Ursulines Alive Spring 2013

Ursulines Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph Proclaiming Jesus through education and Christian formation

Spring 2013 Vol. 11, No. 3

www.ursulinesmsj.org

Counseling Ministries 2013 Jubilarians 30th Anniversary of Retreat Center

Ursulines Part of “The Brescia Difference�

U r s u l i n e s

A L I V E

From our Congregational Leader Dear Friends, The ground on the west side of our garage in Houston, Texas, was dry and cracked, was occasionally cluttered with little-boy toys and often looked particularly unfertile. Certainly nothing could grow there. At least so it seemed, until the year of the zinnias. Perhaps it was a Girl Scout project; perhaps it was something for my fifth Sister Sharon grade at Cunningham Elementary School. I just remember I needed to plant and nurture something, and my mother suggested zinnias.

Have you ever planted zinnias? All I needed was one packet of zinnia seeds – tiny things really – a gardening fork of some kind and some dirt. Into that unpromising soil I popped the seeds, added water and waited. Some Texas sunshine worked its wonder and soon, green and spindly, came the stems, with sturdy spikey leaves, and then – crowning – emerged the buds. Each zinnia bud hinted at the brilliant colors inside – still clinched like a miniature fist, but simply bursting with promise.

Once they began, I could hardly stay away from the side of the garage, checking the colors, guessing the size, wanting to harvest and share, wanting to preserve where they were and bursting with pride at my zinnias. And do we not encounter our own zinnia gardens throughout our lives? Each Lent, the seeds of hope and faith planted in our dusty hearts bear the promise of Easter greenery that, with the fire of the Spirit, may burst into the blazing chromatic of zinnia blooms.

So in this Ursulines Alive, we invite you to enjoy reading about the Brescia University legacy, where Ursulines of all callings have cultivated great growth among the students who have experienced the support and challenges of the Brescia difference and the fertility of its rich educational soil. Explore the ministry of our sisters who serve as counselors, helping their clients and colleagues discover their brilliant colors often hidden within. Share the love of books and master gardening skills that our not-quite-retired Sister Grace has nurtured.

And, as always, accept our thanks and know of the prayers we offer for your intentions. As we continue to celebrate through the Easter season and beyond Pentecost, may your life be suffused with the sturdy brilliance of the zinnia spirit. Praying for many blessings for each of you,

Sister Sharon Sullivan, OSU, Congregational Leader Cover: Some of the Ursuline Sisters who minister at Brescia University, the college the sisters founded in 1950, include, clockwise from lower left: Sister Rose Jean Powers, bookstore assistant; Sister Cheryl Clemons, vice president for academic affairs/academic dean; Sister Helena Fischer, registrar; Sister Susan Mary Mudd, administrative assistant in the William H. Thompson College of Business; Sister Pam Mueller (standing), director of campus ministry, and Sister Rose Marita O’Bryan (seated), director of the Contemporary Woman Program.

The Ursuline Sisters now have over 865 Facebook fans! Join us at www.facebook.com/ursulinesmsj Ursulines Alive is published by the Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph, Maple Mount, Ky. Three issues are published each calendar year.

EDITORS: Director of Mission Advancement/Communications.........Dan Heckel, OSUA

Communications Specialist/Graphic Design.......................Jennifer Kaminski, OSUA MISSION ADVANCEMENT STAFF:

Director of Development....................................................Sister Amelia Stenger

Coordinator of Mission Effectiveness................................Sister Rose Marita O’Bryan

Coordinator of Ursuline Partnerships................................Marian Bennett, OSUA

Coordinator of Formation for Ursuline Partnerships........Sister Marietta Wethington

Administrative Specialist/Web Developer..........................April Ray Mission Advancement Assistant.........................................Sister Catherine Barber 2

In this issue Ursulines at Brescia University..............3 Founded in 1950 by the Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph, Brescia University remains the sisters’ largest ministry outside of the Motherhouse Counseling Provided by Sisters.............7 2013 Jubilarians.....................................8 Not Really Retired.................................9 Statement of Accountability.............. 11 Retreat Center ....................................12 Center Celebrates 30 years.................14 Obituary...............................................15 A New Pope.........................................15 Soli Deo Gloria ....................................16 We rejoice in the gifts of our sisters, given for the kingdom of God

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 PURPOSE Freeing and Nurturing Women and Children

OUR CORE VALUES • Prayer • Service • Empowerment • Justice • Contemplative Presence ...in the spirit of Saint Angela Merici

Contact Us Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph 8001 Cummings Road Maple Mount, Kentucky 42356 270-229-4103 Fax: 270-229-4953 info.msj@maplemount.org www.ursulinesmsj.org Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/ursulinesmsj Follow us on Twitter: ursulinesmsj ...and LinkedIn

Left: Sister Mary Diane Taylor works with students in her Design II class. The students were blending colors that would not normally go together. Sister Mary Diane has been an art professor at Brescia since 1967. Center: Sister Elaine Burke, administrative assistant in the theology department, poses with Daniel Kuntz, assistant professor of theology. Right: Sister Barbara Jean Head in her office in the Administration building. She has served as senior accountant since 2005, handling internal auditing of student accounts, checking bank reconciliations and contacting students delinquent in paying their bills.

Ursulines play vital role in The Brescia Difference

By Dan Heckel, Mount Saint Joseph Staff

S

arah Ackerman had never been around any women religious while growing up north of Indianapolis, Ind., but in her freshman year at Brescia University in Owensboro, Ky., she works closely with two Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph.

“I love it,” she said. “They seem to enjoy what they do. It’s a good atmosphere.”

She works as an assistant in the campus ministry and counseling departments at Brescia, where she has close contact with Sister Rose Marita O’Bryan, the director of the Contemporary Woman Program, and Sister Pam Mueller, director of campus ministry.

“Sister Rose Marita is very lively and so is Sister Pam,” Ackerman said. “They are always upbeat, outgoing and happy, kind of bubbly. I think Brescia would be different without them.”

Those are just two of a dozen Ursuline Sisters ministering at Brescia, the university the sisters founded in 1950. While the number of sisters on campus used to be in the 30s, Brescia remains the greatest concentration of Ursuline ministries other than at the Motherhouse in Maple Mount.

“I am very grateful that I have sisters with whom I can share daily prayer, can share and react to ‘community news’ when it comes from the Mount or other missions, and hopefully can give witness to ‘community life’ through our interactions with the students, faculty and administration here at Brescia,” said Sister Rose Jean Powers. After many years as a history professor and director of residential life at Brescia, she now serves as an assistant in the bookstore.

“The number (of sisters) has the potential to give visible witness to the various ministries and personalities

that Ursuline Sisters provide, as well as facilitate students getting to know the sisters outside their places of work or ministry,” Sister Pam said. “Again, relationships are what will perhaps be the catalyst for attracting new members into our community and get them to think about their own vocations.”

