine spirituality, balanced between contemplation and action in a way not possible in the monasteries of her day.
Statue in the parish Church of Saint Angela Merici, Desenzano, showing Angela as a young girl working in the fields.
At this time in history, single women living in Italian society were an exception. Families controlled the destiny of their daughters, who – for the most part – were either given in marriage or sent to a monastery. Angela, following the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, provided a creative alternative – a form of consecration for women who would live in the world and take an active role in their society, as she did. Angela’s great achievement was not the foundation of a teaching order of women, according to Querciolo Mazzonis, 6
Thus, Mazzonis shows, Angela’s Rule and other writings emphasize interior rather than exterior piety. Her focus is on an individual and direct relationship with God, whom she often describes as “the Lover of us all” (Fifth Counsel). Angela writes that her daughters are to be obedient to church and civil authorities, and to their parents. “But above all,” she tells them, “obey the counsels and inspirations which the Holy Spirit unceasingly sends into our hearts . . .” (Rule VIII).
Writing about governance, Angela does not focus on power and position. In composing her Rule, she seeks input from the women who would become the members of her Company. Her chief desire as she sets up the structure of this Company is for the well-being of the virgins. The leaders are to be “as teachers and guides in the spiritual life,” and the widows – experienced laywomen entrusted with the needs of the company – “as mothers, full of concern for the good and welfare of their spiritual sisters and daughters” (Rule XI). Women from all social strata were welcome. This continued on page 7
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was a community for women, and managed by women. Angela’s womanly spirit shines through in her emphasis on relationships – a spirit of trust and friendship.
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then in every part of the world where Ursulines ministered. Angela’s noted “teaching idea” – her insistence on motherly love as the basis of education, her conviction that nothing can be achieved by force, her respect for each person as an individual, her conviction that the educator must find her deepest security in God – came directly from her plan for the formation of her daughters, which is the central focus of her writings.
Established in 1535, the Company of Saint Ursula grew rapidly. By Angela’s death just five years later, the original 28 virgins had become 150. In 1546, the Company received papal approbation. Clergy in areas beyond Brescia began to invite these holy women to their parishes and dioceses. Gradually, however, Angela’s model of governance by the The Vatican II decree Perfectae Caritatis (1965), urges members themselves gave way to governance by the clergy, religious communities of women and men to return to the who employed example of Jesus them in large and to the charism, By canonizing some of the faithful, i.e., by solemnly proclaiming measure to teach the spirit, of their that they practiced heroic virtue and lived in fidelity to God’s grace, the catechism to founders (n. 2). young girls. Today, as the the Church recognizes the power of the Spirit of holiness within her information below and sustains the hope of believers by proposing the saints to them The Council of illustrates, Angela’s as models and intercessors. Trent (1545-1563), daughters serve in Catechism of the Catholic Church #828 called to bring diverse ministries about a thorough all over the globe. reform of the Church, required that consecrated women In the spirit of their holy mother, they dedicate themselves to be cloistered – that is, that they live in monasteries with no God and service to God’s people, responding to the needs of direct contact with “the world.” But Angela had founded a the world, here and now, in which they live. Many Ursuline Company whose members were to live in and interact with ministries respond directly to the needs of the poor and the secular society – to pray for it, to be examples of holiness and marginalized, especially women and children. to act as peacemakers in the marketplace, to be available to help and advise those with whom they lived. Today, 472 years after the foundation of the Company of Saint Ursula, and 200 years after the canonization of its While examples of Angela’s original Company persisted, founder, Ursulines – together with a growing number of lay Ursuline groups as a whole soon became traditional religious Ursuline associates – strive to follow Angela’s example and congregations, with habit and vows, living in cloistered guidance . . . to speak to all of God, “the Lover of us all.” n communities. No longer able to minister among the people Note: Querciolo Mazzonis’ new study of Angela, entitled according to Angela’s original vision, they adapted to what Spirituality, Gender, and the Self in Renaissance Italy: Angela they could do. Thus developed the tradition of Ursuline Merici and the Company of St. Ursula (1474-1540), is published convent boarding schools for girls, first in Europe, and by The Catholic University of America Press, 2007.
