Jubilarian Sister Anne Mary Lochner

In reflecting on her many ministries over the years, Sister Anne Mary Lochner, a Louisville native, says, “I am formed by my ministries and those who shared them with me, and also my family. I am also shaped by the Gospels and Angela.” The oldest of three children with two younger brothers, she went to St. Helen’s parish school through eighth grade and then on to Sacred Heart Academy for high school.

Sister Anne Mary recalls that, “I had thoughts off and on of becoming an Ursuline Sister throughout grade school— being around the Sisters made me look at them and think, ‘I’d like to do that.’” In high school, it went on the back burner, then when graduation came, there it was again. She says, “As a young girl, when I look back on the call, there was something there that I knew I had to do.” During high school, she had been babysitting for a family that had eight children at the time (later expanded to twelve children), and when she informed the mother, Ann, that she wouldn’t be babysitting anymore as she was entering the convent, Ann looked her right in the eye and said, “I knew my eight kids would drive you to the convent!” She is still living and still says that to Sister Anne Mary!

Sister Anne Mary says that each ministry built on the other, and gave her the skills to move into the next one. She has loved the wide variety of experiences that she has had, beginning with teaching. She then worked in parish ministry for 15 years and said that the parishioners taught her LIFE. She says, “When you come to the convent at 18, there is a whole experience of life that you miss, but the people of those parishes formed me in life experiences. And I learned the intense sadness of losing a two-year-old, and a husband being killed on the highway, but also the joys. It wasn’t just the pain of life, but also how to celebrate life.”

She was in vocation ministry for seven years and that really taught her leadership. She also was in social work and started Project Women, now called Family Scholar House, with a group of women religious (see story on pages 4-7). They started this program for single, homeless women with children in Louisville to help them obtain an education. The participants of Project Women taught her about a society that is so lacking in acceptance of people who are on financial assistance in any shape or form, and who do not have support from their families. Sister Anne Mary also worked in Immigration Legal Services with Catholic Charities. Sister says, “That was the most challenging, stretching experience of my life.” She worked on applying for grants and managing existing grants, all without a law degree. Sister says, “Being on leadership twice has taught me courage to do things I never really thought I could do or learn; I think of some of the difficult decisions we have had to make as a community. It took a lot of courage to change and move forward.”

Sister Anne Mary says that being an Ursuline Sister of Louisville has been the ultimate experience of a lifetime. She says, “I renew my vows every day because they are so meaningful for me, and to me, in my relationship with God and creation.” Sister Anne Mary says that as a young girl, she would tell people that she wanted twelve kids and to live on a farm. Now, she says, “I have hundreds of children who have accompanied me on this wonderful journey called Ursuline life, as we have learned to live the Gospel together.”

BY KATHY WILLIAMS