Sister Barbara Jean Head, senior accountant who works with student accounts, said having so many sisters working in one place together sends a strong message.

“Having other Ursulines at Brescia gives me strength and a sense of belonging and pride, thankful to God for calling us to be there,” she said. “I feel honored and blessed to minister at Brescia and so proud of the wise Ursuline Sisters who went before us and established Brescia for the youth and all ages. Brescia is there because of us and God’s grace.

“To have so many of us Ursulines there gives a strong message that we believe in Brescia, its goals, its future and what it stands for,” Sister Barbara Jean said. “We Ursulines are willing to give our lives to lead the students to use their God-given talents and gifts to reach their potential, to become responsible leaders or continue to be leaders wherever they are.”

Sister Cheryl Clemons, academic dean and vice president of academic affairs, said she knows the lay faculty and staff embraces the Ursuline spirit, but it helps having sisters on campus.

“We as a group are a visible reminder of Brescia’s roots, but also Brescia’s potential to adapt to changing times and circumstances,” she said. “Since we aren’t tied to the place in the same way other employees might be because of spousal jobs or children’s educational needs, we have the ability to keep the mission primary in a freer way.”

Continued on page 4 3

U r s u l i n e s

A L I V E

Left: Sister Judith Nell Riney, left, director of library services, looks over the computer with library assistant Patty Alvey in the Father Leonard Alvey Library. Sister Judith Nell has ministered in the library since 1980. Center: Sister Betsy Moyer, right, looks over some paperwork with registrar assistant Carol Jackson in her office in the Administration building. Sister Betsy came to Brescia in 2012 to serve as assistant registrar. Right: Sister Mary Henning works with students in her Fundamentals of Music class on Tuesdays and Thursday mornings. Sister Mary served as a music professor at Brescia from 1981-95 and since 1997.

Brescia

From page 3

Sister Judith Nell Riney, director of library services, said the Ursuline mission to “proclaim Jesus through education and Christian formation” is a perfect fit for ministry at Brescia.

“I believe providing a strong education and offering opportunities for faith development, leadership and lifelong learning skills enable our students to be successful in personal and professional choices, as well as fostering an attitude of service to community,” she said. “Saint Angela saw the need of education in her time to make a difference and I hope and believe that is the work we are continuing at Brescia. I am happy to be part of this effort at Brescia to be a leader in Catholic education in our society today.”

Following in Angela’s Footsteps

The sisters believe their service at Brescia fulfills the charism instilled within them by Saint Angela Merici.

“The spirit and presence of Saint Angela are highlighted here through four elements that are called the Brescia difference: respect for the sacred, devotion to learning, commitment to growth in virtue and promotion of servant leadership,” Sister Rose Marita said. “These are the elements that identify our uniqueness as a university and they are how we characterize our education. Brescia University has a spirituality derived from the roots of our Ursuline order which founded it – and that spirituality forms the culture of the institution.

Administration, faculty, staff and students work side by side as persons who appreciate and support the mission. As an Ursuline Sister I feel at home here and am encouraged to support and challenge, if need be, each and all of us to make this Ursuline achievement of Brescia University a continued enterprise of excellence.”

Sister Rose Marita teaches the history of Saint Angela and the Ursulines to new students, faculty and staff, and 4

is part of Founder’s Week activities when two students are honored with the Spirit of Angela Award.

Sister Susan Mary Mudd is an assistant in the College of Business, and believes the greatest part of her job is to have a “happy-filled spirit.”

“Part of my job allows me to see the business students as they go to and come from classes,” she said. “This provides an opportunity to model the spirit of Angela. I make it a practice to be positive and hospitable to them.”

Sister Mary Diane Taylor, an art professor, and Sister Mary Henning, a music professor, are the remaining sisters still teaching traditional students. Sister Mary Diane gave an example of how following Saint Angela’s example affected a student’s life.

“I have a student in one of my classes who is the mother of a child with disabilities,” she said. “Her responsibilities have interfered with her ability to attend class regularly. She is within two semesters of having all the credits she needs to get into the nursing program at the hospital. Another instructor told her she needed to withdraw from her class because of the number of absences, and I’ll admit that I had the same thought. After hearing her story, I recognized an opportunity to follow the example of Saint Angela and her interest in helping women help themselves, so I decided to give her the help she needs to get caught up in my class.”

Sister Cheryl said Saint Angela believed that helping improve one person’s life had a ripple effect, improving the lives of all those who would later be touched by the first individual. “I believe education has that same power, transforming lives like Angela did, one person at a time,

Read about Brescia History You can read about the history of Brescia and its Ursuline presidents on our website: ursulinesmsj.org.

Click on About Us, then History, then Brescia.

Sp r ing

which in turn creates a ripple effect through the families, communities and businesses these graduates will impact,” she said.

“Angela’s directives to attend to the individual, the specific needs of each person, are regularly carried out at Brescia,” Sister Cheryl said. “I tend to meet a lot of the exceptions to the rules or policies of the university. Trying to embody Angela’s spirit of respecting differences, attending to individual needs, balancing firmness and ‘dispensations for the exceptions’ is a part of every day’s work.”

Reaching Out to Students

Sister Helena Fischer is the registrar, and said it gives her pride to affix the Brescia University seal with the Ursuline coat of arms.

“My ministry provides the opportunity to open and close a chapter in the life of each student,” she said.

“A freshman comes to us with both apprehension and excitement for the first registration. From that very beginning we focus on extending the hospitality that Saint Angela always shared by being there to help them with a whole new phase of their life. It is during that time that they interact with various sisters, faculty and staff who are frequently reminded … of our legacy. Then suddenly, four or five years have gone by. The senior is now back in our office for a degree audit to make sure all requirements will be complete to graduate. It is time to close that chapter in their lives with the Brescia seal bearing the Ursuline coat of arms. We hope they have experienced the same hospitality, patience and wisdom at Brescia University that Saint Angela shared in Brescia, Italy.”

Sister Barbara Jean said she tries to call the students by name when she sees them, to let them know that she is an Ursuline Sister and that she cares about them. “I am interested in what they are doing and reach out to them. I like to joke around with them,” she said. “My witness as a caring Ursuline to them is my best way of letting them know about the Ursulines.”

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Mission of Brescia University

Brescia University is a Catholic, liberal arts institution founded in the Ursuline tradition of personal and social transformation through education.

Directed to academic and moral excellence in a student-centered environment, Brescia offers undergraduate and graduate programs that serve students who seek success through rewarding careers and service to others.

Sister Betsy Moyer is the newest sister to minister at Brescia, arriving in summer 2012 as assistant registrar.

“I have frequent contact with the students. I make every effort to learn their names, to listen to their needs, to encourage them in their choices and to direct them where they need to go for more information,” she said. “I believe the Ursuline Sisters of the past influenced many lives through education and personal contact and I am convinced that the Ursulines of the present are carrying on the traditions of the past in new and innovating ways.”