DAUGHTERS OF ANGELA IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY Daughters of Angela Merici serve all over the globe, on every continent except Antarctica. The list below shows the countries in which Ursuline companies and congregations are ministering today. Some of these are small, independent groups who are active in local areas, while others are larger and more extensive. There are also a number of national and international unions of Ursulines, including the Roman Union of the Order of Saint Ursula, a worldwide institute. The information below, compiled by the Ursulines of the Roman Union, was updated in 2005. AFRICA: Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Swaziland, Zimbabwe AMERICA North America: Barbados, Canada, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Jamaica, Mexico, United States South America: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Guyana, Libya, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela ASIA/PACIFICA: Australia, Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Japan, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, Timor EUROPE: Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia, Croatia, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, Ukraine 7 7
moved from place to place. The students feel strongly that this sends a negative message to these children about their own worth. Providing duffle bags for them is just one way of nurturing their self-esteem. Also needed are car seats for the younger children as they are transported by social service workers. These are just a few of the projects our social work students are involved in. During the weeks before April 15, students and faculty in accounting, joined by staff members and alumni, Social Work Club president Brooke Daffron and vice president Melanie Hayes (from left below) proudly have given of their time and display some of the duffle bags and car seats they expertise to prepare free tax delivered to the Daviess County Cabinet for Health and returns. Each evening, people Family Services during April — Child Abuse Awareness gathered at the Lechner Month. Offering support and appreciation are (left) Graduate Center and in other Susan Cecil, associate professor of social work and sociology, and Dr. Nancy Keeton, director of the locations for help with their Brescia social work program. taxes. This year the service was also provided for Spanishspeaking taxpayers.
Ursuline Sister Dianna Ortiz (left), a 1983 graduate of Brescia College and a New Mexico native, speaks with Brescia junior Tabatha Lowman (right), a student from New Mexico who is majoring in Ministry Formation. With Sister Dianna is Sister Luisa Bickett, pastoral outreach minister in Ohio County, Kentucky. Sister Dianna spoke at Brescia on March 21 on “Torture: A Challenge in Contemporary Times.”
Professor of accounting Dr. Duane Smith assists a client in preparing her tax returns. Dr. Smith is director of the Brescia tax preparation site. Many Brescia faculty, staff, students, and alumni volunteered in this free program for low-income taxpayers.
Brescia’s Contemporary Woman Program also deserves special mention. Through workshops, lectures and courses, this program helps participants to realize their human potential through the development and sharing of their talents and gifts. In fall 2005, the program sponsored a lecture by Carolyn Hannan, United Nations Director for the Division of the Advancement of Women. In March, Ursuline Sister Dianna Ortiz — founding director of Torture Survivors and Support Coalition (TASSC International) — spoke at Brescia about her work for victims of torture.
Student organizations and programs are not alone in their dedication to service. Many Brescia faculty and staff serve on charitable and not-for-profit boards, and in their local churches, schools and nursing homes. Individual initiatives were especially evident over Christmas, when staff and faculty purchased gifts for the women at the local spouse abuse shelter and helped with a collection for family relief services at Foust Elementary School. A survey of alumni involvement in community, church, and charitable causes would merit a rich and extensive story in itself. Finally, a recent development in Brescia’s history will strengthen our Ursuline mission to women and children. The Learning Villa project, described on pages 3 and 5 of this issue, comes directly out of the Ursuline ministry to women and children. Brescia president Sister Vivian Bowles has led the effort to make this vision a reality. So, while a pilgrimage to Brescia, Italy, can be inspiring and even strengthen one’s Christian commitment, it’s not necessary to travel that far to find the spirit of Angela Merici in action. Like Angela and her spiritual daughters, the Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph, Brescia University is committed to education and service directed to the freeing and nurturing of women and children, which will promote a renewal of family life and serve as a leaven for the renewal of society. n
Father Larry Hostetter, who wrote this story, is Associate Professor of Theology at Brescia University. 8
U r s u l i n e S i s te r s Charitable Annuity P ro gra m Our Charitable Gift Annuities provide w a guaranteed rate of return for life w immediate and future tax benefits w the reward of knowing your gift helps to make our mission possible w membership in our Saint Angela Heritage Society
SINGLE LIFE Age
Rate
60 63 68 73 78 83 87 90
5.7 5.9 6.3 6.8 7.6 8.8 10.2 11.3
These samples are for a singlelife charitable gift annuity, based on annual, semiannual, or quarterly payment. Rates subject to change.
