HEART AND SOUL
TPT MIX TAPE: WOMEN AT THE HEART OF CHANGE
In September, Josi Aguilera ’25, Kabo Yang MAOL’09, and President Evans spoke on the importance of intersectional women’s leadership, facilitated by DJ Miss Britt and co-hosted by The O’Shaughnessy, Twin Cities PBS (TPT), and Community Work and Learning.
INTERIM VICE PRESIDENT OF DEVELOPMENT
MARY HAEG, JD
DIRECTOR OF ALUMNI RELATIONS
LINDSAY BUTTERFIELD WHIPPLE ’09
DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS
SARAH VOIGT
EDITOR
MICHELLE MULLOWNEY ’17
DESIGNER
HEATHER LONGMORE
CONTRIBUTORS
KAT BRAZ/THE ESC PLAN
MARY ANN BRENDEN
BETHANY CATLIN-JOHNSON
KARA D eMARIE MLIS’16
KENDALL GRAHAM
LINDSAY MADRYGA
BELLA NORCROSS ’25
MOLLY ORTH
ANA PEREIRA ’25
AMY SHAW/ARCHIVES AND SPECIAL COLLECTIONS
JON SPAYDE
PHOTOGRAPHERS
ANDREA RUGG
REBECCA ZENEFSKI SLATER ’10
TARA SLOANE
MIA TIMLIN ’25
ADDRESS CHANGES
651-690-6666
STKATE.EDU/UPDATEINFO mag.stkate.edu
@st.kates
@st_kates
@stkates
St. Catherine University
St. Catherine University Magazine is published three times a year by the Office of Communications. No part of this publication may be reprinted without permission.
St. Catherine University was founded by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet in 1905.
Learn more: stkate.edu/ourhistory
The spiritual heart of campus
Our Lady of Victory Chapel celebrates 100 years of history, tradition, and community.
BY JON SPAYDE
In the details
The Chapel abounds with architecture and artifacts that reflect Mother Antonia’s vision for St. Kate’s.
BY ANA PEREIRA ’25
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
More than 1,800 alumni responded to the all-classes survey this summer, with input from Katies across colleges, class years, schools, and academic programs. Read about how Alumni Relations is implementing alumni takeaways on page 20.
From the President
Education is the great equalizer.
Growing up in the South during the Civil Rights Movement, my siblings and I would get an earful from many family and friends about the importance of education, but it is my grandmother’s words that echo in my heart to this day. She said to me, “My baby girl, you’ve got to get your education! Once you get your education, no one can take that from you. They can take your house, your car, the clothes off your back. But once your mind is educated, you are free.”
Think about that — claiming your education to free your mind. St. Catherine University’s founders, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, knew this was key centuries ago. The Sisters taught hundreds of women in poverty the trade of lacemaking, skills that they could use to support their families and claim their futures. You, dear readers and beloved alumni, know and live this truth each and every day: because of the education you received here, you have changed our communities and our world for the better. That legacy of learning and leadership makes it possible for today’s students to stand with knowledge and purpose.
“Knowledge and purpose” are apt descriptors of one CSJ in particular: Mother Antonia McHugh, St. Kate’s first
president and a radical visionary. She was the driving force behind the construction of Our Lady of Victory Chapel, which celebrated its centennial this fall. The story on page 6 shares a glimpse into the Chapel’s role in St. Kate’s community throughout the decades. It also serves as a small tribute to Mother Antonia, who was determined to forge a more expansive future for the women who studied at St. Kate’s. Like the Chapel in its 100th year, Mother Antonia’s vision endures, and we thank all who came to celebrate its legacy with us this October.
At the start of every academic year, I think about my grandmother. Her words encouraged me as I followed my higher education path to learn, teach, and lead. As I embark on my first year with you, I can think of no better way to honor her memory, and her fierce dedication to education, than with this spirit of collaboration and partnership across this campus that we all love. As I continue to meet St. Kate’s alumni and supporters, I know you understand the importance of this particular institution and its power to transform lives. I am grateful for your confidence in the future we are building together.
President Marcheta P. Evans, PhD
Bookmark
What’s on President Evans’ shelf?
BY BETHANY CATLIN-JOHNSON
President Marcheta P. Evans, PhD, was inaugurated as St. Catherine University’s 12th president on November 1. Her 30-year career spans education, counseling, and leadership roles in higher education (most recently as chancellor of Bloomfield College of Montclair State University in New Jersey). Throughout all these chapters, one constant has been a love of books that shape her perspective as a transformational leader.
Q: Your office is chock-full of books, and they run the gamut from thought leadership to children’s books. Can you talk about that?
A: I grew up during a time when a book was a jewel. You have to honor it, treasure it; it was a privilege to have. Thus my substantial collection of books — I actually once had my daughter come and purge my books because I had too many and I needed to let go! I used to do a lot of romance novels — when I was a counselor and working with kids dealing with abusive home situations, I needed a happy ever after — and today I read meditation books that lift me up.
Q: Faith, service, and belief in oneself seem to be themes in your book picks. Why?
A: I was raised in the South by my grandmother, and we were active churchgoers. I was taught that when much is given, much is required — words from [the Gospel of] Luke — and that education is a privilege, so what are you going to do with it? It’s all about service, about giving back to the community, and that’s grounded in my faith and my belief. Faith has driven everything I do: from education, to counseling, to being an administrator.
BLACK LOVE LETTERS (2023)
by Cole Brown and Natalie Johnson
My husband and I are reading this together. It introduces a lot of different topics through letters people have actually written. It deals with grief, loss, music — there’s a love letter to jazz that I just love — it deals with relationships, it deals with awe. For us, it really is an opportunity to be still for a moment as a couple and take our time to reflect on love in all its forms.
FIRST LIE WINS (2024)
by Ashley Elston
This is a pick from my book club. It’s a story about a woman who lives lots of different lives. She’s a thief, and she’s stealing so her mom can afford her cancer medication. I like when books address topics like our healthcare system and the things people have to resort to as they navigate it. It was a good read that had me asking, what happens when people are unable to live as their authentic selves because of their situation?
GOD’S LITTLE DEVOTIONAL BOOK FOR LEADERS (1997)
by David C. Cook
I’m sure you’ve heard of imposter syndrome? That’s something I struggle with. There are little sayings in these books that help me be that mirror, or that view, that “you can do this, too.” Sometimes as women and as women of color, we think that we can’t, or shouldn’t — and we don’t realize how special we are.
CASTE:
THE ORIGINS OF OUR DISCONTENTS (2020)
by Isabel Wilkerson
Isabel Wilkerson was our fall 2024 Kelly speaker. Her work in Caste is transformative because she uses caste, rather than racism, to understand how we go about living. I was thinking about it a lot while watching the national political conventions this summer. The majority of U.S. political leaders are white — the dominant caste — and the political climate can be understood as a reaction of the dominant culture feeling threatened.