Sister Elaine Burke is an administrative assistant for the Theology department, but she considers her main purpose as being a presence on campus.

“My outreach is to students, faculty and staff by being open to their needs, spiritually, personally, socially and in what other ways God calls me,” she said. “I often go to the Campus Center during lunch hour to speak to the students who may be heading for the cafeteria. I often attend some sporting events, especially basketball games.

I don’t know of a better place to minister than at Brescia University. Every person is unique and adds a gift beyond all telling.”

Sister Rose Jean said she hopes the students are learning something about the life of the Ursulines as they observe them on campus. “They know we are available to answer any questions they may have…but mostly our specific ministry among the students outside that of the role of faculty, administration etc., is that of witness.”

Continued on page 6

Left: Sister Cheryl Clemons, right, vice president for academic affairs and academic dean, Tracy Naylor, center, director of institutional effectiveness and research, and Keith Hudson, associate academic dean, discuss an issue in Sister Cheryl’s office in the Administration building. Center: Sister Pam MUELLER was a professor at Brescia from 1981-92 and has been director of campus ministry since 2005. Right: Sister Mary Diane Taylor works with a student in her Design II class.

5

Brescia

no one is worried anymore.

“The support and servant leadership Here are some examples she gave: of Father Larry are a kind of tangible sacrament “Sister Cheryl and Sister Rose Marita that direct and encourage the Ursuline charism play key roles in explaining the Ursuline day after day,” Sister Rose Marita said. “Father charism to freshmen during orientation Larry is genuinely Ursuline.” week and to the faculty and staff as well; During opening remarks to freshmen visiting students, faculty and administration bring Maple Mount in August 2011, Father Larry told their prayer concerns to Sister Pam or them, “This is our home. This is where we derive to the other sisters because they know the Brescia difference.” they will help storm the powerhouse “As the number of sisters at Brescia continues of prayer for their needs; returning to dwindle, I’ve worried about how we could alumni frequently ask about sisters continue to promote Ursuline history,” Sister who ministered at Brescia in the past, Mary Diane said. “However, Father Larry’s sometimes sharing fun times they shared efforts in that regard have made awareness of with specific sisters, but most of the time Sister Emma Cecilia Busam Saint Angela and Ursuline history a vital part of sharing how this one or that one helped carved the Ursuline Coat the lives of everyone at Brescia.” them through a rough patch … or how of Arms that hangs in the “Father Larry seems to be truly an Ursuline they counted on their prayers…or just Brescia Administration at heart,” Sister Susan Mary said. “He has done Building. She taught art ‘how she was always there for us.’” a lot of research on the life of Saint Angela part time at Brescia from Sister Pam said she wants students 1960-66 and 1970-82. and does not hesitate to talk about her and the to be comfortable around her. “When I Ursulines any chance he gets. There definitely encounter anyone in crises, just mingling is a greater awareness of Saint Angela Merici and the with students at events or when I offer a program on Ursuline Sisters since Father Larry became president of campus, I always try to be approachable and welcoming,” Brescia University.” she said. “I want people on campus to get to know me “I think many of us at Brescia are more consciously and not think of me as a stereotypical ‘church person’ or and consistently aware of and speak about our Ursuline ‘nun.’ I like to think that I provide a ministry of presence identity,” Sister Cheryl said. “Part of that is Father on the campus that encourages people to see me as Larry’s leadership. Sometimes it’s easier for an ‘outsider’ someone who is available to them in their times of need to brag about Ursulines than for one of us to do it; it’s or in their celebrations of life as well.” characteristic of our community in general not to ‘toot She was touched earlier this semester when she asked our own horn.’” n for volunteers to help at a neighboring Baptist church with a program they offer for displaced children. “The Mount Saint Joseph Academy and Junior College response has been tremendous,” she said.

From page 5

Non-Ursuline Leadership

If there was concern that the Ursuline presence would begin to fade when Father Larry Hostetter became the first non-Ursuline chosen as president of Brescia in 2007,

Alumnae Weekend

May 18-19, 2013 • Maple Mount • Mass • banquet • Class Photos

Register by May 3 at www.ursulinesmsj.org 270-229-2006 • alumnae.msj@maplemount.org

Left: Sister Helena Fischer, left, has been registrar at Brescia since 1990, and was assistant registrar for three years prior to that.

Sister Rose Marita O’BRYAN, right, has been director of the Contemporary Woman Program at Brescia and coordinator of Mission Effectiveness for the Ursuline community since 2005. Center: Brescia President Father Larry Hostetter with Sister Pauletta McCarty when she visited Brescia in 2009. She is a 1962 Brescia graduate. Right: A Saint Angela Merici plaque at Brescia 6

S p r i n g

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Sisters offer counseling to help people find their way to God T

By Dan Heckel, Mount Saint Joseph Staff

seen the devastation addiction can bring to families and I felt I had an inside understanding of Si S is e n it. I wanted to help ste t e r E v el y r K a t hl e others through their addiction to a healthier, happier life.”

Sister Kathleen said the seeds of her counseling experience began in her late 20s, out of a master’s course titled Eastern Western Spirituality. “As immersed as I was in Divine Light during that experience, there eventually followed years of darkness … of immersion into what Carl Jung, the Swiss psychologist, calls the shadow parts of myself. As I was sitting with directees in spiritual direction and facilitating retreats at the Mount Saint Joseph Center, I was meeting folks in similar places, struggling with their own psychological issues as well as spiritual growth issues. So, in many ways, my therapy ministry grew out of my own inner work.” n

he Ursuline Sisters Mission Statement says the sisters will “proclaim Jesus through education and Christian formation.” Two Ursuline Sisters are ministering as counselors, but they believe they are certainly fulfilling the charism that Saint Angela Merici began.

“Our Ursuline Sister charism reaches out to the world in need,” said Sister Evelyn Latham, who serves as a drug and alcohol counselor in Minnesota. “Jesus came to a troubled world and tried to help people to live a good life and find their way to his father. Jesus showed his love and care to the people he came in contact with and he wasn’t afraid to let people know if they were in the wrong. So too, Angela saw the needs of the time and reached out to women and girls in need. She brought them together in order to help them dedicate their lives to God. “I simply want to reach out to addicts and alcoholics and help them to find their way back to God, I want them to be the best person they can be,” Sister Evelyn said. “In freeing themselves from addiction they will help heal their children and families by living healthy, spiritual lives.”

Sister Kathleen Kaelin is a transpersonal therapist in Louisville. “Given all that is going on within the Church, within the country and within the world today, I can very simply say that my ministry as a counselor is about uncovering the Christ within each of us and the sacred within the universe … and I can’t help but believe that is what Angela Merici was all about in her day,” Sister Kathleen said.

