Ursulines Alive Spring 2012

Ursulines Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph Freeing and Nurturing Women and Children

Spring 2012 Vol. 10, No. 3

www.ursulinesmsj.org

Centennial Service Projects New Website Design Y-DOSA Meets at the Mount Spiritual Direction

Providing a Religious Presence

U r s u l i n e s

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From our Congregational Leader Dear Friends, It is spring! I can see flowering trees, bushes and plants. The world is awash with colors, shapes and fragrances, and I am thinking of seeds. What a marvel of promise and diversity is a seed. Each seed holds an embryo and nutrients for the embryo, all surrounded by the protective seed coat. Each seed is produced by the very plant it will become. Seeds are transmitted in myriad ways – they must somehow arrive at a location and be there at a time just right for germination and Sister Sharon growth. Some sprout wings and fly, others drift and float in oceans and rivers, some are welcome guests on – or in – birds and beasts, and others stick like barbs to be carried along unwittingly and deposited by chance.

That seeds are different sizes is an understatement. Seeds can be too small to see, as in a single grain of dust, or five feet around. And the size or complexity of the plant does not depend upon the size of the seed; the dust-like orchid seed, with over one million per gram, produces blooms of great variety. The 50-pound coco-de-mer seed, with a five-foot circumference, produces a palm tree; but the giant redwood tree seed is less than half a centimeter across.

The point of all these seedly thoughts? Well, precisely this – we are seeds for sharing the love of God and the Good News. We are both seed and seed-bearer; we were born in the love of God, nurtured by that same Good News we plant.

We spread the Good News in more ways than we could ever imagine. We may never know the dimensions of our seeds or what they yield – from tiny orchid seeds, which become flowers of inconceivable shape and color and fragrance, to 50-lb. palm tree seeds. We step forth in faith, trusting that we are God-bearers.

In this spring issue, explore the daily witnessing of Ursuline seed-bearers in rural and urban areas who embrace the beautiful ministry of “presence.”

They are Jesus – serving and listening with those among whom they minister.

I’ll offer one last seed “fact.” Some seeds germinate immediately as conditions demand, others may be dormant – or quiescent (do even seeds have prayerful moments?) – waiting for months or years for the conditions or needs to be just right to burst into bloom. Enjoy our Ursuline Centennial seeds as they bloom!

Thank you for all the seeds that you have helped us plant, and for cultivating the love of God and sharing the Good News with us and with all you meet.

May your spring be rich with new life and – perhaps unknown to you – may that special seed of God’s love attach itself to you “like a barb.” Blessings, then, for you and for that future recipient of that seed of the love of God that you carry. With blessings of peace,

Sister Sharon Sullivan, OSU, Congregational Leader COVER: Upper left: Father Uwem Enoh likes to ask Sister Mary Jude Cecil about members of the parish and the history of the church. “I like tapping into that spirit,” he said. Lower left: At the Lake Way Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Benton, Ky., Sister Teresa Riley, left, visits Polly Henson, whose sister was the caregiver for Sister Teresa’s mother for five years. Right: Sister Joan Walz, center, and Sister Mary Agnes VonderHaar, right, visit with 95-year-old Francis Payne at the Breckinridge Memorial Hospital’s long-term care facility.

“I always did like the nuns,” Payne said. “I enjoy their visits.”

Ursulines Alive is published by the Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph, Maple Mount, Ky. Three issues are published each calendar year.

EDITORS: Director of Mission Advancement/Communications.........Dan Heckel, OSUA

Communications Specialist/Graphic Design.......................Jennifer Kaminski MISSION ADVANCEMENT STAFF:

Director of Development....................................................Sister Amelia Stenger

Coordinator of Mission Effectiveness................................Sister Rose Marita O’Bryan

Coordinator of Ursuline Partnerships................................Marian Bennett, OSUA

Coordinator of Spiritual Formation for Partnerships........Sister Sheila Higdon 2 Administrative Specialist/Web Development....................Tiffany Orth

In this issue Ursulines’ Religious Presence................3 Gift of a Lifetime...................................6 Flashback: Sisters Star in Movie............6 2012 Jubilarians.....................................7 New Website, Social Media..................7 Centennial Service Projects...................8 Not Really Retired.................................9 Statement of Accountability.............. 11 Retreat Center ....................................12 Y-DOSA Meets at the Mount..............13 Spiritual Direction ..............................14 Obituaries............................................15 Soli Deo Gloria ....................................16 We rejoice in the gifts of our sisters, given for the kingdom of God

OUR MISSION We, the Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph, sustained by prayer and vowed life in community, proclaim Jesus through education and Christian formation in the spirit of our founder, Saint Angela Merici.

OUR PURPOSE Freeing and Nurturing Women and Children

OUR CORE VALUES • Prayer • Service • Empowerment • Justice • Contemplative Presence ...in the spirit of Saint Angela Merici

CONTACT US Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph 8001 Cummings Road Maple Mount, Kentucky 42356 270-229-4103 Fax: 270-229-4953 info.msj@maplemount.org www.ursulinesmsj.org Follow us on Facebook... www.facebook.com/ursulinesmsj ...and Twitter: ursulinesmsj

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Spr ing

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isters bring their religious presence to those in need

By Dan Heckel, Mount Saint Joseph Staff

On a Tuesday afternoon, Ursuline Sister Joan Walz starts to gather what she and Sister Mary Agnes VonderHaar need so the two can begin to visit parishioners who are too ill to leave their Sister Mary Jude Cecil dusts houses or nursing homes the kneelers at Rosary near McQuady, Ky. “I’ll Chapel in Paducah, Ky., before the Tuesday evening go get Jesus,” Sister Mary Mass.

Agnes says, as she makes her way to St. Mary of the Woods Church to gather some consecrated hosts.

While Jesus will be present in the hosts, it is these sisters, and others like them, who represent Jesus to the people they visit. Their ministries are to be a “religious presence” to the people around them, discerning the needs of the people and helping to fill them, just as the Ursuline founder, Saint Angela Merici, did in her days in Brescia, Italy.

“Angela belonged to a group that went out to the sick and needy,” Sister Joan said. “She was involved in presence, caring for people and teaching her followers to do it. I feel very much a part of what the community is all about.”

Sisters Joan and Mary Agnes were apostolic ministers at St. Mary of the Woods and neighboring St. Anthony in Axtel when they semi-retired in 2008. The two church communities didn’t want them to leave, so they continue to support the sisters to visit the parishioners who are homebound or in nursing homes.

Sister Mary Jude Cecil was a French teacher in Paducah, Ky., from 1985-2007, when her failing eyesight caused her to retire. That year she became a religious presence, working through her parish, Rosary Chapel, where she first began teaching in 1955.

“I can see that this is needed, a religious presence,” Sister Mary Jude said. “The sisters have been here so long.”

Sister Amanda Rose Mahoney left teaching in 1975 and began a ministry of driving five semi-retired sisters in Louisville. She continued to find new roles to serve the elderly, and these days delivers Meals on Wheels to five people in Louisville while taking care of the house she shares with Sister Emma Anne Munsterman, who works full time.

Her Meals on Wheels clients look forward to more than just the food. “Some are very joyful, they are happy

to see somebody, often I’m the only person there,” she said. “If they want to chat, I’ll stay and chat and learn the wisdom I can from them.”