LEAD
WITH HUMILITY (2014)
by Jeffrey Krames
Our St. Kate’s leadership team is reading this together. Lead With Humility has Pope Francis on the front cover, but it’s actually written by a Jewish author. It’s interesting because it’s someone external [to the Catholic faith] saying, “I value who you are and what you stand for, and how that translates into leadership.” Even in higher ed, it’s easy to bury your head in the sand and say, “God will take care of it” — but I’m of the opinion that faith without works is dead, and I’m always trying to figure out what that work looks like.
WHEN GOD MADE YOU (2017)
by Matthew Paul Turner
This is an example of the books I read aloud and record for my granddaughter Noa in Texas; it’s a beautiful story that emphasizes diversity and the unique gifts we each bring into the world. Reading When God Made You allows Noa and me to connect while sharing important messages of love, self-worth, and acceptance — and best of all, she can hear my voice as she flips through the book.
NOW FEATURED AT THE ST. KATE’S BOOKSTORE
Drop by the Bookstore on campus to purchase copies of President Evans’ recommendations! Available to order online and as audio books. Learn more at stkatebookstore.com.
OPPOSITE, TOP: SODALITY OF OUR LADY, MAY 11, 1941. CENTER: STUDENTS PRAYING, CIRCA 1942. BOTTOM: A 1981 ECUMENICAL PERFORMANCE OF THE JEWISH CONCERT “ LOVE SONGS FOR SABBATH.”
The spiritual heart of campus
Our Lady of Victory Chapel celebrates 100 years of history, tradition, and community
BY JON SPAYDE
In the 1925 La Concha yearbook, the graduating seniors of that year proudly claim a historic distinction: “Future classes of Derham Hall may give what boasts they have, but none will ever compare with ours. We are privileged in being the first to have our baccalaureate sermon in the beautiful new Chapel of Our Lady of Victory. Is that not worth giving honorable mention?”
A worthy honorable mention indeed for Our Lady of Victory Chapel, whose centennial — and highly anticipated reopening, after nearly two years closed for preservation work — St. Catherine University celebrated last month. It is the school’s liturgical heart, a place of academic assembly, a sometime concert hall, and an abiding symbol of St. Kate’s Catholic foundation. Since its very beginnings the Chapel has been a haven of prayer and peace amid the dislocations of a troubled century; a beacon of the charge of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet (CSJs) to love God and the dear neighbor.
In the years leading up to those enthusiastic seniors of 1925, St. Kate’s — then a college — was growing, and Masses had to be celebrated in three shifts. Hence, Our Lady of Victory was created not just to accommodate the student population, but to embody the still-small — but ambitious — College’s Catholic identity, its commitment to the liberal arts, its determination to grow, its belief that women deserved the best that American and world culture offered.
These were among the values that Mother Antonia McHugh, St. Kate’s first dean and president, stubbornly insisted upon as she moved forward in plans for a building designed on a large scale and built with the finest materials and artisanship. She encountered some,
such as Archbishop Austin Dowling, who were resistant to the Chapel’s size and cost — but Mother Antonia prevailed, prompting faculty member Mary Ellen Chase to suggest, with a smile, that the words “Our Lady of Victory” held “double significance.”
A CENTURY OF TRADITIONS
With persuasion from Mother Antonia, the builders were able to complete their work by October 7, 1924. On that sunny day — with only a window and two altar side statues still to come — the Chapel was dedicated with pomp and circumstance. The archbishop and some 70 priests and monsignors processed into the sacred space, and the “Town Gossip” columnist of the Saint Paul Dispatch waxed eloquent: “The episcopal purple made its own contribution to a pageant which also, after a time, included a brave array of academic black and white, as the student body filed in.”
Katies, Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, and others were soon filing in for daily and Sunday Mass, strictly required for decades, and for opening and baccalaureate Masses, presidential inaugurations, and other College-wide solemnities and gatherings. It was part of a culture of compulsory, but enjoyable, togetherness. Looking back on college life in the 1950s, Ruth Haag Brombach ’60 recalled “the number of large, all-school festivals, convocations, celebrations, and occasions for prayer that we enjoyed with each other. … Together, students and faculty celebrated monthly holy hours and weekly convocations in academic gowns.”
There were sorrowful Masses — one in particular was dedicated to Agnes Hamm ’23, who died suddenly, in her early thirties, after marrying Colin J. L. Bittleston, a British naval officer and veteran of World War I; Mother Antonia arranged for a memorial tablet for Agnes near the Chapel’s Mary altar. When Mother Antonia herself passed, in 1944, Archbishop John Gregory Murray presided at a pontifical requiem Mass, and the combined choirs of the College and the Sisters sang her off to rest.
Happier rituals abounded too. The early-20th-century passion for allegorical-historical pageants came to the Chapel’s terrace in 1926 with an extravaganza celebrating the CSJs’ 75 years in Minnesota. St. Catherine Alumni News (SCAN) magazine reported that some 500 Katies and young women from five other institutions of higher learning thronged the space, and some took on roles personifying spirits such as “Tragedy, Comedy, Folk-Lore, Epic and Lyric Poetry, symbolizing the beauty of Literature and Religion.” The anniversary of a Sister’s vows could be feted with great joy and dignity, as was the 1939 golden jubilee of Sister Celestia, who operated the tea room in Whitby for years: nothing less than a High Mass sung by the combined choral clubs of St. Kate’s and St. Thomas.
The Chapel is so beautiful; it was love at first sight! I’m Catholic myself — and I’ve learned that prayer is not always words. You can just sit quietly and let your spirit wander, and that was something I loved to do in the Chapel as well.”
— Sylvie Guezeon MBA’22
The Chapel served not only important spiritual functions, but academic as well. It housed the main college library, which was moved out of cramped quarters in Derham into the Chapel’s basement right after the building was finished. It remained there until “Operation Booklift” in 1960, when students and faculty spent three days hauling books up and over to the new library, and were rewarded with brownies. After Booklift, the Chapel’s basement came to house a whole range of things, including a learning center, an alumni center, a computer center, and student publications.
In the 1970s, the Chapel also saw the first of what became a thriving tradition: alumni weddings. Although there had been a handful of weddings in Our Lady of Victory — beginning in 1926 with the union of Alice Kenney ’25 and Henry Orme — the archdiocese frowned upon nuptials outside the bride’s parish church. But after 1974 when chapels gained the right to celebrate the sacrament of matrimony, Shelley Ann Nelson married Randall F. Reardon in Our Lady of Victory, and the floodgates opened. In a 1984 issue of SCAN, wedding coordinator Sister Helen Margaret Peck ’24 wrote that she oversaw 479 weddings between July 3, 1975, and June 2, 1984. They gave her, she added, “a pleasant way to spend long weekends.”
