Ursulines Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph Proclaiming Jesus through Education and Christian Formation
Sisters Recognize 5th Year of Laudato Si’ Remembering Mother Aloysius 2020 Jubilarians Online Retreats Offered this Fall
Summer 2020 Issue No. 52
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COVER: A view of the Mount Saint
From our Congregational Leader
Joseph Motherhouse Chapel and the statue of Saint Therese of Lisieux (The Little Flower), taken from the balcony of the Guest House by Ursuline Associate and employee Jennifer Kaminski.
Dear Friends, What an extraordinary year we are having. We are still in the midst of Covid-19 and we are trying to adjust as much as we can. We do hope that you and your families are safe. The Sisters are adjusting to the changes that have been made to keep everyone free of the virus. They are committed to helping in any way possible. We ask God to continue to protect the Sisters and all of you. During this time, we need to think about the reasons for all the different natural things that are taking place on our planet. There are stronger storms, more and larger fires, ice sheets that are melting and much more. There are so many things that are changing our environment. What part are we playing in helping or harming our common home – Earth? Pope Francis gives us an insight into the work that lies before us as we try to save our planet. He says, “The protection of the environment and respect for the biodiversity of the planet are issues that affect us all. We cannot pretend to be healthy in a world that is sick. … Caring for ecosystems demands a look to the future. One that is not concerned only with the immediate moment or that seeks a quick and easy profit, but rather one that is concerned for life and that seeks its preservation for the benefit of all.” The Ursuline Sisters continue to try to find ways to help the environment. Each one of us is responsible for doing our part to work for new ways to preserve this wonderful gift that God has shared with us. If we all work together to do something, we can make a difference for our world. God bless all of you.
INDEX Sisters Help the Environment................ 3-5 Mother Aloysius..................................... 6-7 2020 Jubilarians.................................... 8-11 Sister Spotlight.......................................... 9 Obituaries................................................ 10 Soli Deo Gloria......................................... 10 Vocations................................................. 11 Saint Ursula Window.............................. 11 Center Offers Online Retreats........... 12-14 Retreat Center Director.......................... 13 Powerhouse of Prayer............................. 14 Donor Highlight...................................... 15 Escape to the Mount............................... 16
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.
Sister Amelia Stenger, OSU
SKYPE spans the more than 5,000 miles between Sister Marie Julie Fecher at Maple Mount (right) from Sister Mimi Ballard in South America! One of Sister Marie Julie’s ministries this year is to “share life and prayer with Sister Mimi Ballard” at Casa Ursulina in Chillán, Chile. Thanks to technology, the prayer partners can share the good news. They plan to visit regularly throughout the year. Do you know this masked Ursuline Sister? Hint: She has a University of Kansas mask because she used to live in Kansas. It’s Sister Pat Lynch! Sisters and staff are following the recommended safety guidelines, and we ask all visitors to do the same. Thanks! Ursulines Alive is published by the Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph, Maple Mount, Ky. Three issues are published each calendar year.
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EDITORS: Director of Mission Advancement/Communications....... Dan Heckel, OSUA Communications Specialist/Graphic Design..................... Jennifer Kaminski, OSUA MISSION ADVANCEMENT STAFF: Coordinator of Ursuline Partnerships............................... Doreen Abbott, OSUA Director of Development.................................................. Carol Braden-Clarke Communications and Development Specialist................. Maggie Hatfield Mission Advancement Assistant....................................... Sister Mary McDermott Contributing Writer........................................................... Sister Ruth Gehres Contributing Writer........................................................... Sister Marietta Wethington
Photo by Sister Ruth Gehres
Congregational Leader, Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph
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 • Facebook: facebook.com/ursulinesmsj • Instagram: Ursuline Sisters of MSJ • Twitter: twitter.com/ursulinesmsj • YouTube: UrsulineSistersMSJ
After five years of Laudato Si’, Sisters see environmental work to do threatens our commitment to: protect human life ive years ago, Pope Francis urged “every person and dignity, exercise a living on this planet” to engage in a dialogue preferential option for the Maintenance worker Bryan about the role each of us plays in shaping Padgett pours used cooking most vulnerable, promote into a receptacle to the future of the earth. His encyclical was called the common good, and care oil recycle. The Mount kitchen “Laudato Si’: Care for Our Common Home.” for God’s creation,” the recycles oil and liquids used His words were met with great affection by the letter said. The Ursuline in the cleanup of dishes. Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph, who have Sisters received criticism made caring for the earth a staple of their spirituality from some of their since they began in their rural home in 1874. Now supporters over taking that stand. that the newness of Laudato Si’ has worn away, the “When we write letters like that, we want people Sisters see more work to do. to know that we not only care about our own area, “I believe Pope Francis has attempted but we are a part of the whole global to unify all the social teachings into The Sisters believe they community,” said Sister Amelia Stenger, one articulated whole – in so many have an important role congregational leader. “We believe that all ways he calls us to recognize the global people share this planet and each one of relationship among people, all creation, to play in teaching people us must do our part to take care of it. It is and how we treat each other and each that spirituality is a part so important for the people of the United component in creation,” Sister Sharon of protecting the earth. States to have a part in decisions that are Sullivan said. “Economics, health care, made globally because the decisions that are education, justice, development and politics are all made affect the local. Jesus said to love our neighbor, part of one unit – each affecting each other and the and this is one way we can do that.” whole. Sort of like a Rubik’s Cube. What still needs The pope’s encyclical took its name from to be done is basically that we all need to get on “Laudato Si’, mi Signore,” which appears in the board. I was so energized by the Paris Accord, the third stanza of Saint Francis of Assisi’s “Canticle hope it generated, the reality of what looked like a of the Sun.” It means “Praise be to you, my Lord.” global effort with real political will.” The Sisters believe they have an important role to The Paris Climate Agreement of 2015 established play in teaching people that spirituality is a part of a framework for global climate action, including protecting the earth. the mitigation of climate change. President Trump “If people actually become convinced that later withdrew the spirituality is involved in the way we treat the planet, United States from the we would go much farther, much faster,” Sister agreement. Michele Morek said. “Many people had pigeonholed Ursuline leadership the issue of climate change so that it had nothing joined with other to do with their personal lives or with spirituality – women religious until Laudato Si’ came along. We can help through communities programs offered in the Retreat Center, and through in Kentucky to prayer services, discussions, etc., that we offer in our publicly state their chapel or even on Facebook. I think we could have Sister Michele Morek, right, disappointment with some virtual, online presentations that might attract blesses the farm and the fields that move in a 2019 with holy water at Mount Saint some interest. The way to get parents involved is letter to the editor Joseph in 2009, along with through the kids – the ones who are really getting Sister Francis Louise Johnson. published in several behind it and always have are the kids.” The Ursulines try to do this newspapers. “Sometimes I hear people equating care for the blessing during an annual “Catholic teaching is procession to the cemetery on planet with political realities,” Sister Sharon said. clear – climate change is the Feast of Our Lady of the “The notion that a spirituality could drive something a grave moral issue that Snows on Aug. 5. By Dan Heckel, Mount Saint Joseph Staff
