border. She participated fully in the life contributed a monthly reflection for of the local community while ministering “Horizons,” as part of Global Sisters at New Mexico State University in the Report, an electronic newsletter for the nutrition and dietetics department and National Catholic Reporter. During the volunteering at the Santo Niño Project fall, Tracy and Andrea engaged in the for children with special needs in Mexico. vow reflection process, incorporating Annie participated in the emergency readings on each vow, discussions with response to the refugee families that small groups of Sisters, and also sharing crossed the southern border in the in their Novitiate community. Andrea summer 2014 and in the advocacy also participated in Water with Blessings efforts on their behalf. She transitioned for a week with Debbie Weber, OPJCC to Cincinnati to begin the Canonical director, in Haiti. (From left) Sisters Tracy Kemme and Andrea Novitiate in January 2015. Sisters Annie, Tracy, and Andrea Koverman professed First Vows in June 2015. Annie moved into the Novitiate house participated in the Chapter of affairs community, and began ministering at Healthy Moms & and Elections as non-voting members. Each of them Babes with mentor S. Tricia Cruise. She participated in the contributed in various ways through writing and in liturgical intercommunity novitiate with five Franciscans and a Divine ministries. Providence Novice. She, along with Novice Director Donna After Chapter, Andrea and Tracy applied to make First Steffen, went to the St. Louis Intercommunity Novitiate for Vows. They were both approved by our President S. Joan a five-day workshop on Spirituality and Sexuality in early Elizabeth Cook, in consultation with the Leadership Team, February. on April 21, 2015. This set in motion preparations for the “A charism needs to be lived according to the place, celebration of First Vows. As part of their preparation, they times and people. The charism is not a bottle of distilled made a directed retreat. Sisters Tracy and Andrea professed water. It needs to be lived with energy, rereading it their vows for three years at a Eucharistic Liturgy on June 27, culturally, too.” 2015. Their vows were received by President S. Joan Cook. A dinner and party followed. Sisters Tracy Kemme and Andrea Koverman began their Apostolic Novitiate year on June 28, 2014. Along with some During May, Sisters Annie and Donna spent 10 days with needed vacation time, Tracy spent several weeks ministering with S. Sarah Mulligan in Guatemala, and besides engaging in S. Sarah Mulligan in Guatemala. Andrea helped with the mother various programs at the clinic and school, assisted S. Sarah and and children refugees in the El Paso area for a week, and explored staff as they moved the clinic to a neighboring facility. After how religious communities live in a more sustainable way. returning to Cincinnati, Annie and the Divine Providence Novice enjoyed various spirituality and theology classes. After Labor Day the ordinary time of living in the Novitiate community, ministering 20-25 hours per week, and These fine women certainly have taken to heart the words taking some weekly reflection time began. Andrea ministered of Pope Francis: “Today’s religious men and women need to at the Intercommunity Justice and Peace Center and Tracy be prophetic, capable of waking up the world, of showing with the Catholic Campaign for Human Development they are a special breed who have something to say to the internship through the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. Tracy also world today.”
S. Annie Klapheke (front, center), along with Novice Director Donna Steffen (back, right), went to the St. Louis Intercommunity Novitiate for a five-day workshop on Spirituality and Sexuality in early 2015. A N N U A L R E P O RT 2 0 1 5
Sisters Lois Jean Goettke (left) and Monica Gundler (right) welcome Denise Morris into pre-entrance in September 2014.
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