Sister Mildred Katzer, 93, maintains a presence in Richmond, Kan., just five miles from Scipio, where the Ursuline Sisters of Paola first ministered in 1895. Following the merger with the Ursulines of Mount Saint Joseph in 2008, several of the Paola Sisters moved to Maple Mount, but Sister Mildred remains in Kansas, serving through St. Therese Parish.

“It’s important just to be here, to show people you care about them, to bring happiness to their life,” she said.

Sister Clarence Marie Luckett came to Caneyville, Ky., in 1999, a place she’d never served, but one with a tradition of Ursuline Sisters. “People seem to enjoy when I talk to them, I’m friendly to them,” she said. “They’re glad that I’m here.”

Sister Teresa Riley was at Maple Mount in 2010 after leaving her ministry of nine years in LaCenter, Ky., when her failing eyesight left her unable to drive. But in 2011, she began serving as a presence in Benton, Ky., where she relies on the kindness of volunteers to make sure she can visit the sick.

After 57 years as a sister, Sister Teresa said she did not consider retiring. “I felt like I had some years I could still be in ministry. This is what the Lord had in mind for me.”

“For I was ill and you cared for me”

All those in religious presence have some component of visiting the sick or shut-in. “I love it,” Sister Joan said. “The people we visit don’t get many visitors. We get much more from it than what we give. When you see what they cope with, you know to be grateful.”

“We sit down and talk about any kind of news in Continued on page 4

Sister Teresa Riley brings Communion to Dot Willett every Thursday at the Calvert City (Ky.) Convalescent Center. Willett is the sister of Ursuline Sister Lennora Carrico.

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Sister Clarence Marie Luckett poses outside her apartment door in Caneyville. She has served as a religious presence in the small Grayson County town since 1999. “People know me here, I’m a permanent fixture,” she said.

LEFT: Sister Clarence Marie with Stephanie Render of Caneyville on Associates and Sisters Day at Maple Mount in 2011. Sister Clarence Marie is Stephanie’s contact sister.

Continued from page 3

the parish that we know -- new babies, anniversaries, if someone is sick,” Sister Mary Agnes said. “We try to tell them something silly to make them laugh. We ask how they are, and anything they want us to pray for. Then we pray and give them Communion.”

The positive outlook of the people inspires the sisters, Sister Mary Agnes said. “A good number of people we visit, we let them know what they’ve done is important, raising families, working hard. They’re very prayerful.”

Ludine Bowlds is confined to her bed in her McQuady home, where her daughter Wanda Bowlds takes care of her. During a Feb. 23 visit, Sisters Joan and Mary Agnes sat next to Ludine’s bed and talked about who won the Mardi Gras prize at church, their excitement over the crocuses and jonquils blooming, and Ludine’s brother who was nicknamed “Cricket.”

“I like when they come, those nuns are good,” Ludine said. “They can come more often if they want.” The sisters prayed with her, Sister Mary Agnes read the Gospel reading for the day and gave her Communion.

“I love them to death,” Wanda Bowlds said. “It gives her company, she looks forward to them coming. She gets lonesome back in her room, and so do I.” The sisters make three stops at nursing homes, finishing at the Medco Center of Hardinsburg to visit Sister Mary Agnes VonderHaar, left, and Sister Joan Walz visit with Bill Clark at the Medco Center of Hardinsburg.

The sisters used to visit Clark in his home prior to him moving to the nursing home.

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with Bill Clark, a retired police officer. “I look forward to their visit every day,” Clark said. “They don’t come every day, but I look forward to it every day. I enjoy them talking with me, they give me a hard time,” he said as he and the sisters laughed.

Sister Teresa visits the Calvert City (Ky.) Convalescent Center on Thursdays to see Dot Willett, whose sister is Ursuline Sister Lennora Carrico. Sister Teresa visits once a week and brings her up to date on what’s going on. “I like getting Communion on Thursdays,” Willett said.

Another stop is the Stilley House Assisted Living Center in Benton, practically across the street from Sister Teresa’s apartment. She comes to visit Virgil Kampsen, but she also helps residents during the bingo games, especially some of those who are hard of hearing.

“We love her,” said Joann Carroll, who was calling bingo as Sister Teresa entered the room. “She’s great, she’s helpful and she’s well liked. She helps with our arts and crafts as well,” Carroll said.

Sister Teresa and Kampsen used to enjoy watching a nest of cardinals outside his window, until one day the tree was taken down. “I like that she brings me Communion and we pray together,” Kampsen said.

There is no Catholic church in Benton, so 28 years ago, Bishop Emeritus John McRaith asked the Ursuline Sisters to minister to the Catholics there.

“They paved the way for me,” Sister Teresa said. She finds fulfillment in getting to know people one on one.

“I find what they need is someone to sit down and listen to them,” she said. “Just go by and say hello and talk to them.”

Sister Mary Jude rejoined Rosary Chapel in 2004, a multiethnic parish with several low-income families. She is part of the women’s ministry that visits the sick, sings at funerals and fixes the bereavement meal. “What I’m doing at Rosary is very related to what Angela saw, for the poor to be nurtured and taught,” Sister Mary Jude said. “Angela was grounded in God and the Gospel. I’m present in their agony, their fear, their sorrows as well as their joys,” she said. “Primarily I listen. I used to think I needed to say something, but most people just want to be heard. It’s very much a part of our prayer life and our community.”

“She’s been the beacon of light for this parish,” Rosary Chapel parishioner Joann Rubeck said. “People know her from the past, and are drawn to her as a new parishioner. We love her so much, she’s a treasure to the whole community.”

Two years ago, parishioner Jean Walker was close to death and hadn’t spoken in a day. Sister Mary Jude visited her and Walker asked her to sing “Here I Am Lord.” Sister Mary Jude was reluctant, but decided it was something she needed to do for her friend. “It was the most poignant moment of all my Christian ministry,” she said.

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“Go forth among the people” Once a week since the first of February, Sister Teresa volunteers at Marcella’s Kitchen in Draffenville, which provides a free lunch five days a week to anyone who wants it. “We don’t ask questions, you can be a millionaire or have 5 cents, we wouldn’t know,” said Marcella Perkins, the woman who began the kitchen in May 2011. She believes she has served more than 10,000 meals in that time, operating solely off donations.

“That shows me it’s the Lord’s work,” Sister Teresa told Perkins.

About 60 people a day fill the room at the local Lions Club. Sister Teresa arrives at 9 a.m., and helps to do what’s needed, such as preparing salad, slicing bread, or making Jell-O. She serves where needed and then helps clean up. “She’s been doing good work for us,” Perkins said.

When Sister Clarence Marie first came to Caneyville, she helped with commodities at the food pantry, and either delivered them or drove people to pick them up.

She visited the rest homes and private homes, but after she fell and broke her femur during a trip to the Holy Land in 2008, she has been more limited in what she can do. She still visits the rest homes, and works with the Ursuline Associates in Grayson County.

To her, being present to people means “To let them see that the way I live is the life of Christ.”

Associate Stephanie Render came to know Sister Clarence Marie when she was joining the Catholic Church. “Sister Clarence Luckett is a strong representative of the Catholic faith in the Grayson County area,” Render said. “She puts people at ease. She shares her love with them and many a laugh, and she does this not expecting or wanting anything in return. She has helped with a wide variety of activities in the area, from the homeless, to helping people get repairs done to accommodate their living needs, to bringing the Eucharist to homebound sick people,” Render said. “She does as our Lord asks us to do, offers her love to all.”

Sister Clarence Marie spends much of her time quilting in her small bedroom. She has completed 44 quilts for the Ursuline Quilt Club since 1976, and many more for individuals. “I love to do it, just to see the work,” she said.