BELOW: STUDENTS AND FACULTY HELP MOVE THE COLLEGE’S BOOKS FROM THE OLD CHAPEL LIBRARY TO THE NEW LIBRARY BUILDING ON OCTOBER 11, 1960. AT BOTTOM: PEG ROGERS ’58 AND JANET BASKFIELD ’58 EXAMINE THE CHAPEL’S NEW ALTAR IN 1956.
“
LEFT: IN 2002, STUDENTS JOINED VISITING ARTIST GITA KARR IN CREATING A MANDALA ON THE FLOOR OF THE CHAPEL. BELOW LEFT: STUDENTS IN THE 1980S ENJOY THE CAMPUS MINISTRY LOUNGE, LOCATED BEHIND THE CHAPEL.
“THE HEART PLACE FOR GATHERING”
Another consequential trend was the growing number of students from Protestant and non-Christian traditions. The focus of campus ministry, and the Chapel’s functions, began to evolve from a close focus on Catholic observance to a wider embrace of religious and spiritual diversity. In May of 1967, for example, Cantor Jacob Goldstein of the Temple of Aaron in St. Paul joined the St. Catherine/St. Thomas mixed chorus in a performance of the Jewish liturgical drama “Love Songs for the Sabbath,” in Our Lady of Victory, with interpretive movement choreographed by Twin Cities dance luminary Loyce Holton.
By the 1990s, when Susan Hames, CSJ, ’67 and Cathy Steffens, CSJ, ’68 were joint campus ministry coordinators, interfaith programming had surfaced as a community interest. “We realized that we needed to be more responsive and more inclusive of students whose religious traditions were different,” says Hames. “And so international and multicultural students began to share some of their culture and their religious traditions.” Both before and after 9/11 in 2001, the campus ministry worked with Muslim students to meet their religious needs and help them spread accurate awareness of Islam, with programs in the Chapel’s north sacristy — a place where Hindu students also gathered to celebrate holy days.
It’s a tradition of openness that’s important to the Sisters of St. Joseph as well as to the wider campus community, and it continues with the contemporary campus ministry, now named the Center for Spirituality and Social Justice (CSSJ). For its director, Sharon Howell, CSJ, these initiatives reflect the core meaning of the word catholic,
The people I [have] met in the Chapel, both the students working there and the people who come to Mass every week, really welcomed me into the University. Our Lady of Victory has really been a constant in my time here, and it’s been such a gift to be a part of that community.”
— Meredith Toussaint ’25
with a small “c”: that is, “universal.” “When Hindu students put a mandala on the floor of the Chapel,” she says, “it was an extraordinary opportunity for us to help people understand that it is because we’re Catholic that we do this, that we invite everyone in and try to create an environment of belonging.”
Belonging is, truly, the key to the century-old Chapel’s enduring place in St. Kate’s community. It’s a beautiful sacred space that belongs to students and passersby alike, where they belong — whether they’re attending Mass, joining others in a ritual of healing like the ones carried out after 9/11 and other crises — or simply stopping in to refresh the soul.
On October 6 and 7, 2024, after almost two years of closure for preservation work, St. Kate’s community members stepped through the Chapel’s beloved blue doors once more. A full century after Our Lady of Victory’s 1924 dedication, her sweeping arches, intricate carvings, and warm tiles were illuminated by hearts and voices as students, alumni, CSJs, faculty, staff, and friends observed a special centennial Mass, choir concert, and abundant reminiscing.
With 100 years at the center of St. Kate’s — “the heart place for gathering,” as Sr. Sharon has called it — Our Lady of Victory’s celebratory reopening invokes words by Mother Antonia that have proven truer than ever.
According to a 1958 article of student newspaper The Catherine Wheel, Archbishop Dowling looked at the newly finished Chapel and remarked to Mother Antonia, “How will you ever fill it!”
“Your Excellency,” she replied, “we shall fill it to overflowing.”
ABOVE: ST. CATHERINE COMMUNITY MEMBERS CELEBRATED THE CHAPEL’S CENTENNIAL AND REOPENING WITH A MASS, CONCERT, AND ACTIVITIES. BELOW: POSED HERE IN FRONT OF THE CHAPEL, MOTHER ANTONIA M cHUGH WAS THE FIERCE DRIVING FORCE IN ITS CREATION.
See before and after photos of the Chapel preservation work at stkate.edu/OurPlace.
PHOTO/TARA SLOANE
PHOTO/TARA SLOANE
Our Lady of Victory has been a venue to come together for so many different occasions: Masses, weddings, graduations, opening ceremonies at the beginning of every academic year. Special prayer services during Advent. And the concerts! I remember them so well; I sang in the chorale. It’s just conducive to all kinds of prayer and gathering.”
— Kay Eckstein McGuire ’83
TYMPANUM Mary, Mother of God — Our Lady of Victory — holds the Christ Child, whose arms are extended in a cross position.
DOOR PILLAR CAPITAL Angels frame Saint Catherine’s head, referencing the angels who carried away her body upon her death.
LINTEL The 12 apostles are bookended by two veiled women, both holding icons that represent aspects of St. Kate’s mission. The woman on the left holds the torch of knowledge; the woman on the right holds a cross, symbolizing faith.
SAINT JOSEPH Saint Joseph, patron saint of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet (CSJs), is one of 10 religious figures depicted between the columns who hold special significance to St. Kate’s history.
SAINT THÉRÈSE During conversations with prospective benefactors of the Chapel, Mother Antonia prayed to Saint Thérèse of Lisieux, whose likeness appears here in gratitude for the Chapel’s successful completion.
COLUMN BASES Below the saints are a representation of vices, symbolically placed at the feet of the saints, and far below Mary and Jesus Christ.
Sources: Our Lady of Victory Chapel: Monument, Mystery, Mission by Mary Ann Brenden and archival University publications
In the details In the details
The Chapel abounds with architecture and artifacts that reflect Mother Antonia’s vision for St. Kate’s
BY ANA PEREIRA ’25
SAINT CATHERINE
Saint Catherine of Alexandria is portrayed with the broken wheel, the symbol of her martyrdom.
PEDIMENT SCULPTURES
Jesus Christ, at the apex, is flanked by representations of 10 virtues: (left to right) justice, charity, purity, faith, hope, simplicity, wisdom, fortitude, industry, and meekness.
THE LEGEND OF SAINT CATHERINE (at bottom)
The Chapel’s frieze depicts the story of St. Catherine of Alexandria, patron saint of the University and of students, philosophers, and scholars. Each panel portrays a different scene of her legend according to the Catholic tradition: St. Catherine challenges the persecution of Christians, debates 40 pagan philosophers, and converts them all. Enraged by her defiance, the Roman emperor Maxentius condemns St. Catherine to death on the wheel — which shatters when she touches it. He orders her beheaded, and her body is carried away by angels.
