FEBRUARY 2014
VOL. XIX, NO. 3
Associates in Action!
Sister Sharon Sullivan, Sister Marietta Wethington and Associate Marian Bennett attended the Grayson County Associate meeting on Dec. 4, 2013. The group treated them to a delicious lunch following the formation session and business meeting. Pictured, left to right, are Jean Gutierrez, Sister Sharon, Carol Hill (group coordinator), Brenda Semar (group coordinator) and John Semar.
The Owensboro Associates and Sisters adopted the International Center of Owensboro as its ministry project for 2013-2014. They will support the center through donations and volunteer activities. Pictured above are Elixis Nicholson, left, and Nathan Johnson helping Associate Martha Little to sort donated items. Martha is the site director of the center; Elixis is Match Grant coordinator and Nathan is TAG (Targeted Assistance Program) grant coordinator. The International Center of Owensboro is a nonprofit organization that specializes in resettling refugees and their families. Most of the families are of Burmese origin and have been displaced by seeking refuge from civil war or extreme poverty in their home country. The Owensboro Center is a satellite office of the International Center of Bowling Green, which is a resettlement agency working under the umbrella of the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI) in Arlington, Va. You can see a list of items needed for the refugees at www.ursulinesmsj.org.
Associate Suzanne Reiss, left, helps Sister Susanne Bauer decorate the Christmas tree in the Motherhouse Chapel on Dec. 17, 2013. BELOW: Suzanne’s mother, Associate Susan Reiss, standing, enjoys looking at the tree with Sister Mary Eileen Howard.
Mark your calendars for
Saturday, June 14, 2014!
June
14
Associates & Sisters Day Thirty Ursuline Associates, Sisters and friends gathered in the Brescia University Chapel on Dec. 16, 2013 to celebrate Advent with a special prayer service.
Watch for more details in our May issue
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Associate Update
A Word from Marian... Dear Associate Brothers and Sisters, At this time of year, we’re reminded about Janus, the Roman god with two faces, one looking to the future and one to the past. Our 30th associate year is behind us and now we look forward to our 31st year. We congratulate our associate sisters and brothers who are celebrating anniversaries of their lifetime commitments. See the box on page 6. How long have YOU been an Ursuline Associate? Twenty years? Ten years? One year? Have YOU changed? Has your relationship with Saint Angela Merici and the Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph made a difference for you, for your family or for your faith? We’ve heard Angela’s words many times to “do something, get moving, be confident, risk new things, get on your knees and then be ready for BIG SURPRISES.” We look forward to another year... • We’ve set the date for our annual Saint Angela summer retreat – Saturday, Aug. 9. Do you have suggestions for the topic? What facet of Saint Angela Merici would you like to focus on? • Another day to remember is Associates and Sisters Day, Saturday, June 14. Come spend a day at Mount Saint Joseph to be renewed and refreshed. • This issue of Update is full of photos of associates, sisters and Y-DOSA members. Perhaps you will find a new idea to add to your group’s ministry. May you be blessed as cold weather blooms into spring. Marian Bennett, OSUA, Coordinator of Ursuline Partnerships
Dear Friends, In these chilly days when we anticipate the spring, I have entertained thoughts of tender green shoots peeking through the snow and imagined willow baskets. It is a basket reflection that I would like to offer you today. A friend once shared with me a piece of advice given her by her pastor when she had spoken with him about her prayer experiences. She had told him that she would often walk away from prayer as burdened as when she had begun. You see, she would climb her mental hill to God, laden with her diverse prayer needs – a troubled child, financial worries, health concerns – and present them to God. Then as she turned to go, she would carefully gather her bundles of concerns and needs, nestle them near to her heart and carry them with her back down the hill. Her pastor said, “Ah ...” Then he suggested to her that what she needed was a basket or two to carry with her up her prayer hill. “When you reach your destination,” he instructed, “present those prayer bundles in your baskets. Then leave the baskets there ... That is most important. You must trust enough to leave the baskets and their bundles.” Well, this advice seemed just right – it was fairly easy to imagine; it was just as hard to do. But ... just recently, as I had carefully laid a bundle of basket prayers at my mental shrine, it came to me that over the years I had carried to God many baskets – carefully constructed to hold various prayers. And I finally understood that weaving the mental baskets was prayer in itself. Just as every act, every service we perform through God’s love is prayer. So, as you reflect with this issue of Update, please enjoy this collection of very active Associate prayers. And go forth with many blessings for all your basket weavings. In Angela, Sister Sharon Sullivan, Congregational Leader
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 Website: www.ursulinesmsj.org Email: associates.msj@maplemount.org Coordinator of Ursuline Partnerships: Marian Bennett, OSUA Coordinator of Formation-Partnerships: Sister Marietta Wethington, OSU Coordinator of Mission Effectiveness: Sister Rose Marita O’Bryan, OSU Director of Development: Sister Amelia Stenger, OSU Director of Mission Advancement/Communications: Dan Heckel, OSUA Communications Specialist/Graphic Design: Jennifer Kaminski, OSUA Administrative Specialist/Website: April Ray
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ASSOCIATE MISSION STATEMENT
e, 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.