“I believe that my counseling ministry has definitely been shaped by the opportunities I’ve had as an Ursuline Sister, and I will always have the deepest gratitude for that. And it is most definitely shaped by who I am as a human person …wounded, vulnerable and broken, yet sacred to the core.”

Sister Both sisters began as Evelyn teachers, but were drawn Latham and Heather to healing ministries.

Leopold “I felt called to drug Sister Kathleen and alcohol Kaelin, left, in a counseling counseling session because I have had firsthand experience with addiction in my family,” Sister Evelyn said. “I have

People of Value

Sister Evelyn works at Riverplace Counseling Center in Anoka, Minn., as a continued care counselor to clients who have moved through the outpatient, intensive outpatient and the extended programs. She offers group sessions with one to 16 clients, and works with them on 12 lessons.

“I like to be very personable and make the clients feel safe and secure,” Sister Evelyn said. “I want them to know that I really want sobriety for each one of them and that I care about each one of them. The clients need to realize that they each have great value. In trying to help them redevelop their selfesteem they must be able to deal with the guilt and shame that they have in a positive way.”

“At the nature of addiction is self-absorption, dishonesty, covering up and spiritual bankruptcy,” she said. “In this case, I need to help them see how addiction has taken over their life and is still in control.”

She also has a Concerned Persons group on Thursday nights for loved ones of the addicts who can learn how to offer support.

“Evelyn has many skills -- great listener, calm demeanor, hard worker, outstanding team skills, very honest and a great teacher,” said Heather Leopold, chief financial officer at Riverplace Counseling. “Her background as an Ursuline Sister makes it easier for her to recognize spiritual depletion and she has the ability to assist with reacquaintance with a higher power, if a client desires to do so. Her background also provides patience and a reassuring guidance to a brighter life that is needed in all aspects of chemical dependency.”

Sister Evelyn said former clients return sometimes to tell her that they are doing well, which makes her feel like she’s making a difference.

Continued on page 8

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U r s u l i n e s

A L I V E

60th – Diamond

Sister Margaret Ann Aull

Counseling

Sister Catherine Therese Barber

Sister Kathleen Dueber

Sister Patricia Rhoten

Sister Mary Lois Speaks

Sister Mary Celine Weidenbenner

Sister Paul Marie Greenwell

From page 7

“Broken people can become whole with the help of our heavenly father,” she said. “My hope for them is to be the person God meant them to be.”

Generous Listening

“Transpersonal therapists believe that the integration of the mind, body and spirit increases the creative potential of the individual, who then brings this greater potential to work settings, personal relationships and the world at large,” Sister Kathleen said. “I remember a phrase that I love from Rachel Naomi Remen, a holistic healing pioneer. She speaks of listening to others on a deep level as ‘generous listening’ … listening fully without my own judgment getting in the way.

So, an important part of my responsibility to clients that I walk with is my life experience and commitment to my own inner work, so that my own parts don’t get in the way while listening to the other.”

Sister Kathleen said the help she received from others allows her to better serve her clients.

“I am able to love and fully accept broken and vulnerable parts of others even before they are able, because there have been persons in my life who have loved and fully accepted 8

Sister Rita Lavigne

70th – Sapphire

40th – Ruby

Fifteen Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph are celebrating jubilees of religious profession this year. They have dedicated a combined 880 years of service to God’s people. The jubilarians will be honored April 14 at the Motherhouse in Maple Mount as well as on July 13 during community days.

You will learn more about them in the summer issue of Sister Jacinta Ursulines Powers Alive!

50th – Golden

2013 Jubilarians

Sister Naomi Aull

Sister Emma Cecilia Busam

Sister Annalita Lancaster

Sister Marie Bosco Wathen

Sister Mary Gerald Payne

Sister Mary Agnes VonderHaar

broken and vulnerable parts of me before I was able to accept them,” she said. “I am able to hold another’s deepest fears, darkness and unimaginable experiences, because someone, at some precious moment in my life, held mine. I am able to celebrate the moment a client is freed up within, to excitedly offer her unique gift to the world, because someone celebrated that moment in me.”

A woman who Sister Kathleen helped learned to drop “the cruel knife” that we use on ourselves and others, as the Eastern mystical poet Hafiz wrote.

“After years of sexual abuse and torture, there’s a woman out there, after years of therapy, who is celebrating a saved marriage, a renewed sex life and what she calls a ‘fully equipped boat with the tools needed to meet life’s challenges,’” Sister Kathleen said. “And she adds: ‘I’m not afraid to sail.’ She, like me, is now ministering to others out of her own brokenness.”

Sister Kathleen said her work at times is allowing her client to discover Jesus. “Sometimes therapy is just being that Christ Presence for the client, holding all the wounded and gifted parts of the other, until they are able to uncover the Christ in themselves, and eventually offer that Presence to the world with their own unique giftedness.” n

S p r i n g

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Not Really Retired...

Sister Grace Swift is no ordinary gardener ...

Sister Grace Swift tends to blackberries at the Mount. INSET: Sister Grace with two of the four books she has had published.

T

ending to the grape vines and blackberries at the Ursuline Motherhouse in Maple Mount doesn’t require expertise in Russian government or ballet.

Keeping the shrine to Our Lady of Prompt Succor weeded and pretty does not require a background as a world traveler, author or college professor.

Ursuline Sister Grace Swift has attained all those qualities during her 65 years as a sister, but these days she is overjoyed to be working in the gardens at the Mount.

“I put in a lot of time pruning the grape vines or digging up trees in their midst,” she said. “I enjoy that very much. I’m an outdoor person.”

Sister Grace was an Ursuline Sister of Paola, Kan., prior to the merger with Mount Saint Joseph in 2008. She moved to the Mount in 2009.

“Moving here was the greatest thing for me,” Sister Grace said. “I like being in a larger community. I enjoy being around a lot of people. There were things to do right away.”

She uses the berries and grapes she picks, as well as other fruits, to make jams and jellies, something she began during her days in Paola. Her favorite to make is lime jam. Her treats are available during the annual Mount Saint Joseph Picnic.

“There’s so much to do, I have to make a choice,” she said.

“I’m never bored.”

Sister Grace was born Hallie Margaret Swift in Bartlesville, Okla., and met the Ursuline Sisters as a third-grade student at St. John School. Her mother attended high school at Ursuline Academy in Paola. Her brother, Father William Swift, who is eight years older, was ordained a priest in 1944, and that had a big impact on her.

Her father died when she was 11, and by age 16 she began seriously considering religious life. She graduated from high school that year and worked for 18 months at Phillips Petroleum, which had its headquarters in Bartlesville. She used the money she earned to attend college at St. Mary’s Notre Dame, where she was taught by the Sisters of Holy Cross.

After two years, she decided to enter religious life and chose the Ursuline Sisters of Paola.