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Environment
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so complex as caring for the planet seems foreign to so many. It is vital that we continue to model the spiritual base – and what a rich, rich base that is. Isn’t it Thomas Berry who suggests that one of the core spiritual bases for us even being here is to serve as, for want of a better word, the appreciators of God’s creation?” Aside from being the last three congregational leaders for the Ursuline Sisters, these three Sisters have been active in environmental issues for years. As director of the Mount Saint Joseph Conference and Retreat Center, Sister Amelia developed an environmental education program for children visiting the Mount. She created such programs as “Save Money, Save Energy, Save God’s Earth” for churches of all faiths, a Green Living Symposium, and she was among those involved in the GREENing Western Kentucky Expo, which Sister Sharon Sullivan tests the water in Panther Creek in stood for “Getting Daviess County, Ky., in 2013 for Renewable Energy Water Watch. Education Now.” Sister Michele and Sister Sharon were both members of Water Watch, and then Watershed Watch, and Sister Sharon continues to do water testing of local streams. Sister Michele began an environmental science class during her former days as a biology professor at Brescia University in Owensboro. During her previous ministry with UNANIMA, in 2016 she attended the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris. From her ministry in Kansas City, she recently took part in an online discussion on Laudato Si’ with EarthBeat, through National Catholic Reporter. During an election year when the impact of Covid-19 and the civil unrest over racism is dominating the national conversation, the Sisters know it will take extra effort to focus attention on care for the planet. “It is all connected – environmental issues make Covid worse,” Sister Michele said, noting that natural disasters like fires, Lake Garda at Maple Mount floods and storms 4
make people take shelter and ignore social distancing. “Black and Brown and Indigenous People suffer more from Covid and from environmental disasters, another result of racism,” she said. “Climate change has a great potential to unite us across political divides, unless people don’t ‘believe in it’ and actually use it as a political weapon.” “I hear and see so many whose focus is only on the present, daily task,” Sister Sharon said. “The forester who clearcuts because it is easier, faster and initially more lucrative is living only in the present. The forester who selects and carefully removes to preserve and enhance growth and forest diversity focuses on the sustainable future. The former seems easier – and can become ammunition for those who try to say that strong environmental policies cost jobs. While that is not true, those lobbyists and publicists can get people believing it is true,” she said. “I guess we just have to be the broken record that keeps teaching and modeling the truth that we are one integrated whole and we must believe that every tiny move we make affects the whole.” Among the many Ursuline efforts to care for the earth, Sister Amelia is especially proud of the environmental audit the community did in the mid1990s to develop a 10-year plan for sustainability. “Our community has tried for at least 25 years to move to sustainable ways of living,” she said. “We worked with Father Al Frisch, a well-known Catholic environmentalist, to evaluate our properties. When buildings were renovated, they incorporated many ways to sustain the environment, for example, geothermal heating and cooling systems, low flow showers and commodes, better lighting and other water-saving techniques. The Sisters have incorporated recycling in every area possible.” Sister Michele also cited the sustainability plan as a source of pride, along with the work being done by Sister Larraine Lauter at Water With Blessings, bringing clean water to impoverished nations. For Sister Sharon, there isn’t a single effort that makes her as proud as much as the decades of consistent efforts from the Sisters. “Efforts to recycle, to reduce the carbon footprint, to model certain practices, to educate,” she said. Sister Amelia said Laudato Si’ continues to re-energize the need to work for a sustainable environment. “It gave us the spirituality of the environment that we needed to connect all aspects of saving our common home.” Cattle at Maple Mount
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Environmental efforts of the Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph • (1) The community worked with an environmental religious group in the early 1990s to do an environmental audit on the Motherhouse and developed a 10-year plan, beginning in 1997. All major building renovations since then have incorporated environment-friendly building features like double-paned windows, energy-saver lighting, low-flow toilets and showers, etc. The Retreat Center, Saint Joseph Villa and Saint Ursula Hall use geothermal heating/cooling systems. • (2) The farm uses as few chemicals as possible, with no routine feeding of antibiotics or hormones to the animals, and very little pesticide or herbicides. Other ways the farm staff protects the land include: –No-till planting. It does not disturb the ground like conventional tilling, which can cause soil erosion. Crop residue, such as corn stalks, are left lying on the ground, which helps to keep the ground from washing away in the winter. The planting equipment in the spring clears away the previous year’s debris and plants seed in the same location without tilling. –Additional grassy buffer zones planted to prevent pollution of creeks. A six to seven-foot grass buffer exists between the crops and the creeks to reduce runoff and erosion. –Grass terraces for soil conservation. Some of the pasture fields have terraces because they are on hills. These are mainly ditches with grass at the bottom, that send water to the creek rather than have it run across the field. –Cow and pig manure used to fertilize the fields. Where the cows feed on the hay during the winter, the manure is gathered, then spread over the fields. –Rotation of crops is done annually to preserve the soil and to put nutrients back into the soil for a better crop and to maintain the best methods for farming. –Beef cattle are raised for consumption as well as for sale. This project is possible due to the proper use of pastureland as well as the care of the beef cattle. –Hay fields are raised annually. Some of the hay is used on the MSJ farm while the rest is sold for income. –Two gardens are being raised this year to produce vegetables for consumption. If there is additional produce that we are unable to consume, it is shared with homeless shelters in Owensboro. • (3) Cars with multiple safety features, high gas mileage and better performance are purchased when needed. Vehicles are well maintained and driven for longer mileage before resale.
• (4) A recycling program began in 1997 and continues today. The Sisters recycle paper, cardboard, plastic, newspapers, glass, batteries, and even used cooking oil. The Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph were honored with the KY EXCEL Champion Award in 2011 by the Kentucky Department for Environmental Protection for their recycling efforts. • (5) Light motion detectors within some buildings are used as renovations have occurred. Exterior lights are on timers from dawn to dusk. • (6) LED light bulbs are used in all possible fixtures as well as T-8’s for florescent lights. LED bulbs are much longer lasting, lessen energy consumption, create better lighting and less labor for installations. • (7) Maintenance staff use battery-operated golf carts to get around campus to perform their work, haul their tools and some equipment instead of using maintenance trucks.
Maintenance worker Bryan Padgett puts cardboard into the Local Waste Solutions dumpster for collection. This pick-up truck gets filled daily with cardboard, paper, plastic and other recyclables on campus.