CHRIST THE KING WINDOW
Installed in 1934, the stained glass window was designed by Edward Heiland and manufactured by the Franz Maier Company of Munich, Germany. The window depicts Jesus Christ surrounded by the scales of justice, mosaic tablets referring to the Ten Commandments, and the Greek letters alpha and omega, which symbolize God’s role in the beginning and end of all things.
ALTAR While the original altar was made of carved wood, the current altar is made of Mankato stone. Installed in time for the Chapel’s consecration on May 1, 1958, it is inscribed with the Book of Revelation verse, “Behold I Make All Things New.”
AMBO CANTOR LECTERN
The ambo is where scripture is proclaimed during the service, and the cantor lectern is where the cantor leads the congregation in song. Both items were created in the early 2000s from the wood of the Chapel’s former confessional booths.
STATIONS OF THE CROSS
The Stations of Cross, original to the Chapel, were designed by three CSJ art faculty members: Sister Marie Theresa, Sister Philomene, and Sister Leon. With contributions from art students, the 14 tiles were completed and manufactured by Ernest Batchelder in California.
BATCHELDER TILE The Chapel was one of the largest commissions of artist Ernest Batchelder, whose tiling is a significant element in and outside of the Chapel. His work appears in the columns, capitals, organ loft screen, Stations of the Cross, and holy water fonts. Peacocks appear in many of the Chapel’s carvings, and hold a double meaning: Batchelder often incorporated peacocks as his signature motif, and in the context of the Chapel, they symbolize the belief of early Christians in Jesus’ resurrection.
ROSE WINDOW Since the Chapel’s completion in 1924, the 12-foot rose window has been an enduring emblem of St. Kate’s. Its circular structure represents the martyrdom of University patron Saint Catherine of Alexandria, who was sentenced to die by a spiked wheel that broke as soon as it touched her.
1923 ORGAN Mother Antonia commissioned this historic pipe organ specifically for the Chapel. Although it is no longer in use due to its age, it remains one of the oldest organs of its kind, according to national expert David Engen, PhD.
YOUR FEEDBACK is creating the future of alumni engagement at St. Kate’s…
…and we could not be more excited. Thank you for your responses to the all-alumni survey earlier this summer. I’m thrilled to share that we received more than 1,800 responses, which encompassed alumni voices across colleges, class years, schools, and academic programs. Our priority in Alumni Relations is building direct lines between your feedback and future alumni offerings. Thanks to your participation in the survey, we’re already working on shaping our planning — like the relaunch of alumni awards and leader volunteers! — into opportunities that speak to your hopes, thoughts, and interests as St. Kate’s graduates.
In the meantime, know that we are reading every comment and connecting with alumni who requested a response.
With gratitude,
Lindsay Butterfield Whipple ’09 Director of Alumni Relations
WE HEARD YOU:
ALUMNI VALUE FRIENDSHIPS WITH CLASSMATES, AND ARE EAGER FOR OPPORTUNITIES TO ENGAGE WITH EACH OTHER.
We are prioritizing in-person engagements, with hybrid opportunities for alumni who are unable to travel to campus. Bring a fellow alum friend! Earlier this fall, alumni were invited to participate in President Evans’ inauguration virtually, and many alumni competed in The Big Quiz Thing, a virtual trivia event exclusively for alumni.
ACROSS CLASS YEARS, PROGRAMS, AND COLLEGES, CENTERING WOMEN IS DISTINCTLY IMPORTANT TO ST. KATE’S GRADUATES.
This will continue to be a central part of our offerings. For example, 2025 kicks off a year of Conversation With Books programming, with three events featuring women authors, women’s stories, and women’s leadership.
CONNECTIONS TO ACADEMIC PROGRAMS ARE STRONG. ST. KATE’S ALUMNI HAVE PRIDE IN THEIR MAJOR, PROGRAM, AND DEPARTMENTS.
We have identified and will continue building opportunities between alumni and their important campus affinities, like academic departments and athletics. Alumni Relations is also collaborating with colleagues across campus on continuing education offerings: webinars, auditing classes, and discounts on on-campus conferences.
FIRST SVP OF EQUITY AND BELONGING NAMED
On August 1, Jacqueline Font-Guzmán, JD, PhD, became St. Kate’s senior vice president of equity and belonging.
In this new role, Font-Guzmán supports an inclusive and equitable environment for work and learning at St. Catherine University, leading strategies that advance education, training, and professional development for faculty, staff, and students around issues of diversity, equity, belonging (DEI), identity, anti-racism, and social justice.
Font-Guzmán has served in leadership roles in higher education for nearly 20 years. A 2012 Fulbright scholar, her interests focus on identity, health disparities, and conflict resolution, and their intersections with marginalized communities and colonization. Formerly, she provided DEI leadership at Eastern Mennonite University and Creighton University, and has an extensive background providing DEI consultation to organizations such as the World Health Organization, Johnson & Johnson, and the Venezuelan Supreme Court.
Around Campus
“WELCOMING THE DEAR NEIGHBOR?”
PROJECT WINS NATIONAL SERVICE LEARNING AWARD
St. Catherine University’s “Welcoming the Dear Neighbor?: A History of Housing Inequality in Ramsey County” project was selected as one of two first-place prize winners of the 2024 Uniservitate Global Service-Learning Award by the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities.
Established in 2017, “Welcoming the Dear Neighbor?” is a collaboration between St. Kate’s and the University of Minnesota Libraries’ “Mapping Prejudice” team. It explores housing discrimination, segregation, and racism in the Twin Cities, involving over 1,600 students, faculty, staff, and community partners.
As part of the award, the St. Kate’s team received a cash prize and the opportunity to participate in the Uniservitate Global Symposium in Rome, Italy, in November. Representing St. Kate’s was D’Ann Urbaniak Lesch, assistant vice president for engaged learning at the Office of Scholarly Engagement, and Victoria Delgado-Palma ’23, an alumna in economics and international studies.
KATIE AWARDED FULBRIGHT AWARD TO TEACH IN MALTA
Aubri Farniok ’24 received a Fulbright U.S. Student Program award to serve as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant in Malta for the 2024–25 academic year. Susan Bosher, PhD, professor of literature, language, and writing and ESL director, and Katherine Campbell, PhD, associate professor of interprofessional education and director of Competitive Fellowships, supported Farniok in her Fulbright application.
After her Fulbright in Malta, Farniok hopes to complete a master’s degree in school counseling and become a school counselor who creates a welcoming environment and effectively helps all students reach their academic and personal goals.
ALUMNI RETURN TO CAMPUS
This spring and summer, St. Catherine graduates gathered to reconnect with old classmates and make new memories.
On May 10, alumni returned for the annual Dew Drop Bop. Graduates of the last 15 years joined current students, faculty, staff, and friends to celebrate the end of the academic year with food trucks, live music, and photobooth fun.