“I never thought I’d be a teacher,” she said. “I majored in

chemistry and math and was headed to be a lab technician.

That didn’t last past organic chemistry. I switched to history, it was one of the best decisions I ever made. I’ve had a far more interesting life.”

She taught in elementary schools from 1949-57, then taught high school from 1957-62. She believes some of her brightest students were the ones she taught from 1958-62 at Bishop Miege High School in Shawnee Mission, Kan., which included current Sister Kathleen Dueber.

“When (the Soviet satellite) Sputnik went up (in 1957), there was lots of education money available for Russian studies,” Sister Grace said. She had just finished her master’s degree in history from Creighton University in 1960 when she asked the mother superior, “Wouldn’t it be good to have someone in the community study Russian?” She took a Russian class at St. Louis University and qualified for research grants for a doctoral program in Soviet Area Studies at Notre Dame University, which she completed in 1967.

In 1966, she began teaching Russian history and other history courses at Loyola University in New Orleans, which she did until 1998.

Her dissertation concerned how the Soviet government controlled the arts, and used them to spread its MarxistLeninism ideology. Notre Dame Press published her dissertation in 1968, a book titled “The Art of the Dance in the U.S.S.R.” It’s one of four books she has published.

To pursue tenure, she also published “With Bright Wings: A Book of the Spirit,” (1976); “A Loftier Flight: The Life and Accomplishments of Charles-Louis Didelot, Balletmaster” (1974) and “Belles and Beaux on Their Toes: Dancing Stars in Young America” (1982), about ballet in America prior to the Civil War. Her work at Loyola allowed her to take grant-supported trips for research and conferences in England, France, Russia, Czechoslovakia, Ukraine, Italy, Germany, Israel, Finland, Sweden, Turkey and Hawaii. She traveled as a tourist to China, Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand, Switzerland, Austria, Poland and Central/South America.

On a trip to Europe one year, it was cheaper to fly through Reykjavik, Iceland. The adventure her life had become struck her while she was in the New York airport.

“I said, ‘You have to be kidding, Lord.’”

In 1998 she returned to Paola and served a term on the leadership Council, and continued to minister in community service until moving to the Mount.

In her free time, she continues her 30-year hobby of genealogy. Her maternal grandfather was an Irish immigrant, and through family reunions she’s met people she would have never known if not for her genealogy work.

She tracked down family members of her father also.

“I’ve had a great life, I can’t complain,” she said. “I thought I’d teach in rural Kansas all my life.”

Friends can write to Sister Grace at 8001 Cummings Road, Maple Mount, KY 42356. n 9

SISTER VISITOR SISTERS

REUNION

Left to right, Sisters Grace Simpson, Margaret Marie Greenwell, Maureen O’Neill and Michele Intravia visited the Ursuline Sisters of Louisville chapel, Louisville, Ky., in January. They minister at the Sister Visitor Center, which provides emergency help with food, clothing, medication, rent and utilities in a poor section of Louisville.

Sisters Pauletta McCarty, left, and Mary Sheila Higdon pack groceries at West Louisville Elementary School in Daviess County, Ky. Sisters who live or work at the Motherhouse are volunteering their time about every three weeks at the nearby school to bag nutritional food for students to take home.

Photo by Fred Kirchhoff

RIGHT: Nelda Flahardy, left, talks with Sister Clarita Browning at the Feb. 21 Catholic Schools Week Mass at Our Lady of Lourdes in Owensboro, Ky., which was dedicated to the intentions of the sisters. Eleven were in attendance.

WHITE SMOKE! Some of the sisters at the Motherhouse gathered around a TV in the Saint Ursula community room on March 13 to watch for the announcement of a new pope.

Sister Marietta Wethington, far left, attended the “Justice Rising” Call to Action national conference in Louisville, Ky., in November 2012. Call to Action’s slogan is “Catholics Working Together for Justice and Equality in the Church and Society.”

CALL TO ACTION

CAPITOL VISIT ANGELA AWARDS

SCHOOL VOLUNTEERS

GRATITUDE TEA

Photo by Mel Howard

KANSAS SNOW

Sister Catherine Barber, right, caught up with former student Celestine Thompson (now Frances Kirchhoff) on Aug. 28, 2012 for the reunion of the 1966 8th grade class of St. Francis of Assisi Elementary, held in Louisville. Sister Catherine taught third and fifth grades. Her former student, Bishop William Medley, also celebrated with them.

LEFT: A major winter storm swept through Kansas and other Midwest states in mid-February. Sister Kathleen Condry sent photos she took of snow at the former convent in Paola, Kan.

Find more photos on our website! ursulinesmsj.org

Sister Pat Rhoten, left, helps serve Sister Marie Julie Fecher as Sister Jane Miriam Hancock, right, looks on at a Feb. 8 high tea in the dining room. This annual event is a way to thank sisters who help care for other sisters.

Brescia University students Chase Carrico and Schyler Pentecost hold their Spirit of Angela plaques as they stand before a painting of Saint Angela Merici done

by Owensboro speed artist Aaron Kizer. The painting was presented to Brescia as part of the Jan. 29 ceremony.

75th ANNIVERSARY OF DIOCESE SCHOOL MASS DEDICATED TO SISTERS

North American Ursuline Convocation July 4-7, 2013 • Cincinnati, Ohio

Sister Fran Wilhelm leads the sisters in singing the “Magnificat” to begin Mass to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Diocese of Owensboro, Ky., on Dec. 8, 2012 in the Owensboro Sportscenter.

More than 50 Ursuline Sisters attended. The ceremony included a procession of flags representing the 79 parishes and religious orders in the Diocese. Sister Julia Head, assistant congregational leader for the Ursuline Sisters, carried the Ursuline Sisters’ flag.

Angela’s Radical Gospel Vision: Expanding the Circles

Follow the 2013 Convocation on Facebook and Twitter. For registration information, contact Marian Bennett at 270-229-2006 10

S p r i n g

Hope from our New Pope

Elvis is in the House!

Hope

is a wonderful word. It fills us with a sense of well-being and happiness. The word “hope” comes from the old English word “hopian,” which means “wish, expect or look forward to.” In our Church today we can look with hope to the future as we get to know our new Pope Francis. We can already see that there will be some changes as we see him ride the bus with the Cardinals instead of taking the limousine and pay his own hotel bill. When a Cardinal kissed his ring, he in turn bent to kiss the Cardinal’s ring. What a sign of humility and care. We pray for the new pope and hope he will be blessed with courage, good health and support.

Hope always leads us to believe in making things better.

Whether we are the pope or the poorest person on the street, we want to make things better. When we do nothing, we feel overwhelmed and powerless, but when we get involved, we feel the sense of hope and accomplishment that comes from knowing we are working to make things better.