• (8) Tree plantings are done each year to replace trees that have been felled by storms or removed for safety reasons. This is done in November and December, the best time to plant such vegetation due to less need for watering. • (9) MSJ has its own sewage treatment plant and follows all local, state and federal regulations. During the past year and a half, some changes pertaining to chlorine and purification methods have provided excellent savings as well as fewer possible negative issues of wastewater going into the water systems. • (10) Aging equipment is replaced as needed to save energy usage and consumption as well as expenses. The most efficient products for the best energy use and savings are purchased and installed. An upgraded heating and cooling control system will soon be installed for Paul Volk Hall and should perform well and remain upgraded on a regular basis. 5
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n the fall of 1877, a student from Union County, Ky., arrived at Maple Mount – a young woman who would change the fortunes of the Ursuline Sisters forever. Her name was Leona Willett. Leona was the star student in the second graduating class of Mount Saint Joseph Academy. She later joined the Ursulines as Sister Aloysius and became a driving force as both an educator and leader of the Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph through their infancy as an independent community. Oct. 1 this year marks the 100th anniversary of the death of Mother Aloysius Willett. Along with her mentor Mother Augustine Bloemer and her protégé Mother Agnes O’Flynn, Mother Aloysius set the foundation stones for the Ursuline community that are still in place today. She did all this after suffering through a difficult childhood. “Born to Lead,” the book written by Ursuline Sister Eugenia Scherm, detailed Mother Aloysius’ early life. Her mother died of tuberculosis not long after giving birth to Leona’s brother, Thomas. The two children were raised by Leona’s grandmother for a few years. Her father remarried two years later, and the new couple had nine children. After the first child was born, her stepmother called for Leona and Thomas to be returned, but her stepmother treated her cruelly compared to her own children. By the time Leona was 10, members of the family petitioned the court to give Leona’s grandmother custody of the children. Leona prospered in her time at Mount Saint Joseph Academy,
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–By Dan Heckel, Mount Saint Joseph Staff
and upon her graduation in 1880, became a public-school teacher in her native Waverly. Her love for the Ursuline Sisters and her desire to serve God drew her too strongly, and she returned to Maple Mount on July Ursuline Sisters pose with the 1918 graduates of the 16, 1882, to join the Mount Saint Joseph Academy, Maple Mount, Ky. Front: Ursuline community. Angela Payne, Mother Aloysius Willett, Celestine Buren. Back: Isabel Sheeran, Mother Agnes O’Flynn, By that fall she was teaching at the Academy Gladys Aubrey, unknown Sister, Bernadette Cotter. tipping point for the Sisters at and named Director of the Mount, provided the impetus Studies. In those days, all novices received for Mother Aloysius to pursue independence for the community. It their training in Louisville, where was the beginning of more than two the Ursuline Sisters – the first of years of difficult feelings between whom arrived from Bavaria in the Motherhouse in Louisville and 1858 – spoke mostly German. By the community at the Mount. 1892, the Academy was attracting In the fall of 1912, the many American-born girls from the apostolic delegate to the United surrounding rural area who wanted to join the Ursuline Sisters, but who States declared that the Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph did not want to move to Louisville. could become an independent Together with Mother Augustine and Father Paul Volk, the priest who community. As a symbol of the new growth expected for the fledgling brought the Ursulines to Maple community, Mother Aloysius Mount, Mother Aloysius worked ordered the planting of 100 maple toward having a novitiate at Maple trees extending from the Guest Mount. Louisville Bishop George House to the cemetery, thus creating McCloskey approved the novitiate All Saints Avenue. It was part in 1895, with Mother Augustine of a beautification program that as the local superior and Mother included adding terraces, concrete Aloysius as the novice mistress. walkways and the planting of other In 1905, with Mother trees and shrubs. She also oversaw Augustine’s health deteriorating, the building of St. Angela Hall. Mother Aloysius replaced her as On July 16, 1913 – the feast local superior. She would lead her of Our Lady of Mount Carmel – Sisters at Maple Mount for the next with Bishop Denis 15 years, through the birth of a new O’Donaghue present, community. Mother Aloysius Following the death of Bishop Willett was elected McCloskey in 1909, the superior superior by her of the Ursulines in Louisville Sisters. attempted to close the novitiate Prohibited from at Maple Mount and to bring all Bishop Denis novices to Louisville. This, the taking on more O’Donaghue
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schools in Louisville for 20 years, the Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph expanded their reputation as excellent teachers by ministering in small schools in central Kentucky and in the areas around Owensboro. During the summers, Mother Aloysius arranged classes for her Sisters to further their education. In 1916, Mother Aloysius was elected to a second term as superior and sent the first Sisters to minister outside Kentucky as teachers at St. Anthony School in Jeffersonville, Ind. Two years later she sent Sisters to staff schools in Nebraska, and in 1919, in New Mexico. That year, the community received special dispensation from the rules of the order to allow Mother Aloysius and her Council to be elected to a third term. Later that year she would help her Sisters through the loss of the beloved Father Volk, her dear friend, who died in November. As the 1920s began, the Ursuline Sisters took charge of their 38th school. That spring, Mother Aloysius was struggling to fight off the flu. She planned a trip to California both to recuperate and to find a suitable home for her Sisters who were ill. She planned to stay with her cousin Frank Wathen and his wife Mary as she met with the bishop of Los Angeles. She left at the end of August and planned to stop in Nebraska City along the way to visit her Sisters serving in Nebraska. There were 14 postulants at Maple Mount, with four more young women expected to join in September, when Mother Aloysius left these departing words. “My dear Postulants, I have come to say goodbye before leaving my dear Maple Mount. You are fourteen Holy Helpers, and I want you to be children of the love of God, children worthy of your Holy Mother, Saint Angela. Yes, my dear children, the love of God is all-important. I had
