AUGUST 2020
VOL. XXV, NO. 1
www.ursulinesmsj.org
associates.msj@maplemount.org
Associates and Sisters recall early days at the Mount
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pending so much time separated from each other these days gives Ursuline Sisters and Associates time to reminisce. We asked questions, and Sisters and Associates responded with a wonderful array of answers. Here are some of their replies. If you have a memory to share, email doreen.abbott@maplemount.org.
WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST EXPERIENCE WITH THE MOUNT? Associate Pauline Goebel, of Louisville: “I was very young when I first went to the Mount. My sister (Sister Marietta Wethington) was there in the novitiate. I remember thinking the dining room was huge. My younger siblings and I would run down the meadow in front of the church –often times rolling down the hill. We thought it was glorious. I was very impressed with all of the statues all over the grounds.” Sister Rebecca White, a native of Glennonville, Mo.: “I came to the Mount for the first time when I was about 5 years old. A friend of our family was entering the novitiate. That was the ceremony during which the young postulants wore bridal gowns. During the ceremony, they left to put on their religious garb. The little bit I recall is that we left our house in the middle of the night to get here on time – but we were WAY too early. After the Mass, we went to a basement, complete with high windows, to celebrate or eat. What most stood out for me was that, before the ceremony, I had to change out of my play clothes into a beautiful dress that Grandma Hagan had made for us. I hated that I had to do that with my whole family in the car with me!” Associate Karen Lasher, Owensboro: “My first experience of the Mount was when I was 13. We had just moved from Dayton, Ohio, to Owensboro. My mom went to school at the Academy. We went to the Mount for their huge annual picnic. I remember how hot and muggy it was in Owensboro, but when we got to the Mount there was a cool breeze blowing and it was so shady with all those huge trees. … I remember it being such a peaceful place then, like it is now.”
Sister Mary Ellen Backes, Springfield, Ill.: “What comes to me was when we, as Belleville Ursulines, around 2003-2004 were struggling with questions about our future as a community of Ursuline Sisters. What would happen to us? Would we just ‘die out?’ Where would we go? Who would be the last one to ‘turn out the lights?’ Two of us decided to make a little retreat at Mount Saint Joseph in order to pray for some guidance. What happened in those couple of human days really did change the course of our history because it started the initial practical steps into our merger process. (The late) Sister Frances McDonagh (right) and I, unbeknown to each other, picked the very same Gospel passage (Matt. 17) concerning Jesus’ transfiguration as our retreat focus for meditation. It seemed to be a time of clarification for both of us. And as we ‘came down from the mountain,’ so to speak, we met a couple of the Council members and asked if we could meet with them to share our story, and perhaps the possibility of our sharing our lives with the Maple Mount Sisters. From that moment onward the hospitality of these Maple Mount Sisters and these grounds welcomed us in with love and hospitality that has grown until the present.” Associate Suzanne Reiss, Lanesville, Ind.: “I cannot tell you the year, but it was during the time when (the late) Sister Rose Marita O’Bryan (right) was congregational leader. (The late) Sister Bartholene Warren (pictured below) was my great aunt, my mother’s aunt. My mother and her sister Cecelia wanted to come to the Mount and visit Sister Bartholene. The drive from Louisville is 2 1/2 hours and it is more than either one of them wanted to tackle on their own. So, they asked me to drive them. I had not been to the campus before, so I did not know where to go. The switchboard was located in the area that is now the Angela Oratory. It was on a Saturday morning and not a lot of people Continued on page 2
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Associate Update
From the Associate Office...
Greetings during a pandemic
Wow, what a crazy year with the Covid-19 pandemic going on around the world today. I worked from home from March 16 to July 6. I missed the beautiful scenery of Mount Saint Joseph and the cheery smiles from all the Ursuline Sisters. We have been trying to decide on this year’s Associates and Sisters day gathering and with a sad heart we had to decide to cancel the event for 2020. We plan to have the event again in June 2021 and hope to have Sister Martha Buser again as our main speaker. During this pandemic, Owensboro Associate Martha Little asked me to email the Associates a weekly question, just to keep us all connected during this time apart. I was so pleased with the many responses and excited to be able to share them with everyone in this issue of the Associate Update. Please enjoy reading the responses from the many Associates who answered. I know I did. I look forward to the day I can gather again with the Owensboro Associate group; I have really missed our time together. I am also anxious to see all the other Associate groups after we can meet safely on a regular basis. Just know that I am praying for all of you and cannot wait to see you at the 2021 Associates and Sisters Day. Love and Blessings!