February 2014
Next two formation sessions available The third and fourth formation sessions that expound on the disciplines discussed in Gregory Pierce’s “Spirituality at Work: 10 Ways to Balance Your Life on the Job” will be available soon to the Ursuline Associate groups. Session Three will focus on balancing the wants vs. the needs in our lives and exploring our relationship with money. It will also address gauging if we are giving our best and treating others justly. Session Four will focus on balancing the responsibilities of work, family, church and community along with one’s personal needs. It will also create discussion about the impact of one’s presence in the workplace and achieving continued personal development.
February 2014
Associate Update
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Carol Jo Hogan, OSUA finds hope in visit to Uganda By Dan Heckel, OSUA
he people of Uganda have suffered through decades of horrors at the hands of a dictator, and T half of the 2.5 million orphans in the country lost their parents to AIDS. But Ursuline Associate Carol Jo Hogan said the greatest impression made on her after
spending two weeks in Uganda during December 2013 was the spirit of “hope and rebuilding.” After suffering at the hands of Joseph Kony’s oppression for 20 years, in which children were forced to become sex slaves and soldiers, even required to kill a family member to prove their worth, the Acholi people are returning to their Ugandan villages full of hope, Carol Jo said. “They have such joy, like ‘Wow, we’re alive. God is in control,’” she said. “I’ve never seen such joy. I saw forgiveness. There’s no victimhood, they are so busy rebuilding their lives.” Carol Jo arrived in Uganda on Dec. 6 to visit her daughter Bridget Hurry, who is a doctor at Restoration Gateway. It’s a 700-acre development which “exists to join Christ in restoring peace and healing wounds among the vulnerable children and war-torn people of northern Uganda,” according to its website. It provides medical and dental care, and care for the many orphans. Bridget and her husband Steve Hurry have visited Uganda for years and she fell in love with the people of Africa, Carol Jo said. “She wanted to be a doctor and a missionary.” Bridget is an obstetrician and gynecologist, and she and Steve moved to Uganda in November 2012. Carol Jo serves as house mother at Our Lady’s Inn, a shelter for pregnant homeless women in St. Louis. Since returning from Uganda on Dec. 22, she said she’s been “refilled.” “I’m so energized with rebuilding,” she said. “God doesn’t walk away.” She did not think she’d be visiting her daughter so soon, but when Steve Hurry’s mother Jan decided to go, Bridget Hurry called her mother and asked her to come as well, Carol Jo said. The mean age in Uganda is 53, so Carol Jo said seeing two “mature” white women was quite a wonder for the Acholi people. “In the market, babies would scream because they’d never seen a white person,” Carol Jo said. “They call us ‘mazunga,’ which means ‘white person.’ They were so excited I was there. Your presence tells them they are worth something.” Carol Jo has a theater background, so was thrilled to play a role in the Christmas pageant for the children. “The children were there for a week, I wanted to get to know the kids,” she said. “The Christmas pageant was planned, but a lot of the teachers were at a seminar in Kampala. I started to write some dramatic scenarios with the help of a translator to act out in the afternoon. The children are so musical and can dance like crazy, such free spirits. I had a great time.” She also enjoyed time with her grandchildren, Evelyn, 4, and Ethan, 6. Carol Jo also got the opportunity to work in the clinic, which overlooks the Nile River. Patients either come in boats along the river or walk for hours to see a doctor. Malaria kills 320 people a day in Uganda. “It’s a very Catholic nation. I’d be running for bandages or whatever Bridget needed and then I would pray with the patient,” Carol Jo said. “It’s very beautiful, it’s just part of their medical care.” Carol Jo asks for prayers for all those involved in Restoration Gateway and all the daily miracles the Lord provides there. “His love and strength is lifting many to hope and possibility,” she said. To learn more about Restoration Gateway, visit restorationgateway.org. To keep up with the Hurry family’s adventure in Uganda, follow their blog at thehurryhome.com.n Associate Hita Merchant of Grovetown, Ga., was pleasantly surprised to learn in the last Update newsletter that Carol Morris, her friend and former Owensboro colleague, became an associate at the fall commitment ceremony. Hita’s contact companion is Sister Alicia Coomes; Carol’s is Joan Perry, OSUA. Hita, an associate since 1996, is shown at left with J. P., Alex and Zach, her “Georgia grandsons.”