rather see you love God than to be learned in all the sciences, or other branches of knowledge. “… I am leaving Saint Joseph’s through obedience, but I can never forget it. Soon I will come back full of health, ready to start life over again, for I will then be a new Religious. I will soon be well when I get out in sunny California. You must pray for me and I will be praying for you. And so, goodbye, my children, goodbye.” The Sisters in Maple Mount never saw her alive again. Upon reaching Nebraska City, Mother Aloysius suffered a heart attack. She began to feel better while in Nebraska and decided to continue her trip to California. She arrived at the Wathen home in Los Angeles on Sept. 24. According to records in the Maple Mount Archives, Mother Aloysius enjoyed taking walks and picking great clusters of flowers in Los Angeles. She talked at length about the home she wanted to have there for the ailing Sisters. On Oct. 1, she insisted she was going to Mass and wanted to see Our Lady of Loretto Church, despite protestations from her family. After taking Communion at the railing, she suffered another heart attack. She never regained consciousness and died at the Wathen home. She was 58 years old, leaving behind a community of 181 professed Sisters and 25 more in the novitiate. The eulogy at her funeral on Oct. 8 was delivered by Father E.S. Fitzgerald, who had known her for the 28 years he had been ecclesiastical superior for the Ursuline Sisters. This is some of what he said: “When our Right Reverend Bishop appointed Mother Aloysius the Superior of the community it was really something to arouse one’s sympathy when she received the
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command. Her predilections were for a quiet life, the life of a student, the life of a teacher. Now she will be thrown forth in the world; she would have to be the businesswoman of the community. She would have to meet men of affairs pertaining to the material welfare of the community. She had the burden of the spiritual life of all of the sisters upon her. She was the one after whom they would model their lives. … I would be transgressing upon confidence that would never meet the approval of Mother Aloysius were I to give you the slightest idea of the many charities she exercised. Many a poor father and poor mother came to her to tell her of their ways of poverty and of their aspirations for the education of their daughter, and they never came to her in vain, and no one ever knew what it was but her and God. … “Through the cross, Mother Aloysius reached her destiny, and you may do the same. Keep alive her example before you and keep alive all she has done for you, and remember as a saint in heaven ... she will do more for you there than she could do for you here.” Today, Mother Aloysius is honored on the Maple Mount campus with the Carrara marble statue of Saint Joseph in the Memory Garden (left), a gift from the Academy Alumnae Association in 1907, the 25th anniversary of her entrance into religious life. A large meeting room used for the staff and the Ursuline Sisters is named for Mother Aloysius. Her presence is part of every fiber on the Maple Mount campus and everywhere the Ursuline Sisters serve.n 7
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Meet our 2020 Jubilarians! Nearly 700 years of service to God’s people is represented in these 10 Ursuline Sisters celebrating anniversaries of religious profession. Jubilarian congratulations may be mailed to: Mount Saint Joseph, 8001 Cummings Road, Maple Mount, KY 42356
Sister Marcella Schrant, a native of Walker, Kan., is celebrating 75 years as an Ursuline Sister. She was previously an Ursuline of Paola, Kan., prior to the 2008 merger with Mount Saint Joseph. She wanted to be a teacher as a young girl, and she got that wish when she joined the Ursuline Sisters. She is a 1957 graduate of Mount St. Scholastica College (now Benedictine College) in Atchison, Kan. All of her ministry was in Kansas until retiring to Maple Mount in 2014. She was a teacher for 43 years at Holy Name, Kansas City (1947-54, 1961-69), St. Agnes, Roeland Park (1954-57, 196990) and St. Patrick/Holy Trinity, Paola (1957-61). She was elected superior of her community (199094). She was a receptionist at St. Lawrence Catholic Campus Center, (1994-2004) and office assistant at St. John the Evangelist Parish (2007-14), both in Lawrence, and pastoral associate at Holy Family Parish, Eudora (2004-07). She now volunteers on campus where she “brings her own sunshine” every day, and she still makes jams and jellies. Sister Marie Goretti Browning is celebrating her 70th year of religious life. She is a native of Calvary, Ky., where she was taught by Ursuline Sisters. She is a 1966 graduate of Brescia College in Owensboro, Ky., and earned a master’s degree in psychology in 1970 from Xavier University. She taught at St. Bartholomew, Buechel, Ky., (1952-59), Seven Holy Founders, Affton, Mo., (1959-64) and was principal of St. Leonard, Louisville (1964-68). She returned 8
to the Motherhouse to serve as director of novices (1970-80) and one of her novices – Sister Michele Ann Intravia – celebrates her 40th jubilee this year. Sister Marie Goretti next served as assistant superior (1980-84). She served as administrative assistant at Brescia College, Owensboro (1984-85), then parish coordinator for Immaculate Parish, Owensboro (1985-88). She was the second director of the Mount Saint Joseph Conference and Retreat Center (1988-94). She was a pastoral associate for St. Thomas More Parish, Paducah, Ky., (199599), and St. John the Baptist Parish, Fordsville, Ky., (1999-2000). She was an elected Council member and director of temporary professed (2000-2004). She was director of faith formation for St. Mary Magdalene Parish, Sorgho, Ky., (2004-07) and served in outreach in Benton, Ky., in 2008. She was director of pastoral care at Saint Joseph Villa in 2009. She is now active in the Powerhouse of Prayer. Sister Elaine Burke is celebrating her 70th year of religious life. She grew up in a musical home in Louisville, and music has remained a part of her life. She is a 1965 graduate of Brescia College, and earned her master’s degree in religious education from Catholic University of America in 1971. She was a teacher at St. Benedict, Nebraska City, Neb., (1952-57), principal, teacher, organist and choir director at St. Paul, Louisville (1957-64), and principal and teacher at Holy Trinity, Fredericktown, Ky. (1964-68). She was supervisor of religious education for the Diocese of Owensboro from 1968-73. From 1973-75, she was director of religious education at St. Stephen Cathedral, and religion teacher at Cathedral School. From 1975-80, she was principal and teacher at Immaculate Conception, Hawesville, Ky., and co-director of religious
education at the parish. She was director of religious education and parish minister at St. Martin of Tours, Flaherty, Ky., (1980-83), St. Mary Parish, Bloomfield, N.M., (1983-88) and St. Teresa Parish, Grants, N.M. (1988-91), where she was also active in tennis and bowling leagues. From 1991-2007, she was associate director of the Mount Saint Joseph Conference and Retreat Center, where she also served as a team member for Catholic Engaged Encounter, for the Spiritual Direction Training Program (20042018) and as spiritual advisor for Cursillo (2002-15). From 20052009, she was coordinator of the spiritual component of the ministry formation program at Brescia University, and served as a spiritual presence in the Department of Theology from 2010-15. Today she serves in a variety of ministries at the Motherhouse and still volunteers at Owensboro’s RiverPark Center, which she has done since 1992. Sister Marie Carol Cecil is celebrating her 70th year of religious life. She is a native of Howardstown, Ky., where her Ursuline teachers instilled a love for education that would continue all her life. She is a 1966 graduate of Brescia College. She was a teacher for 45 years, beginning with St. Paul, Louisville (1952-53), St. Paul, Princeton, Ky. (1953-55), St. Joseph, Raywick, Ky., (1955) and St. Mary, Nebraska City, Neb., (1955-64). She taught at St. Romuald, Hardinsburg, Ky., (1964-70), St. James, Louisville (1970-79), St. Angela Education Center, Louisville (1979-80), St. Angela Merici, Florissant, Mo., (1980-84) and Blessed Mother/St. Angela Merici, Owensboro, Ky., (1984-97). Sister Marie Carol was an AmeriCorps worker in Owensboro from 1997-2000 and provided clerical assistance and transportation at the Motherhouse at Maple Mount until 2016. She is active in the Powerhouse of Prayer.