Doreen Abbott, OSUA
Coordinator of Ursuline Partnerships
ASSOCIATE UPDATE is published four times a year for the Associates of the Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph 8001 Cummings Road, Maple Mount, KY 42356-9999 Phone: 270-229-2006 • Fax: 270-229-4953 www.ursulinesmsj.org • Email associates.msj@maplemount.org Coordinator of Ursuline Partnerships: Doreen Abbott, OSUA Director of Mission Advancement/Communications: Dan Heckel, OSUA Communications Specialist/Graphic Design: Jennifer Kaminski, OSUA Communications and Development Specialist: Maggie Hatfield Director of Development: Carol Braden-Clarke Mission Advancement Assistant: Sister Mary McDermott, OSU
ASSOCIATE MISSION STATEMENT We, the Associates of the Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph, proclaim the Gospel of Jesus through the actions of our everyday lives. We commit ourselves to living the charism of Saint Angela Merici in union with and in support of the Ursuline community of Mount Saint Joseph.
MEMORIES
August 2020 from page 1
were moving about. There was a Sister walking at a very fast pace from the direction of what used to be St. Michael Hall, toward Lourdes Hall. As it turns out it was Sister Rose Marita. We introduced ourselves and said that we were there to see Sister Bartholene. Sister looked at us with that wonderful smile that she had and said, ‘Oh my goodness, she is looking for you all!’ And knowing Sister Bartholene as I did, she had probably been pacing and looking for us since daybreak. Sister Rose Marita took us into the building, found us a place to wait and contacted Sister Bartholene. She came and found us, we had a lovely visit. I continued to be the driver for my mom and aunt and as time went on, came for my own visits.” Sister Mary McDermott: “My first experience at the Mount was when Sister Rose Marita invited me. She taught me in seventh grade. I was having family issues and Sister Rose Marita invited me to wait at the Mount for a week. She had to leave for a meeting. I was all alone at the Mount! Some of the younger sisters I remember are Sister Martha Keller, Sister Cindy Brown, Sister Dianna Ortiz and Sister Carol Shively. I especially remember Sister Dianna because I needed to borrow dress clothes – I was able to wear her clothes! I never knew sisters sang at weddings and funerals. I remember that the most. The other thing I remember is seeing the Academy. It was the exact replica of an orphanage I drew as a child. The peace, the orphanage, and the hospitality drew me to the Ursuline community.” Associate Debbie Lanham, Owensboro: “I was an eighth-grader from St. Mary of the Woods in Whitesville, Ky. Our class of girls went for a visit and the students gave us a tour. I do not remember any Sisters. I just remember how cool all the girls were in their uniforms and hairdos! Very ‘70s.’” Sister Marie Joseph Coomes, native of Owensboro: “When I was in grade school, I came to the Mount with my parents to celebrate Corpus Christi. The men marched in honor of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. The women stood or sat on benches. There were three sites where the Blessed Sacrament was presented to the crowd and the people were given a special blessing. Then in high school several high school girls came to the Mount to make a weekend retreat. We stayed in a building that was in the circle but is no longer there.” Associate Charlotte Paez, Louisville: “My first experience with the Mount was
when my husband and I attended a Marriage Encounter Weekend. Some friends from our parish, Holy Redeemer in Beaver Dam, Ky., invited us to attend. It was wonderful to say the least. The facility was great, the grounds were beautiful, everyone was so nice, and the food was delicious. It was a memorable experience for both of us.” Sister Mary Matthias Ward, native of Clementsville, Ky.: “I came to Mount Saint Joseph for my very first time for Mary Jo Wathen’s (Sister Mary Linus pictured at right) investment. I was so impressed with everything. I remember standing on that little area next to the gift shop near Lourdes and thinking, ‘I have to come back here and be a sister.’ I came in two years after I had graduated from high school. What joy I have known and still know.” WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST CONTACT WITH THE URSULINES?