Ursuline Associate Carol Jo Hogan, right, and Jan Hurry, her daughter’s motherin-law, are pictured after arriving in Uganda on Dec. 6, 2013. Their luggage included supplies for the Restoration Gateway mission.
These grasshoppers were prepared by an Acholi staff member to honor the arrival of Carol Jo Hogan and Jan Hurry. “We had to be polite and eat some,” Carol Jo said. “They were good.” BELOW: The Western Kentucky Associates met on Jan. 18. On the table in front of them are items they are collecting for a game basket for the 2014 Mount Saint Joseph Picnic. Left to right: Mike Sullivan, Sister Teresa Riley, Elaine and John Wood and Sister Sharon Sullivan.
Reflective Moments Moments Reflective Winter’s Lessons
By Sister Marietta Wethington, OSU
“Winter is a lesson about the fine art of loss and growth. Its lesson is clear; there is only one way out of struggle and that is by going into its darkness, waiting for the light and being open to new growth.” – Joan Chittister, OSB Winter in Kentucky has been colder than usual this year. I like living in an area with four seasons but I don’t enjoy the extreme cold when the temperature hovers near zero. During the winter months I find it so much harder to get out of bed and get moving. Maybe I envy the hibernating animals who go into their den and sleep all winter. I do like Sister Joan Chittister’s description of darkness and struggle as we wait during the winter days. My years of life have taught me that the only way out of darkness and fear is going right through them. It is not helpful to try to sidestep either of them. Instead of dwelling on the harshness of winter I look for its beauty.
Winter does have a beauty of its own. The bare trees lifting their limbs as if to God in prayer remind me to not try to hide anything from God but to be open and honest in my prayer. The shorter days and the longer nights invite me into contemplation and renewal. I am called to look at my interior winters. What do I find? Is my heart cold and hard? Or do I draw near to the source of warmth and light and allow the winter to be a time of light and new growth? I cannot control the outside weather of winter, but I can choose the kind of winter that is in my heart. Holy Darkness of Winter, grace us with your patient waiting. Gift us with the blessing of contemplative love that turns our hearts to you. Bless us with the prayerfulness that allows the seeds of love you have planted deep within us to grow and blossom into a community that is truly the Body of Christ.
Join us as we pray for one another! Send your prayer requests for friends and loved ones to the Email Prayer Network. Write the Ursuline Partnerships office, 8001 Cummings Road, Maple Mount, KY 42356 • Call 270-229-2006 • Email associates.msj@maplemount.org • www.ursulinesmsj.org
Y-DOSA spreads some cheer, readies for Centennial
Y-DOSA Report...