Sister Mildred keeps in touch with people through craft work also. She is known in her area for making “nun dolls.”

“I try to be a witness in this area,” she said. “I go to the nursing homes and bring Communion, am involved with Meals on Wheels once a week, attend Mass and lead the rosary. We had over 30 sisters from this area,” she said. “It’s hard on the people to not have a witness.”

Father Uwem Enoh, assistant pastor at St. Francis DeSales Parish in Paducah who is responsible for Rosary Chapel, said Sister Mary Jude is someone he can talk

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Sister Teresa Riley visits Virgil Kampsen in his room at the Stilley House Assisted Living Center in Benton, Ky. She prays with Kampsen and brings him Communion weekly.

RIGHT: Sister Teresa helps a resident of the Stilley House Assisted Living Center in Benton with his bingo card.

to about the parish. “It’s important having a religious around. A lot of people here don’t know what being a nun is,” he said. “She participates in bible study and in the choir. I think it inspires people to come out of their shells and try things,” Father Enoh said. “What touches me is when she shares about her disability with her sight, but she still wants to read at Mass. She wants to use the little bit of sight she has to proclaim the word in church.”

Sister Teresa said the ministry of presence is what Saint Angela did. “She didn’t live in a convent and teach.

She was there, she got to know the people, she knew what they needed,” Sister Teresa said. “She didn’t minister just to the poor, she had some wealthy friends, she realized they needed God in their lives.”

When Sister Amanda Rose was a young sister, she carried meal trays to the sisters in the infirmary, and has always felt a connection with serving the elderly. She has served as a health care aide or in helping elderly people remain independent enough to stay in their homes.

“It’s very difficult to accept the aging process,” said Sister Amanda Rose, who is 82. “Working with the elderly and seeing how they accept it with joy, it helps me to accept it, and the sisters I work with,” she said. “Any way we can help people, it’s what Angela did.” n Sister Mary Jude Cecil stands outside Rosary Chapel in Paducah, Ky., where much of her ministry of presence begins.

Correction: On Page 5 of the Winter issue of Ursulines Alive, Sister Sheila Anne Smith’s name was inadvertently omitted from the list of sisters who are active in education or education support ministries.

Sister Sheila Anne tutors children in Albuquerque, N.M. 5

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Flashback!

Two Sisters had a role in 1996 motion picture In 1996, two Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph were cast as extras in the motion picture “Last Dance.”

Sister Frances Miriam Spalding and Sister Rose Theresa Johnson can be seen in two scenes of the movie “playing themselves” as sisters who are Sister Rose Theresa protesting the death penalty. They are shown carrying a sign that says, Thou Shalt Not Kill, and singing “Amazing Grace.”

At the time, Sister Frances Miriam, a native of Bardstown, Ky., was a parish minister for St. Mark Parish in Eddyville, Ky., and for St. William Sister Frances Miriam Parish in Marion, Ky. Sister Rose Theresa, a native of St. Lawrence, Ky., had started a new ministry as a pastoral associate in Greenville, Ky. The scenes featuring the Ursuline Sisters were shot outside of the Kentucky State Penitentiary in Eddyville. “Last Dance” starred Sharon Stone as a woman convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to death. She is helped by a lawyer played

by Rob Morrow assigned to her clemency case. Randy Quaid also starred in the movie, which was directed

by Bruce Beresford (also known for “Driving Miss Daisy”).

Sister Frances Miriam told a funny story about how it started to rain during filming, and someone told her and Sister Rose Theresa that they could wait in the police paddy wagon. Paddy wagons, or police vans, are usually used to transport prisoners. The sisters ended up getting locked in the paddy wagon after most of the film crew left. Someone found them and let them out. This occurrence was mentioned in the local newspaper the next day.

The sisters were paid $80 for their role in the movie. They donated most of the money to their religious community but used a small amount for a meal in a restaurant.

– By Jennifer Kaminski, Mount Saint Joseph Staff

To commemorate their Centennial, the Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph had four banners printed that will be available for use at various events throughout the year and beyond. The 2.5x6 foot banners feature photos and historic information about the sisters and their mission and ministries.

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The Gift of a Lifetime...

Lajos Kalman came to the United States from Hungary in 1957. The 21-year-old escaped from his country during the revolution and came to this country where he said, “I came here to be safe and to be free.”

Before the war, the Kalman family and many like them in their home country were a happy, prosperous and contented people.

Lajos Kalman Lajos grew up on a farm and even earned a horticulture degree from a state agricultural school. However, the war – with its Russian occupation of Hungary and Communist control of the government – made life very difficult for him. After a daring escape through mine fields and back roads, young Lajos and a friend made their way to Austria and later obtained passage on a plane from Europe to New York City, moving to Camp Kilmer, N.J., and finally to Paola, Kan., through arrangements made with the Ursuline Sisters there.

When he arrived he knew about 25 English words, but began learning more English at Ursuline Academy, where he was employed as a gardener. The sisters worked with him to learn English when he wasn’t working in the gardens. He also began studying to become an American citizen. He later served in the military, where a friend taught him to fly and he became a mechanic for fixed wing and helicopter aircraft.

Mr. Kalman also found a wife, Nancy, and they had two sons and a daughter. He formed his own business and became very successful. In addition to flight instruction at the Johnson County airport in Kansas, Mr. Kalman had a busy crop-dusting business.

In an article written about him, he said, “This country has given me opportunities I could never have dreamed about.

More Americans need to know and appreciate their country.”

He thanked the Ursuline Sisters many times for the help they gave him when he first came to this country. He visited them and brought his children to meet with the sisters.

In 2006, when he was 80, he returned to Hungary. He lived there for four years before his death in 2010.

Recently, the development office received word from his son, Lajos, and daughter-in-law, Caroline, that Mr. Kalman had purchased a life insurance policy many years ago and named the Ursuline Sisters as beneficiaries. They said he wanted to thank the sisters for helping him so much over the years. His planned gift will help the Ursuline Sisters continue their mission of service to God’s people. We thank God every day for Mr. Kalman and all those who have remembered the Ursuline Sisters in their will or other form of bequest. His legacy will continue to make a difference in the lives of many.

To learn how you can leave a planned gift to the Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph please call Sister Amelia Stenger, Director of Development, at (270) 229-2008, or go to www.ursulinesmsj.org for more information.

2012 Jubilarians

Twenty-one Ursuline Sisters celebrating Jubilees of religious profession in 2012 Twenty-one Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph who are celebrating jubilees this year have dedicated 1,320 years of service to God’s people. The jubilarians were set to be honored April 22 at the Motherhouse in Maple Mount as well as on July 14 during their community days gathering. You will learn more about them in the summer Ursulines Alive!

75th - Diamond

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Sister Mary Durr

Sister Mildred Katzer

Sister Marian Powers

Sister Mary Diane Taylor

60th - Diamond

Sister Helen Leo Ebelhar

Sister Ruth Gehres

Sister Mary Patrick McDonagh

Sister Rose Marie Craycroft

Sister Marie Julie Fecher

Sister Jane Miriam Hancock

Sister Martina Rockers

Sister Jean Richard Stukenholtz

Sister Emerentia Wiesner

Ursuline Sisters embrace social media, launch new website

50th - Golden

70th - Sapphire

Sister Eva Marie Boone

Sister Michael Ann Monaghan

Sister Sara Marie Gomez

Sister Michele Morek

Sister Francis Joseph Porter

Sister Rose Jean Powers

Sister Sheila Anne Smith

Sister Kathy Stein

The Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph are in more places on the worldwide web these days, and have a newly redesigned website (with the help of Red Pixel Studios, Owensboro, Ky.) The sisters have a Facebook page with 640 fans, a YouTube channel, and a new Twitter account. The website, www. ursulinesmsj.org, now has a new look with large feature photos on the home page that automatically change, a scrolling calendar of events and news items, and a convenient search box.