Associate Martha Little, Owensboro: “(The late) Sister Mary Mercy Hayden (right) was my first-grade teacher at St. Joseph and Paul School. I was a little shy back then and was always afraid of doing something wrong. Sister Mary Mercy tried very hard to make us children feel safe and was very dedicated to making sure we learned what was required of first graders. She really drilled the sacraments into our brains, this part of class I excelled in. I can still recite the seven sacraments in the order they were arranged on the bulletin board above the chalk board. When it came to math, I was a total failure, but that did not stop Sister from trying every trick she knew. At last, I am still horrible at math and I take full responsibility… Sister you tried!” Associate Pam Knudson, Kansas City, Mo.: I have (the late) Sister Rudina (Rita) Klarer (right) to thank for leading me and our group to become Ursuline Associates. I also thank Carol O’Keefe for talking to us when we made a trip to the Mount from Kansas City as a group to see Sister Rudina. Sister Rudina told us that we were going to have a good lunch because it was Associates and Sisters Weekend. I asked her, ‘What are Associates?’ That’s where Carol came into play, she came down to the Guest House that evening and talked to us about what Associates do and why we should consider being Associates. The seed was planted, and we have been growing ever since. I remember my first Associates and Sisters Day. I was apprehensive about what I was getting myself into. I wanted so much to be an Associate, but so afraid that I couldn’t measure up to the Ursuline standards. Then at the meeting I became
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more comfortable and confident in my abilities to be an Associate. During a panel discussion that day, Associate Joanne Thompson talked about a personal experience she had – which I could relate to. I felt close to Joanne and told her that I enjoyed her panel talk immensely. I look forward to Associates and Sisters Day every year. I am proud to say that I’m an Ursuline Associate. Jesus works through us in many ways, I’m glad I was led down this pathway to the Ursuline Sisters.” Sister Betsy Moyer, native of Nebraska City, Neb.: “I was taught by the Ursuline Sisters in Nebraska City, grades 1 through 12. I pretty much knew the Ursulines firsthand, as well as many facets of their lives. They were good educators and personable. If I were to pick one sister who instilled greater insights into the Ursuline community, it would have to be (the late) Sister Joseph Therese Thompson (right), principal of the high school. She was an amazing religious woman and educator, never pushy or controlling. She encouraged me to look deep inside and accept myself and all that is mine to give. She entrusted me with many responsibilities as a high school student, taking me under her wing while coaxing me to use my many gifts in various ways. I spent many hours with her talking, sharing, and enjoying her company. When I was late coming home from school, my mother would call Sister to ask for me or to check if I was with her. Sister would tell me to step outside her office so if the call was from my mom, she could assure her that I was on my way home and not there with her. I guess she was trying to save me and my mom from worrying or asking that she send me home. My mother often told Sister that she was going to put a bed in her office for me. She never did. My memories of Sister Joseph Therese are many. She was like a magnet, drawing students closer and closer to their potential and their God. Her legacy lives on in the many individuals she touched in Nebraska.” Associate Jerry Birge, Jasper, Ind.: “My first direct contact with an Ursuline was Sister Amelia Stenger when I had her as my guest on the “Around Owensboro” program on Cable 2. I got to know her as a friend and it was she who suggested I apply for the marketing/ communications position at the Mount. I was hired and spent over five years there – some of the best times of my life. Fond, beautiful memories. It’s been a lifechanging experience.” Associate Ed Cecil, Owensboro: “My first contact was (the late) Sister Mary Jovita Milner (right), who taught me in the first grade. One day we got ready to go out for recess and she Continued on page 4
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MEMORIES
from page 3