The Young Daughters of Saint Angela is a group for girls ages 11-18 who study Saint Angela’s life and seek her guidance. To start a Y-DOSA chapter, contact Marian Bennett: (270) 229-2006 marian.bennett@maplemount.org
Whitesville, KY. Lydia Lambert, Colsi Stauffer and Mary Hardesty prepared for their Y-DOSA commitment ceremony at an overnight Scrutiny Retreat on Jan. 10. They stayed at the Mount Saint Joseph Guest House and Sister Martha Keller facilitated their time together. We welcomed three new members this year. Although our pinned 8th graders graduated to Trinity High School, we are confident they still claim their membership as a heart commitment. – By Sister Suzanne Sims, Leader
KANSAS
Lydia Lambert, Colsi Stauffer and Mary Hardesty write words on a poster to describe themselves, such as ”students” and “leaders.” They also made a poster with words that God would use to describe them, such as “unique,” “loved” and “cherished.” These Y-DOSA members from Whitesville, Ky., were attending a Jan. 10-11 scrutiny retreat at Mount Saint Joseph.
The Kansas Y-DOSA group donated and decorated a Christmas tree for the Queen of the Holy Rosary – Wea Parish Hall. Posing by the tree are Angelina, Cindy, Amelia, Abbey C., Carly, Ellie, Maria, Abby P., Eileen and Ashley.
The first Sunday of Advent, we came together in the Queen of the Holy Rosary – Wea Parish Hall to donate and trim a 7-foot Christmas tree for all to enjoy. Then on Dec. 9th, we joined with our families to celebrate the holiday season. Each Y-DOSA member placed a pink ornament during the blessing of the tree and then we all gathered around for a beautiful Candlelight Rosary. We plan to be much busier in 2014 as the good word regarding our Candlelight Rosary ministry continues to precede us. The “girls in pink” are being called to add prayer and meditation at special gatherings or when family and friends gather in a home to pray for the elderly or the illness of a loved one. As we continue reaching out to others with our ministry, we are becoming much more aware of why recitation of the Holy Rosary is so important. – By Carol O’Keefe, Leader
February 2014
Associate Update
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Still educating after all these years! sisters work. These few examples give an idea of how a community working together can affect the lives of so many. The community’s efforts combined with the efforts of our associates are making a real difference in our world. When we do something to touch the life of another, we become a part of positive change. Thank you for walking with us as we try to bring education and Christian formation in all its forms to the places where we serve. God bless each of you. Sister Amelia Stenger, OSU, Director of Development Our Derby Day dinner in Paola, Kan., will be Saturday, May 3, 2014. If you are in the area, we hope you will join us! More details coming soon. For information, contact Sister Amelia Stenger at 270-229-2008 or amelia.stenger@maplemount.org
Mark your calendars...The 44th Mount Saint Joseph Picnic is Sunday, Sept. 14, 2014 Please plan to volunteer...We need your help!
License #0290
Dear Associates, We are now in a new year with so many possibilities for change. The Ursuline Sisters have always been aware of change and in many cases have been the instigators of change. Over the years we have seen so many new things take place. Some changed the course of history. In 1874, the sisters got on a boat and came to western Kentucky to open a school. That one event started the journey of education for thousands of girls at the academy and many more thousands in the schools and parishes across the United States where our sisters taught. In 1912, when the community became independent, we forged ahead with education and Christian formation in new areas in the Southwest, Missouri and several other states. The changes that came to people’s lives can’t be measured. In 1950, Brescia College (now University) became a part of the educational fiber of western Kentucky and reached out to Cyprus, Mexico and many other countries. Can you imagine the effect on people around the world who have been changed by their contact with the Ursuline community? In 2004, the second flatboat trip down the Ohio River reached people on 97 television stations in the United States and spread to Canada and around the world on CNN. We gained many new friends along the river and received the funds to sponsor creative activities for the people where our
Jean is a “wonderful organizer” By Judy Sims, OSUA, Muhlenberg County, Ky.