One of the feature photos is the “Woven with Threads of Courage and High Hope 1912-2012” Centennial logo. Each day, a journal entry that was written in one of the sisters’ annals from the past 100 years is featured. Visitors can find monthly “Reflective Moments with (Saint) Angela” spiritual writings by the sisters under the new About Us tab (Saint Angela link). They can also submit prayer requests under the Prayers Tab. Visitors can also find the “Journey” blogs of Sister Martha Keller, director of vocation ministry, and Sister Ruth Gehres, who ministers in Chillan, Chile. People can post their own comments on the blog entries. Also new will be the ability to write comments under the Ursuline Sisters’ obituaries (found under About Us). Each sister’s obituary, wake reflection and photo are included from 2004 to the present.

Continued on page 15

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Sisters, Associates commit to “100” se To celebrate 100 years as the Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph, sisters, associates and alumnae are doing what they’ve always done – looking for ways to serve others.

Centennial Service projects are built around the number 100, signifying the many ways the Ursuline Sisters have served since they became their own community in 1912. Below are just some of the ways the sisters and associates are making a difference this year. If you would like to help with a particular sister or associate project, contact Dan Heckel at dan. heckel@maplemount.org, or (270) 229-2007 and he can put you in touch with someone leading the project.  A bonded group of sisters will collect 100 school supplies for the Daniel Pitino Shelter in Owensboro, Ky., this semester, and next semester will collect 100 items for women at the Women’s Shelter in Henderson, Ky.  A bonded group along with students and staff of St. Paul School in Leitchfield, Ky., are collecting 100 pajamas for girls and boys ages to 2-6 and 100 storybooks for preschool and kindergarten children. They will be kept in Grayson County and donated to pajamaprogram.org. They will be given to children if they are taken away from their families and put into foster homes.  A sister in Missouri plans to make up 100 bags with a wash cloth, soap, toothbrush, small toothpaste and mouthwash for the poor in shelters.

She will donate them to Catholic Charities either in Missouri or Kansas.  A drug and alcohol counselor in Minnesota is volunteering 100 hours of counseling for those in need.  A Louisville sister is attempting to raise 100 donations of water filters for Water With Blessings, a charity that attempts to bring clean water to impoverished countries. Donors can email waterwithblessings@gmail.com. Learn more at www.waterwithblessings.org.  Two Owensboro sisters will spend 100 hours preparing and delivering food to those in need. They shop, cook and deliver food on a rather regular basis to those when they learn of their need.

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 Two sisters in Breckinridge County, Ky., plan to visit sick, shut-in and hospital patients 100 times and include in their Communion Service a prayer for an increase in vocations to the Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph.  A retired Maple Mount sister is writing to the 16 first-graders at St. Peter and Paul School, Hopkinsville, Ky., seven times over the course of the Centennial year, so that she will have written 100 letters. The students sang for the sisters in Saint Joseph Villa on Jan. 15, 2012 and will return in the spring.  A sister in Fordsville, Ky., will be collecting cans of food along with her parish to give to the local food bank. The children in the religious education program and all the parishioners will be involved.  A sister in Kansas will send out 100 messages of hope. She has sent emails to people who needed a lift, put messages on a bulletin board, and made stickers to attach to free food that she and others give to people in need.  An Owensboro sister is donating 100 hours of service to the poor by working at the Daniel Pitino Shelter, backpack ministry, and doing tax returns for the low- and moderate-income.  A sister in Paducah, Ky., is vowing to meet more new parishioners, talk with them after Mass, and invite them to parish activities.  A sister and an associate in Louisville are gathering clothing, toiletries and other needed items for the Sister Visitor Center, which serves low-income people with emergency needs.  A retired sister at the Mount is saving $1 bills on her way to $100. She is donating the money to an Owensboro Associate project to purchase books for Catholic school libraries.  A sister in Kansas is donating 100 items to charity, such as canned goods and clothes.  A sister who teaches at Mary Carrico Catholic School in Knottsville, Ky., urged each of the 10 classrooms at Mary Carrico, grades P-8, to celebrate the 100th day of school by bringing 10 school supplies. These 100 supplies were gathered and donated to the St. Joseph Peace Mission in Owensboro, an agency that serves the needs of children in crisis.  A sister serving in New York City is vowing to make 100 trips to the United Nations this year.  A sister at the Mount is collecting 100 dimes and donating them to one of the Catholic schools where an Ursuline Sister teaches, and asking the school to match it to meet a need.  A sister in Kansas is offering 100 sessions of Eucharistic Adoration for the intentions of all

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Not Really Retired...

Sister Catherine Barber serves behind the scenes

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S p r i n g

Susan Reiss and Lorraine Luken were among the Louisville, Ky., Associates who collected 100 items for Sister Visitor Center, Louisville. (see below)

ng are projects leted by oups: Kentucky, members plan to bring 10 cans of food ting for the local food pantry. They will take vice project at Marcella’s Kitchen, a community feeds the hungry in Marshall County, Ky. They d in making prayer shawls, and in creating a heart 00 people who have received prayers. ssociates plan to continue their service to the Sister er. The group already collected more than 100 fall when the center was in need, and will continue this year.

unty, Ky., associates will gather 100 pounds elp the local food pantry, one of their ongoing

g County, Ky., associates are collecting 100 e St. Joseph Catholic Church Food Pantry and g in the countywide backpack food project to d during summer vacation. They also plan to pledges from the parishioners to say the rosary for f Catholics who have fallen away from the Church. as South group, members want to create 100 Saint plets to take to homebound associates in Kansas s in Saint Joseph Villa. Extras would be donated to Saint Joseph Gift Shop.

North group will offer 100 Masses for the f the Ursuline Sisters regarding the Centennial. associates plan to collect at least 100 books for c school libraries in Daviess County.

Tenn., associates will introduce 100 people to Saint her charism, volunteer 100 hours for nonprofit d purchase 100 animals from Heifer International ion internationally.

Mount Saint Joseph Academy will decide on their ect during the annual reunion weekend May 19-20.

Throughout her various ministries during her 59 years as an Ursuline Sister – teacher, health care worker, administrative assistant, sacristan – Sister Catherine Barber has embodied service to others.

She continues that these days volunteering her time in the Mission Advancement office at the Ursuline Motherhouse, which she has done since 2008. “I like the people who work here,” she said. Sister Catherine offers support for the offices of Development, Ursuline Partnerships and Communications. She helps with mailings and research, and types up the volunteer evaluations from the annual picnic, Associates and Sisters Day and Alumnae Weekend.

Throughout the year she collects news clippings on the sisters for inclusion in the scrapbook that is on display during the sisters’ Community Days, and is ultimately turned over to Archives.

As part of the Centennial celebration this year, Sister Catherine has taken the lead in researching the community annals to make sure there is an item every day on the website detailing a significant event of the past 100 years.

“It’s been fun to study the past, I was part of some of it,” she said.