Ursulines have always had hope. Saint Angela in her first counsel said, “May the strength and the true consolation of the Holy Spirit be with you all so that you can maintain and carry out vigorously and faithfully the charge laid upon you and also live in hope of the great reward which God has prepared for you.” Her simple words telling us to lead a life of service for God’s people have encouraged us to continually pray and work in our many ministries.

We can continue to have hope because we have so many of you who continue to pray for us, work with us and support us with your time, talent and treasure. You give us hope to continue. You give us the courage to teach in elementary schools and universities. You enable us to continue teaching religious education classes in parishes. You help us heal broken hearts and bodies as we nurse in clinics and elder care. You help us bring water to the thirsty and food to the hungry.

Without you, we would not have what we need to bring hope to others.

Saint Paul’s letter to the Romans is filled with so many wonderful words of hope. His prayer is our prayer for all of you who continue to support our mission. He says, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

May the Holy Spirit bless your Easter season and may your spring and summer be filled with hope and continuous blessings.

Shop at our Sincerely,

new online ebay store!

Sister Amelia Stenger, OSU Director of Development Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph

Go to http:// myworld.ebay.com/ ursulinesmsj

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And you are invited

to the Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph Annual Fundraiser Dinner

Saturday, April 27 • Live Auction • Art Sale • Steak Dinner Doors open at 6 p.m.

Dinner served at 6:30 p.m.

Mount Saint Joseph Auditorium

8001 Cummings Road (Located 12 miles west of Owensboro on Hwy. 56)

Wear your ‘50s/‘60s best!

Dinner tickets are $50 per person or $385 for a table of eight. All proceeds support the Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph. For dinner tickets, contact Sister Amelia Stenger: 270-229-2008, amelia.stenger@maplemount.org

Statement of Accountability As a member of the National Catholic Development Conference, the Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph submit an accountability report after their annual financial audit. This is a summary of Donations/ Bequests and Expenses for fiscal year ending June 30, 2012. If you have questions, call Sister Amelia Stenger at 270-229-2008.

Revenue_______________________________

Unrestricted Restricted MSJ Center Chile Missions Grants Bequests Unrestricted Bequests Restricted Retirement Retirement Quilt Club Annual Dinner Picnic

240,226.59 24.97% 3,053.53 0.32% 4,495.00 0.47% 12,527.00 1.30% 12,055.98 1.25% 63,367.29 6.59% 426,258.51 44.30% 7,880.00 0.82% 32,120.00 3.34% 43,991.65 4.57% 116,256.45 12.08%

962,232.00 100.00%

Expenses______________________________

Retirement Fund Chile Ministry Restricted MSJ Center U.S. Ministry/Program Service Management/General Fund Raising

582,514.96 60.54% 12,527.00 1.30% 3,053.53 0.32% 4,495.00 0.47% 321,407.10 33.40% 27,806.84 2.89% 10,427.57 1.08%

962,232.00 100.00%

Save the date! The Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph Annual BBQ Picnic is Sunday, Sept. 8, 2013.

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A Ministry of the Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph

Give Peace, Quiet and Prayer a Chance

Upcoming Center events...

“Angela and the Gift of Contemplation” will take place on Saturday, Aug. 17 from 9:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. It will focus on Saint Angela Merici, the founder of the Ursuline order, and how she lived both contemplation and action in her life in the world. The $15 fee includes a light lunch. The presenter will be Sister Marietta Wethington.

The Confirmation class from St. Martin Parish in Daviess County, Ky., came to the Center on March 9 for a day of retreat. Sister Ann McGrew, director of the Center, left, worked with the children and parents.

Applications are now being accepted for the next Spiritual Direction Training Program, which will begin Oct. 14. The two-year program consists of four weekly training sessions each year.

This program prepares participants for the ministry of spiritual direction from a Catholic perspective in the spirit of Saint Angela Merici.

Contact Sheila Blandford at 270-229-0269 or sheila. blandford@maplemount.org.

Mount Saint Joseph Conference and Retreat Center Calendar of Upcoming Events - 2013 APRIL

Seminarians from St. Meinrad Seminary gathered for Mass at 11:15 a.m. in the Center Chapel each day of their retreat.

Seven priests serving as spiritual directors led 25 seminarians in a week of silent retreat Jan. 21-25.

Elvis is in the House! Annual Dinner.......................... Saturday, April 27 Fundraising Dinner, Auction and Art Sale to benefit the Ursuline Sisters MAY

Catholic Middle School Prayer Day................................Wednesday, May 1 Glory Conference Women’s Retreat....................... Friday-Sunday, May 3-5 Study of the Catholic Catechism for Adults................ Thursday, May 9 Yarn Spinning Day......................................................... Saturday, May 11 Nursing Retreats........................ Monday, May 13 and Wednesday, May 15 Mount Saint Joseph Academy Alumnae Weekend......................May 18-19 Glenmary Sisters’ Chapter and Retreat...................Sunday, May 26-June 6 Come and Serve Week (single Catholic women)......Friday, May 31-June 6 Contact Director of Vocation Ministry Sister Martha Keller: 270-229-4104 JUNE

Associates and Sisters Day............................................... Saturday, June 8 Study of the Catholic Catechism for Adults............. Thursday, June 13 Y-DOSA Summit......................................... Thursday-Saturday, June 13-15 Christian Leadership Institute....................................... Week of June 23-28 Come and See Weekend (single Catholic women).....................June 28-30 Contact Director of Vocation Ministry Sister Martha Keller: 270-229-4104 JULY

Private Wedding Reception.................................................Saturday, July 6 Conference/Directed Retreats for Women Religious ........... July 14-21 St. John’s Youth from Michigan for Habitat....................Week of July 21-27 Center-sponsored programs are in bold type. Please call to register.

To register or to schedule your event, call Kathy McCarty 270-229-0206 • kathy.mccarty@maplemount.org The Retreat Center is located 12 miles west of Owensboro on Hwy. 56 12

Among attendees at the Jan. 10 study of the United States Catholic Catechism for Adults were Debbie Keelin, left, from Christ the King Parish in Madisonville, Ky., Nancy Martinez, Mariam Kavanagh and Sister Audrey Mary Gold. The study takes place on the second Thursday of each month (except July). A $10 fee includes lunch.

Sally Fitzgerald of Bowling Green, Ky., was one of the many Quilter Friends who helped make quilts to support the Ursuline Sisters’ fundraising efforts at a Feb. 24-27 retreat at Maple Mount.

Schedule your own personal retreat at the Center. Call 270-229-0206

S p r i n g

Dear Friends of the Center, This year has started with a number of new groups scheduled to come use the Mount Saint Joseph Conference and Retreat Center for the first time. Evaluations from those who visit us have been great and as they share with friends and neighbors, we have many inquiries. Here are just a few of those comments: Sister Ann McGrew Center Director

…..

“This was my first time here. The place is beautiful. This facility is perfect for a peaceful retreat.” (Chapel Hill Ladies Retreat)

…..