June 7–9, St. Kate’s honored alumni of class years ending in 4 and 9, featuring the 50-year Reunion of 1974 graduates and the 25-year Reunion of 1999
graduates. The weekend included class parties, a special big-screen showing of Barbie, volunteer opportunities, and updates on campus construction progress. At the all-class Evening With St. Kate’s, then-President ReBecca Koenig Roloff ’76 shared insights into the St. Kate’s of today and bid a fond farewell before her retirement.
SAVE THE DATE FOR REUNION 2025: June 6–8, 2025 stkate.edu/reunion
THANK YOU
for making Give to St. Kate’s Day on Nov. 13 — our biggest day of giving — a success. By supporting St. Kate’s student scholarships, you change lives that will change the world.
WILDCATS NOMINATED FOR 2024 NCAA WOMAN OF THE YEAR
Wildcat soccer player Ari Green ’23, MBA’24 and golfer Jaycee Rhodes ’24, MBA’25 were St. Kate’s nominees for the prestigious National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) Woman of the Year award. Both their nominations follow stellar senior seasons that propelled their teams to NCAA Championship appearances and earned both athletes individual awards. Rhodes was further selected as a Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) nominee for the NCAA award — only the second Wildcat MIAC nominee in St. Kate’s history.
Read more at stkatesathletics.com.
ST. KATE’S CALENDARS
stkate.edu/events-calendar Athletics | stkatesathletics.com
The O’Shaughnessy | oshag.stkate.edu
Catherine G. Murphy Gallery | gallery.stkate.edu
UPCOMING EVENTS:
FEAST OF SAINT CATHERINE
November 25, 2024 stkate.edu/feast
CONVERSATION WITH BOOKS
January 2025, June 2025, October 2025
Watch for details at stkate.edu/alumni-events.
GIVE TO HONOR HER February 11, 2025 stkate.edu/honor-her
2025 SPRING KELLY LECTURE
The Right Honorable Dame Jacinda Ardern, former New Zealand prime minister March 7, 2025 oshag.stkate.edu/ardern
FEAST OF SAINT JOSEPH
March 20, 2025
Details to come.
REUNION
June 6–8, 2025 stkate.edu/reunion
SPECIAL DIGITAL MAGAZINE
Update your email to receive the digital inauguration issue in December! This special edition of the magazine will commemorate the inauguration of President Marcheta P. Evans, PhD. stkate.edu/UpdateInfo 651-690-6666
CLOCKWISE: JENNY ERNIE-STEIGHNER DPT’24 AND CLASSMATES FOCUSED THEIR CAPSTONE EXPERIENCE ON THE EXPERIENCES OF WOMEN IN INCARCERATION. THEY ASSEMBLED “ WELCOME HOME BAGS” AND CREATED HEALTH EDUCATION VIDEOS.
Katies In Action
Physical therapy students tackle chronic health issues of women in incarceration
BY MICHELLE MULLOWNEY ’17
When associate professor of physical therapy (PT) Jessica Scholl ’10, MAOL’15, EdD, talks about her students’ projects on the topic of women’s incarceration, she invokes the power of human connection. “Facts are one thing,” she says. “Personal stories are totally different.”
Over the course of two immersive weeks last May, St. Kate’s PT students learned about the challenges faced by women who are incarcerated, and engaged in support projects that included assembling “welcome home bags” with Amicus Sisters Helping Sisters, a longtime partner with St. Kate’s Center for Community Work and Learning. Amicus also connected the students to women living at Roseville Reentry Center who were transitioning out of incarceration and willing to share their experiences.
Stories are key to the experience for the students, says Lisa Adams, program coordinator at Amicus. Many individuals in incarceration have experienced abuse or addiction in their home prior to incarceration. “They didn’t wake up one day and just decide to commit a crime,” says Adams. “If we can slow down and hear somebody’s story, we can see how someone got involved in the justice system. It doesn’t mean we have to be supportive of the actions that got them there. But we can understand, and then we can look at [influencing factors] — how do we support parents
so that they can make decisions to be there for their kids instead of having to work three jobs?”
Pairing that person-to-person connection with an understanding of structural inequities is the essential goal of the PT student capstone experience, Scholl says. “The impact that it has on students is to view patients more holistically and think more critically about systems,” she explains, “to ask, ‘Who are we serving, who are we not serving, why are things the way that they are? Is it just patient care — or is it bigger than that?’”
HUMAN DIGNITY THROUGH HEALTH EDUCATION
The stories shared by the women at Roseville Reentry Center provided personal examples of what research has been concluding for decades: that healthcare for women in incarceration is limited and poor quality. Years of walking on solid concrete and sleeping without pillows creates chronic musculoskeletal pain; delayed or insufficient care during pregnancy leads to lasting complications; aging processes such as menopausal hot flashes are difficult to manage. Factors such as staff shortages mean that correctional facilities may offer just one or two practitioners who rotate among several facilities, many of which house populations well into the hundreds.
To Jenny Ernie-Steighner DPT’24, one of the PT student group, the healthcare issue is at once nuanced and simple: “Human dignity is precious,” she
“People deserve human dignity, including to have a better understanding of their bodies.”
—Jenny Ernie-Steighner DPT ’24
says, “and there are places where it can get disrespected; incarcerated systems are one of those. And one basic area that is also overlooked in healthcare is pelvic organ health, especially for women and people assigned female at birth.”
After learning this during their capstone experience, Ernie-Steighner and classmates Sarina Le ’24, Colin Joyce ’24, Chloe Venegas ’22, DPT’24, and Samantha Orth ’22, DPT’24 decided to focus their project on educational materials, with exercises that inmates could complete to improve pelvic health without needing a healthcare professional. The St. Kate’s group created three videos on urinary incontinence, bowel health, and menopause for mini-courses at the Minnesota women's prison in Shakopee, as part of an ongoing effort by St. Kate’s faculty and students to offer enrichment courses at the facility. The videos were accompanied by response sheets, which course participants filled out with feedback and any health questions they may have had. Each worksheet then received a personal response from a St. Kate’s team member — including new alumni. Even though they graduated last May, Ernie-Steighner and several group members volunteered in November to help with the responses.
“People deserve human dignity, including to have a better understanding of their bodies,” says Ernie-Steighner. “And with some knowledge, you can begin to address pelvic health issues. So being able to answer some worksheets to hopefully support human dignity — that’s a small ask.”
Class Notes
CATHY STEFFENS, CSJ, ’67 and JILL UNDERDAHL, CSJ, ’92 discussed their favorite aspects of religious life on an episode of the Ask Sister podcast from A Nun’s Life Ministry.
1960
MARY BERNADETTE NEWTON, CSJ, ’67 was featured in an episode of Minnesota Public Radio series “Connect the Dots.” Newton shared wisdom and lessons learned during her unexpected path to becoming a member of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet (CSJs).