“Sister Catherine is a big help to everyone in Mission Advancement, and is always looking for the next challenge,” said Dan Heckel, director of Mission Advancement. “The staff can always count on her to do a professional job.”

A native of Springfield, Ky., Sister Catherine was the second youngest of 12 children. Two of her sisters were Sisters of Charity of Nazareth, but when Sister Catherine decided to enter religious life, she felt more drawn to the Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph, who taught her at Holy Trinity High School. “The Ursulines seemed to give it all,” she said.

“Sisters Mary Ivo (Thompson), my music teacher, Sister Joseph Marian (Logsdon), my senior teacher, as well as Sister Leona (Willett) and Sister Geneva (Clayton) all were of influence on me by their wholesomeness and personal interest in me,” Sister Catherine said. “They later invited me to share this ‘life of mystery’ with them and the attraction grew from there.”

Sister Catherine taught for 22 years, 1955-77, with two of those years doubling as a principal. She taught grades second through seventh, but she enjoyed the sixth grade the most. “Teaching has taught me much about what I have learned of God’s love for us, His creatures,” she said. Her most famous student was a boy she taught in the third and fifth grades at St. Francis of Assisi School in St. Francis, Ky. – William Medley, who is now bishop of the Diocese of Owensboro.

“I was thrilled when he was named bishop, I was beside myself,” she said. Bishop Medley asked her to do a reading at his ordination in 2010.

“That was unbelievable. I never dreamed I would be called to that honor,” she said. Another student, Chuck Walker, also became a priest and serves in Elizabethtown, Ky. “I’m equally as proud of any of my students,” she said.

Three of Sister Catherine’s sisters and one brother are still living, and she said her family’s support has always sustained her over the years. She said if she had the chance to do it over, she would choose to become an Ursuline Sister of Mount Saint Joseph again. “Whatever vocation you’re in, whether it’s marriage or religious life, is what you make of it,” she said.

Friends can write to Sister Catherine at 8001 Cummings Road, Maple Mount, KY 42356, or catherine.barber@maplemount.org.

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Photo by Jeremy Ruzich. Reprinted by permission of National Catholic Reporter, 115 E. Armour Blvd., Kansas City, MO 64111 www.ncronline.org

EXERCISE GRANT Left to right, Sisters Amelia Stenger, Elaine Burke, Marie Carol Cecil and Rita Lavigne check out new exercise equipment in Lourdes Hall. The Ursuline Sisters cut the ribbon on their new room of exercise equipment on Dec. 5, 2011. They received a grant of $4,555.98 from Owensboro Medical Health System for a fitness and nutrition project for the targeted senior population.

Sister Eva Boone, Associate Jody Ziegler and Jean Zelle enjoy the March 9-11 retreat for yarn spinners at Mount Saint Joseph Retreat Center.

This year’s Mardi Gras celebration took place in Saint Joseph Villa on Feb. 21. Above: Sister Marie Brenda Vowels chooses a candy bar from Activities Director Debbie Dugger for winning at bingo. Right: Enjoying the festivities are, left to right, Sisters Clarentia Hutchins, Mary Durr, Mary Mercedes Knott and Jane Miriam Hancock. Sister Celine Leeker was crowned Mardi Gras queen.

RELIGIOUS ED. Fourth-grader Ben McCarty gives his religious education teacher, Sister Beth Akins, left, a “thumbs up” when asked about her at the Western Daviess County Deanery Parish Religious Education Celebration, held at Immaculate Parish Hall, Owensboro on March 4. Ben attends St. Alphonsus Parish.

MARDI GRAS

SPINNERS

CAPITOL VISIT

Sisters Fran Wilhelm, Larraine Lauter and Michele Intravia were in the Kentucky capitol in Frankfort on Feb. 6 with Catholics at the Capitol, an annual event organized by the Catholic Conference of Kentucky. One interest was to support bills involving predatory payday lending.

Sisters Larraine and Michele minister in Louisville while Sister Mary Irene Cecil, left, and Sister Fran ministers with Sister Rose Marita O’Bryan are Congregational Leader Sister Hispanics at Centro Latino in Sister Angela Fitzpatrick, left, Sharon Sullivan is interviewed served tea by Sister Mary Matthias Owensboro. talks to Associate Nanette Ward during the Valentine’s Day

by Brian Cissell of Eyewitness Krasovic at the March 10 Lenten News in Evansville, Ind., at High Tea on Feb. 14 in Day of Reflection in Paola, Kan. the Jan. 27 (Feast of Saint the dining room.

Angela) press conference at Maple Mount announcing the Ursuline Centennial.

KANSAS

PRESS CONFERENCE

The Immaculate Parish of Owensboro invited the sisters to Mass and an appreciation dinner on Jan. 29 to honor their 100 years of service.

Sisters Lisa Marie Cecil, left, The sisters sang and Annalita Lancaster sing the the “Magnificat” “Prayer of St. Angela” at a Jan. at Mass. Over 40 12 prayer service. The 12th of sisters were in each month in 2012 is a day of attendance. fasting and prayer.

“HIGH TEA”

2012 PRAYERS

IMMACULATE APPRECIATION

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THANK YOU, SISTERS

Second- and third-grade students at St. James Catholic School in Elizabethtown, Ky., wrote and drew 100 cards and letters to the Ursuline Sisters to help celebrate their 100 years of service. Ursuline Sister Michael Marie Friedman (above) is principal of the school.

Photo by Mel Howard

HONDURAS

Sister Larraine Lauter drinks a glass of clean water during a demonstation to women in Honduras on how to install simple water purification systems for themselves and their neighbors.

Water With Blessings is an ecumenical program led by Sister Larraine, minister of social responsibility at Church of the Epiphany in Louisville, Ky. The National Catholic Reporter published an article about the program Nov. 23, 2011.

Join Angela’s Circle during our Centennial

S p r i n g

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ADDITIONAL IN-KIND GIFTS

For Fiscal Year 2010-11, not included in Winter 2011 Ursulines Alive

Action Pest Management, Brad Kirby Dear Friends of the Ursulines, B & J Sanitation, Jeff Wilson Have you planned for your family’s future? Do you have Olive Buehler a will? It is so important to make plans for the future of Charles Medley Distillers of Kentucky, Barbara Poynter Cheddar’s Casual Cafe your estate. Planned giving is a way to share the wonderful Clark Chiropractic Clinic gifts that God has given you and a way to support a legacy Catherine Clements Culver’s of good work long after you have completed your work on The Earle earth.

Excursions Rev. J. Raymond Goetz Bequests are a blessing. They help us support our Golfland USA Golf and Hobbies mission of education and Christian formation. We are so Great Harvest Bread happy to share with you a very important step to make sure the Dan and Sherri Heckel Holiday World and Splashin’ Safari mission of the Ursuline Sisters continues.

Mrs. Sandra Jull This year the Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph are celebrating 100 Kuntry Kutter & Gift Shop, Carl and Brenda Millay Mr. and Mrs. Raymond L. Lindle years of service to the Church. We hope God will bless us with many more Lotus Salon, Spa and Permanent Cosmetics years of service. To serve into the future, we need your continued support.

Mrs. Paula B. Mattingly We invite you to become a part of the Saint Angela Merici Heritage Society Iris Moreno-Brown Old Hickory Bar-B-Que or Saint Angela’s Circle, for short. Saint Angela’s Circle is our legacy society.

Owensboro Dermatology Saint Angela’s Circle is made up of those wonderful people who have Owensboro Symphony Orchestra Party Paper Place remembered or will remember us in their will or in some other form of a Raben Tire bequest.

