Ursulines Alive Spring 2015, Maple Mount, Ky.

Ursulines Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph Proclaiming Jesus through Education and Christian Formation

INSIDE...

Father Paul Volk’s Legacy Lives On Daviess County Bicentennial 5K A Student’s Story About his Teacher

Sisters Sustained in Service

Spring 2015 Vol. 13, No. 3

www.ursulinesmsj.org

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From our Congregational Leader Dear Friends, Imagine you are in a conversation and you hear someone say, “Out of the mouths of babes. ...” What has just happened? Hasn’t someone recognized a deep truth that has just been shared from an unexpected or untutored or very young source? This is coupled with the realization that we so often seem to seek truth in the complex and complicated when it can often be found in the simplest of forms.

With that in mind, I ask you to remember or discover a childhood hand-rhyme often Sister Sharon learned in Sunday school. You fold your hands together with the fingers inside, then you hold up the joined hands and say, “Here is the Church.” Raise both index fingers together and say, “And here is the steeple.” Separate your thumbs and say, “Open the doors.” Turn your hands, still joined, palms up and say, “And see all the people.” And the simple, if profound, lesson? The Church is ever so much more than the structure, than the dogma, than the governance, than the council; the Church, of course, is the people.

How suitable then that both of our lead articles in this Ursulines Alive are about building churches. When we consider missionaries and the pastors of the 19th and early 20th centuries, we often hear tallies of the many churches they built. When I first thought of missionaries, I usually pictured someone with a yardstick, hammer, saw and Bible (and a hard hat), and tried to imagine how they managed to cut the trees or quarry the rocks and get all those buildings built. But building the Church is both more and less than that.

You will read how Father Paul Volk built churches in Kentucky, in Ecuador and in Panama. Of course, the churches were truly the people he served; the buildings, when needed, followed. You will read of Ursuline Sisters serving where needed, and – with or without the yardstick or saw – building churches wherever they are. And, as you read and pray with us, you continue to build churches; perhaps you cannot hammer a nail, or perhaps you are uncertain of the catechism, or have never served on the Parish Council, but each time you reach out in love and acceptance, through grace, you are building the Church.

Here is the Church, And here is the steeple, Open the doors And see all the people.

Thank you for joining us and Father Volk and Saint Angela to build just a few more churches.

In Angela, Sister Sharon Sullivan, OSU Cover: Through the financial support of the Ursuline community, several sisters are enabled to continue in ministry to those in need. Top: Sister Mary Agnes VonderHaar, left, gives Pauline Henning a hug as she and Sister Joan Walz get ready to leave her home March 13. Center: Sister Teresa Riley brings a smile to the face of Peggy Maziarka after praying with her at the Calvert City (Ky.) Convalescent Center on March 6, 2014. Bottom: Sister Marilyn Mueth is joined by her mother Marie in her living room in this 2009 photo.

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

Communications and Development Specialist..................Maggie Riney

Mission Advancement Assistant.........................................Sister Marcella Schrant 2

In this issue Ursuline Community Sustains Sisters’ Ministries to the Needy.........................3 A Student’s Story...................................6 A Brother’s Bequest...............................7 Father Paul Joseph Volk........................8 Statement of Accountability.............. 10 Sisters Hosting Official Daviess County Bicentennial 5K Run/Walk..................11 Retreat Center ....................................12 Spiritual Direction Training................13 Obituaries/In Memoriam Awards.......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, LinkedIn, YouTube, Pinterest: ursulinesmsj

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Ursuline Community Sustains Sisters’ Ministries

By Dan Heckel, Mount Saint Joseph

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rsuline Sisters Joan Walz and Mary Agnes VonderHaar came to the Breckinridge County, Ky., parishes of St. Anthony and St. Mary of the Woods in 2004 to minister in religious education and RCIA. In 2008, with both of them 75 or older, the sisters needed a less demanding ministry. “Since the parishes wanted us to remain, the Ursuline community accepted our proposal to minister to the sick without a salary and the parishes volunteered to provide our housing and utilities,” the sisters said via email. “In addition, a number of people in the parishes share the abundance of their summer gardens with us. Some is fresh, some canned and some preserved. Monthly our community faithfully supplies a subsidy to cover our living expenses.”

They are just two of several Ursuline Sisters who serve in ministries where the need is great, but the resources are few.

“There are ministries our sisters do because we saw the need and responded to it,” said Sister Sharon Sullivan, congregational leader. “That’s Ursuline.

That’s what Saint Angela taught us. First we see the need for ministry, and then the sister who does it comes later. We were able to respond to the need.”

Many of the sisters who continue in ministry outside the Motherhouse are paid a salary that helps support them and the Ursuline community. Other sisters rely on both the prayerful and financial support of the congregation so they can continue to minister where the needs arise.

“We, religious, believe the Spirit grants to us consecrated women unique gifts to help us live a life of love and ministry,” Sisters Joan and Mary Agnes said. “When we visit the sick at home, in the hospitals and nursing homes, we are touched as we witness their deep faith and the manner in which they accept their limitations. Our time with them, depending on their condition, consists of an update on parish activities, a bit of small talk including something amusing

Sister Susan Mary Mudd, center, laughs with several business students at Brescia University, Owensboro, Ky., who gathered with her March 17 outside her office at the William H. Thompson School of Business. Sister Susan Mary is an administrative assistant at the business school, but one of her jobs is providing moral support to the students.

to provoke a laugh, prayer and Holy Communion.

Apparently these visits are meaningful because they let us know they miss us if we are unable to come.”

Sister Teresa Riley has a similar ministry in Benton, Ky., continuing to fulfill the promise made more than 30 years ago by the former bishop of the Diocese of Owensboro.

“Without the support of my Ursuline community I would not be here at Benton,” she said. “About 30 years ago Bishop John McRaith, who had just come to the Diocese of Owensboro, asked for an Ursuline Sister to live at Benton as a Catholic presence in this area where there are very few Catholics. He agreed that the Diocese of Owensboro would pay the rent for an apartment and help pay the living expenses for the sister. Ever since, one or sometimes two sisters have lived here and have become well-known by many,” Sister Teresa said. “When I was first assigned here almost four years ago several people asked me, ‘Are you our new sister?’ That helped me to feel very welcome, and I have felt very much accepted ever since.”

