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thank God for the two vocations he gave me,” says Sister bishops, informed the people, gathered together, and hosted Jannette Pruitt, OSF. “One is being a mother of three dialogues sharing the message of “who and whose we are.” beautiful children whose families have grown, and now I Years passed and Jannette’s kids grew and left home have seven grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. The while she spent time in New Orleans, helping to care for her other is being a Sister of St. Francis in ailing mother and walk her through the Oldenburg, Indiana, where I find in my dying process. Several years after that, she sister friends much wisdom and spiritualmoved to Indianapolis at the urging of her ity. The prayer life fills me up and comfriend Rose, who asked Jannette for help pletes my happiness.” picking out a church to attend. The two Sister Jannette is the second of five kids settled on St. Rita’s, which is built like an born in Biloxi, Mississippi, and raised in amphitheater, the entrance being at the Bay St. Louis on the Gulf Coast, approxicrest, so that “everyone saw who was commately 45 minutes from New Orleans. She ing in late.” A compliment made by the is a self-proclaimed “cradle Catholic” and pastor about her hand-sewn dress turned describes her family as very loving. They into a request for Afro-centric vestments were the first of their generation to settle for Kwanzaa and then employment at the there, and much of their time was spent church and school. with their grandparents. Her grandfather The first time Sister Jannette recalls was a carpenter and helped build the small God opening the door to religious life for Sister Jannette Pruitt, OSF town of Bay St. Louis. her was during her second year teachJannette would walk with her grandmother to church ing at St. Rita’s. She was working on Kwanzaa plans, looking every morning for confession, wondering, How much sinning at materials to use for the celebration, when an item from could Grandma have done? She just the bulletin caught her eye. It was went to confession yesterday. However, an invitation for a “Life Awareness it made an impact on her. She recalls Weekend” to see what it would be the day she was to receive her first like to be a sister. “The bulletin hit me Communion. “I really wanted to like a ton of bricks, but since I had receive Jesus,” Sister Jannette says. to finish the Kwanzaa plans, I threw “I didn’t want anything to spoil my it aside,” Sister Jannette recalls. “But special day, so to avoid any possible God has a way of making sure we occasion to sin, I sat with my grandfalisten to him.” The paper about the ther all morning, doing nothing, until weekend kept showing up again and it was time to go to church.” again. Jannette finally wrote it down After her marriage to a childon her calendar and called to find out hood friend didn’t end well, Jannette about it. The cost to attend was too took her two daughters and son to high, but again God’s will won out. Menlo Park, California. She got a Through a scholarship that was availjob as a nurse in addition to workable, she was able to attend. ing furiously in the church, trying “I was a bundle of nerves as I to raise her kids on her own. In the packed for the weekend, realizing I early 1970s, the young mother and wasn’t going to know anyone,” Sister her three children joined St. Francis Jannette says. “When I got to the Sister Jannette’s two daughters, DeLaSandra and of Assisi Church in Palo Alto, a very retreat center and stepped up to the forward-thinking parish for the time. Dorothea, met Sister Thea Bowman at the first gathering check-in table, my nerves melted Her daughters were altar servers, and of the Black Catholic Apostolate, circa 1970. away. There were priests and nuns Jannette joined a parish group called from every order milling around.” She the Black Catholic Apostolate, whose mission was to navisaw nuns in habits and thought, No, I can’t do that. Then she gate how to be “Black and Catholic” in service to the Church. saw a young woman who had gray hair like hers and wore a Through this group, Jannette became friends with Sister Thea pantsuit, and she thought, I can do that. Jannette looked at a Bowman, who was very involved in the work. They spoke to display of photos of a beautiful motherhouse with gorgeous
12 • November 2021 | StAnthonyMessenger.org
ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF PRUITT FAMILY ARCHIVES
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Loving Mother, Franciscan Sister
By Janine Walsh