Sister Amanda Rose Mahoney is celebrating her 70th year of religious life. She is a 1966 graduate of Brescia College. A native of Louisville, she taught in Owensboro at Sts. Joseph and Paul (1952-57) and Blessed Mother (1963-67), in Glennonville, Mo., at St. Teresa (1957-63), at St. Anthony in Peonia, Ky., (1967-70) and Holy Trinity, Fredericktown, Ky. (1970-75). She found a love in serving the retired sisters in Louisville at St. Ignatius Retirement Center (1975-77) and St. Boniface Retirement Center (1977-82), often driving them to their appointments. She served in healthcare at the Motherhouse at Maple Mount (1982-88). From 1988-2016, she provided outreach to the elderly in Louisville, often serving as a listening ear to those who needed one. She is now active in the Powerhouse of Prayer at the Motherhouse. Sister Alfreda Malone is celebrating 70 years of religious life. She is a native of St. Joseph in Marion County, Ky., (better known as “Little St. Joe” to the Ursulines), where all her teachers were Ursuline Sisters. She is a 1965 graduate of Brescia College. All of her ministry was in Kentucky other than a year she served as a religious education secretary at St. Charles Borromeo in Albuquerque, N.M. (1976-77). She taught at St. Bartholomew, Buechel (1952-55)
and St. Pius X in Owensboro (196465). She was principal and teacher at both Peonia Public, Clarkson (195558) and St. Thomas More, Paducah (1958-64). Two of her students became priests. She was registrar at Brescia College (1965-68, and 1978-90). She was secretary to the Leadership Council at Maple Mount (1968-76). She was administrative assistant to J.C. Malone Associates in Louisville (1990-2004) and ministered to her family and others in the Hodgenville area from 20042009. She served at Maple Mount in health care (1977-78), as an information receptionist (2009-10) and assistant to the archivist (201018). In retirement she continues to assist in Saint Joseph Villa. Sister Anne Michelle Mudd, a native of Peonia, Ky., is celebrating 60 years of religious life. She is a 1964 graduate of Brescia College and has been an educator for 56 years and a fan of Elvis Presley even longer. She taught at St. Joseph, Central City, Ky., (196467), Flaherty Public, Flaherty, Ky., (1967-70), St. Peter of Antioch, Waverly, Ky. (1970-73), Immaculate, Owensboro, Ky., (1973-75) and Lourdes Elementary, Nebraska City, Neb., (1975-77). She taught at St. Paul, Leitchfield, Ky., (1977-85) and was principal from 1983-85. She taught at Mary Carrico, Knottsville, Ky., (1985-97), and then returned to St. Paul in Leitchfield as principal and teacher from 1997-2013. She is
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now a religion teacher at St. Paul. Sister Cheryl Clemons, a native of Wax, Ky., in Grayson County, is celebrating her 50th year of religious life. She is a 1974 graduate of Brescia College. She earned a master’s degree in theological studies from the University of Dayton in 1984. She earned her doctorate in historical theology-systematics in 1994 from Catholic University of America. She taught at St. Romuald High School in Hardinsburg, Ky. (197375), Mount Saint Joseph Academy (1975-79, where she was also liturgist, sacristan and organist), Lourdes Central High School, Nebraska City, Neb. (1979-80) and Trinity High School, Whitesville, Ky. (1980-83). She was director or co-director of the Office of Social Concerns for the Diocese of Owensboro from 1983-88. Much of her ministry has been at Brescia College/University in Owensboro. She was an instructor at Brescia from 1983-85, professor from 19952004 and academic dean and vice president for academic affairs from 2010-19. She taught during the summers at the University of Dayton from 1992-2003, and as an adjunct professor at the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago. She served on the Ursuline Leadership Council from 1992-97, and again as assistant congregational leader from 2004-10. Sister Cheryl leads a highly popular women’s retreat each spring at Maple Continued on page 10
Sister Spotlight: Sister Ann McGrew Meet Sister Ann – lover of yellow roses and aspiring traveler to Italy Z Best piece of advice she ever received: “My mother always said to pray over any decision and
God will see you through it. That has been true in my life all these many years.” Z A place she would like to visit: Brescia, Italy. “It would be great to see some of the places Saint Angela Merici lived and worked in.” Z Favorite spot at the Mount: The front of campus near the Rosary Walk. “There used to be two rows of pine trees at that location. I spent lots of retreat time under those trees.” Z Favorite flower: Yellow rose. “For me, it is God’s most beautiful flower.” Z Best gift she ever received: “The gift that has made the most difference in my life is faith – from my mother’s example and through the grace of God.” –By Maggie Hatfield, Mount Saint Joseph Staff 9
Jubilees
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Mount. She is completing a sabbatical in 2020 to prepare for her next ministry. Sister Pam Mueller, a native of Owensboro, Ky., is celebrating her 50th year of religious life. She is a 1974 graduate of Brescia College. She earned a master’s degree in speech-language pathology from the University of Louisville in 1981, and a master’s degree in deaf education in 1990 from Western Maryland College (now McDaniel College). She taught at Precious Blood, Owensboro, in 1973-74, and was a speechlanguage pathologist for the Diocese of Owensboro from 1974-79. She was director of the Speech and Hearing Clinic at St. Louis University (1992-94), and from 1994-2000, director of the university’s 1818 Advanced College Credit Program. She was an assistant professor at Brescia College (now University) from 1981-92, director of Women’s Discernment from 2004-07, and since 2005, she has been
Soli Deo Gloria
We rejoice in the gifts of our sisters, given for the kingdom of God
Sister Dianna Ortiz began a new ministry in March 2020, returning to Pax Christi USA as deputy director. She oversees the daily management of the Washington, D.C., staff in collaboration with the executive director, facilitates Pax Christi USA representation in Washington policy circles, and serves as the primary coordinator of advocacy work. Pax Christi is a Catholic peace and justice movement that rejects war, violence and systemic racism. In 2000, Sister Dianna was recognized with the Pax Christi USA Teacher of Peace Award. She served on the staff of Pax Christi USA from 2010-12, first as interim director, then deputy director. Sister Dianna said on the Pax Christi website, “The world is changing all around us. In a sense, we are being forced to be eyewitnesses to the human suffering of those around us and to the destruction of our planet. Any of us could be second guessing whether justice and peace truly prevail in a hurting and unjust world. When hope gets tangled up in despair, I remind myself that working for peace is not a solitary act but a collective act of solidarity. “One of my roles as deputy director will be to represent Pax Christi USA in various circles where we seek to have a voice and to build public confidence in the often-forgotten work of our members in the peace movement,” Sister Dianna said. “In these circles, I promise to bring our members’ concerns to the table and to advocate with, and on behalf of all in our movement on issues that not only impact our communities but our entire world.” She was most recently project director with the Education for Justice Project at the Center of Concern in Washington, then consulted with the Global Sisters Report.
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In the joy of eternal life SISTER MARY ANGELA MATTHEWS, 90, died April 5, at Mount Saint Joseph, in her 70th year of religious life. She was a native of Hardinsburg, Ky. She graduated from Mount Saint Joseph Academy in 1949, and from Brescia College in 1965. She also earned master’s degrees from Loyola University, Chicago, and Indiana University. Sister Mary Angela greeted everyone with a smile, through 28 years as a teacher and principal, and 12 years of serving as a parish educator in New Mexico. She was the principal at the Academy from 1978-80. Survivors include the members of her religious community and nieces and nephews. Her funeral was April 8, with burial in the convent cemetery. SISTER DELORES “DEE” LONG, 81, died June 7, at Mount Saint Joseph, in her 45th year of religious life. She was a native of Kansas City, Mo. Sister Dee was an Ursuline Sister of Paola, Kan., prior to the merger with Mount Saint Joseph. She was a teacher and principal for 33 years in Kansas and Missouri. She retired to Maple Mount in 2013, where she assisted in archives. A former semi-pro tennis player, she enjoyed nature and traveling and had an interest in Native American culture. Survivors include the members of her religious community, nieces, nephews and cousins. Her funeral was June 12, with burial in the convent cemetery.