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From page 3

LEFT: Sister Joan Walz offers Agnes Rhodes communion on March 13 at her home in Axtel, Ky. CENTER: Sister Joan Walz, right, and Sister Mary Agnes VonderHaar, left, pray with Anna Leigh Henning prior to giving her communion at her home in Breckinridge County, Ky. The sisters bring her communion every Friday. “It’s not something I ever thought could happen,” Anna Leigh said. “The sisters have been awfully sweet. One day it was so cold, I thought they wouldn’t come, but here they came.” RIGHT: Sister Joan Walz talks with Anna Leigh’s daughter, Patsy Rhodes, after bringing her mother communion on March 13.

She and another Catholic woman who lives in Benton often go together to visit people in nursing homes and assisted living facilities and those confined to their homes.

“I think she would tell you that my being a sister helps both Catholics and probably some non-Catholics to identify with me as being a person who is dedicated to the service of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,” Sister Teresa said.

After 26 years as a teacher, in 2014 Sister Marilyn Mueth began serving someone in need in a different way – caring for her elderly mother, Marie, in Millstadt, Ill. “Being able to care for my mother is a grace that many have not had the privilege to do,” Sister Marilyn said. “The aging process is often difficult and being here to encourage her through these difficult times is important to me. She and I have formed a community based on prayer together and helping less fortunate in ways in which she can participate from our home, such as making casseroles and cookies for a homeless soup kitchen. I appreciate that the community has allowed me to have this experience.”

Sister Marilyn points out that her ministry is part of the Ursuline charism, since Saint Angela never required her companions to leave their homes.

“Besides caring for their spiritual life, she was concerned about protecting them if abused or

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deprived of rightful inheritance on which to support themselves,” Sister Marilyn said. “Angela herself left her home to be with widows to help them through their difficult times and lend them spiritual and prayerful support.”

Saint Angela urged her sisters to discern the signs of the times, and to make changes if they saw the need.

The Ursuline Way of Life defines the Ursuline charism this way: “We, the Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph, are a community of women religious who come together attending holiness. We freely answer the loving call of God by dedicating our lives and our gifts to Him in the service of the Church.

“Faithful to Angela Merici and to Ursuline traditions through the centuries, we believe that our fidelity to the Church is a creative, contemplative response to the needs of God’s people – a response that flows out of a deep conviction of God’s love for us and an openness to His Spirit working in and among us.”

In this Year of Consecrated Life called by Pope Francis, it is consecration that drives women religious, Sister Sharon said.

“We are evangelizing. If the best way to serve God is a position supported by the diocese, then we’ll do that,” she said. “If it can only be done with support from the community, then we’ll do that. All the other work in the congregation helps to support those

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Sister Fran Wilhelm smiles as she volunteers in the Centro Latino booth at the Owensboro Multicultural Festival in August 2013. A group from Centro Latino usually performs a Spanish dance at this annual event, which takes place at First Presbyterian Church.

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ministries as well. Every member is helping. That’s why it’s called a congregation.”

In 1993, toward the end of her term on the elected Leadership Council, Sister We, the Ursuline Fran Wilhelm was Sisters of Mount considering what her Saint Joseph, are a next ministry would community of women be. What seemed most religious who come needed was reaching together attending holiness. out to Hispanics who had begun to We freely answer the loving arrive in Owensboro. call of God by dedicating our Bishop John McRaith lives and our gifts to Him in was delighted that the service of the Church. someone would fill Faithful to Angela Merici that need, she said. and to Ursuline traditions “But we have no through the centuries, we salary for you,” he told Sister Fran. “I believe that our fidelity to will see if the present the Church is a creative, Council will let me contemplative response to donate my services,” the needs of God’s people – she responded. a response that flows out of That was a deep conviction of God’s the beginning of love for us and an openness Catholic Hispanic to His Spirit working in and ministry in the Diocese of among us.

Owensboro, and in - The Ursuline Way of Life the entire state of

Kentucky, Sister Fran said.

“Twenty-two years later, I look back on the generosity of our Ursuline community, who also supported Sister Clarence Marie Luckett for four years and Sister Rosemary Keough, who is going on 15 years,” she said.

“In Saint Joseph Villa (the long-term care facility at Maple Mount) we have always had a veritable praying community behind our efforts,” Sister Fran said. “‘I remembered you in prayer this week’ is a frequent greeting that we hear upon visiting the infirmary. At Christmas, our ministry is frequently the one chosen as the retired sisters contribute to a favorite charity.”

“Making calls to Congress to support immigration or other causes is particularly helpful for our ministry,” Sister Fran said. “And we love to share with the sisters the richness of the foreign cultures, as well as the heart-rending intentions for prayer.”

Sister Susan Mary Mudd lives in Owensboro and is paid as a part-time administrative assistant in the business school at Brescia University.

“Here at Brescia University, there are several of us Ursulines doing what we can for the love of God and the good of our students,” she said. “Except for lunch time, we hardly see each other during the day, since most of us work in different departments; but we know we are here, working for the same cause. Our mission is to promote the reign of God among all peoples, especially the oppressed and marginalized. This is intrinsic to our religious life. The people we serve are our primary concern. Also, this gives me time to help low-income families with their taxes three afternoons and evenings during tax season, or to teach English to refugees after work.”

Daily Mass and community prayer are the highlights of the day for Sister Susan Mary.

“Even if not at the same time, we know we are all enjoying these same privileges/gifts,” she said.

“Our religious life is deeply rooted in a spirituality nourished by personal and communal prayer. I have always loved serving in whatever capacity I found myself, knowing I had my community with me and behind me.” n

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A Student’s Story About his Teacher ...

Sister Marie Goretti has lived a life of service, family in rural Marion County, Ky. Her father, Joseph ministry and prayer Lee Browning, was a farmer and her mother, Agnes Eric Shrader visits with Sister Marie Goretti Browning, left, and her sister, Sister Clarita Browning, at the 2013 Mount Saint Joseph Picnic.

The pope has called for 2015 to be “The Year of Consecrated Life.” Perhaps nothing better reflects the impact of women religious than the words of those who they served. Eric A. Shrader, of Hardinsburg, Ky., submitted this article he wrote about the inspiration he still receives from his first-grade teacher, Ursuline Sister Marie Goretti Browning.

By Eric A. Shrader

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ary Isabel Browning entered the Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph in February 1950. She went to Mount Saint Joseph Academy, near Owensboro, Ky., during her senior year of high school, then entered the community as a postulant. As she prepared to take her vows in August 1952, her brother, who was a priest, brought her information on Saint Maria Goretti, who was canonized in June 1950. After praying to Saint Maria Goretti, Mary Isabel chose the name Marie Goretti and made her vows to God of poverty, chastity and obedience.

