Planned Giving: Ursulines Inspire Priest’s Gift of Gratitude

BY ELLEN MCKNIGHT

When Sister Kyran Larkin, OSU, put her hand on the shoulder of seventh grader Joseph Thaddeus Merkt and said, “I think your shoulders would look great in a black suit with a priest’s collar,” a vocation began to take shape. His interest in the priesthood grew when the pastor at St. Francis of Assisi Parish, in Louisville, invited missionaries to speak to the elementary school students about their ministries in other countries. The Ursuline Sisters who taught at the grade school followed those missionary talks with classroom discussions, further enticing his curiosity. At Saint Xavier High School, in Louisville, he gave serious thought to entering the seminary. Encouraged by three former grade school classmates, he took the leap and enrolled in the former Saint Thomas Seminary, in Louisville.

Later, Joe was sent by the archbishop to complete his graduate seminary studies in Rome. During the Second Vatican Council, after his morning classes, Joe worked as a volunteer in the United States Bishop’s press office. Father Joe ministered in education, including teaching some college theology courses, coordinated Catholic school religion programs, directed Spalding University’s Ministry Studies program, and served on national boards and committees fostering lay ministry. Father Joe also served as the chaplain at Marian Home, the Ursuline Sisters’ former nursing facility on the Ursuline campus. He authored a book, Why Lay Ministry Formation? A Resource for the Inquiring, and became an Ursuline Associate.

Sister Kyran might have set him on the path to priesthood, but Father Joe is indeed grateful for the many other Ursuline Sisters of Louisville who offered him insight, guidance, and loving encouragement over the past 50 years. Some of these educators, innovators and influencers are:

Sister Sue Scharfenberger, a classmate from St. Francis of Assisi grade school. Her mother and Father Joe’s mother were friends, and they arranged for Joe and Sue to meet in Rome in 1964, when they were both studying there. Father Joe later visited Sister Sue and other Ursulines serving in Peru to witness their ministry in person, and was deeply touched by their profound spirituality as he joined them in daily prayer.

Sister Conrad Mellon, who assisted him as he prepared presentations for the Catholic Association of Graduate Programs in Ministry (AGPIM). She helped him develop ministry standards and competencies that earned support from the U.S. Bishops Office of Certification and Accreditation. These standards and competencies still guide the Lay Ministry Studies Curriculum in twenty Catholic Colleges and Universities.

Sister Bernadine Schene, who encouraged him as a high school teacher and with his master of arts in teaching degree at the University of Louisville. Later on, she assisted him with the writing and defense of his complex doctoral dissertation.

Sister Chrysantha Schmidt, who offered him guidance when the school system moved from the Baltimore Catechism to new religion texts, and through the transition of teachers in Catholic schools from 90% women and men religious to 90% lay educators.

Sister Martha Buser, founder of the Angela Merici Center for Spirituality, who enriched his understanding of the many facets of spiritual growth and development, which helped him personally and in his guidance of undergraduate and graduate ministry students in their personal and spiritual formation.

Sisters Laura Duerr, Carl Marie Hulsewede and Assumpta Devine, who welcomed him at Marian Home to celebrate daily Mass. He later became their full-time chaplain. “I was touched by the inner peace the Sisters had as they entered nursing care and by their serenity as they approached the dying process.”

Sister Assumpta Devine, the director of Marian Home, who challenged him to prepare a video presentation for the Sisters on Saint Angela Merici’s spirit of prayer and devotion to Saint Ursula after he returned stateside from visiting Angela’s homeplace in northern Italy. It was after the presentations, and at the urging of several Marian Home residents, that he became an Ursuline Associate. He recalled them saying “You have no sisters, Father, let us become your sisters. You are already a brother to us.”

Sister Margaret Ann Hagan, who invited him to study the approach to prayer that Saint Angela Merici had in her Rule, introducing him to a whole new world of thought.

Father Joe is all about gratitude, so his decision to include the Ursulines as beneficiaries in his planned giving was a natural evolution. He said, “In the early 1980s the Archdiocese of Louisville increased our priestly salaries with the stipulation that we prepare for retirement by investing in IRAs or in long-term care insurance. At that time, I made the Ursuline Community (Sisters) a beneficiary. Now, my intention is to express my gratitude on a monthly basis by becoming a sustaining donor, with a monthly donation of much prayer and by sharing some of my limited resources with a small gift.”

Father Joe continues, “The Ursuline Sisters of Louisville are so woven into my life and my heart that I would need a book just to begin sharing it. All I can say now, is that I wish I had been able to share more and speak of my gratitude for many additional Sisters, including Sister Jean Anne Zappa, current president of the Ursuline congregation. Even though all the Sisters’ names have not been mentioned, I deeply treasure every one of my Ursuline relationships. To each of them, I am very indebted in special ways—with no exceptions.”

1. Thad Merkt on his First Communion Day 2. Sister Kyran Larkin, OSU 3. Father Joe with his niece on her First

Communion Day 4. Father Joe “Thad” with relatives in St.

Louis celebrating his 50th anniversary 5. Sister Sue Scharfenberger and Father

Joe in Peru

What’s in Your Will?

If you have included the Ursuline Sisters, or are considering will inclusion in your planned giving, please make sure this information is on your legal documents:

Corporate Name:

Ursuline Society and Academy of Education

Mailing Address:

3115 Lexington Road Louisville, KY 40206

Questions? Contact:

Ellen McKnight (502) 515-7526 emcknight@ursulineslou.org