“Beautiful location, very clean, perfect atmosphere. Very comfortable. We love the Mount.” (Catholic Engaged Encounter)

…..

“Feels like home. Excellent variety of spaces indoor and out to pray. Very quiet.” (Saint Meinrad Seminary Retreat)

…..

“Very enjoyable place, nice rooms and gift shop. Beautiful surroundings, quiet, peaceful, clean and comfortable. Enjoyed the atmosphere and the location. Nicest place I have ever stayed.”

(TOPS Retreat)

…..

Thank you to anyone who has put in a good word for us over the years. This year we celebrate 30 years of service in this ministry.

We continue to offer once a month sessions on the United States Catholic Catechism for Adults. If you would like to attend one or two of these sessions but know that you cannot come to all of them, please join us for what you can. These are offered on the second Thursday of each month.

Spring is a beautiful season to come to Mount Saint Joseph Conference and Retreat Center for a time of quiet, to walk, read, refresh your spirit or just unwind from the busy life we all seem to live. The trees are bursting forth into bloom making the campus a place of beauty. We invite you to come and spend some time with us.

We wish you many blessings as we complete the Easter season and prepare to celebrate the great feast of Pentecost, the birthday of the Church. May the same Spirit that filled the Apostles of Jesus at that first Pentecost fill your heart every day of your life.

In the Spirit of Saint Angela,

Sister Ann McGrew, Center Director ann.mcgrew@maplemount.org MISSION: Mount Saint Joseph Conference and Retreat Center offers and hosts programs in a rural environment of tranquility for people of all ages and faiths to nurture spiritual and personal growth, advance the arts and promote lifelong learning.

Our next spinning day is Saturday, May 11th

Spinners, weavers, knitters and crocheters of all skill levels are welcome. Sessions begin at 10 a.m. Lunch is $15. Next date is Aug. 3.

Call Kathy to register: 270-229-4103 ext. 802

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SPIRITUAL DIRECTION TRAINING PROGRAM 2013-2015

Registration is now open for the next program!

The deadline to register is Aug. 31, 2013

The mission of this program is to prepare people for the ministry of spiritual direction and to enhance the skills of experienced spiritual directors, in the spirit of Saint Angela Merici.

Participants will meet for eight weekly sessions over a two-year period. Sessions are led by a team of trained spiritual directors. The Spiritual Direction Training Program at Mount Saint Joseph began in 2004. More than 35 people from across the U.S. have completed the program.

Topics and Dates Spirituality....................... Oct. 14-18, 2013 Spiritual Direction............... Jan. 13-17, 2014 The Inner Journey...............April 7-11, 2014 Prayer and Scripture............. July 21-25, 2014 Theology......................... Oct. 13-17, 2014 Ethics .............................. Jan. 12-16, 2015 Supervision .....................April 13-17, 2015 Case Studies/Retreat............ July 20-24, 2015

Limited scholarships are available. Contact Sister Ann McGrew: 270-229-0200

To register or for more information, contact Sheila Blandford: 270-229-4103 ext. 804 sheila.blandford@maplemount.org A brochure can be found at www.ursulinesmsj.org under Conference and Retreat Center

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U r s u l i n e s

A L I V E

Mount Saint Joseph Center sign in 1988

FAR LEFT: Then-Bishop John McRaith, right, led a prayer service for the Retreat Center’s 10th anniversary in 1993.

FAR RIGHT: Matt Hayes led a “Developing Adult Believers” retreat in the Center conference room in 1995. The Center is celebrating 30 years in 2013.

Thirty years ago

this year, the Mount Saint Joseph Conference and Retreat Center opened its doors, offering its Ursuline brand of hospitality and programs to deepen the spirituality to all who enter. In 1983, there was no retreat center in the Diocese of Owensboro, and many parishes did not have space for larger programs. The Center, in the quickly renovated former Mount Saint Joseph Academy buildings, became home to a large Cursillo gathering its first year.

The Center is the home of the Spiritual Life Office for the Diocese of Owensboro, with a goal to provide spiritual growth for individuals and parishes of western Kentucky. In cooperation with the Family Life Office, the Center hosts programs such as Engaged Encounter, Marriage Encounter, Retrouvaille and Once More with Love.

As more parishes create their own gathering spaces and the Church of western Kentucky evolves, the Center has adapted to the times. It is more than simply a place to gather. It is an opportunity for a completely unique experience among the beauty and holiness of Maple Mount.

The spirituality the Ursuline Sisters share just by their presence and hospitality makes a visit to the Center unlike any other place. Ursuline Sisters have been present on this spot for 139 years, and their devotion to serving God’s people through the guiding words of Saint Angela Merici cannot be duplicated elsewhere.

Treat yourself to a visit to the Mount Saint Joseph Conference and Retreat Center. Perhaps it’s for a program sponsored by the Center, or you may prefer to make a private retreat. Your business or group may simply need some time away from the chaos of your normal day to find the peace that Mount Saint Joseph can offer, just 12 miles west of Owensboro on Kentucky 56.

Try giving peace, quiet and prayer a chance. Take the opportunity to recharge and redirect your energy by taking advantage of the many gifts you can find at the Mount Saint Joseph Conference and Retreat Center. Learn more at www.ursulinesmsj.org.

Join us for the Year of Faith

To help us celebrate more fully the Year of Faith, Mount Saint Joseph Conference and Retreat Center is offering an opportunity to study the United States Catholic Catechism for Adults.

• April 11 • May 9 • June 13 • Aug. 8 • Sept. 12 • Oct. 10 • Nov. 14 • Dec. 5

Second Thursday of the month Note: We will not meet in July.

Study the Catechism with us!

10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

The $10 fee includes lunch.

A program book is $5.

LEADERS: Sister Ann McGrew, OSU Sister Marietta Wethington, OSU

To register, call Kathy McCarty (270) 229-0206 or email kathy.mccarty@maplemount.org

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Where There’s a Will ...

We have received many gifts in the form of bequests and are deeply grateful to donors who provide for our future in this way. If you have a will and wish to include the Ursuline Sisters and our ministries in it, you may simply compose a codicil, which alters your will by making an addition or correction. If you have placed us and our ministries in your will or are interested in doing so, please let us know so we can thank you now for the generosity of your intentions. On behalf of our sisters and the people we serve, thank you.

Make the Most of Matching Gifts If you’ve made a gift to the Ursuline Sisters, your employer may offer a matching gift program that can double, or even triple, your gift. Contact the human resources office of your company to see if it has a matching gift program. If so, request a matching gift form.

Fill out the employee section and then mail the form and your donation to the Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph. We’ll do the rest.