In 1952, Sister Marie Goretti began teaching the first grade at St. Bartholomew Catholic School in Buechel, Ky., outside Louisville. I was in her very first class. Now, 63 years later, it is an honor to write about my very kind and dear teacher who helped me learn to read and write and who was a catalyst in lifelong learning for so many of us. My purpose is to share Sister Marie Goretti’s life of service, teaching, prayer and ministry to others, as an example for all, since the media and many today seem to have gone in the opposite direction.

Sister Marie Goretti was raised in a Catholic

Abell Browning, was a homemaker. Her parents and family actively lived the Catholic faith. There were five girls and two boys in the family. Her two brothers became priests and her older sister, Sister Clarita, is also an Ursuline Sister. Sister Clarita is kind, sweet and wonderful just like her sister.

From 1952 through 1959, Sister Marie Goretti taught the first, third, sixth and eighth grades at St. Bartholomew. She said the “children and parents were wonderful” and modestly said that “we did it together.”

In reflecting on her years of teaching, Sister Marie Goretti said she loved her students and worked every night to prepare lesson plans. She kept asking herself the same question: “How can I do it better?”

Lonnie D. Mays, who was also in her initial first-grade class, shared that “Sister Marie Goretti has been a lifelong teacher to me. I still remember very well what she taught me and I tried to teach my daughters and others using her approach. She was always fair, helpful and made our classes fun.”

Jim O’Daniel, who was in the same first-grade class, said, “Sister Marie Goretti started me on the path of learning.” Many of her former students commented that Sister Marie Goretti was their favorite teacher.

As I’ve lived my life and made decisions and choices, I always asked myself: How would Sister Marie Goretti handle this? Needless to say, Sister Marie Goretti has made a profound and positive impact on my life (and the lives of countless other students) and her kindness, wisdom and fair-minded manner can never be forgotten.

From 1959-64, Sister Marie Goretti taught the eighth grade at Seven Holy Founders in Affton, Mo., then from 1964-68, she was the principal at St. Leonard Catholic School in Louisville. In 1968, Sister Marie Goretti went to graduate school and completed a master’s degree in psychology from Xavier University in 1970. She was then selected as the novice director for the Ursulines, which involved teaching, ministering and counseling novices about all aspects of religious life.

In 1980, Sister Marie Goretti was elected by her peers as assistant superior for the Ursulines and served in this position until 1984. She served a year at Brescia College, then from 1985-88 she served as the parish coordinator for Immaculate Catholic Church in

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Owensboro. From 1988-94, Sister that retirement has given her Marie Goretti was the director of the opportunity “to reflect on the Mount Saint Joseph Retreat things, pray for all and ask God to Center, which she “loved and found continue His blessings.” challenging.”

Sister Marie Goretti said that Following a sabbatical, she she knew what she was doing served as pastoral associate at St. when she joined the Ursulines.

Thomas More Church in Paducah, She appreciates being called for Ky., and then St. John the Baptist service and the grace to continue Church in Fordsville. The latter responding to the call. During her church was small with no resident many different roles, she “never Jim O’Daniel poses with his first-grade pastor. Sister Marie Goretti said teacher, Sister Marie Goretti Browning, had time to be complacent and during the 2013 Mount Saint Joseph Picnic. this ministry was a “very unique couldn’t imagine living any other experience” and that she “enjoyed life.” working with the people in both parishes.”

Sister Marie Goretti humbly credits her family and One of Sister Marie Goretti’s students in the Rite the Church for encouraging her to live her faith, her of Christian Initiation for Adults at St. Thomas More parents’ daily examples of faith and the calling from became a deacon in the Catholic Church and shared God to serve. “I was called to serve and the reward is with his teacher and mentor that “this is where it all mine,” she said. started.” Sister Marie Goretti said that those who In a world that wallows in immediate gratification, “wanted to come into the church were an inspiration” superficiality, narcissism and materialism, Sister Marie to her.

Goretti’s life stands clearly as a life of meaning and as In 2000, Sister Marie Goretti was again elected to a role model of prayer, service, caring and sacrifice. a leadership position as a councilor, serving until 2004. In reflecting on Sister Marie Goretti’s life and multiThe next three years she served as religious education faceted career, her solemn vows to God were always coordinator at nearby St. Mary Magdalene Catholic upheld.

Church in Sorgho. Medical challenges arose during this Sister Marie Goretti very early in life forsook a tenure, but a knee replacement and blood clots did little worldly existence and gave her life to God to serve and to curtail her work. minister with a goal of eternal salvation. Words cannot In 2007, Sister Marie Goretti moved to a semiadequately describe how much better this world is retired phase of her ministry and service to others at because of Sister Marie Goretti’s selfless contributions, Mount Saint Joseph. Her contributions now include her community and her family. May God continue to operating the switchboard on weekends and helping bless Sister Marie Goretti, her Ursuline community and where she can despite some medical challenges which family. Sister Marie Goretti’s life of service to others is resulted in surgery in 2014. Sister Marie Goretti shared an inspiration and a stellar example for us all. n

Cyril Uhing leaves a great gift in memory of his sister Sister Bernice Uhing died in 2001, after serving 65 years as an Ursuline Sister of Mount Saint Joseph. In December 2013, at age 92, her brother Cyril Uhing joined her in heaven, but not before doing one last kindness for his older sister. Mr. Uhing lived in Hartington, Neb. Like his sister, he attended school at St. Peter and Paul in Bow Valley, Neb. After the eighth grade, he farmed with his brother, Eddie, until 1968 when he moved to Blair, Neb. He Sister Bernice enjoyed discovering new ways to fix and improve mechanical challenges in his Uhing workshop. He also liked to read, farm and listen to music.

Cyril Uhing Shortly after Mr. Uhing’s death on Dec. 24, 2013, we received a letter from his attorney telling us that the Ursuline Sisters had been left in his will. This year in January, a little more than a year after receiving that first letter, we received a tremendous donation from his estate. His gift was unrestricted so the community will make sure it is used to support our mission.

We are so grateful to Mr. Uhing and all those who have named us in their wills or bequests. We pray for all our donors every day. A gift in the form of a bequest, living trust, life insurance or retirement plan can make a difference. If you would like more information about leaving the Ursuline Sisters in your will, please notify Sister Amelia Stenger at 270-929-5101, 270-229-2008 or email at amelia.stenger@maplemount.org. You can also find information on our website at ursulinesmsj.org.