Memorials for an Ursuline Sister may take the form of donations to the Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph, 8001 Cummings Road, Maple Mount, KY 42356. 10
Vocations By Sister Monica Seaton, Director of Vocation Ministiry
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director of campus ministry at Brescia. She was director of vocation ministry at the Ursuline Motherhouse from 20002006. Sister Pam mixes her strong spirituality with a desire to always lighten a moment with laughter. She is trained as both a spiritual director and in suicide prevention. She is currently an elected member of the Ursuline Leadership Council, Director of Formation and the Director of Mission Effectiveness for the Ursuline Sisters. Sister Michele Ann Intravia, a native of St. Louis, is celebrating her 40th year as an Ursuline Sister. She is a 1983 graduate of Brescia College. She was a special education teacher at St. Mary High School, Paducah, Ky., (1983-85), then a classroom teacher at St. Joseph, Mayfield, Ky., (1985-91) and St. Christopher, Florissant, Mo. (1991-92). She was a teacher then principal at St. Aloysius in St. Louis (19922002), which was her elementary school as a child. She was assistant local community life coordinator at Maple Mount (2002-03) and served at Casa Ursulina in Chile (2003-05). She thought she would be a teacher all of her life, but since 2005 she has served at the Sister Visitor Center in Louisville, first as a caseworker, then as director since 2011. The agency serves the people in one of Louisville’s poorest neighborhoods with emergency food, clothing and other necessities. n
n March of this year the National Religious Vocation Conference (NRVC) published the 2020 Study on “Recent Vocations to Religious Life.” According to NRVC, the study shows five key findings about newer members: • ENDLESS CALL: Women and men continue to respond to the call to religious life • APPEAL: They are drawn by prayer, spirituality, charism, community life and mission • ATTRIBUTES: They are culturally diverse; they embrace intercultural, intergenerational living • LIFESTYLE: They are committed to living simply and in solidarity with the poor • OUTLOOK: They are filled with abundant hope for religious life amid changing demographics. For the last several months many of us have faced uncertainty in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic. How did we try to see with the eyes of hope in our particular situations and what did we find? How did we attend the needs of others and how did we allow others to care for us? Many people were unable to attend Mass in person. A common theme I heard over and over was the longing to receive the Eucharist and be in community with fellow parishioners. Doesn’t that sound like living out our vocation? Ministering to others with hope in a community of faith and prayer with Jesus as our anchor and sustenance. Ursuline Sisters Betsy Moyer, left, and Sharon Sullivan admire the Saint Ursula and Her One thing is certain Companions window that greets visitors to the new C.E. Field Center for Professional Studies at Brescia University. The window came to Brescia from the former Motherhouse of the during this time of uncertainty – God continues Ursuline Sisters of Paola, Kan. (The Ursuline Sisters of Paola merged with the Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph in 2008.) Sister Betsy, Sister Sharon and Sister Susan Mary Mudd have to call women and men to offices in the new building, which opens this fall. The schools of Social Work, Business and religious life.n Education are housed in the Field Center. Inset photo of the Center is by AP Imagery. 11
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–By Dan Heckel, Mount Saint Joseph staff
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aint Angela Merici never had a Zoom account. But the founder of the Ursuline Sisters did know something about adapting to the unforeseen. “Saint Angela said to respond to the signs of the time,” said Maryann Joyce, director of the Mount Saint Joseph Conference and Retreat Center. As the danger of Covid-19 still lurks and the Retreat Center remains closed, another Ursuline tradition is being employed – meeting people where they are. “Since the pandemic hit and halted all gathered programs, we have worked toward curating and creating online programs that people can enjoy from the comfort of their own home,” Joyce said. “With online programming, we have the potential to reach and serve a wider audience, especially our Ursuline friends and Associates who are too far away to come to the Center. “The move to creating online retreats also gave me an exciting opportunity to welcome the gifts and talents of retreat leaders from all over the country,” Joyce said. “Some facilitators are from contacts I’ve made at national conferences with spiritual directors and retreat leaders.” The first online retreat was July 21, “Covid, Crisis, and Loss as a Catalyst for New Life,” led by Carolyn Griffith. “Covid has led us to face many losses: the loss of our illusion of control, for many, the loss of income, the loss of our normal routines and the loss of social networks,” Joyce said. “I felt we needed to create a sacred space to share grief and reflect in a supportive atmosphere.” The next retreat was
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Aug. 8, led by Sharon Browning, the founder of Just Listening in Philadelphia. The retreat focused on exploring the “awakenings and transformations in our lives through all God is revealing.” The retreat was initially supposed to be in-person, but Ursuline leadership determined that it is not safe to reopen the Retreat Center for now. The original presenter was not comfortable switching to an online retreat, so Joyce scrambled to find a replacement. “I’d talked with Sharon three weeks earlier, she told me she was doing almost the same retreat online. It was like a miracle,” Joyce said. Reached via email, Browning said her first online retreat occurred just two days before the one scheduled for Maple Mount. “I have facilitated online training, but not a retreat,” she said. “I have ‘attended’ several online retreats as a participant, and over the years have done a few ‘virtual’ retreats using CDs, but the experience of facilitating an online retreat is completely new to me. I have learned enough from my experiences as a participant online to know what doesn’t work for me and am attempting to craft an experience that engages people as fully as possible. I consider all of us as part of a grand experiment.” That experiment will continue into the fall with three more online retreats scheduled. “We’re a trusted resource within the Diocese of Owensboro,” Joyce said. “In my prayer and reflection, I see we have a responsibility as a retreat center to be a spiritual resource. People are hurting, and we
Beginning Aug. 20, every Thursday for six weeks a small group study begins on “Dismantling Racism as a Spiritual Practice.” While open to anyone, it is designed to help white people make connections between racism and their spiritual journey. The conversation will be led by Lee-Ann Assalone, a social worker and health therapist in Evansville, Ind. In working with people seeking refuge from war and hunger in Croatia and South Africa, she came to see her own white identity in a new light. On Sept. 26, an online retreat on “Embracing Autumn’s Glory and Welcoming Its Lessons” will be led by Beth Fritsch, a retreat leader from Ohio. She will lead us through themes of surrender, remembrance, and the gratitude of nature’s bounty. The Oct. 2-4 “Holding Onto Hope” retreat will feature Sister Melanie Svoboda (left), a Sister of Notre Dame and popular author of several books. She will present via Zoom. The price is $60. The latest addition is Nov. 14, “Exploring Illness as a Catalyst for Spiritual Growth.” Joyce is leading the program which will be offered online. “Once we open, we anticipate limiting how many people we can host overnight due to social distancing rules,” she said. “If we can offer online programs as well, Continued on next page
Photo by Macrina Wiederkehr, OSB
Retreat Center offers online retreats during the want to respond to relieve suffering to time of Covid “Transfiguration in our hearts and minds right now.” Transformation: Awakening,” on
A Ministry of the Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph
Give Peace, Quiet and Prayer a Chance
Find the God who journeys with us Retreats
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that offers more opportunity.” The Retreat Center is looking a year in advance before – hopefully – Covid-19 will allow a return to normal, Joyce said. How successful the online retreats are this year will help determine whether there is a role for them in the future. “We’ll see what the interest and the need is,” Joyce said. “We have a sense that many local folks are tired of being home and want to come in person if they feel safe. If we get good response from people around the country, we may look at programs for people who can’t come in person.” One of the registrants for the “Covid” retreat was from Illinois, and one for “Dismantling Racism” is from Washington, D.C. “Embracing Autumn” has a participant from Ohio registered. Those interested can learn more about these retreats and their costs, then register online at the Ursuline Sisters’ website, ursulinesmsj.org/ retreat-center. Participants will be emailed a Zoom video conferencing link once they are registered. New experiences can be a little nerve-wracking, so Sharon Browning offered a few tips for the Zoom novice: • Get familiar with the Continued on next page