Madge Reising Mrs. Norma C. Robinette, A ‘54 To be a part of Saint Angela’s Circle, we humbly request that you include Schrecker Supply Co. Inc., Mr. Terry Schrecker in your will a charitable gift for the Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph.

Mr. and Mrs. Donald R. Speaks We know your family must come first but we hope you will remember the Swank Hair Salon Tom Blue Furniture dedicated service of the sisters in your final bequests. We will acknowledge Mr. and Mrs. Frank Wethington your gift immediately and enroll you in the Circle and all its activities and Mr. and Mrs. John Wright Sr. Mrs. Jody F. Ziegler privileges. If you have already included us in your will but have not informed us, please let us know. We want to celebrate you. Of course, we will also assure your privacy, if you wish your gift to remain Statement of Accountability anonymous.

As a member of the National Catholic Development Conference, the Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we received 100 members in Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph submit an accountability report our Saint Angela’s Circle during this centennial year? Will you after their annual financial audit. This is a summary of Donations/ be a part of our work in the future? Will you be one of our 100 Bequests and Expenses for fiscal year ending June 30, 2011. If you have questions, call Sister Amelia Stenger at 270-229-2008.

Centennial bequest donors?

Thank you from each of the Ursuline Sisters for your Revenue_______________________________

wonderful support over the years. You have been such a Unrestricted 260,127.06 39.79% tremendous part of our mission through your generosity. Your Restricted 1,125.00 0.17% 100.00 0.02% support means so much to our sisters who teach in elementary Restricted Renovations 6,281.80 0.96% schools, high schools and universities. Your gifts help our sisters MSJ Center Chile Missions 24,941.41 3.81% in Chile as they teach women to support their families. Your Grants 4,500.00 0.69% generosity helps us help others as we try to fulfill our call to be Bequests Unrestricted 182,403.22 27.90% Bequests Restricted Retirement 5,000.00 0.57% servants of God’s people by working at Catholic Charities and Retirement 9,977.33 1.53% other social ministries.

Quilt Club 34,740.00 5.31% With your gifts we are also able to take care of our elder Annual Dinner 17,545.00 2.68% sisters who have given their lives for so many years to children Picnic 112,064.18 17.14% 653,805.00 100.00% and adults all over the United States. Thanks to you and many Expenses______________________________ others, we continue to spread the message of the Gospel of Retirement Fund 156,781.51 23.98% Jesus Christ every day in nine states and South America. Saint Chile Ministry 24,941.41 3.81% Angela’s Circle will help support the mission into the future.

Restricted 1,225.00 0.19% MSJ Center 6,281.80 0.96% Please see the story about Lajos Kalman on page 6. Mr. U.S. Ministry/Program Service 413,967.00 63.32% Kalman generously left a life insurance policy to support the Management/General 36,806.02 5.63% mission of the Ursuline community. We pray for him and all Fund Raising 13,802.26 2.11% others who have generously remembered us in bequests this

653,805.00 100.00% year.

God bless you today and every day. Sincerely, Save the date! The Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint

– Sister Amelia Stenger, OSU, Director of Development

Joseph Annual BBQ Picnic is Sunday, Sept. 9, 2012

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A Ministry of the Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph

Give Peace, Quiet, and Prayer a Chance

Vocations Focus of Feb. 11 Workshop

Sister Amelia Stenger tells the story of Saint Angela Merici and the Ursuline Sisters to the kindergarten through eighth grade religious education students from Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Owensboro, Ky., at the Center on Feb. 26.

About 140 people, made up of Ursuline Sisters, Associates and supporters of the sisters, gathered in the Mount Saint Joseph Conference and Retreat Center on Feb. 11 to discuss the mission of the Ursuline Sisters and make recommendations that could encourage new vocations. There were 11 tables combining sisters, priests and lay people at the workshop. The event was led by Sister Martha Keller, director of vocation ministry for the Ursuline Sisters, and facilitated by Sister Catherine Bertrand, a School Sister of Notre Dame. One of the day’s tasks was to write headlines about the Ursuline community. The group also contributed ideas about ways to attract new members.

Mount Saint Joseph Conference and Retreat Center Calendar of Upcoming Events - 2012

Sister Sharon Sullivan, congregational leader, addressed a full conference room at the start of the workshop.

APRIL

Spirituality at Work...................................................Wednesday, April 25 Primarily for Administrative Assistants and Secretaries MAY

Reitz Memorial (Evansville, Ind.) Seniors...........................Thursday, May 3 Reflection Day of Prayer (“Women of Resurrection”) .....Friday, May 4 Yarn Spinners Day........................................................... Saturday, May 5 Spiritual Journaling with author Dan Phillips........ Weekend of May 5-6 Catholic Middle School Prayer Day..................................... Tuesday, May 8 Mount Saint Joseph Academy Alumnae Weekend......................May 19-20 Riney Hancock Workshop...................... Wednesday-Thursday, May 30-31

Sister Barbara Jean Head speaks with Bishop William Medley of the Diocese of Owensboro at the vocations workshop.

JUNE

Reflection Day of Prayer (“Women of the Gospels”) ..... Friday, June 1 Summer Camp McLean County Children.................... Mon.-Wed., June 4-6 Associates and Sisters Day............................................... Saturday, June 9 Girls Day Camp............................................................ Week of June 11-15 Centering Prayer Retreat......................................... Week of June 17-23 Christian Leadership Institute....................................... Week of June 24-29 Private Family Reunion......................................................... June 30-July 2 JULY

Conference/Directed Retreats for Women Religious ........... July 15-21 “Transformation through Living the Vows” – Sister Regina Robbins, SND St. John’s Youth from Michigan for Habitat....................Week of July 22-28 Spiritual Direction Training - Week 8....................................... July 23-27 Center-sponsored programs are in bold type. Please call to register.

To register or to schedule your event, call Kathy McCarty 270-229-4103, ext. 802 • kathy.mccarty@maplemount.org The Retreat Center is located 12 miles west of Owensboro on Hwy. 56 12

Members of the confirmation classes from Immaculate Conception and St. Columba parishes in Hawesville, Ky., share some free time in the gymnasium on March 17 at Mount Saint Joseph.

Spiritual Journaling

“God’s Whispers with

in

Daily Living”

Author Brother Dan Phillips Weekend of May 5-6

Resident:$125 or Commuter:$80 Call 270-229-4103 ext. 802 to register

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Young Daughters of Saint Angela visit Mount

Dear Friends of the Center, Spring is making its way across our beautiful campus here at Mount Saint Joseph. While every season has its own Participants of the Young beauty, I believe spring is the most Daughters of Saint Angela beautiful. Spring is also a sign of the New from St. Mary of the Woods Life Jesus gave us in the Resurrection.

School in Whitesville, Ky.,

The year I was in school at St. Louis took part in a Scrutiny University, one of our classmates was a Retreat at Mount Saint young sister from Africa. Sister had been Joseph on Feb. 24-25 in so cold throughout that long winter. As Sister Ann preparation for their March the temperature began to warm, some of us spoke of the new buds we were seeing on the bushes and Chassity Roberts, Silva Stauffer 20th pinning as Y-DOSA trees. The next time we gathered, Sister told us she had put and Breana Murphy, members members.