JUDITH REVERING ROSS ’68 retired from the board of Birthline of San Diego County and was recognized for 40 years of volunteer service to the organization. She and her husband, Edward, also celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in November 2023. Since her retirement in 2014, Judith and Edward have made several trips to Europe to visit the villages from which their ancestors emigrated.
1970
ROBERTA HUNT ’79 was featured in an episode of MPR News With Angela Davis for publishing an academic case study about her experience as a severe stroke survivor in May 2020. A former St. Kate’s nursing faculty member, Hunt was interviewed with her
SUBMIT A CLASS NOTE
CONTACT US
Online: stkate.edu/alumni
Phone: 651-690-6666
Email: alumni@stkate.edu
facebook.com/katiealumni University Alumni
daughter Jackie Smith and Barbara Champlin, PhD, another former St. Kate’s nursing faculty member.
MARY PALCICH KEYES ’79 was invited by the Ely-Winton Historical Society of Ely, Minn., to deliver a lecture about immigrant history at Iron Range schools. Keyes is a former high school literature teacher, community educator of Minnesota history, and independent bookstore owner.
1980
PATRICIA (PATTY) GIBBS ’85, MAOL’96 was named president/ CEO of the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central Georgia in September 2023.
MARY BENDEL-SIMSO ’86, PhD, was promoted to the position of dean of faculty at McDaniel College in Maryland in June 2024. She previously taught in the English department at McDaniel since 1995 and has served on various faculty committees.
LAURA CAMERON ANTOS ’87 was promoted to the role of director of strategic lottery product marketing at International Game Technology in Providence, R.I. She and her family moved from Massachusetts to New Jersey in December 2023.
1990
ROXANNA GRONHOLZ GAPSTUR ’90 was named to the Central Pennsylvania Business Journal’s Power 100 list for the fourth year. She is president and CEO of WellSpan Health, the largest healthcare system in central Pennsylvania.
TERESA TIERNEY MAUER ’90, who has been inducted into three local halls of fame for her high school and college athletic career, was featured in a profile by the Star Tribune exploring her influence on her children, including former Minnesota Twins baseball player Joe Mauer.
BRIDGET SCHWARTZ-MANOCK ’92 was appointed the assistant general manager of public and intergovernmental affairs at the Central Arizona Project, a water utility in Phoenix. She has worked with the Central Arizona Project since 2009 and has more than 28 years of experience in public policy and legislative affairs, working with public sector entities.
BRIGID HICKEY WAGNER ’93 was promoted to First Interstate Bank’s director of enterprise planning in Billings, Mont., in January 2024. In this role, she helps execute First Interstate’s strategy through effective leadership and project management. Before her promotion, Wagner served as the interim director of enterprise planning since August 2023, and has been with First Interstate for over 17 years.
KEN RODGERS ’94 retired this year after 15 years of disability accommodation and advocacy at the Minnesota Department of Transportation. He was a member of the board of directors at the Minnesota Association of Professional Employees, where he worked on the accessibility work group committee.
LYNN KLESMIT ’95 began a new position as a client services specialist at Fundamental Wealth Designs.
2000
AMANDA BOELEN HARRINGTON ’01, JD, received the 2024 Alumni Award of Excellence from the University of Minnesota, where she earned a master’s degree in social work. Harrington is the director of community safety design and implementation with the City of Minneapolis.
CORRIE CHRISTENSEN ’02 mentored a team of sixth-grade STEM students in Samsung’s Solve for Tomorrow national STEM competition. Her Stillwater Middle School team, of Stillwater, Minn., was a top 10 finalist and received the competition’s 2024 Community Choice Award, winning $60,000 in technology and classroom supplies.
CATHERINE STRANDE BINTNER ’03 was promoted to the role of vice president and head of inclusion and belonging at U.S. Bank.
ABIGAIL BURROWS WHITE ’03 retired from the U.S. Navy after 20 years of active duty as a nurse corps officer. She supported combat operations in Kuwait, Afghanistan, and Iraq and lived abroad in Japan and Italy.
AMY POTTHOFF ANDERSON ’04 began a position as the associate director of healthcare analytics with AstraZeneca in Barcelona, Spain, in April 2024.
ANGELIQUE HOWE BASKIN ’04 joined the recently formed product management team at First National Bank and Trust (FNBT) in Beloit, Wisc., in February 2024. She has worked at FNBT since 2017.
SARAH COMPTON ’05, MAED’07 was selected as a 2024–25 Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator fellow, a program that recognizes 15 K-12 teachers from across the nation. In August 2024 she relocated to Washington, D.C. to work with the U.S. Geological Survey.
VICTORIA MUCHA ’06, JD served as constructive chief equity officer at the Minnesota Clemency Review Commission and Board of Pardons. Since then, she has continued advocacy for post-conviction relief policy for people sentenced to life imprisonment.
JULIE NELSON ’09 received the 2024 award for Outstanding Lecturer in the College of Liberal Arts at Auburn University in Alabama. She is a Spanish lecturer and coordinator for the elementary and intermediate Spanish programs.
2010
ANGELA CONLEY ’13 delivered introductory remarks at the Justice for All Coalition, a public forum sponsored by the Minnesota Justice Research Center in February 2024. Conley is the commissioner for District 4 in Hennepin County, the first African American elected to the Hennepin County Board.
TAMMY DUURSMA MAED’15 was named the North Dakota State University cheer team coach in April 2024. She has 20 years of teaching and coaching experience.
KELLY MINER ’15 completed a Master of Science degree in Library and Information Science with a concentration in archives management at Simmons University, in Boston, Mass., in June 2022. She is currently working at the National Geographic Society in Washington, D.C., and was promoted to an archivist position in special collections.
RACHEL DUBOSE ’17, ALYNIE WALTER ’19, CLAIRE WEINZIERL ’19, ALISHA WIEDMEIER FRYE ’20, MELISSA GRAHAM ’20, KADIATU KAYA ’23, ABBY CONRAD ’24, DPT’26, BRONWYN HICKS ’24, and ODUNOLA ADEWALE ’25 joined St. Kate’s physics professor Erick Agrimson on an April trip to Indiana as part of the NASA-funded National Eclipse Project. The group launched weather balloons to gather data on atmospheric changes during a total eclipse.
KADIATU KAYA ’23 AND ODUNOLA ADEWALE ’25
JORDAN WOOD MAOT’18 and Benjamin Sappington married in Elkhorn, Wisc., on August 3, 2024. They reside in Kenosha, Wisc.
2020
ROMAYA WOODS BURNS ’22, MBA’24 joined the board of directors for the Minnesota Association for Financial Professionals.
CHRISTOPHER WHIPPLE ’24 and Lindsay Butterfield Whipple ’09 welcomed their fourth child, Phoebe Rose, in April 2024.