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Father Volk remains a vital part of the present

By Dan Heckel, Mount Saint Joseph

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ust five years after being ordained a priest in Fulda, Germany, he came to America to find the parish church he was sent to in rubble. Within a year, the school across the road also burned, and the sisters who were teaching there went home for good.

Father Paul Joseph Volk was undeterred. His faith in God and determination to serve the Lord and the Church led to a perseverance that has changed the lives of thousands of people across Kentucky and as far away as South America.

That all started when the young priest gathered the help of people in the rural area of St. Joseph to help rebuild the church and the school, and then in 1874 asked the Ursuline Sisters of Louisville to send sisters to be teachers there. For the past 141 years, Ursuline Sisters have lived and ministered in what is now Maple Mount, and since 1912, they’ve been known as the Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph.

This year marks the 150th anniversary of Father Volk’s ordination to the priesthood. His importance to the Ursuline Sisters’ history is immense, and a walk across the Motherhouse campus will show him honored with a marble plaque in the Memory Garden, with a building for offices and sisters’ residences, with furniture and artifacts in the museum and with his tombstone in the cemetery.

But Father Volk remains more than a historical figure to the Ursuline Sisters. His name still comes up in conversation whenever steadfastness, service and faith are needed.“Father Paul Joseph Volk had an intense zeal that is ageless,” said Sister

Rose Marita O’Bryan. “I am inspired by the compassionate heart of this selfless missionary priest who formed a partnership with the open-minded and imaginative spirit of a grace-filled Mother Aloysius Willett. Theirs was a flame that flared up so that we could see more clearly the shadows of the marginalized. For our history this collaborative legacy was a late 19th century/early 20th century “HeForShe” moment,” she said, referencing the UN Women solidarity movement for gender equality that was launched in September 2014.

Sister Suzanne Sims said the Ursuline Sisters are blessed to have the global missionary perspective that Father Volk experienced in South America, and the communal stories of his early years at Maple Mount.

This memorial to Father In December, she borrowed Paul Joseph Volk was a relic of Father Volk from the dedicated on Aug. 15, 1999 in honor of the community’s Angela Oratory to 125th anniversary of pray with a group of 15 people who the Ursuline Sisters’ gathered to seek a miracle for a arrival at Maple Mount. woman battling cancer and for It stands in front of the former Mount Saint her sister.

A life in service to the Church

Joseph Academy which was founded by Father Volk.

Father Volk was born in 1841 near Frankfurt, Germany, and was ordained a priest in 1865. Because of political and church conflict in Germany, he decided to follow his dream and become a missionary, to focus on German settlers in the United States.

After studying in Belgium, he came to the Diocese of Louisville in 1869 as an assistant pastor in two AT LEFT: Paul Volk Hall is used for housing and offices at Mount Saint Joseph.

RIGHT: A trunk and blanket that belonged to Father Paul Volk (which were later used by some of the Ursuline Sisters) are on display in the Mount Saint Joseph Museum.

Louisville parishes. In January 1870 he was named pastor at St. Alphonsus Church in rural Daviess County, and arrived to find the remnants of the church that had burned in 1868. He set about firing bricks to rebuild the church, but on Dec. 30, 1870, St. Joseph Academy, the school for girls across the road, also burned. The Sisters of Loretto who had been staffing the school left after the fire, and Father Volk implored the Ursulines of Louisville to take over upon its completion in 1874.

Before the school could be rebuilt, Father Volk’s first “miracle” occurred, which is documented in “Born to Lead,” a history of the Ursuline community written in 1970 that focuses on the first superior, Mother Aloysius Willett.

Mrs. Aquila Blandford, the nearest neighbor, had welcomed the Sisters of Loretto in 1863, and the Ursulines in 1874. Her history lessons to new students always began with the recounting of this “miracle brick” incident: “When the kiln of brick which Father Volk had burned was opened and the masons were on hand to begin the building, the bricks were soft and unfit for use. The men returned home expecting not to begin work until another kiln was burned. The priest was silent; he was seen about dusk passing around the kiln praying. He had gathered some straw and brush lying near which he put under the kiln and then lighted it.

This subterfuge was no doubt to conceal the miracle which he knew God would not deny in this emergency, as the brief flash of fire had not sufficient heat to have any positive effect on the kiln.

“However, Father Volk called the workmen back; they returned more in respect for the good priest (everybody respected him) than in hopes of finding the very bricks which were soft and unfit for use the day before, hard and safe to be used … The men lost no time to begin the erection of the building, which is still standing today.”

That original building is now part of the Mount Saint Joseph Conference and Retreat Center.

In later years, Father Volk was credited with two more local miracles by the faithful. He safely crossed the dangerously flooded Green River on horseback, without even getting wet feet, to attend a dying person in Reed, Ky., and cured a severely handicapped young man in Beech Grove.

Father Volk was pastor at St. Alphonsus and chaplain at Mount Saint Joseph until 1884, when he was sent to central Kentucky, where he built several more

churches. In 1886, he built a church that served four Kentucky counties and two Tennessee counties.

In 1888, he received permission to serve as a missionary in Ecuador, and built four churches there.

Civil war in 1891 made the area dangerous, but on his way back to the United States, he stopped in Panama.

While praying in a cathedral, he met the bishop and he decided to join the priests serving there. He was called back to Kentucky in 1893, but two years later he was allowed to return to Panama, where he served in the mountains and jungles until 1915, building seven churches there.

To raise money for the church built in Colon, Panama, Father Volk served incognito as a laborer working on the Panama Canal, and also begged in the streets. When his fellow workers realized he was a 60-year-old priest, they pooled their funds so he could build the church.

In 1915, he retired to become chaplain at Sacred Heart Academy in Louisville, but in 1918, at his request he was given one more assignment as pastor in Peonia, Ky., and he built one more church at Annetta, Ky. In 1919, he retired for good and returned to the place where he loved the most, Mount Saint Joseph, where he died on Nov. 2. He is buried in the convent cemetery. Eleven months later, his dear friend Mother Aloysius joined him in heaven.

“Father Volk was a man of many gifts,” Sister Ruth Gehres said. “The greatest of these, I think, was his faith. How else could this young priest – only five years ordained and barely off the boat from Germany – move forward with such determination?