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ave you had enough solitude? Never would I have imagined that my call for inner solitude in the last Ursulines Alive would have been mailed to you at the start of a global pandemic! Since my last writing, our world has been turned upside down: we have faced unprecedented disruption of our life and normal activities, making precious what we once took for granted. We could no longer expect to go to work, the grocery store or out with friends without taking Maryann Joyce leads one great pause for our safety. of the “12 Keys to Spiritual Vitality: Powerful Lessons to We have followed the safety guidelines from Living Agelessly” sessions Gov. Andy Beshear and closed the Retreat Center in June. The program was in March. As of this writing we are uncertain part of the new “Mount on when we will reopen. the Road” and took place at St. Stephen Cathedral in This is not the way I imagined my tenure Owensboro, Ky. as the first lay director of the Retreat Center to begin. Over the past months I have reflected and prayed on how we could be a spiritual support to all our Ursuline friends, Associates and people of this diocese during this shutdown. As I wrote a reflection called, “Ten Spiritual Tips for Surviving the Pandemic,”* I realized how much we collectively have to grieve the loss of our sense of safety and control. At the same time, our hearts and minds have been strained to cope with this grief and loss on our own. Psychologists call this “a double whammy” on our mental health: great stress coupled with intense isolation. (*The tips are available online at ursulinesmsj.org) How do we get through? Pew Research says more people are turning to prayer than ever, even as our communal worship has been largely halted. In many ways, this virus is giving us new opportunities for spiritual growth. Now, more than ever, our faith, our deep inner life with God is our strength. Now is the time to find the God of Compassion, holding us in solidarity, and journeying with us closer than we ever knew before. We want to hear from you. How can we support and enrich your spirit over the coming months? What kind of programs would you like to see us offer? We are preparing to offer a variety of online programs to address grief, help us awaken to the transformations that lie within the suffering. In other mini retreats we will consider how to respond to the call for greater racial equity in our time as well as explore how illness can be a spiritual catalyst for us. All of these will be online through Zoom so you may participate from the comfort of your own home. Look for new and enriching programs this fall and winter on group spiritual direction which will be offered through Advent. In the new year, we will offer a six-week series on “Boundless Compassion,” based on Joyce Rupp’s book by the same name. I hope to see some of you online or back at the Center. And please email me with your thoughts and suggestions for programming, at maryann.joyce@ maplemount.org. Maryann Joyce, Director, Mount Saint Joseph Conference and Retreat Center 13
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Powerhouse of Prayer
– By Dan Heckel, Mount Saint Joseph Staff
Sister Rosemary grateful for conversations with God This feature highlights the efforts of those Ursuline Sisters who minister in the “Powerhouse of Prayer,” who lift up all those who ask for prayers throughout the year.
my room and gave me lovely bed ach day after breakfast, linens,” she said. Those angels Ursuline Sister Rosemary include Mary Ann Clements Carr, Keough makes the short trip Mary Ann Shewmaker Willett, from her room in Saint Joseph Villa Sister Jacinta Powers, Carmelita to the small chapel there so she can O’Daniel Leonard, Sarah Kranz, pray for “everybody I can think of in Dorothy Ford Riggs and Lou my life.” Highland Goings. “That little chapel has three One of her other ministries at windows, in one of them I can the Mount is a different form of see the greenery. I feel like I’m prayer – reading to a couple of the connected with nature,” she said. senior Sisters whose vision is fading. Sister Rosemary Keough posed in the “It’s important to be in conversation Motherhouse “I consider it a blessing to have Chapel as she celebrated her with our God.” 60th Jubilee in 2017. that contact,” she said. Sister Rosemary has been an Although Covid-19 has been a Ursuline Sister for 63 years. After 59 years of active trial for everyone, she believes some good things are ministry – including two stints of teaching at Mount arising. Saint Joseph Academy – she moved back to Maple “They say the birds are chirping more, the skies in Mount in 2018. One of her ministries is serving in the the big cities are cleaner, the animals are coming out,” Powerhouse of Prayer. Sister Rosemary said. “I certainly believe God has a “My prayer life has been extra good since moving plan for all of us.” to the Villa,” she said. “I’m not rushing around to go Friends can write to Sister Rosemary at 8001 somewhere.” Cummings Road, Maple Mount, KY 42356. n Sister Rosemary spent 18 years ministering to Retreats From page 13 Hispanic people through Centro Latino, driving them to doctor’s appointments and helping them navigate the technology in advance. For those completely new to Zoom, my suggestion is that the ‘Zoom room’ be often-confusing American system. She knows what it’s open 20 minutes before the program starts (to give like to be busy and hopes that the many people with people time to make sure their mikes are on and their hectic lives today can find the peace that prayer brings. video is working), and that everyone be on the call 10 “I’m grateful I have that opportunity,” she said. minutes before the program officially begins. Technical One of the Ursuline Sisters who instructions about how the retreat will progress can be inspired her prayer life was (the late) given to everyone. Sister Ruth Helen Flaherty, both as a • Attendees can make sure that they carve out the teacher at Mount Saint Joseph Academy, entire time to be as present to the retreat as if they and later as a friend in the community. had physically arrived at the retreat center: all other “At 4:30 p.m., she’d say, ‘It’s time to distractions have been eliminated and arrangements go see the Spouse.’” have been made not to be disturbed. (No doing laundry Sister Rosemary’s daily prayers are Sister Ruth during the retreat.)n Helen more conversations with God rather Flaherty than the prayers she grew up with. “Our call in these times includes working to “I remember hearing that the definition of prayer see the deeper invitation that the pandemic is is, ‘Lifting up your heart and soul to God,’” Sister providing. How might we be conscious of the Rosemary said. transformation occurring within ourselves, A special group she prays for are her “Visiting our communities, the nation, and the global Angels,” a group of her former students from the community as we live through this time?” Academy who graduated in 1972. “They came to Centro Latino to help clean up – Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR)
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Ursuline mission keeps speaking to Richard Blond
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any supporters of the Ursuline Sisters met them as children in their classroom, and the influence of the Sisters remained with them the rest of their lives. Richard Blond didn’t know an Ursuline Sister until he was an adult. It is the Sisters’ mission that convinced him to become a supporter, first the Ursulines in Paola, Kan., and since the merger of the communities in 2008, the Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph. “The fact that they work directly with the people in their communities is what speaks to me,” Blond said. “They are teachers at all levels of education, they counsel unwed mothers in crisis, they coordinate community events, they provide hospice care, they are gardeners, horticulturists, farmers, they care for their aging Sisters, you name it they do it. They are almost totally self-sufficient, which is truly amazing to me in this day and age. I even met one Sister who was a masseuse, how incredible is that! They truly do God’s will in everything they do.” Blond was first introduced to the Ursuline Sisters of Paola through his parish priest at Holy Spirit Catholic Church in Overland Park, Kan. “One Sunday during his sermon he mentioned that the Ursuline Sisters’ convent in Paola was in need of air conditioning and asked the parishioners if they could help with a donation. Knowing how hot it can get in Kansas in the summer months I gladly donated to the cause,” Blond said. “A couple of days later I received a phone call from Sister Kathleen Condry, who was the congregational leader at the time. She thanked me for the donation and invited me to come and see the campus in Paola.