told us not to talk while getting in line. Evidently, I talked, and she pulled me out of line. I had a wool coat on that went down to my knees. She got a paddle and paddled me once. I looked up at her and told her, ‘that didn’t hurt.’ She turned around to the blackboard for a few seconds. Finally, she turned around and told me to go outside. I found later she had turned around so I wouldn’t see her laughing. My mother worked in the cafeteria and Sister told her what happened. She was a fine teacher.” Associate John Little, Owensboro: “My grade school teachers were (the late) Sister Anita Flaugher (right) and Sister Helen Leo Ebelhar (far right), who taught at Immaculate Conception in Earlington, Ky. Sister Anita taught 1st and 2nd grade. Sister Helen Leo taught 5th and 6th grade and was principal. Both taught me the joy of learning and my Catholic faith. I am indebted to them.” WHAT ARE SOME FAVORITE MEMORIES OF MOUNT PICNICS? Sister Michele Morek: “Being in the novitiate during the first embryonic picnics (called “Loyalty Day”) we worked at several ends of the spectrum: food production (do you think 100 popcorn balls are too many?); entertainment (Sister Sara Marie and I sang ‘Manana’ to a packed gym); and activities (the New Mexico novices constructed a bull-head pinata out of a brown grocery bag and hung it from the basketball goal; for a quarter you could take several whacks). Times were simpler in Sister Michele in the Lemon those days.” Shake-up stand - Picnic 2011 Associate Carol Hill, Leitchfield, Ky.: “For many years I worked the Mount Saint Joseph Picnic making silent auction baskets, working in the craft booth, the hot dog stand, or anywhere I was needed. The best part was being with the Sisters more than usual, seeing my Associate friends and making new friends each year. I hope we always have an event to work at. See I am already volunteering.” Sister Mary Matthias Ward: “I Carol making remember as a young sister coming ribbons for silent auction baskets - home for the picnic and getting up to Picnic 2011 stir burgoo at 3 in the morning.”
Associate Jennifer Kaminski, Owensboro: “I have vivid memories of the picnic. It was such a colorful event with lots of people going in every direction, including volunteers and visitors. It was great to see most of the Ursuline Sisters there, including those who had ministries away from the Mount. For the last several years of the picnic, I took photos because I am on the communications staff at Mount Saint Joseph. I walked around to every booth and watched as they cooked a long row of barbecued chickens and stirred huge pots of burgoo. It was interesting to see behind-the-scenes work prior to the picnic, too, such as washing pots and pans and cutting up onions, cabbage and green Jennifer, second from left, with her peppers. My parents enjoyed coming to the daughter and parents - Picnic 2015 picnic. They drove two hours from Bardstown. My dad’s favorite thing was the mutton in the lunch stand. My mom shopped for crafts and yard sale bargains and tried to win a fruit basket (she usually won). I would come home with a plant and a silent auction basket. One year my parents arrived later than usual. There was such a crowd that the barbecue was gone, and they had to get hot dogs from the Fun Foods booth. Over the years, my daughter volunteered for Face Painting and my son helped in the dinner stands. My impression of this event is that all of the picnic goers had a good time!” Associate John Little: “My most vivid memory is working a food booth for several years. It was a lot of work, but very rewarding. It was even more fun being able to work alongside my wife Martha and stepdaughter Aimee. It was a family affair!” Sister Betsy Moyer: “My memories of the picnic are bittersweet. Yes, there was some fun but mostly exhaustion. I worked before, during, and after the picnic, as most did. I worked on loading and unloading trucks most of my years with the picnic. Otherwise, I worked the ice cream and drink stands and as a money collector for certain booths. One year, I was the captain of the picnic, responsible for facilitating it all. Of course, I had good help from Associates (much needed and generous) and Sisters who were available. The last few picnics, I had the privilege of working in the raffle ticket stand. I did enjoy seeing the people as we worked together for the common good. Working with Mike Sullivan, Maggie and Ken Pierson, and others were priceless moments, and the happy hours were delightful in the earlier years. All in all, it was all worth the time spent. The best memories of the picnic were filled with gratitude for those who worked and those who came to assist its success."n
Reflective ReflectiveMoments Moments
Page 5 By Sister Marietta Wethington
God’s Love is All Around ... There is evidence of God’s love all around us. We just need to recognize it. That is a statement that I read recently in a Guideposts magazine. As I reflect on that I ask myself what recent signs of God’s love have appeared that I have failed to recognize. There are lots of signs that I do recognize as God’s love. A recent call to my brother to wish him a happy birthday reminded me of my wonderful family of origin and how I recognize God’s love through each of my siblings, through my nieces and nephews and other family members.