“Father Volk was a model of courage, commitment and determination,” said Sister Ruth, who will help lead a Father Volk retreat Aug. 22 at the Retreat Center. “His single-hearted faith kept him going through thick and thin. In this time of challenge and change, he is a model for us all.”n Join us for an inspiring event...

Father Paul Joseph Volk: A Passion for God Saturday, Aug. 22, 2015

Retreat Leader: Sister Ruth Gehres 9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. $20 fee includes lunch Mount Saint Joseph Conference and Retreat Center RVSP to Kathy McCarty: 270-229-0206 kathy.mccarty@maplemount.org

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Sometimes wishing and hoping can make things happen

# We never know when God Wish List for the Sisters in Saint Joseph Villa will place us in a situation that is 40 Hospital mattresses for the beds.................................$400 each................q at once very scary and also very 100 Strong, soft, fitted sheets for the beds.......................$30 each..................q eye-opening. My revelation of 3 Welch Allyn Suretemp thermometers............................$200 each................q that fact came when I had to 3 Hospital grade blood pressure machines on wheels......$1,000 each.............q spend some time in Saint Joseph 6 Litmans stethoscopes...................................................$100 each................q Villa during an illness. Saint Joseph Villa is the area where our 1 Therapy massage chair.................................................$1,500 each..............q sisters who need nursing care are 3 Therapy lights...............................................................$150 each................q located. It is a beautiful place that 100 Strong, soft white bath towels...................................$20 each..................q was built in 2002-2003 because we did not have For use in isolation area during quarantines: 1 case disposable stethoscopes adequate space for the sisters to get care. I visit and blood pressure cuffs and 1 case disposable thermometers.......................q the sisters mostly on Sunday evenings to make A 65-70� or larger LED TV for the gathering room (Many sisters cannot see well, smoothies for them. It has been a wonderful way so it needs to be a large screen. The sisters watch the daily Mass that is streamed live from the Motherhouse Chapel.)..................@$4,000..................q to keep in touch and get to know them better.

Spending several weeks living with them has Amount Enclosed $___________ I wish to donate to the greatest need..........q Note: If you would like to help grant any of these wishes, please cut or copy given me a whole new picture of these beautiful this form and place it in the donation envelope included in this magazine. women. They are well-educated women who pray many hours a day, read, do puzzles, play in this Ursulines Alive (see above) to give you an cards, quilt and watch TV to keep up on what is opportunity to help take care of the sisters in the Villa. happening in the world. Some are just close to God as We wish and hope that many of you will be a part of they lie in their beds waiting for His call. this special endeavor.

These women have taught thousands of children If you are ever near the Mount, please stop by and from kindergarten to university. They have served in visit with some of the sisters. They would love to see schools in Kentucky and all across the United States. you. Many of them no longer have family to visit them.

Many worked in programs and parishes well into their 80s, volunteering their time and expertise. Each one has If you have children or grandchildren, bring them, too.

Visitors are always welcome. been a blessing to the Church and now they need care.

Thank you for your consideration. God bless you The nurses and all the staff who work with the and those you love. sisters are so dedicated to their care. They check Sister Amelia Stenger, Director of Development on them many times during the day and night and make sure they have what they need. They care for Statement of Accountability the sisters while trying to save as much as they can.

They use everything as long as it is viable. They are a As a member of the National Catholic Development Conference, the true blessing and are helping the sisters in every way Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph submit an accountability report after their annual financial audit. This is a summary of Donations/ possible.

Bequests and Expenses for fiscal year ending June 30, 2014. If you As I looked around the Villa, I found that there have questions, call Sister Amelia Stenger at 270-229-2008. are some real needs. The mattresses were purchased Revenue_______________________________ when the Villa was built in the early 2000s and all of

Unrestricted 211,404.06 45.62% them need to be replaced. A grant was written to an Restricted 1,250.00 0.27% organization called SOAR (Supporting Our Aging Restricted Alumnae 1,813.00 0.39% Religious) to get 40 new mattresses for the hospital MSJ Center 4,700.25 1.01% Chile Missions 8,154.00 1.76% beds. We are hoping for a favorable response sometime Grants 4,200.00 0.91% soon. If we do not get the grant, we still need to replace Bequests Unrestricted 6,815.33 1.47% them. Sheets that fit the new beds will also be needed.

Retirement 7,838.03 1.69% Quilt Club 38,636.48 8.34% Many of you donate your time, talent and treasure Annual Dinner 44,436.00 9.59% to support the mission of our community. We are so Picnic 134,175.85 28.95% grateful for that support. It shows your love and care for 463,423.00 100.00% Expenses______________________________ these wonderful women who taught you how to read, Retirement Fund 180,650.36 38.98% write and do your math. If you have parents in nursing Chile Ministry 8,154.00 1.76% homes, you know what the cost of supporting a person Restricted 3,063.00 0.66% really is. Multiply that times the 40 rooms we have in MSJ Center 4,700.25 1.01% U.S. Ministry/Program Service 237,963.30 51.35% the Villa and you will get an idea of what it takes to Management/General 21,012.43 4.53% take care of our sisters.

Fund Raising 7,879.66 1.70% Having said all this, we are placing a wish list

463,423.00 100.00%

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Second “Get Moving at the Mount” 5K is almost here! Get Moving at the Mount!

The starting line of last year’s inaugural 5K at Mount Saint Joseph

5K Run/Walk

Saturday, May 30, 2015 Registration: 7:15 a.m.

Race: 8 a.m.

A

fter a wildly successful first year, the Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph will host their second “Get A participant Moving at the crosses the finish line in 2014 Mount 5K Run/ Walk” on Saturday, May 30, 2015.This 5K race is open to walkers, runners, children and adults and will take place on the grounds of Mount Saint Joseph and the surrounding roads.

Last year 160 runners and walkers crossed the finish line – a great turnout for an inaugural event. The numbers should increase this year because Get Moving at the Mount is the official 5K of the Daviess County Bicentennial.

Registration will start at 7:15 a.m. on race day with the race beginning at 8 a.m. Online registration is now available through our website (ursulinesmsj.org/ help-the-sisters/5k) or you may print a registration form from our website and mail it. The registration fee is $20 until May 1 and then $25 through race day.

Children 6 and under may participate for free unless they want a T-shirt. Please note, participants will not be guaranteed a T-shirt unless they register by May 11.

Participants can choose to run in honor or memory of a sister by paying an additional $10. Participants will receive an armband with that sister’s name on it to wear during the race.