I gladly accepted and was warmly welcomed and given a great tour of the property. “Sister Kathleen and I stayed in contact with each other right up until her passing (in 2016). God rest and have mercy on her soul. I also met several Sisters who explained to me their role in the congregation,” Blond said. “I was overwhelmed by the diversity of the skill sets of the Sisters and by their overall mission in the community and throughout the world. They truly do God’s will every single day. I made up my mind right then and there that I was going to support their mission as long as I was financially able to do so. I’ve been blessed to support them ever since.” Blond worked for Chrysler Corp., near Ann Arbor, Mich., for more than eight years, then moved to the Kansas City, Mo., area and worked for Hallmark Cards for 31 years. He was an industrial engineer, a program strategist, a graphic arts area manager over several departments, the general manager of the Graphic Arts Division (second shift) and a project manager. The last three years of his career he spent converting Hallmark’s World Headquarters in Kansas City and a couple of their manufacturing plants into a “zero waste to landfill facility.” After the merger of Paola and Mount Saint Joseph, Blond began sending his donations to Maple Mount, and shortly thereafter he met Sister Amelia Stenger, who was then director of Development, and now congregational leader. “Needless to say, I experienced the same commitment to God’s will in Sister Amelia that I experienced with Sister Kathleen and knew I would continue to support the Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph,” he said. “A few years later I
visited the campus in Maple Mount and was given a wonderful tour by Sister Amelia and met several of the Sisters there. It was a great visit and reinforced my commitment to support the Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph as long as I am able. I consider it a real blessing from God. Sister Kathleen and Sister Amelia will always have a very special place in my heart.” Although there are only a handful of Ursuline Sisters still serving in Kansas, their legacy remains in the many schools they established, the Lakemary Center for people with developmental difficulties, the various group adult homes they established, the community center and the senior citizen center they established, Blond said. “Their legacy also remains in the thousands of people they educated and helped during their many years in Kansas,” he said. “These will never be forgotten. This is truly God’s will in action.” A dinner planned in Kansas this year to honor the Ursuline Sisters had to be postponed until 2021 due to Covid-19. Blond has been a regular attendee at previous events in Kansas, including a Kentucky Derby banquet a few years back. “It was great to see Sister Amelia and other Sisters again and visit with other attendees who support the Ursuline Sisters,” he said. “We had a terrific meal, and I also had a mint julep for the very first time. A very memorable occasion. And based on the size of the group that attended, it was easy to see that a lot of people feel the same way about the Ursuline Sisters as I do. May God bless the Ursuline Sisters forever.” If you would like to know how you can help support the Ursuline Sisters, contact Carol BradenClarke: 270-229-2008, or carol. braden-clarke@maplemount.org.n 15
8001 Cummings Road Maple Mount, KY 42356-9998 270-229-4103 www.ursulinesmsj.org info.msj@maplemount.org
Plans for our new reality It is always fun when a new decade begins to look back at past years to see what happened in those time periods. We can look back with fond memories of a place, or a fashion trend or a song that reminds us of how things have changed. I’m always amazed at the advances in technology and cultural trends – and wonder what will happen in the new decade. Last year we had our first Escape to the Mount Weekend. With any new event comes the anxiety of whether it will be successful and the hope that participants will want to attend again. Last year we had Trivia on Saturday and Quilt Bingo on Sunday. The feedback we received was overwhelmingly positive, with comments like, “We enjoyed socializing with the Sisters,” and “I plan to attend next year and bring more friends.” So, we started 2020 planning for another Escape to the Mount Weekend. I thought about how this was the start of a new decade and this could be the beginning of a new tradition at the Mount. With much of the planning done by March, I was feeling good – then the pandemic sent us into lockdown. I was hopeful everything would be back to normal by Sept. 12-13, but reality quickly set in. “Adapt and overcome” became the new reality of working and planning what we could do. The 2020 Escape to the Mount Weekend is going to be different. We are moving Trivia to Immaculate Parish Hall where we have more room to safely social distance. Trivia will start at 6 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 12. The entry fee is $25 per person which will include food and drinks. It will be a fun evening. Get your team together and join us. For planning purposes, the deadline for registering is Aug. 24. We are having an online Quilt Auction instead of Quilt Bingo. Bidding on beautiful quilts will begin Aug. 24. Quilts on the auction block are featured on our website – ursulinesmsj.org – and our Facebook page. We will have three quilts a day on the auction block through Sept. 11. On Sunday, Sept. 13 at 3:30 p.m., we will be live on Facebook for the 50th Mount Raffle drawing. Tickets are on sale now for $5. The Grand Prize is $10,000. Go online to purchase your tickets – ursulinesmsj.org/mountraffle. All proceeds support the work of the Ursuline Sisters.
Carol Braden-Clarke, Director of Development
Escape to the Mount!
Saturday, Sept. 12 6–8 p.m.
Immaculate Parish Hall 2516 Christie Place, Owensboro, Ky.
Enjoy snacks, drinks, beer, wine. $25 per person
Teams: 4-10 players, Prizes for 1st, 2nd, 3rd place Trivia seating is limited. Sign up online: ursulinesmsj.org/escape-to-the-mount-weekend or mail a check payable to Ursuline Sisters, Development Office, 8001 Cummings Road, Maple Mount KY 42356. NOTE: We will follow safety protocols.
New Online Quilt Auction! Bidding begins Aug. 24
Quilt Bingo will return in 2021, but you can still get beautiful quilts at our 2020 online QUILT AUCTION! Watch our Facebook page and website to PREVIEW quilts on the auction block:
ursulinesmsj.org or facebook.com/ursulinesmsj
Bidding begins Aug. 24. Daily through Sept. 11, we will announce the highest bids. To bid, contact Carol Braden-Clarke: 270-229-2008 carol.braden-clarke@maplemount.org Don’t forget your raffle tickets! Drawing Sept. 13 Get your $5 raffle tickets for a chance to win $10,000! • Diamond ring • $3,500 • $1,000 • Quilt • $500 • $100 Order raffle tickets online: https://ursulinesmsj.org/mountraffle
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