I have known Jean Simpson for more than 10 years. She is quite an amazing woman. Jean and David have been married 52 years in February and they have three sons and five grandchildren. Jean taught elementary school Jean Simpson – second, third and fourth grade – for more than 40 years. All you have to do is mention teaching and she lights up. She truly enjoyed being with those children. She is a wonderful organizer. We depend on her to help us with our Ursuline meetings and numerous other activities in the parish. For example, at our last associate meeting she suggested we have a surprise birthday party for Father Ben Luther (pastor of St. Joseph’s) and Sister Rose Karen Johnson. Both of their birthdays are in December. It was a huge success and a
surprise to both. Jean converted to Catholicism later in life. She made her lifetime commitment as an Ursuline Associate on July 19, 2008 with Sister Rose Karen her contact companion. Father Ben Luther and Sister Saint Angela Merici Rose Karen Johnson were wants us to always be surprised with a birthday helpful to others and celebration on Dec. 14, 2013 in anticipate their needs. Muhlenberg County. She believed in education for the women of her time and believed very strongly in prayer. Jean exemplifies all these qualities in her life. She has a heart of gold, and we all cherish her friendship. Thank you Jean for all you do. You are a true blessing to family, friends and community.
Women’s Retreat with Sister Cheryl Clemons on Saint Thérèse of Lisieux is March 21-23
Retreat begins at 7 p.m. Friday and ends after lunch Sunday. Fee: is $180 for residents or $130 for commuters. Get a 10% discount if paid in full by Feb. 21. Contact Kathy: 270-229-0206 • kathy.mccarty@maplemount.org. Find a brochure online at ursulinesmsj.org under Conference & Retreat Center. Look for other Retreat Center events on our Center home page.
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Associate Update February 2014
A bidder at the Nov. 16, 2013 Sister Visitor Center silent auction/dance
Associates rally for a good cause
By Suzanne Reiss, OSUA, Louisville, Ky.
2 Shearon Harris Diane Wilson 4 Jennifer Kaminski DeAnne Schmidt 5 Kay Buckman Stella McClure Fr. Jerry Spencer 7 George Horishny 10 Chris Denniston 11 Margaret Birge 12 Velma Dees 14 Mary Costello Pauline Goebel 15 Diane Hayden 16 Joan McKinnon 18 Mike Sullivan 19 Carolyn Butler Florence Wieder 20 Angelina Glomb 21 Marcy Bufalini Elaine Wood 23 Carlene Braun Laura Locke 25 Marcella Critchelow Jodie Fulkerson
2 3 4 5 6 8 9 11 12 14 15 16 17 18 19 21 23 24
Sr. Phyllis Ann Hackmann Larry Minks Lily Cloughley Joyce Firenza Evelina Salas Marilyn Trechter Marian Bennett Mary Jo Dodson Violet Hamilton Wanda Gibson Fr. Brian Johnson Wanda Rickard John Caton Carrie Wieder Lucille Weidenbenner Laura Smith Claudette Ford Terry Barnes John Laker Alice Piezuch Kathi Latta Dennis Reilly Teri Hubner Fr. Ed Bradley Carolyn Head Rev. Patricia Dawkins Nancy Krische Susan Scott Edna Marnell Michael Lemm Michael Ziegler Roxanne Bollin
1 2 4 5 6 7 9 11 12 14 18 19 21 22 23 24 25
Karen Howard Marie Ritz Murilla Giittinger Madeleine Bianco John Allen Jerry Birge Susan Reiss Bernice Rockers Ruth Wright-Welzen Clarence Kaiser Sonia Pradenas Loni Daniels Karen Feehan Michael Synk Carol Hardy Paul Parker Cecilia McEldowney Gail Davenport Loretta Oliver Maxine Hobbs Ola Higdon Sandra Jull Rose Mary Egli Kevin Karl Amy Payne Judy Sims 26 Sr. Agnes Ijoko, HHCJ 28 Marilyn Katzer Marianna Robinson 30 Rev. Tom Barrett 31 Norma Jean Witten
Being an Ursuline Associate has enriched my life. As I expected, many of the benefits of my affiliation with the Ursuline Sisters and Associates have been rewarding, fulfilling and even challenging. One benefit that I have really enjoyed is experiencing associates coming together regardless of their region for a good cause. One such event was held Nov. 16, 2013 to 25 benefit the Sister Visitor Center in Louisville. Sister Visitor is an emergency 27 assistance program that 28 provides the most basic 29 of human needs. Sister 30 Visitor put on a dance featuring the Monarchs as a fundraiser. Ursuline Sister Michele Intravia, manager of operations for the center, Judy Embry 5 Years 10 Years 25 Years wanted to have a silent Randall Lamastus Bonnie Adams Janice Arth Claire Buckley auction and turned to the Marilyn Mischlich Ruth Bittel-Nunez Leon Donahue Juanita Burke associates for assistance. A Lois Nunnally Chris Denniston Terri Hubner Andy Chavez number of Louisville and Carol O’Keefe John Little Kathy Kiper Annette Chavez Grayson County associates Trudy Peak Martha Little Sr. Agnes Ijoko Ione Deken came together with donated Bernice Rockers Amy Payne Arlene Naglich Joan McKinnon items and basket-making Pat Wilson