Please note: These rates were approved by the American Council on Gift Annuities on April 5, 2006, effective July 1, 2006, through June 30, 2007.
Saint Angela Heritage Society Members Receive Special Thanks from the Ursulines
Father Carl McCarthy, a native of Curdsville and a priest of the Owensboro Diocese, greeted his first-grade teacher, Ursuline Sister Helen Ann Stuart, at the March 24 Donor Appreciation Day at the Mount. Father Carl, homilist for the Eucharistic Celebration, is pastor of Sts. Joseph and Paul Parish, Owensboro.
This is not legal advice. Any prospective donor should seek the advice of a qualified estate and/or tax professional to determine the consequences of his/her gift. For a free, no-obligation proposal, contact Sister Suzanne Sims, OSU, 270-229-2008, or ssims@ maplemount.org.
Louie and Stella McClure chat with Congregational Leader Sister Michele Morek about their priest son, Jason, and his career at Brescia University. The McClures live in Grayson County, where Stella is a faithful Ursuline Associate. (They talked about their other children, too!)
Come to the Mount for our 37th annual
PICNIC for the benefit of the retired Sisters. Sunday, September 9 serving 11:30 a.m. - 2 p.m. CDT Barbecue, burgoo, games for young and old! Grand prize: $3000 cash License #0290
Bennett and Mary Sue Ligon of Morganfield, Kentucky, enjoy a visit with Sister Michele at the annual donor appreciation event. Bennett is the nephew of Sister Martha Ann Cargile (deceased) and a longtime friend of the Ursuline community. 9
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In t h e J o y o f E t er nal Life The union of prayer which exists among us continues after we enter eternal life. Through prayer, the bond of love which unites us forms a vital link with those who have died. (From The Ursuline Way of Life) Sister Bertha Marie Nally, 85, died October 6 in the 64th year of her religious life. A native of Springfield, Kentucky, she taught for 35 years in the Archdiocese of Louisville and the Diocese of Owensboro. She also ministered in health care at Mount Saint Joseph. Survivors include nieces and nephews, and her Ursuline Sisters. Sister Mary Beatrice Donahue, 96, died October 15 in her 75th year as an Ursuline Sister. She was a native of Holy Cross, Kentucky. An educator for 51 years, she taught in the Archdiocese of Louisville and the Diocese of Owensboro, and in southern Indiana. Two of her sisters were also Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph — Sister Rose Catherine, who died in 1977, and Sister Jane Frances, who died in 2001. She is survived by nieces and nephews, and her Ursuline Sisters. Sister Martha Ann Cargile, 91, died October 17 in her 74th year in religious life. A native of Morganfield, Kentucky, she was an educator for more than 40 years. She taught at Mount Saint Joseph Academy and for 23 years was a member of the Brescia College chemistry faculty. She later served in the Brescia Alumni Office. She was a medical technologist at Owensboro-Daviess County Hospital and served in ministry to the sick of St. Stephen Cathedral Parish, Owensboro. She is survived by a nephew, Bennett Stroud Ligon, Jr., of Morganfield and his family, and by her Ursuline Sisters. Sister Mary Carolita Young, 93, died November 29 in her 74th year as an Ursuline Sister. She was a native of St. Mary in Marion County, Kentucky. An educator for more than 60 years, she was a teacher and librarian in Kentucky, New Mexico, Nebraska, and Missouri. After her retirement, she served 10 years part time in the community library at Mount Saint Joseph. Survivors include nieces and nephews, and her Ursuline Sisters. 10