Right outside Saint Joseph Villa there are two beautiful rose bushes, one red, one pink. Beauty is always a sign of God’s love, I believe. A glorious sunrise or sunset. Back to the original statement and where do I not recognize God’s love? Recently, I received a note in the mail from an Ursuline Associate who is also a friend saying how much she misses all her Sister friends and how glad she will be when we are once again able to visit in person. It was quite a surprise to receive the note just when I needed encouragement. Not too long ago I dreamed about my youngest sister who died in September. How disappointing to awaken and realize she is not coming back. But again, just the dream about her told me that God’s love is all around, and I just need to recognize it. Awaken us, O God, to see your love all around us.n
Joan Perry a teacher of science and faith By Suzanne Gochenouer, OSUA
The oldest of Fannie Yazinka Perry’s and Elmer Joseph Perry’s four children, Joan Perry arrived the day after Christmas at the Brooklyn Naval Hospital. She says her mother always held that against her because she had to get rid of her Christmas dinner before she could enjoy it. While her father completed his Naval Joan Perry service, they lived with his participates in an Ursuline Associate parents. Her teen years were Advent prayer spent in Massachusetts, New service at Brescia Hampshire, then Massachusetts University in 2015. again. She was honored with a Sophia Award During her senior year, Joan from the Diocese of struggled with answering the Owensboro in 2016. Lord’s call. She took temporary vows with the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth in Kentucky but left in 1971 before making them permanent. Joan taught science at Owensboro Catholic High School for 43 years. Never married, with no children of her own, she dedicated her life to her students. Formally retired in 2011, she still teaches the “young or the old” whenever the opportunity arises.
While at OCHS, Joan sponsored many classes and clubs and became close to several Mount Saint Joseph Ursulines. She taught across the hall from Sister Barbara Jean Head, who, in 1991, invited Joan to become an Associate. Already in a deep relationship with Jesus, Joan longed to grow it and flourished within the Ursuline charism. Saint Angela Merici’s unassuming spirituality inspires Joan. Her spiritual activities include past docent at St. Stephen Cathedral, multiple retreats for teenagers and adults, Eucharistic Minister and Lector. Joan loves classical music, supporting the Owensboro Symphony Orchestra as a concertgoer, committee member, and past vice president and president of the Auxiliary. She believes music enables the soul to transcend into the heart of God. Joan’s passions are smiling, making people happy, and a love of the Eucharist. She misses sharing community prayer time. In what she calls her “golden years,” and since being in isolation for Covid-19, her activities are limited and restricted by walking difficulties. Given a superpower, Joan would change people’s hearts to be more generous with both time and money. She reminds us that what we truly love becomes one with Our Creator, is expressed through the Son, and filled with the Spirit’s peace.
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Trivia, Quilts, and Raffle!
We have spent the last 3 1/2 months in isolation because of Covid-19. While life seemed to stand still, it continues to go on. I have gained a new appreciation for my relationships with others and know not to take anything for granted. I am sure others are feeling the same. It is the 50th year of the Mount Raffle. Tickets are on sale now. If you usually buy tickets from a Sister at your parish, that will not be an option this year. Our priority is keeping everyone safe and healthy. The Sisters will miss seeing everyone. It was a wonderful time to reconnect and reminisce, but please feel free to send the Sisters a card or a note. Last year was our first Escape to the Mount with Trivia and Quilt Bingo. We are making some modifications this year. To safely social distance, we are moving the Saturday, Sept. 12 Trivia to Immaculate Parish Hall in Owensboro. We hope you will invite your friends and family to join us from 6-8 p.m. for a fun evening of trivia. It will be a change of scenery and a chance to support the great work of the Sisters. The deadline to register your team is Aug. 24. Quilt Bingo was a big hit last year with nearly 100 participants. It was a great event but would be hard to social distance, so we are having an online Quilt Auction. We will be offering a variety of beautiful quilts! Quilts on the auction block are on our website and Facebook for you to preview. Bidding begins Aug. 24. Visit ursulinesmsj.org for details. (Quilt Bingo will return in 2021.) We will have the Mount Raffle drawing on Sunday, Sept. 13 at 3:30 p.m. The drawing will be live on Facebook. Buy your tickets online at ursulinesmsj.org/ mountraffle or by mail. Questions? Contact me at 270-229-2008 or carol. braden-clarke@maplemount.org.