Meghan Payne Dolores Polson Fr. Joe Mills expertise, lending their time Alma Jean Yackle Sarah Payne Daughn O’Neill and talent to a silent auction 15 Years Tom Payne Midge Palm that raised thousands of 20 Years Cheryl Boardman Will Payne Fr. Bernard Powers dollars for the Sister Visitor Lois Bell Dee Carroll Susan Scott Center. It reminded me Chico Irizarry 30 Years Marcella Critchelow Michael Ziegler of Helen Keller’s quote, June Irizarry Mary Sandlin Patricia Dawkins “Alone we can do so little; Joanne Mason together we can do so much.” Participating Associates were Carol Hill and Brenda Semar from Grayson County; Cecilia McEldowney from Ohio, and Pauline Goebel, Marilyn Beam, Susan Reiss and Suzanne Reiss from Louisville. n
February 2014
Associate Update
In Loving Memory... May they rest in God’s peace... Sue Carrol Vittitow Donahue died Dec. 19, 2013 in Louisville after a long illness. She is survived by Leon Donahue, OSUA, her husband of 58 years, and their children, Diane, Cindy, Kent, Jeffrey and Sandra, as well as 13 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren. Sue was dedicated to her role as housewife and mother and was active in her parish and the children’s school as they were growing up. She enjoyed taking classes over the years and belonged to a weekly spirituality group in addition to working with the Saint Vincent de Paul Society. She and Leon were members of Saint Athanasius Church and were active with the Louisville associate group. Her contact companion was Sister Mary Beatrice Donahue (deceased). Mary Cecilia Kennedy died Jan. 14 in Owensboro at age 82. A lifelong educator and administrator, Mary retired from the Owensboro Catholic Schools in 1997 as principal of Holy Angels School. Orphaned at an early age, Mary was raised by a cousin and joined the Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph in 1949. Mary, then known as Ursuline Sister Robert Mary, served as teacher and administrator in Kentucky, New Mexico and Nebraska. After leaving the Ursuline community, she taught in Greenwood, Ind., for 11 years with the Sisters of Providence. She was active with the Owensboro Associates and the Mount Saint Joseph Alumnae Association as long as her health permitted. Mary is survived by her adopted sisters, Lola Whitesides, Gladys Peters, Norma Medley, Joan Byrne, Sherry Holinde and other members of the Fulkerson family. Other survivors include her special friends, Associates Joan Perry and Mary Danhauer and Sister Mary Jude Cecil, her contact companion. Mary made her lifetime associate commitment Oct. 16, 1987. Norma ERNESTINE (Teen) Clemons Robinette, 77, died Dec. 29, 2013 at Twin Lakes Medical Center, Leitchfield, Ky. Teen was a member of the 1954 graduating class of Mount Saint Joseph Academy and retired from General Motors as an account manager. Always ready to lend a helping hand, she was a faithful picnic volunteer, spending many hours sorting, pricing and packaging items for the Mystery Booth and the Yard Sale, and working in the booths on Picnic Sunday. She was called “the mother of St. Augustine Church,” warmly greeting members as they gathered for Sunday Mass. Her passion was caring for her extensive flower gardens; she provided
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We Extend Deepest Sympathy To:
• Sister Joseph Angela Boone, whose sister, Cecilia Marie Johnson, died Nov. 5. • John Wood, whose brother, Frank Wood, died Nov. 28. • Norma Jean Witten, whose niece, Kimberly Cripps, died Nov. 29. • Marian Bennett, whose nephew, Mickey Robertson, died Dec. 13. • Sisters Marian and Rose Jean Powers, whose sister, Eulaine Powers Robertson, died Jan. 2. flowers for the church altar every week and often brought flowers for liturgies and events at the Mount. She was named a Gardener of the Month by Walmart in Leitchfield and a Sophia Award recipient nominated by her parish in Grayson Springs. A member of the Grayson County Associates, Teen made her lifetime commitment in 2007 with Sister Cheryl Clemons, her niece and contact companion. Merle Ruth (Molly) Weilbacher, formerly of Columbia, Ill., died Dec. 16, 2013 in Oklahoma City, Okla., at age 84. She was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother and sister and an avid St. Louis Cardinals baseball fan. A talented pianist and active member of Immaculate Conception Church, Merle was a church trustee and member of the Altar Society and the Women’s Club. She and her husband, Deacon Leo Arthur Weilbacher Jr., gave years of service to the parish and the Diocese of Belleville. He preceded her in death in 1998 after 48 years of marriage. Molly is survived by a sister, Gloria, a daughter, Deborah, sons Thomas and Michael and three grandchildren. Her contact companion was Sister Dorothy Helbling.