Another great way to support the sisters is to sponsor a sister to participate in the race. Please send these donations with the sister’s name you wish to sponsor to 8001

Join the Fun! The Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph are hosting their second 5K – the official 5K for the Daviess County Bicentennial! It is open to walkers, runners, children and adults and will take place on the grounds and nearby roads. All proceeds support the ministries of the Ursuline Sisters.

Registration is NOW OPEN!

COST: $20 per person if you sign up by May 1, 2015 $25 after May 1 and on race day (Ages 6 and under free) Register by May 11 to be guaranteed a free T-shirt!

Run/walk in honor or in memory of a sister for $10 more.

Or if you cannot attend, you can sponsor a sister who plans to race!

• Race will be chip-timed and awards will be given to the winners • Race packet pickup will be available at Brescia University the week before the race

Located 12 miles west of Owensboro on Hwy. 56. Register online (or print out a form):

ursulinesmsj.org/help-the-sisters/5k For more information, contact Dan Heckel 270-229-2007 • dan.heckel@maplemount.org

Cummings Road, Maple Mount, KY 42356 attention Sister Amelia Stenger. Please make checks payable to Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph and include “5K” on the memo line.

All proceeds from the event will support the mission of the Ursuline Sisters. The Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph are a vibrant group of women who minister to the needs of the communities in which they serve, in areas such as education, pastoral ministry, nursing, social justice and a variety of other arenas where they have been called by God. The Ursuline Sisters currently serve in nine states, Washington, D.C., and in Chile, South America.

This scenic route with the sisters is the perfect family outing so be sure to mark your calendar to get moving at the Mount! Watch for more details on our website and Facebook page (facebook. com/getmovingatthemount5k). For more information, contact Dan Heckel at (270) 229-2007, or dan.heckel@maplemount.org.n 11

A Ministry of the Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph

Give Peace, Quiet and Prayer a Chance

The Feb. 8 Open House included a stop at the Mount Saint Joseph Gift Shop.

RIGHT: Participants As part of a global celebration of 2015 being named the at the Jan. 6 “Year of Consecrated Life” by Pope Francis, the Ursuline Evening with an Ursuline dinner and presentation included, from Sisters hosted a tour on Feb. 8. A wonderful group came left, Ursuline Sister Mary Matthias Ward, Ursuline Sister Rebecca to see the Motherhouse Chapel, two community rooms, White, Father Richard Powers, Monsignor Bernard Powers, Ursuline the library, craft room, archives, Saint Angela Merici Sister Francis Louise Johnson and Suzanne Rose. UPPER RIGHT: Two Oratory and the Retreat Center (pictured above).

Sisters of the Lamb of God, Deborah Lynn Masterman, back, and Debra Ann Bailey ount aint oseph onference and etreat enter attended the Feb. 3 dinner and talk.

M

S J C R C Calendar of Upcoming Events 2015 MAY

Christian Women’s Retreat........................................... Friday-Sunday, May 1-3 Diocese of Evansville, Ind.........................................................Tuesday, May 5 Evening with an Ursuline dinner/presentation....................Tuesday, May 5 Diocese of Owensboro Diaconate Program............... Friday-Sunday, May 8-10 Rediscover Catholicism class/lunch................................ Thursday, May 14 Mount Saint Joseph Academy Alumnae Weekend........................... May 16-17 Owensboro Catholic 6th Grade Prayer Day............................Tuesday, May 26 Yarn Spinners Weekend................................................................. May 29-31 5K Run/Walk at Mount Saint Joseph (8 a.m.)........................ Saturday, May 30 JUNE

Evening with an Ursuline dinner/presentation.................. Tuesday, June 2 Young Daughters of Saint Angela....................Wednesday-Saturday, June 3-6 Ignatian Retreat (new dates)...................................Friday-Sunday, June 5-7 Rediscover Catholicism class/lunch...............................Thursday, June 11 Associates and Sisters Day................................................... Saturday, June 13 Christian Leadership Institute Retreat Week.................................... June 21-26 Diocese of Owensboro Diaconate Program............ Friday-Sunday, June 26-28

Seminarians from the Saint Meinrad Seminary and School of Theology in Indiana came to the Center the week of Jan. 17-23 for a silent retreat with priests and brothers. Each day they celebrated Mass in the Center Chapel.

JULY

Evening with an Ursuline dinner/presentation....................Tuesday, July 7 Ursuline Sisters’ Community Days.................. Wednesday-Saturday, July 8-11 Conference/Directed Retreats for Women Religious ................. July 12-18 St. John’s Youth from Michigan for Habitat..........................Week of July 19-25 Spiritual Direction Training Program (Final Week 8) ................. July 20-24 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

Tonya Logsdon, left, and Anne Renfrow follow the point Mike McLevaine is making in the second session of “Rediscover Catholicism” on Feb. 12.

The monthly classes focus on Matthew Kelly’s successful book. Classes are at 10:30 a.m. on the second Thursday of the month (except July). The cost for each class is $10, which includes lunch.

Dear Friends of the Center, As I write this letter we are moving from winter to spring, and very soon Lent will end, moving us into the Easter season. The secular world tends to celebrate Easter for only one day, but the Church in her wisdom gives us 50 days to celebrate this Resurrection event.

Like the 12 apostles, the faithful women and other disciples, we stand in awe at the empty tomb. What a grace to be caught in this Easter season! It is too awesome to rush through Easter; we need to take time to savor it. How might we do that? The Mount Saint Joseph Conference and Retreat Center offers a quiet, comfortable place to come away and marvel at this wonder we call Easter. New life is all about us. Daffodils are blooming, trees are green and the snow is Sister Ann a distant memory.

McGrew What is new in your life this Easter season? How do you meet God differently after this past season of Lent and into this Resurrection season? How is God calling you to be different in this 2015 year of grace? The following quote from Henri Nouwen gives us some idea of the importance of call and our response to God’s call in our everyday life.

“Here the word call becomes important. We are not called to save the world, solve all problems and help all people. But we each have our own unique call, in our families, in our work, in our world. We have to keep asking God to help us see clearly what our call is and to give us the strength to live out that call with trust. Then we will discover that our faithfulness to a small task is the most healing response to the illnesses of our time.”

Besides the quiet and beauty of the nature surrounding us, we also offer some personal enrichment.