Carol Braden-Clarke
Director of Development
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Judy Embry Aimee Russelburg Martha Alle Renee Schultz Gene Tritsch Melissa Tuley Anna Mae Kaiser Peggy Clark Brenda Semar 14 DiAnn Jenkins Joanne Mason Donna Szurgot 15 Christa Bennett Laurie Hicks 16 Jackie Sommers 18 Kim Clemons Haire Meg Synk Jody Ziegler 19 Nellie Coffman Mike Haughton 20 Serafina Mesnier 21 Priscilla Archunde Francis Steffen 23 Barbara Hasenstab Cathey Seaton 24 Beatriz Dansdill Rosann Whiting 25 Gerry Hasenstab Eileen Locke Kelly Roe 27 Sheila Blandford 28 Fr. Freddie Byrd Charlotte Paez 30 Eddie Prunty
1 3 4 5 6 8 9 11 12
Janet Kuper Patty Wernel Jean Gutierrez Betty Girten Jane Denton Genon Putnam Patricia Jamett Margaret Chavez Tom Payne Lena Dees Catherine Gawarecki Kristene Pickert Therese Allen Margaret Brasuel Carol O’Keefe Pat Wilson 13 Mary Ann Schilling 14 Alice Albus Margie Hill 16 Betty Stone 17 Catherine Bockhold Victor Fromm 18 Anna Conn Shirley Hagman 21 Mariita Rodriguez 22 Margaret Gallegos 23 Lee Jerome 24 Linda Lattus 26 JoAnne Horstmann Mary Justice 28 Keith Putnam 29 Benjamin Head 30 Lisa Guenther 31 Audrey Durbin Mary Lyne Jean Steffen
1 Ed Cecil Mel Howard 2 Dolores Polson 3 Bobby Smyth 4 Will Payne 6 Odelean Hill 7 Joan DeBauge Jeannie Foster Karen Lasher 8 Raqúel Sepúlveda 9 Cindy Bornander Lorna Horishny 10 Kathy Kiper Becky Pedley 12 Delores Turnage 13 Mary Ann Stewart Marilyn Terry 15 Carol Alvey 17 Al Coleman 18 Annette Stokes 23 Terri Hubner 24 Donald Adams 28 Randy Shelby Sr. Jeannette Touchet, SEC 30 Shirley Palmer
Escape to the Mount Weekend
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. Sign up online: ursulinesmsj.org/escape-tothe-mount-weekend
Get your $5 Mount raffle tickets for a chance to win $10,000, a quilt, a diamond ring, and other cash prizes! Drawing Sept. 13. Get your tickets online: ursulinesmsj.org /mountraffle
Bidding begins Aug. 24 You can bid on beautiful quilts during our new 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 at the information below.
Bids or questions? Contact Carol: 270-229-2008 • carol.braden-clarke@maplemount.org License 0290
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In Loving Memory... SISTER DELORES “DEE” LONG, 81, died June 7 at Mount Saint Joseph, in her 45th year of religious life. 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. She was the contact Sister for Associates Carol E. Hardy, Loraine Hardy and the late Juanita Haskins. Survivors include the members of her religious community, niece, nephews and cousins. Her funeral was June 12, with burial in the convent cemetery. Note: Memorials for Sister Dee may take the form of donations to the Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph, 8001 Cummings Road, Maple Mount, KY 42356.
We Extend Deepest Sympathy To: • Associate Carol Hill, whose sister-in-law Ruth Ann (Hill) Pierce died March 31. • Sister Luisa Bickett, whose brother Kenneth Bickett died April 6. • Sister Rose Marie Craycroft, whose sister-in-law Barbara Hagan Craycroft died April 20. • Sister Rose Jean Powers, whose sister-in-law Oneida Powers died April 26. • Sister Cecelia Joseph Olinger, whose sister Rosalyn “Rose” Olinger died May 4. • Sister Elaine Burke, whose brother Alfred “Al” Burke died May 12. • Associate Martha Alle, whose father, Raymond Orth, died May 17. • Sister Teresa Riley, whose nephew Hagan Riley died May 19. • Associate Therese Allen, whose brother-in-law Charles Harry Hayden died May 30. • Associates Florence and Carrie Wieder, whose father, James Thomas Wieder, died June 21.