If you have questions about wills or matching gifts, please contact Sister Amelia Stenger: 270-229-2008 or 270-929-5101 or amelia.stenger@maplemount.org

S p r i n g

2012 Sister Darlene award In 2011, Shively Area Ministries in Louisville, Ky., established an award in memory of Ursuline Sister Darlene Denton, who was significant in the growth of the ministry as board chairwoman and helping find their present location. Following Sister Darlene’s death on Sept.

5, 2011, the Sister Darlene Sister Darlene Make a Difference Award was created to honor a person or group who has made a significant impact on the ministry. The winner chosen for 2012 was Kosair Charities, which gave a $100,000 gift for the food pantry expansion. “As this organization says, ‘It is all about the kids,’ and because of this gift, the clients who have kids are able to be helped and fed,” said Roxanna Trivitt, executive director of the Shively ministry. Jerry Ward, chairman of the Kosair board, accepted the award. PHOTO: Roxanna Trivitt, left, and Sister Jean Anne Zappa, mission advancement coordinator for Shively Area Ministries and an Ursuline Sister of Louisville, present the 2012 Sister Darlene award to Jerry Ward.

In the joy of eternal life Sister Mary Mercedes Knott, 90, died Feb. 21 at Mount Saint Joseph, in her 65th year of religious life. She was born in Knottsville, Ky., but while she was a child, the family moved to Wilhelmina, Mo., where she grew up. A gifted homemaker, Sister Mary Mercedes was a quiet person known for the many kindnesses she showed, and her devotion to Mary. She served in the diet kitchen at Mount Saint Joseph (1951-57, 1964-65, and 197581), and part of that time was diet kitchen director.

She also served elsewhere in Kentucky, New Mexico and Nebraska. Survivors include three sisters, Mary Frances Smith, Boone, N.C., Mabel Eloise Macke, St. Paul, Mo., and Margaret Aurelia Brown, Arnold, Mo.; two brothers, Charles C. Knott, Arnold, Mo., and James Patrick Knott, Imperial, Mo.; nieces and nephews, and the members of her religious community. The funeral Mass was Feb. 26 at Mount Saint Joseph, with burial in the convent cemetery.

Memorial gifts for Sister Mary Mercedes or any of our sisters 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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Sister Agnes Catherine award for 2012 Sts. Joseph and Paul Catholic Church in Owensboro, Ky., presented its annual Sister Agnes Catherine Williams, OSU, Stewardship Award for 2012 to Judy Patton of Owensboro. The award is presented to someone Sister Agnes who provided outstanding Catherine Judy Patton ministry to youth and their Catholic formation. Patton is a teacher at Owensboro Catholic Middle School. The school system wrote: “We are very proud of Ms. Patton and what she does for our youth each and every day!” Created in 2007, this award honors the late Sister Agnes Catherine (1905-2007), who dedicated her life to educating God’s children, many of them at Sts. Joseph and Paul School.

Sisters pleased about new pope As the sisters made their way back from lunch at the Motherhouse on March 13, the joyful response to “Habemus Papam” – “We have a pope” – filled Maple Mount.

Pope Francis “When we saw the white smoke on TV, we rang the bells to chapel,” said Sister Sharon Sullivan, congregational leader. “We knew it was time to see the good news.”

The announcement of Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, former Archbishop of Buenos Aires, as Pope Francis was met with praise throughout the Motherhouse.

“When I understood who he was, I thought it delightful that he’s a Jesuit, someone who lived in a vowed religious community,” Sister Sharon said. “He brings to the papacy a humble mindset of a Franciscan. That’s exciting and engaging.”

Sister Sharon was glad to read reports of Pope Francis refusing grandiose transportation, saying he’d rather ride the public bus to work in Argentina.

“I find myself imagining how that might translate at the Vatican,” she said. “That’s very hopeful.”

Sister Ruth Gehres, one of two Ursuline Sisters serving in Chillan, Chile, said people there seem happy with the choice of Pope Francis, their neighbor from Argentina.

“Many people here know him, since he has spent some time in Chile, including making his novitiate as a Jesuit here,” she said. “Some priests from our diocese studied with him in Argentina. We welcome Pope Francis as a simple and humble leader, whose heart is with the people, with the poor. I believe it is a great gift that the new pope comes from the New World. May he begin to lead us into a new Church, a Church that truly walks in the footsteps of Jesus.”

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8001 Cummings Road Maple Mount, KY 42356-9999 270-229-4103 www.ursulinesmsj.org info.msj@maplemount.org If you have a smartphone, this QR code leads to our website!

Soli Deo Gloria

We rejoice in the gifts of our sisters, given for the kingdom of God

Sisters Catherine Barber, Eva Boone, Pam Mueller and Pat Rhoten were certified in Mental Health First Aid USA until 2016. The two-day workshop offered through RiverValley Behavioral Health in Owensboro, Ky., teaches lay people methods of assisting someone who may be in the early stages of developing a mental health problem or in a mental health crisis.

Sister Kathleen Condry was inducted into the inaugural Hall of Fame at Saint Thomas Aquinas School on March 2, as part of celebrating 25 years of the school in Overland Park, Kan. Sister Kathleen was assistant principal when the school opened in 1988. She would later become principal and eventually president of the school until leaving in 1998, when she became assistant superintendent for leadership and mission for the Kansas City Archdiocesan Education Office. She now serves as pastoral minister at Church of the Nativity in Leawood, Kan. She was one of the recipients of the Marian Award, presented to faculty, staff and administrators for their lifelong commitment to the ideals and values of the school. Her award said, “Through her constant acts of charity, we learned how to be guided by the Holy Spirit and how to love unconditionally. As administrator and friend she shared with us her love, knowledge, wisdom and ever-constant example of how to build the reign of God.”

After a year away focusing on other ministries, Sister Marietta Wethington has returned to serve as coordinator of formation for Ursuline Partnerships, serving Ursuline Associates and alumnae of Mount Saint Joseph Academy and Junior College. Sister Marietta served as co-director of Ursuline Partnerships and then director of formation from 2004-2011. She will continue to minister with the Mount Saint Joseph Conference and Retreat Center, and her office will remain at the Center.

Sister Emma Cecilia Busam is among 64 volunteers being honored April 10 for her service at Owensboro Health Regional Hospital, where she has served as a Eucharistic minister since 2008. The honor is part of a new program to “recognize volunteers individually for significant milestones they’ve achieved over the past year … and to complement the group recognition that volunteers receive throughout the year,” according to a letter from the hospital’s chief administrative officer.

Sister Emma Cecilia is celebrating her 70th year as an Ursuline Sister this year.

Join us for Eucharistic Adoration 1 p.m.- 5 p.m.

2nd Sunday of the month The Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph invite you to join them for Eucharistic Adoration on the second Sunday of each month to pray for vocations. The adoration in the Motherhouse Chapel will conclude with evening prayer. Those who cannot attend are asked to pray for new members to hear the call to the Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph or a vocation within the church. Thank you!