Sister Mildred (Aloysius Marie) Barr, 85, died December 12 in her 66th year as an Ursuline Sister. An educator for 45 years, she taught in Kentucky, New Mexico, Nebraska, and Missouri. A gifted artist, she taught art at Mount Saint Joseph Academy and in many other schools. She also served in the prayer house at Mount Saint Joseph and was director of the gift shop and of the museum. Survivors include her sisters, Mary Lillian Hamilton, Owensboro; Ruth Ann Mayfield, Philpot; Janet Goff, Rome; and Angela Marie Dillard, Franklin; and brothers, Louis B. and Herman J. Barr, Owensboro; Gerald L. and Frederick A. Barr, Whitesville; nieces and nephews, and her Ursuline Sisters. Sister Mary Rosita Willett, 88, died February 21 in her 68th year of religious life. She was a native of Waverly, Kentucky. An educator for 49 years, she was teacher and principal in Kentucky and New Mexico. She served as supervisor of Owensboro Catholic Schools. She was a member of the Department of Education at Brescia College, where she was also registrar and administrative assistant in the Ministry Formation office. She served in admissions at Mount Saint Joseph Academy and in hospitality ministry for Mount Saint Joseph Conference and Retreat Center. Survivors include her sisters, Sister Dorothy Marie Willett, Maple Mount; Kathleen Dunkel, Englewood, Ohio; and Doris Trapp, Mount Carmel, Illinois; and a brother, Joseph Vernon Willett, Evansville, Indiana; nieces and nephews, and her Ursuline Sisters. Sister Mary Ethelreda Hayden, 91, died February 25 in her 73rd year of religious life. She was a native of Fancy Farm, Kentucky. Sister Ethelreda ministered as a homemaker in Ursuline convents in Kentucky and New Mexico, and for 36 years she taught in Kentucky, Missouri, New Mexico, and Nebraska. Survivors include her sisters, Frances Goode of Paducah and Mary Elizabeth Willett of Boaz, nieces and nephews, and her Ursuline Sisters. Memorial gifts may take the form of donations to the Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph, 8001 Cummings Road, Maple Mount, KY 42356.
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Development Statement of Accountability Your generosity to the Ursuline Sisters enables us to continue our mission while caring for our sick and elderly members. The charts and corresponding audited figures (FY 2006) below illustrate your contributions and our stewardship of them in the current gift fund categories. If you have questions, please call Sister Suzanne Sims at (270) 229-2008. expenditures of funds 2005-2006
Contributions 2005-2006
R E C E N T FU N D IN G 2005-2006
E X P E N D IT U R E O F F U N D S 2005-2006
2 .2 9 %
1 .2 9 % C hile Mis s ions
R es tric ted
Res idenc e Hall
0 .9 5 %
1 .2 9 % C h ile
0 .9 5 % R es idenc e Hall
5 3 .6 3 %
5 5 .1 1 %
B eques ts Unres tric ted
1 4 .6 9 %
2 5 .6 6 % Re tire m e n t F u n d
U.S . M in istry
R etirem ent O th e r
P ic nic
6 .3 7 % 3 .8 1 % 1 5 .4 8 %
Ad m in
8 .0 0 %
Q uilt C lub
1 0 .4 7 %
REVENUE
EXPENSES
Unrestricted Restricted Chile ministry Residence Hall (St. Joseph Villa) Bequests Retirement Quilt Club Picnic (Retirement)
378,046.02 15,728.29 8,856.59 6,540.62 100,773.97 43,677.00 26,108.24 106,219.07
TOTAL
685,949.80
Retirement fund Residence Hall (St. Joseph Villa) Chile ministry U.S. ministries Administration Other TOTAL
176,004.31 6,540.62 8,856.59 367,845.07 71,823.00 54,880.21 685,949.80
PENSION PROTECTION ACT 2006 Available only in 2007 Give my IRA to the Ursuline Sisters . . . without reporting it to the IRS as income? Help the Sisters and pay less in taxes? Yes! Donate IRA funds up to $100,000 by December 31, 2007, and reap tax benefits. Other Provisions of this Law:
R R R R
Donor must be age 70.5+ Direct the IRA funds to the charity during your lifetime (enjoy it now!) Make donation directly by the IRA trustee to the Ursuline Sisters Donor may not receive any benefit from the charity for the contribution