In Memory w
Our deepest sympathy to the family members of the following St. Catherine University staff, community members, and graduates.
John A. Lange, media manager w April 27, 2024
John Spillane, Jr., former trustee w May 3, 2024
J. Peter Ritten, former trustee w January 15, 2024
Dorothy Brantner Van Remortel ’29 w January 3, 2005
Helen Endres Donnelly ’29 w January 25, 1980
Mildred Strohschein Ryan ’43 w May 11, 2022
Margaret Shields Leach ’43 w March 25, 2024
Kathleen McDonald Purcell ’45 w April 5, 2020
Mary M. Wamsley ’46 w February 18, 2024
Shirley Gaffney Johnson ’46 w November 13, 2023
Maureen Reilly Breckman ’48 w February 24, 2021
Carol Gardner Tinge ’48 w January 3, 2020
Patricia Londo McCormick ’48 w November 23, 2020
B. Lorraine Guerber Allen ’48 w April 2, 2022
Anne Bohn Bowen-Olson ’48 w April 26, 2024
Gemma M. Hessian ’48 w April 19, 2024
Lucille Eiden Grams ’48 w January 29, 2024
Jean Taylor Smith ’48 w April 10, 2023
Patricia A. Hurley ’49 w July 26, 2024
Charlotte McQuillan Strom ’49 w May 30, 2024
Rita Ley Kinsella ’50 w December 2, 2023
JoArlene Redmond Aspelund ’50 w March 27, 2016
Jane Williams Pugel ’50 w January 26, 2024
Mary Mahoney Schnell ’50 w December 31, 2023
Alvena Manning Maniaci ’51 w February 15, 2024
Mary Joan Rourke ’51 w April 11, 2024
Alice Driscoll Brown ’52 w June 23, 2024
Mary Jane Gaertner Miley ’52 w June 9, 2024
Margaret Dundon Donahue ’52 w May 26, 2024
Jeanne Hovelson Broenen ’52 w January 31, 2024
Delores Peltier Wallander ’52 w March 14, 2024
Joan Traxler Thonet ’52 w April 27, 2022
Patricia Cochran Walker ’53 w December 12, 2023
Kathleen Rafter Tregilgas ’54 w March 30, 2024
Catherine Fitzpatrick Michel ’54 w March 8, 2024
Catherine Fortier ’55 w July 9, 2016
Margaret Ann Mahoney McMahon ’55 w July 10, 2024
Carmen Dalheimer Seifert ’55 w March 15, 2022
Rosemary Hanrehan McGraw ’55 w July 25, 2021
Margaret Day Maplesden ’55 w April 8, 2021
Mary Epple Johnstone ’56 w April 4, 2024
Carol Kronebusch Kjos ’56 w April 29, 2024
Elaine B. Dufresne, CSJ, ’56 w November 10, 2023
Angela Larson Nichols ’56 w May 7, 2024
Maxine Hoerner Borom ’56 w December 24, 2023
Terry Birder Casey ’57 w July 14, 2024
Barbara Peck ’57 w April 27, 2024
Mary Nevin Tadich ’57 w January 3, 2024
Mary Menke Charlton ’57 w August 18, 2019
Elizabeth A. Thornton ’57 w April 1, 2024
Mary R. Lindberg ’57 w November 25, 2016
Jean Dalseth Lesmeister ’57 w June 25, 2021
Theresa Foss O’Brien ’57 w June 23, 2022
Mary Ellen Parslow Smith ’57 w November 9, 2020
Frances Ryan Butler ’58 w January 14, 2024
Mary Grace Severson Galvin ’58 w June 26, 2024
Ann William Leach, CSJ, ’58 w February 22, 2024
Patricia Lamb Haggerty ’58 w February 26, 2024
Delores Broll Hance ’59 w July 27, 2024
Judith Yung ’59 w August 27, 2021
Janice Wandmacher Sundquist ’59 w April 29, 2024
Judith Dalglish McCartin Scheide ’59 w December 29, 2023
Betty Stephens Skok ’59 w September 20, 2023
Jean Marusic Lohman ’60 w August 2, 2024
Frances Mary Benz, CSJ, ’60 w June 30, 2024
Ellen Bakker Brentine ’60 w May 8, 2024
Joan Burns Villella ’60 w June 1, 2024
Kathleen Corbett Hebrink ’60 w June 2, 2021
Juanita Grow Fisher ’60 w April 14, 2024
Jean McCoun LaPerriere ’60 w August 23, 2023
Judith Madigan, CSJ, ’60 w December 30, 2023
Mary H. Montgomery ’61
Mary E. MacDonald ’61 w January 27, 2024
Katherine Daniels Johnson ’62 w July 7, 2024
Ansgar Holmberg, CSJ, ’62 w June 28, 2024
M. Petrann Sieben, SSND, ’62 w April 23, 2024
Mary Judith Olsen ’62 w November 30, 2023
Irene M. Muhvich, PhD ’62 w October 26, 2023
Julie Schuster Allis ’63 w January 12, 2022
Susan Lohmann Kellerman ’64 w July 17, 2024
Anne Costigan Steckel ’64 w December 22, 2023
Catherine Mahoney Kinsella ’64 w November 5, 2023
Nancy L. Hayter ’65 w July 2, 2024
Mary Dooley Newcomb ’65 w December 23, 2023
Pat McKeown Soderbeck ’66 w December 2, 2018
Pamela Ruff Peirsol ’66 w March 10, 2024
Judith A. Juelich ’66 w March 1, 2024
Margaret J. MacNeill ’66 w December 1, 2023
Elizabeth A. Schott ’66 w December 2, 2023
Charlotte Kelly DeLoy ’66 w August 1, 2020
Nancy Martha O’Connor, OSB, ’67 w April 26, 2024
Susan Debelak Ecker ’69 w July 14, 2024
Patricia A. Turbes-Mohs ’69 w May 22, 2024
Patricia Batko Schaffran ’69 w May 29, 2024
Patricia Picha Carmody ’69 w January 9, 2024
Stephanie Pieschel Serleth ’69 w October 10, 2023
Clotilde Jardim, lsp ’69 w March 8, 2024
Judie Davis Florenzano ’69 w December 4, 2023
Diane Walker Kastner ’69 w July 17, 2023
Kathleen Kirby Revak ’69 w September 3, 2023
Sue Needham Sauer ’70 w May 24, 2024
Patricia Windschill Marx ’70 w February 4, 2024
Beverly Jones Bayless ’71 w June 27, 2024
Kathryn Gerber ’71 w July 6, 2024
Margaret Hafner Plumbo ’71 w February 6, 2024
Linda Fiegen Warnest ’71 w December 9, 2023
Deborah L. Janey ’72 w March 6, 2024
Mary Louise Mathes Dresbach ’72, MAOL’95 w March 17, 2024
Barbara Brandt Cunningham ’73 w May 18, 2024
Diane Schumacher Cohen ’73 w December 31, 2023
Rosemarie Cook Coyle ’74 w May 30, 2021
Margaret Rieger Pederson ’76, MAED’98 w March 28, 2024
Joan C. Amundson ’76 w March 3, 2023
Susan Trausch Green ’78 w June 9, 2024
Cynthia Mazur Butler ’79 w May 12, 2024
Pamela Waldorf ’79 w April 29, 2024
Jean Krueger Bacig ’82 w May 22, 2024
Geraldine Soltys Katzmarek ’87 w February 19, 2024
Nancy Smith Carter ’87 w March 16, 2023
Carole Eha Lynne ’88 w March 14, 2024
Cheryl Murphy Hanzal ’90 w May 24, 2024
Wayne A. Hergott, MAT’90 w August 7, 2023
Christine Thul Juelich ’91 w May 25, 2024
Janise Reemts Laakso ’91 w November 8, 2021
Mary Ellen Pierce Peterson ’92 w December 17, 2023
Constance Kaddatz Larson ’95 w July 20, 2024
Christophe J. Leroux ’96 w December 9, 2023
Jerianne Weiss Zimmerman ’04 w August 5, 2024
Christine Aslagson Stark ’07 w December 18, 2023
MARY JO KISCH SKAGGS ’61, former trustee and alumnae association president, passed away on June 18, 2024, at the age of 84.