NANETTE KRASOVIC, 89, of Morris, Ill., died May 20. Nanette was born in Paola, Kan., and graduated from Ursuline Academy, where she was baptized into the Catholic faith and began her lifelong connection with the Ursuline Sisters. Her faith remained the center of her life. She founded and for many years was dedicated to managing the Perpetual Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament at Holy Trinity Church in Paola. She became an Associate in 1990, with the late Sister Helen Hermreck as her contact Sister. While in school, she received a national award for her portfolio of original dress designs and a job opportunity to move to New York City. After that, she taught dance and pursued professional
options. She married Frank Hamilton from Paola and moved to Joliet, Ill., to raise their three children. A few of her charitable endeavors included St. Joseph’s Auxiliary Hospital Board and the St. Patrick’s Retirement Guild Board. Nanette treasured her memories of travel to shrines dedicated to the Blessed Virgin – Our Lady of Lourdes and Our Lady of Medjugorje. She is survived by daughters Kristine Hamilton (James Henry), Kathleen Jackson (Arthur) and Kelly Bellina (Joseph), as well as three grandchildren and their spouses, and one great-grandson.
We are fortunate to have Ursuline Associates across the U.S. and in South America and Africa. We sometimes lose touch with those far away, but any Associate’s passing is worthy of remembrance. We share the following obituaries for those we recently discovered have gone to heaven: MARY ALICE MARGIS, 86, of Sun City, Calif., died Sept. 21, 2015. A native of California, Mary was encouraged to become an Mary Associate by Sister Margis, Fran Wilhelm while left, with Sister Fran served Sister Fran in California from Wilhelm who was visiting 1975-83. Mary was California in survived by sons 2008. Paul, Jerry and Keith and daughters Ruth Rodriguez, Anne Margis and Mary K. Feeney. MARIE RITA RITZ died May 29, 2013, in Brooklyn, N.Y. In 1998, Update featured a short article on Marie when she
lived in Baltimore. She served in the “Beans and Bread” soup kitchen with the local Saint Vincent dePaul Society, and also in an outreach program to help the homeless with housing, finances and medical care. In Brooklyn, Marie was a member of St. Rose of Lima Church. Her contact companion was Sister Pam Mueller. RAYNELL LEANOR PRADO, 87, of Las Vegas, Nev., died July 20, 2007. He was a native of Blanco, N.M., where the Ursuline Sisters served at St. Rose School for many years. His contact companion was the late Sister Joseph Adrian Russell. Raynell served 22 years in the U.S. Navy. He was a chief warrant officer and was awarded for combat during World War II. He received the purple heart, silver star, and the Philippine Congressional medal of honor. He worked with the nuclear weapons program and was given top FBI clearance. While living in China he learned to speak both Japanese and Chinese. He enjoyed oil painting and karate. He was a fourth degree Knight of Columbus. He was buried at St. Rose Church in Blanco.
Coming up at the Retreat Center R“Transfiguration to Transformation: Awakening (Covid-19)” Online Zoom retreat Sat. Aug. 8 from 9-11:30 a.m. with Sharon Browning Esq. • $25 R“Dismantling Racism as a Spiritual Practice” Online Zoom retreat Thursdays from Aug. 20 - Sept. 17 at 6:30-8 p.m. with Lee-Ann Assalone • $50 R“Women Shaped by Faith” in MSJ gym Sat. Aug. 22 from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. with Theresa Rowe • $30 includes lunch R“Embracing Autumn’s Glory and Welcoming its Lessons” Online Zoom retreat Sat. Sept. 26 from 9-Noon with Beth Fritsch • $20 R“Friends and Fun at the Mount” in person bunco and games in the Center dining room Thursday, Oct. 1 from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Lunch and door prizes • $15 Register or schedule programs: 270-229-0206 retreatcenter@maplemount.org Online: ursulinesmsj.org/registration-formfor-sponsored-programs
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"For in these perilous and pestilential times, you will find no other recourse than to take refuge at the feet of Jesus Christ." – Seventh Counsel Saint Angela Merici