Ask your tax advisor about the “qualified charitable contribution� from your IRA TODAY. Call Sister Suzanne Sims, OSU, at (270) 229-2008 or write her: ssims@maplemount.org 11
NON-PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT NO. 120 OWENSBORO KY 42301
Soli Deo Gloria
We rejoice in the gifts of our sisters, given for the kingdom of God Sister Cecelia Joseph Olinger has been appointed by Santa Fe Archbishop Michael J. Sheehan as parish coordinator of the Tewa (TAY-wa) Missions. These include the churches of Tesuque, San Ildefonso, and Santa Clara pueblos, located in the Rio Grande valley north of Santa Fe. Prior to being named parish coordinator, Sister Cecelia Joseph served as pastoral associate with the Tewa Missions for four years. Altogether, she has ministered 13 years in New Mexico, including teaching at St. Anthony Indian Mission, Zuni, and St. Joseph School, San Fidel. She has also been a teacher in schools in Kentucky and Missouri. Sister Margaret Ann Zinselmeyer has completed a master’s degree in Early Childhood Education from the University of Memphis. For the past 12 years, she has ministered at Hope House Day Care Center in Memphis, where she is currently assistant director. Hope House is a nonprofit agency committed to family-centered, communitybased, coordinated care for children ages six weeks through six years who are infected or affected by HIV and AIDS. Sister Margaret Ann also assists in the ministry of the Dorothy Day House of Hospitality in Memphis.
In December 2006, Sister Monica Seaton completed her bachelor’s degree in Special Education from Brescia University, Owensboro, Kentucky. She also earned Kentucky certification in Elementary Education P-5 and in Learning/ Behavioral Disorders P-12. A native of Owensboro, Sister Monica made her temporary profession in January 2004. She is currently ministering as a special education teacher at Daviess County High School in Owensboro. Sisters Marietta Wethington and Ann McGrew recently completed the program of the Hesychia School of Spiritual Direction at the Redemptorist Renewal Center near Tucson, Arizona. This program of study, prayer, and reflection aims to deepen the participants’ spiritual life and aid them in their discernment as spiritual directors. Both sisters are team members of the Spiritual Direction Institute at Mount Saint Joseph Conference and Retreat Center. They assist with directed retreats at the Center and elsewhere and meet with persons seeking individual spiritual direction. Sister Ann is program director for the Center, and Sister Marietta is co-director of Ursuline Partnerships for the Ursuline Community.
Sister Rumi Umezu, an Ursuline from Sendai, Japan, came halfway around the world for a “sabbatical time” with the Ursulines of Mount Saint Joseph. Arriving in early October, she returned home in late January. After six years as superior of the Japanese province of the Canadian Union of Ursulines, she needed a break to prepare for her new ministry as director of novices. At the Mount, she endeared herself to everyone she met. Besides being with the sisters for meals, prayer, and other activities, she spent much time in prayer and spiritual reading, studying English and knitting. She enjoyed the beauty of nature at the Mount and in other parts of Kentucky and Indiana where she visited. Sister Rumi finds exchanges between countries to be positive and essential for real understanding. “Living among the people is the best way for us to understand each other — like Jesus,” she says. “Jesus came to this earth and lived among us. And He is still living among us.” Photo: Sister Lois Lindle, local community life coordinator at Mount Saint Joseph, shares a farewell embrace with Sister Rumi.