A Phi Beta Kappa scholar, Skaggs graduated from the then-College of St. Catherine in 1961 with a bachelor’s degree in history. After completing her 1961–62 Fulbright Fellowship, she taught in the North St. Paul school district for over 30 years. Skaggs remained close to the St. Catherine community throughout her life, serving at various times as alumnae association president (1987–89), University trustee (1987–90), and advisory board member for the Abigail Quigley McCarthy Center for Women. The Mary Jo Kisch Skaggs Endowed Scholarship at St. Kate’s was established in 2000 to support students majoring in liberal arts.
MIRIAM SHEA, CSJ, ’58, professor emerita of art, passed away on May 18, 2024, at Carondelet Village in St. Paul, Minn. She was 95 years old.
Sister Miriam joined the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet upon completing high school, and graduated from the then-College of St. Catherine in 1958 with a Bachelor of Arts in Education and Sociology. After several years teaching art, music, and religious education to K-12 students, Sr. Miriam taught art for 16 years at St. Kate’s, where she designed and implemented the Master of Art Education program. After retirement, she served on many boards, including that of the Minneapolis Institute of Art, and received the 1993 Art Educators of Minnesota Distinguished Service Award. She was an active member of St. Kate’s and CSJ choirs.
Adapted from Sr. Miriam’s obituary by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet.
EILEEN GAVIN ’53, Ph D, professor emerita of psychology, passed away on May 2, 2024, at the age of 92.
Gavin graduated from St. Kate’s in 1953 with a Bachelor of Arts in English. A one-time Sister of St. Joseph of Carondelet, she went on to teach psychology at St. Kate’s for nearly 40 years, serving during that time as the chair of the psychology department. She was very active in the American Psychological Association, chairing committees and programs of conferences.
Gavin retired from teaching in 1997. In 2002, she was one of six faculty members selected to receive the St. Kate’s Teaching Excellence Award. Since 2009, the Eileen A. Gavin Award in Excellence in Psychology has been presented annually at St. Kate’s to an outstanding senior in psychology.
HELEN BOENING
BAMBENEK ’49, professor emerita of music, passed away on December 17, 2023, at the age of 96.
Bambenek graduated with a bachelor’s degree in music education from St. Kate’s in 1949 and went on to teach music at St. Kate’s, eventually becoming chair of the department. She retired in 1990 after more than 30 years of teaching. Even in retirement, she continued to serve her community, volunteering with elementary school students and sharing her love of music. Two of Bambenek’s five children — Jill Bambenek ’91, MLIS and Jeanne Bambenek Snyder ’75 — are St. Kate’s alumni, as well as her granddaughter Karalyn Snyder Koskela ’02, who also studied music.
KAREN KENNELLY, CSJ , ’56, Ph D, former trustee, passed away on December 15, 2023, at Carondelet Village in St. Paul. She was 90 years old.
Sister Karen joined the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet in 1951, and graduated from the thenCollege of St. Catherine in 1956 with bachelor’s degrees in history and English. She was missioned to teach history at St. Kate’s, where she served as history department chair from 1956–1964. She later served as academic dean from 1970–79 and as University trustee from 1981–89.
Over the course of her career, Sr. Karen served as president of Mount Saint Mary’s University in Los Angeles, and in leadership roles at other organizations including the National Federation of Carondelet Colleges, CSJ St. Paul Province, and CSJ Congregational Leadership Team. In 2010, Sr. Karen received the Alexandrine Medal, named after St. Catherine of Alexandria and one of St. Kate’s highest institutional honors.
KAREN HARWOOD ’57, professor emerita of library science, passed away on December 23, 2023, at the age of 88. Harwood graduated from St. Kate’s in 1957 with a bachelor’s degree in history, and from the University of Minnesota in 1958 with her master’s in library science. Earning her master’s degree allowed Harwood to launch a lengthy career in library science. She began her career as a cataloger for the University of Minnesota, and in 1972 began teaching at St. Kate’s as a library science professor. In 1980, she accepted a position as head of library technical services.
Upon her retirement in 2008, Harwood was awarded the professor emerita rank by the University in recognition of her contributions to St. Kate’s and the field of library science.
Katie Diary
BY ANA PEREIRA ’25
This October, the St. Catherine community celebrated the 100th anniversary of Our Lady of Victory Chapel, constructed in 1923 and formally dedicated on October 7, 1924. Entwined with the Chapel’s history is the fierce driving force of Mother Antonia McHugh, St. Kate’s first president, who “lovingly watched every brick being laid, every tile being put into place” from her perch on a stool by the construction site.
The Chapel’s size, location, and cost proved to be matters of disagreement between Mother Antonia and Archbishop Austin Dowling. According to oral tradition, Mother Antonia procured permission from the Archbishop for a small, 12-person chapel — and then proceeded with plans for the larger building we see today.
Mother Antonia led St. Kate’s with an expansive vision for the early college, and for the new chapel in turn. Her persistence is well-documented. “Sister Antonia asked to build a chapel,” Archbishop Dowling said, “but she built a cathedral.”
CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED
GRAND AND REOPENED
100 years later, Our Lady of Victory Chapel stands as testament to St. Catherine University history and mission. After two years closed for preservation work, the Chapel was reopened in time to celebrate her centennial in October with a special Mass, choir concert, and community activities.
Read more on page 6.