’
They will say daily at Matins* thirty-three Pater Nosters and thirty-three Marias in memory of the thirty-three years Jesus Christ lived in this world for love of us.
Saint Angela Merici
- Rule: Chapter V (On Prayer) *Before sunrise, part of the Hours of the Divine Office The latest Associate Directory is now available with just a click on your computer. The directory contains current associate contact information as well as birthdays, feast days and anniversaries of death for all associates and sisters. Contact Marian Bennett at 270-229-2006 or marian.bennett@ maplemount.org to request your digital copy.
Look for the latest news on www.ursulinesmsj.org
If you have a smartphone, this QR code will take you to our website!
ving at the Mou t Mo n e G 5K Run/Walk t!
Saturday May 31 • 9 a.m.
The Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph are hosting their first 5K Run/Walk on the grounds of Maple Mount! Come out and join in the fun! $20 per person if you sign up by May 1st ($25 after May 1st and on race day). Register online at www.ursulinesmsj.org. Contact April Ray: 270-229-4103 ext. 448 or april.ray@maplemount.org
Lenten Prayer Day
Wednesday, March 26, 2014 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Led by Msgr. Bernard Powers
Mount Saint Joseph Retreat Center
$20 includes Mass, lunch, Reconciliation To register, call 270-229-0206 kathy.mccarty@maplemount.org
•
Upcoming Associate Meetings • • • • • • •
Grayson County, Ky. – March 26, April 23, May 28 Louisville, Ky. – April 12 Memphis, Tenn. – March 15, May 17 Muhlenberg County, Ky. – March 12, May 14 Owensboro, Ky. – March 17, May 19 Kansas North & South – March 15, Lenten Day of Reflection Western Kentucky – March 15
Other dates to remember...
• Ash Wednesday – March 5 • Associate Group Coordinators meeting – March 6 • Yarn Spinners Weekend Retreat at Maple Mount - March 7-9 • Study of the Catholic Catechism at Mount Saint Joseph Retreat Center Thursdays, March 13, April 3, May 8, June 12, Aug. 14, Sept. 11, Oct. 9, Nov. 13, Dec. 11 from 10:30 - 12:30. The $10 fee includes lunch. • Associate Advisory Board meeting – March 22 • Sr. Cheryl Clemons’ Women’s Retreat: Saint Thérèse of Lisieux – March 21-23 • Easter Sunday – April 20 • Mount Saint Joseph Alumnae Weekend – May 17-18 • Get Moving at the Mount 5K Run/Walk – Eucharistic Adoration at the Saturday, May 31 at 9 a.m. Motherhouse Chapel takes place • Associates and Sisters Day – June 14 on the second Sunday of each • Y-DOSA Summit at the Mount – June 19-21 month from 4 p.m.-5 p.m. • Saint Angela Summer Retreat Day – Aug. 9 We will be praying especially for • 44th Mount Saint Joseph Picnic – Sept. 14 vocations. All are welcome.