Monthly on the first Tuesday, there is “Evening with an Ursuline,” which begins at 5:30 p.m. with a meal followed with a talk on various topics ending at 7 p.m. On the second Thursday of each month, we offer a reflection on Matthew Kelly’s book, “Rediscover Catholicism,” beginning at 10:30 a.m. and ending with lunch at noon. Throughout the year we offer other days of prayer and reflection.

OUR MISSION: Mount Saint Joseph Please come and join us. Your life will be enriched.

Conference and Retreat Center offers and

I wish a Happy Easter season to each of you. I pray that you find hosts programs in a rural environment of the courage to answer God’s call for you and that your response will be tranquility for people of all ages and faiths daily living God’s will for you. Thank you for all your support and please to nurture spiritual and personal growth, come to spend some time basking in the peace and beauty of God. advance the arts and promote In the Spirit of Saint Angela Merici, lifelong learning.

Sister Ann McGrew, Center Director ann.mcgrew@maplemount.org

Spiritual Direction Training Program deepens the faith

T

hey come to learn the tools that will enable them to help others on their journey with God. But despite their differing backgrounds, each current member of the Spiritual Direction Training Program says it is the deepening of their own spirituality that has most pleasantly surprised them since their classes began in October 2013.

The 2015-17 class of the Spiritual Direction Training Program at the Mount Saint Joseph Conference and Retreat Center will begin in October.

Registration is open for the program, which will certify those who feel a call to walk with people who are searching to expand their relationship with God. “Even if you do not decide to be a spiritual director, this program will help you in all your relationships,” said Linda Cirillo, a hospital chaplain in Evansville, Ind. “It will teach you to listen, be compassionate, be loving and deepen your relationship with God. It will help you evolve however God is forming you.”

Victor Fromm is an employee of St. Leo Parish in Murray, Ky., who became a deacon in 2012.“It’s not only about what you’ll do as a spiritual director,” he

Sister Cheryl Clemons, OSU, makes a point about the Gospel during the Spiritual Direction Training class on July 23, 2014 at the Retreat Center. The 2013-2015 class was taking its fourth week of instruction during the two-year program.

said. “It affects everything in your life, in prayer, in finding God active in your life in all different kinds of ways. I’ve experienced numerous ways to pray, I’ve never done that before. I’ve incorporated them into my prayer life.”

Theresa Nardi formerly owned a racing publication, and now raises horses near Knoxville, Tenn. “I came with the goal of helping someone else. I didn’t realize how helpful it would be in deepening my own faith Story continued on page 14

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Spiritual Direction

From page 13

journey,” she said. “I listen more attentively to others.

I find God in their experience and my own.”

Gail Ratti Curran will retire as a special education teacher in Knoxville this year. It’s important that those considering the program know that they’ll learn in a small group, which will help build community, she said.“Even though there is reading and homework, it’s not academia like at a university,” Curran said. “The fact that we have our meals together, our prayer time, it brings out something in us. It’s a chance to be away from the distractions of our life to have communion with God. The setting is a very peaceful place. The instructors, being sisters, are inspirational to me. They give their life to God.” Sister Yvette Gillim is a Sister of Mercy in Knoxville. “I was working at a parish for 39 years, they were trying to get me to take a sabbatical,” she said. “I was asked what I would like to do. I’ve always been told I’m a good listener, so I said ‘how about spiritual direction?’” The program at Maple Mount kept popping up in her search.

“It’s a good way to get in touch with your own relationship with God. They give us a beautiful role model in Saint Angela Merici,” Sister Yvette said. “I think it’s interesting that Angela was a spiritual director way back then, even though they didn’t call it that.”

The Spiritual Direction Training Program meets quarterly for a week at a time for eight weeks, beginning Oct. 26, 2015 and completing the week of July 31, 2017.

Why they come

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Cirillo moved from Ohio to Evansville in July 2011 to work as a hospital chaplain. One of her colleagues was a graduate of the program at Maple Mount.“I’d always had an interest in spiritual direction, but never felt called until recently,” she said. “I’ve really felt the call to be a spiritual director for inmates, incarcerated women and their families. This program is giving me the tools to do my lifelong desire.”Some of those tools include listening, presence, compassion, being nonjudgmental and hearing the other person’s story. “I thought I moved to Evansville to work at the hospital.

Maybe God brought me to Evansville so I could find out about the spiritual direction program.”

Curran has long wanted to be a spiritual director, and was accepted into a program in 1991 in her native Arizona, but a new commitment then made her realize it was not the right time. She has long been involved in her church, and her late husband was a deacon. He died in 2006.

“I knew after my husband died that I wanted to be a spiritual director for deacons’ wives and widows, and wives of men in formation,” she said.

Applications are being accepted for the 2015-2017 Spiritual Direction Training Program which begins Oct. 26 at Mount Saint Joseph Conference and Retreat Center.

For information, contact Sheila Blandford

by Aug. 31 at 270-229-0269 or sheila.blandford@maplemount.org.

Find out more at www.ursulinesmsj.org under Conference & Retreat Center.

She moved from Phoenix to Knoxville in July 2010, and asked if there were a spiritual direction training program nearby. That’s how she met Monica Armstrong, a 2012 graduate of the Mount Saint Joseph program, who joined the coordinating team in 2013.

“I met with Monica in July 2012,” Curran said. “I decided not to wait until I retired. I was so excited.

This is a doable program. I love talking about God.” Nardi was referred by her mentor, Sister of Mercy Marie Moore. Sister Marie was a member of the first Spiritual Direction class in 2004 but had to leave when she was reassigned.

“She told me, ‘You are going to do this,’” Nardi said. “I have always been doing this, I just wasn’t doing it as well. It was exciting to know there was a title for doing what I do, and instruction for doing it better.”

Fromm was halfway through his diaconate training when he read about the spiritual direction program.

“I’ve learned to open myself more to people. I’m a very reserved person,” he said. “I’ve learned to be open to people at Mass. I would never have gone up to someone who looked concerned and asked if they needed help, but now I will.”

Ursuline Associate Dan Heckel is director of Mission Advancement and Communications for the Ursuline Sisters. He became aware of the program while writing an article about it in 2008, but it was 2010 before he began considering his own call.

“I’d interviewed Sister Sharon Sullivan for a profile in January 2010, and afterward she told me, ‘Many of the questions you ask are what a spiritual director would ask,” Heckel said. “Then I interviewed Sister Pam Mueller for a profile in July 2010, she’s a graduate of the program. Afterward she told me, ‘The questions you ask are what a spiritual director would ask.’ I thought maybe God was trying to tell me something, so I better start praying about it.”