Chassity Roberts, Silva on her coat and gone out just to see what we were talking of Y-DOSA in Whitesville, Ky., Stauffer and Breana Murphy about. She was sure everything was dead because of the cold. visited the Mount Feb. 24-25. participated in the retreat, with That was her first experience of our spring. The Easter Season the theme of “Finding Refuge at and New Life had new meaning for her after that experience. the feet of Jesus Christ.” Sister On June 2, we will present a workshop on Lectio Martha Keller led the retreat. Also Divina. Since this may be new to some of you, Lectio Divina in attendance were Sister Suzanne is a very ancient art, practiced at one time by all Christians.

Sims, sponsor/adviser of the It’s a slow, contemplative praying of the Scriptures which group and Teri Murphy, a parent enables the Word of God to become a means of union of a member. with God. This ancient practice has been kept alive in the Chassity Roberts signs her The retreat was built around Christian monastic tradition, and is one of the precious Y-DOSA commitment in the Y-DOSA purpose of following treasures of Benedictine monastics and oblates. Together the Saint Angela Oratory in the footsteps of Saint Angela with the Liturgy and daily manual labor, time set aside in at Mount Saint Joseph.

Merici and becoming more a special way for Lectio Divina enables us to discover in innovative and daring in reaching out in service. The our daily life an underlying spiritual rhythm. Lectio Divina begins with cultivating the ability to listen deeply, to hear group prayed the Liturgy of the Hours with sisters at the “with the ears of our hearts” as Saint Benedict encourages Motherhouse, and shared supper and games with them. They us. When we read the Scriptures we should try to imitate the reflected on their experience as Y-DOSA members and how prophet Elijah. We should allow ourselves to become women it has affected their lives at home, school and in Whitesville. and men who are able to listen for the still, small voice of The girls were presented with a journal and a copy of a Bible God (1 Kings 19:12). The practice of Lectio Divina requires with encouragement to reflect and write on different quotes that we first quiet down in order to hear God’s word to us. It of Angela presented to them throughout the retreat.

Participants were introduced to a way to develop their is reverential listening, both in a spirit of silence and of awe.

In October 2012, we will begin the fifth Spiritual prayer life by reading Scripture and spending quiet time in Direction Training Program. Since 2004 we have had 34 prayer. They toured the Angela Oratory, and Sister Martha to complete this certificate program. Participants have come invited them to reflect on the value of service in their lives to us from Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, Nevada, Louisiana, as disciples of Jesus Christ and followers of Angela. They Alabama and Tennessee. Pray with us that we will be summed up their experience by creating a collage. able to continue this program.

–Sister Ann McGrew, Center Director entering rayer ummer etreat ann.mcgrew@maplemount.org

C

Mission Mount Saint Joseph Conference and Retreat Center offers and hosts programs in a rural environment of tranquility for people of all ages and faiths to nurture spiritual and personal growth, advance the arts, and promote lifelong learning.

June 17-23

P

S

R

Intensive Retreat: An in-depth retreat for those interested in entering into the more profound levels of spiritual practice in an atmosphere of silence, solitude, and community. The first part of the “Spiritual Journey” series by Father Thomas Keating is shown.

Or choose Post-Intensive Retreat: Provides an opportunity to be immersed in the practice of Centering Prayer as taught by Contemplative Outreach.

Prior Centering Prayer experience required.

Facilitators/Certified Spiritual Directors Sister Mary Otho Ballard, OP - Contemplative Outreach Coordinator Sister Ann McGrew, OSU - Mount Saint Joseph Retreat Center Director

Resident: $450 includes room, meals, program, and materials Commuter: $275 includes meals, program, and materials

DEDUCT 10% IF PAID IN FULL BY MAY 17

Contact Kathy McCarty: 270-229-4103 ext. 802 • kathy.mccarty@maplemount.org

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U r s u l i n e s

A L I V E

Spiritual Direction participants praise the journey Father Larry Hostetter leads a session for the 2010-2012 Spiritual Direction Training class the week of Jan. 16-20.

To register for the 20122014 Spiritual Direction Training class, contact Sheila Blandford at 270229-4103 ext. 804 by Aug. 15. The first session begins Oct. 22.

S

helley W. Szoka came to the Spiritual Direction Training Program from Madison, Ala., in 2010 seeking knowledge, guidance and personal growth. She has gained all of those, and more.

“On the most personal level, the Spiritual Direction Training Program has supported the growth of my own spiritual self,” Szoka said. “The most prominent thing I will take away from the program is the importance of my own spirituality.

This is foundational for me personally, and as a spiritual director.”

The fifth class of the Spiritual Direction Training Program will begin this October Dorothy Wilderman, left, from at the Mount Saint Joseph Conference and Retreat Center. What better way to let Evansville, Ind., and Monica those interested know what to expect than to talk with the people who have taken part Armstrong, of Knoxville, Tenn., in the past. take part in morning prayers on May 5 in the Angela Oratory.

“Participating in the Spiritual Direction Training Program at Maple Mount has Below: Janie Monaghan, left, been a remarkable and life-changing process,” said Monica Armstrong, of Knoxville, and Shelley Szoka, both of Tenn. “The significance of the knowledge and skills gained over the two-year Madison, Ala., join the prayers. program cannot be overstated. There also occurs an education of the heart and soul that prepares one to enter into deeper union with the Spirit of God in the ministry of spiritual direction.”

Armstrong will complete the program this July. “For those who are called -- or think they may be called -- to this vocation, and who wish to engage their whole self in the preparation process, I can think of no better way than to allow the Ursulines of Mount Saint Joseph to guide their movement into this holy work.”

Janie Monaghan, who like Szoka is from Madison, Ala., and will complete the program in July, said, “I have found my weeks at Mount Saint Joseph to be a wonderful time of personal spiritual growth as well as the perfect setting to develop the skills necessary to be a competent spirit-centered spiritual director for others. The program has • May 4 - “Women of the Resurrection” definitely met my needs.”

Karen Siciliano, of Springfield, Ill., was a • June 1 - “Women of the Gospels 1” graduate of the first class, 2004-2006. “The • Aug. 3 - “Women of the Gospels 2” Spiritual Direction Program was a life-altering • Sept. 7 - “Women in the Early Church” experience for me,” she said. “It helped me • Oct. 5 - “Mary in the Gospels” recognize the divine spark of God’s activity • Nov. 2 - “Spectacular Women” in my everyday experience, and blessed me • Dec. 7 - “Spectacular Women 2” with the gifts needed to help others recognize God’s movement in their lives as well. Spiritual First Friday of every month* direction skills are applicable not only in Event time is 10 a.m.-2 p.m. There will be group prayer, quiet time, formal church ministry, but in numerous life lunch, faith sharing, and a different presentation each month. circumstances, including personal relationships with family and friends, and in the dynamics Reflection days will be led by Sister Ann McGrew, OSU. of the professional work environment. I To register, contact Kathy McCarty at 270-229-4103 ext. 802 now approach all aspects of life with greater kathy.mccarty@maplemount.org *except July intentionality and deeper faith.”

The $15 fee includes lunch Martha Little, of Owensboro, Ky., was

Join us for Reflection Days

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S p r i n g

also a graduate of the first class. “I had worked in parish ministry for 18 years at the time of my training so I was familiar with the roots of spiritual direction, I just had no idea the gifts of the program and how they would affect and change my life,” she said.

