In Your Midst September 2020

Dear Friends,

While we still are coping, giving and connecting during this time of uncertainty with the COVID-19 virus, we continue to call for peace and justice in our world. We are including some of our photos on praying for peace on the 75th anniversary of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings, walking with Black Catholics for Justice, a thank you to our 2014-20 Leadership team, welcome to the new team and our Chapter Statement. We continue to pray for peace and work for justice.

—Kathy Williams, editor

Sisters, Associates and friends gathered on campus on August 9 for a prayer service honoring the 75th anniversary of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki to remember the victims and pray for peace.

Sister Mary Jo Gramig

Associate/Social Concerns Coordinator Lisa Steiner, Sisters Sara Delaney and Julia Davis Social media promotion for our prayer service with some of our ribbons

One of our Peace Ribbons that was made by a participant

In Your Midst September 2020

On Saturday, August 15, Ursuline Sisters of Louisville and Associates walked with Black Catholics for peace, justice and an end to racism. “We will walk together,” Archbishop Kurtz said at the opening prayer on the Cathedral steps, “and walk humbly with our God.” We walked to the federal courthouse where we were moved by several testimonies from Black Catholics of their personal struggles and the history of systemic racism in our country. We prayed together for justice and for understanding. As speaker Keonna Barnes stated, “It’s time to decide which side you are on. The side of righteousness and justice or the side of bigotry and intolerance.” We are proud to stand on the side of justice.

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Ursuline Sisters and Associates gather at the Cathedral of the Assumption

L to R: Jane Cruthirds, Sister Carol Curtis, SHA students and SIster Mary Jo Gramig Sisters and Associates walking to the federal courthouse to hear testimonies and speeches

Associate Emily Mosby’s shirt says it all!

Archbishop Kurtz speaking to the crowd

In Your Midst

2014-2020 Leadership

We wish to thank our 2014-2020 Leadership who served us so faithfully these past six years. They have seen the Community through so many major transitions and have done so with grace and courage. “Thank you” just doesn’t seem big enough for all that they have done. Blessings to them on their future ministries!

2020-2026 Leadership

August 3-5, 2020, the Ursuline Sisters of Louisville gathered in Chapter, which is our meeting held every six years to plan for the future and respond to the needs of our community and world.

Tragic events from March to August led us to shift our agenda to respond to them. Our mission statement proclaims in part: “Our mission…cutting across socio-economic, racial and national boundaries, assists [all] to live more fully and develop a personal relationship with God.” Thus, as women of peace since 1535, we renew our commitment to work for peace and justice for all.

The COVID-19 pandemic has laid bare and magnified the growing social and economic disparity between persons who are white and black, rich and poor, employed and unemployed, citizen and migrant, healthy and sick, free and imprisoned, powerful and vulnerable. COVID-19 also exposed a planet whose air, water and soil have been polluted and violated over many years in the name of economic progress.

The Ursuline Sisters of Louisville announce the election of our new Leadership Team, who will serve from 2020-2026. President Sister Jean Anne Zappa stated, “We are honored to be called forth by our congregation to serve. We look forward to working with our Sisters to implement our Chapter Commitments as we continue to proclaim the gospel, witness and share our charism.” Councilors are Vice-President Sister Anne Mary Lochner, Sister Rita Ann Wigginton, Sister Yuli Oncihuay and Sister Agnes Coveney.

On the heels of the pandemic in the U.S., police aggression mounted against black and brown civilians, resulting in several deaths. This culminated in the largest global protest of systemic racial injustice in human history. Institutionalized racism could no longer be ignored. Courageous people revealed how white people’s successes had been built on the backs of unempowered black and brown people and centuries of social systems had perpetuated white privilege.

While acknowledging our previous silence and privilege in this unjust system, we commit ourselves now to work to create a more just economic system and a model of development which cares for our common home and provides for the most vulnerable among us. We commit ourselves to dismantling the racism that exists in our own hearts, in our communities, and across the globe.

L to R: Sisters Agnes Coveney, Jo Ann Jansing, Paula Kleine-Kracht, Janet M. Peterworth (President) and Margaret Ann Hagan (deceased)

L to R: Sisters Anne Mary Lochner, Rita Ann Wigginton, Jean Anne Zappa, Yuli Oncihuay and Agnes Coveney. Photoshop made this group photo possible!