He’d never imagined himself as a spiritual director, but he and his classmates now know that a gift for listening and helping someone see that the Holy Spirit is present in his or her life is much needed in this hectic world.

“Listening is huge,” Curran said. “Holy listening is an ear open to God, an ear open to the person. The instructors are so open and accepting and positive.”n

S p r i n g

Gheens Foundation honored with Sister Darlene Award Kathy Knott, left, representing the Gheens Foundation, accepts the Sister Darlene Make a Difference Award from Roxanna Trivitt, executive director of Shively Area Ministries, during the Sept.

25, 2014 awards ceremony.

Shively Area Ministries in Louisville, Ky., created the Sister Darlene Make a Difference Award in 2011 to honor Ursuline Sister Darlene Denton and the work she did for 10 years with the ministry serving the poor. Sister Darlene died Sept. 5, 2011, and each September a volunteer or organization is honored for helping fulfill the ministries’ mission. The recipient demonstrates effective leadership and encourages growth and development in their area of work.

The recipient of the 2014 Sister Darlene Make a Difference Award on Sept. 25, 2014 was the Gheens Foundation. The foundation’s generosity “is a true example of sharing resources with others and helping to make Louisville a compassionate city,” said Roxanna Trivitt, executive director of Shively Area Ministries. “We have been blessed with two major gifts from this organization, one for our food pantry construction and the other gift for four major programs: education and empowerment, financial assistance, food pantry and sustainability programs,” Trivitt said. “Their last gift aided us to exceed our major goal and begin another goal.” Kathy Knott represented the foundation to Sister Darlene receive the award.

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In the joy of eternal life Sister Annalita Lancaster, 91, died Dec. 9, 2014, at Mount Saint Joseph, in her 71st year of religious life. She was a native of Vine Grove, Ky. Sister Annalita was a tireless and cheerful leader in whatever she attempted, always Sister Agnes keeping the spirit of Saint Angela Merici and the Catherine history of Mount Saint Joseph close to her heart.

She mixed knowledge and strength with kindness and service wherever she ministered. She was a teacher and principal in the Archdiocese of Louisville and in Nebraska before becoming major superior of the Ursuline Sisters from 1972-80.

She was the director of admissions at Brescia College, Owensboro (1980-84), the first associate director of the Mount Saint Joseph Retreat Center (1984-88), and the community’s first director of Mission Effectiveness (1995-2005). She served on the community leadership Council (1997-2000), as assistant local community coordinator (2000-01) and as assistant to the community archivist (2005-14). Survivors include her sister, Emma Florence Itschner of Owensboro; her brother Patrick Joshua Lancaster of Louisville; nieces and nephews and the members of her religious community.

Sister Mary Eileen Howard, 87, died March 8, in Owensboro, Ky., in her 67th year of religious life. She was a native of Whitesville, Ky. Sister Mary Eileen had a musical soul, and loved to help others enjoy music as a teacher or liturgist. She once said a lack of music “would be like taking all the birds out of the world.” She was a music teacher in Kentucky and Missouri for 46 years, served as a music minister at Sts. Joseph and Paul Parish, Owensboro (1984-85), and was liturgist at Mount Saint Joseph (1976-84, 1996-2013). Survivors include her sisters, Ita Belle Howard of Whitesville and four brothers, James Howard of Louisville, Robert Howard of Whitesville, Daniel Howard of Philpot, Ky., and Brice Howard of Owensboro.

Gifts in memory of a sister may take the form of donations to the Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph, 8001 Cummings Road, Maple Mount, KY 42356

And the 2014 Sister Agnes Catherine Williams award goes to...

Mary Haynes

Sts. Joseph and Paul Catholic Church in Owensboro, Ky., presented its annual Sister Agnes Catherine Williams Stewardship Award in November 2014 to Mary Haynes of Owensboro. The award honors someone for providing outstanding ministry to youth and their Catholic formation. Haynes dedicated her career to teaching Catholic grade-school children at St. Mary of the Woods in Whitesville, Ky. Former students remember her with respect and love. She also raised four faith-filled children with her husband, Eddie. She has served as a lector for over 30 years and has helped wherever needed – in the office, at the block party and in the community garden.

She has served on the Stewardship Team and Parish Pastoral Council. Created in Sister Agnes 2007, this award honors the late Sister Agnes Catherine (1905-2007), who dedicated Catherine Williams, her life to educating God’s children, many of them at Sts. Joseph and Paul School.

OSU

New Dates for Ignatian Retreat at Mount Saint Joseph: Weekend of June 5-7, 2015... This is a silent retreat based on the Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius Loyola. Retreat director is Monica Armstrong. The fee is $180 (take 10 percent off if paid in full by May 5).

Contact Kathy McCarty: 270-229-0206 or kathy.mccarty@maplemount.org. A retreat flyer can be found at www.ursulinesmsj.org.

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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

19 Ursuline Sisters celebrating Jubilees in 2015 Nineteen Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph are celebrating jubilees of religious profession this year. They have dedicated a combined 1,070 years of service to God’s people. The jubilarians will be honored on July 11 during community days. You will learn more about them in our summer issue of Ursulines Alive.

Sister Philomena Cox 70 YEARS

Sister Marcella Schrant 70 YEARS

Sister Marie Brenda Vowels 70 YEARS

Sister Jane Falke 60 YEARS

Sister Margaret Marie Greenwell 60 YEARS

Sister Marie Michael Hayden 60 YEARS

Sister Francis Louise Johnson 60 YEARS

Sister Catherine Marie Lauterwasser 60 YEARS

Sister Teresa Riley 60 YEARS

Sister Marietta Wethington 60 YEARS

Sister Mary Ellen Backes 50 YEARS

Sister Marie Joseph Coomes 50 YEARS

Sister Michael Marie Friedman 50 YEARS

Sister Maureen Griner 50 YEARS

Sister Barbara Jean Head 50 YEARS

Sister Mary Henning 50 YEARS

Sister Ann McGrew 50 YEARS

Sister Emma Anne Munsterman 50 YEARS

Sister Dee Long 40 YEARS

Save the date! The Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph’s 45th Annual Barbecue Picnic to benefit the retired sisters will be on Sunday, Sept. 13.

Booths open at 10:30 a.m. Serving begins at 11:30 a.m. Volunteers (and visitors) needed!