Ursuline Sister Julia Head, a graduate of the 2006-2008 class, said the program provided her with another layer of foundation for her professional and personal life. “As a professional catechist for a number of years, I have frequently been touched by the heart wisdom and heart ache of adults (and children) with whom I have shared faith,” she said. “The Spiritual Direction Program provided me with knowledge and skills that have allowed me to sit respectfully and prayerfully with one who is seeking to know God’s will in life. The experience is one like opening a window in both my own and in the heart of the spiritual seeker. We sit together and listen for the Holy Spirit to lead us in our conversation and prayer.”

Sister Sandy Sherman, an Ursuline Sister of Toledo, Ohio, is a 2010 graduate and said what she learned has proved helpful in many areas of her ministry -- “from my small group of private directees, to the students in the Foundations in Theology Class I teach, to the women I encounter in street outreach and jail ministry. In the spirit of Angela Merici, it is about sharing the journey of those who have trusted me to share their journey with the Holy.”

Randy Shelby, of Owensboro, a 2008 graduate, said everyone experiences challenges in the spiritual life and having someone act as a sounding board helps to recognize what is and isn’t beneficial to spiritual growth. “Being able to help someone improve their prayer life or to recognize God’s presence in their daily experiences and relationships is most gratifying.”

Several participants praised getting to work so closely with Ursuline Sisters Ann McGrew, Elaine Burke and Marietta Wethington, and developing lifelong relationships with their classmates.

“Each and every member of the staff and community that I have come in contact with over the course of the program has been friendly, helpful, encouraging and welcoming,” Szoka said. “It has begun to feel like going to visit relatives.”

“The sisters who offer the training are amazing, sharing their knowledge and support through the program,” Little said. “I learned a lot about myself those two years. I grew stronger in my faith and I became more confident in myself as a woman called to serve as Christ did.” n

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Sister Agnes Catherine award for 2011 Sts. Joseph and Paul Catholic Church in Owensboro, Ky., presented its annual Sister Agnes Catherine Williams, OSU, Stewardship Award for 2011 to Donna Goetz of Owensboro.

The award is presented to someone who provided outstanding ministry to Sister Agnes youth and their Catholic formation.

Catherine Goetz has been coordinator of faith formation for Sts. Joseph and Paul for almost two Donna years and has been a long-time volunteer in various Goetz ways for the parish. Her nomination included, “Donna is an excellent example of the kind of person Sister Agnes Catherine would celebrate and recognize as a witness to faithsharing to children. Donna has brought energy and life to the Faith Formation program - the Masses held by Faith Formation students are well done and meaningful for all who attend. Her dedication and work with the Block Party is just awesome!”

Created in November 2007, this award honors the late Sister Agnes Catherine (1905-2007), who dedicated her life to educating God’s children, many of them at Sts. Joseph and Paul School. The parish is celebrating its 125th anniversary in 2012.

In the joy of eternal life SISTER ELAINE BYRNE, 65, died Jan. 20 at Mount Saint Joseph, in her 47th year of religious life. She was a native of Curdsville, Ky. Sister Elaine was a creative and talented teacher and liturgy planner, and much loved by her students, friends and family. She was a teacher, principal and pastoral associate in Kentucky and Missouri, and worked in vocation ministry for the Ursuline Sisters. Survivors include two sisters, Margie Rode of Whiteland, Ind., and Mary Lou Payne of Philpot; three brothers, J.L. Byrne, Tony Byrne and Eddie Byrne and a sister-in-law, Barbara Byrne, all of Owensboro; nieces and nephews and the members of her religious community. The funeral Mass was Jan. 24 with burial in the Motherhouse cemetery. Glenn Funeral Home and Crematory, Owensboro, handled arrangements. Gifts in memory of Sister Elaine may take the form of donations to the Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph, 8001 Cummings Road, Maple Mount, KY 42356.

Website

From page 7

The Sisters’ publications – Ursulines Alive and newsletters for Mount Saint Joseph Academy alumnae (The New Mount) and Ursuline Associates (Update) – are all online under About Us. In the History section (About Us), visitors can find a timeline detailing key events in the history of the Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph, as well as a section about the founding of Brescia University and more.

The Mount Saint Joseph Conference and Retreat Center former website domain, www.msjcenter.org, will continue to work but will be directed to the new website.

Donations to the sisters can be made securely through PayPal on the website. Links to the Sisters’ social media sites can be found at the bottom of their home page, along with a new site index.

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NON-PROFIT U.S. POSTAGE PAID OWENSBORO KY PERMIT NO. 120 8001 Cummings Road Maple Mount, KY 42356-9999 270-229-4103 www.ursulinesmsj.org info.msj@maplemount.org If you have a smartphone, this QR code will take you to our website!

Soli Deo Gloria

We rejoice in the gifts of our sisters, given for the kingdom of God Sister Dianna Ortiz will be honored on May 31 by the Program for Torture Victims with its Human Rights Hero Award. This organization, which offers medical and psychological rehabilitation for torture victims, was opened in Los Angeles in 1980 as the first such organization in the country. The program seeks to rebuild the lives of torture survivors from more than 65 countries who have stood up for freedom, democracy and human dignity. Sister Dianna is one of three people who are being honored during the Human Dignity Awards Dinner in Los Angeles. The others are Julie Su, a human rights attorney who is now California’s Labor Commissioner, and Carlos Siderman, a humanitarian and business leader. While ministering in Guatemala in 1989, Sister Dianna was abducted, raped and tortured. Her experience and her road to recovery were chronicled in the book, “The Blindfold’s Eyes: My Journey from Torture to Truth” published in 2002. She has devoted her life to leading efforts to abolish government-sponsored torture, becoming the first director of the Torture Abolition and Survivors Support Coalition in Washington, D.C. She is now deputy director of Pax Christi, USA in Washington.

Sister Maureen Griner was honored by the Memphis Commercial-Appeal as one of 16 men and women “Making a Difference in 2011,” people who used their time, skills and energy to make Greater Memphis a better place to live.

Sister Maureen is the director of the Dorothy Day House of Hospitality, which offers families a place to live while they dig their way out of debt, reconnect to support systems, deal with legal issues, get their children back in school, and find adult education and job training programs. Sister Maureen is also director of music for Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Memphis.

Sister Michele Morek thought she was going to be the Ursuline representative on the UNANIMA International board, but instead she was hired as the coalition coordinator for the nongovernmental organization of the United Nations. Sister Michele, who had been ministering at Brescia University in Owensboro, Ky., began Dec. 14 leading the daily efforts of the agency, which advocates on behalf of women and children (particularly those living in poverty), immigrants and refugees. The Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph were one of the founding members of UNANIMA in 2001.

Through their efforts, the sisters led the effort to create a ban on human trafficking in Kentucky.

Sister Ruth Gehres will receive Brescia University’s highest honor on April 28 during its Distinguished Alumni Banquet. A 1962 Brescia graduate, she followed 18 years as an English professor at Brescia with nine years as its president (1986-95). She was the third president of Brescia, and during her tenure, the Campus Center was constructed, a bachelor’s degree in social work was added, and the first post-graduate degree, a master’s in management, was offered. Sister Ruth earned her doctorate in English from St. Louis University before becoming an English professor at Brescia. She took a year off in 1981 to write the Ursuline Way of Life, and another in 1984 to teach in Germany. In 2000 she became the first Director of Communications for the Ursuline Sisters and helped create “Ursulines Alive.” In 2007 she began serving at Casa Ursulina in Chillan, Chile where she and Sister Mimi Ballard help the people of the impoverished area with work skills and spirituality. Sister Ruth, a native of Evansville, Ind., will celebrate her 60th year as an Ursuline Sister later this year.