Ursulines Alive Spring 2017 For Issuu

Ursulines

Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph Proclaiming Jesus through Education and Christian Formation

Spring 2017 Vol. 16, No. 1

ursulinesmsj.org

20 Jubilarians Ursuline joins Global Sisters Report Tribute to Monsignor Powers

Those we Serve in Kansas

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From our Congregational Leader Dear Friends and Families of our Sisters, We are blessed to have sisters in our community from many different states. Our sisters taught in New Mexico, Nebraska, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky and Kansas, to name a few.

Today we have sisters working in eight states and in South America. In this issue of Ursulines Alive, we share some of the stories of our sisters who still work in the Sunflower State of Kansas.

As you read their stories, you will find dedication to our mission of education and Christian formation. You will meet sisters who have given many years to the service of the Church and our Ursuline community. We are blessed to have these sisters sharing their talents and ministries with so many of God’s people.

The mission of Education and Christian Formation comes in many different forms. Some of us teach in schools and universities. Some of us serve in parishes by leading religious education classes and RCIA programs. Still others serve in social ministries like Catholic Charities and clinics. In each one of these areas, our sisters are teaching by word and example.

Something that many people don’t know is that our Ursuline community takes a fourth vow along with the vows of Poverty, Chastity and Obedience.

This vow of Instruction is a promise to share the Good News of Jesus everywhere we are. Our Constitutions say this about Instruction: “Through all ages Jesus commands the Church to proclaim the message of salvation to all people. Responding to the call of the Spirit and to the great needs of her time, Angela Merici called together a company of women dedicated to the Christian formation of young girls.”

“Through our vow of instruction, we promise to commit ourselves to the teaching mission of the Church. Participating in the teaching mission through ministries which give expression to our charism and to which we are assigned, we embrace, both individually and as a congregation, the broad and urgent need for Christian formation in our time.”

Saint Angela encouraged her daughters to observe the signs of the times and do what was needed when circumstances called for a change. You will see that the sisters ministering in the state of Kansas are doing just that.

God bless you and those you love.

Sister Amelia Stenger, OSU, Congregational Leader Stay up to date on Mount Saint Joseph news with The Pilgrimage, our monthly e-newsletter. Send your name and e-mail address to: info.msj@maplemount.org.

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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, OSUA MISSION ADVANCEMENT STAFF:

Communications and Development Specialist............... Maggie Matsko

Director of Development................................................ Betsy Jo Mullins

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

Mission Advancement Assistant..................................... Sister Stephany Nelson

Mission Advancement Assistant..................................... Sister Marcella Schrant

Contributing Writer......................................................... Sister Ruth Gehres Contributing Writer......................................................... Sister Marietta Wethington 2

COVER:

Ursuline Sister Jane Falke, left, with her friend Renee Schooley. Schooley is the Friday morning volunteer at the reception desk at Catholic Charities of Kansas City, Kan., where Sister Jane ministers.

Oval: Sister Martina Rockers and Alan Thomas, chairman of the science department at Bishop Miege High School in Shawnee Mission, Kan., go over notes for the AP biology class Sister Martina once taught.

INDEX Conference and Retreat Center.......... 8-11 Development........................................... 15 Obituaries................................................ 13 Pilgrims on the Journey.......................... 12 Powerhouse of Prayer............................. 12 Soli deo Gloria......................................... 14

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 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 • Facebook: facebook.com/ursulinesmsj • Instagram: Ursuline Sisters of MSJ • Snapchat: ursulinesmsj • Twitter: twitter.com/ursulinesmsj • YouTube: UrsulineSistersMSJ

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By Dan Heckel, Mount Saint Joseph Staff

Ursulines in Kansas share caring and compassion Bishop Miege Catholic High School in Shawnee Mission, Kan., held its annual fundraising auction on April 23, 2016. It was no coincidence that happened to be the 90th birthday of Ursuline Sister Martina Rockers.

“There were 400 to 500 people in the gym,” said Joe Passantino, president of the Bishop Miege Foundation Board. “Sister gave a moving talk about how much the school means to her, how important it was to help the students, and how important it was to keep tuition affordable.”

The goal for the evening was to build on previous donations to begin a Sister Martina Scholarship to help with tuition, Passantino said.

“Almost $60,000 was raised that night,” he said. “We wanted to give everyone a chance to contribute, so in September we sent letters to the alumni who weren’t at the auction. The fund has grown to over $100,000,” Passantino said. “It was an opportunity to show what she means to them.”

This is Sister Martina’s 59th year at the school in metropolitan Kansas City. She was there the day the school opened and has never left.

For much of her career she was a science teacher, head of the science department and worked closely with student government. These days she works in the development office, the science department and the Stag Shop, the spirit store for the school.

“She represents the heart and soul of the school,” Passantino said.

“She represents what the Ursuline Sisters brought. Her spirituality, her Christian role model, her prayer life is a witness to that. She’s just a model that has kept the school focused on its mission.”

Sister Martina is one of five former Ursuline Sisters of Paola, Kan., who continue to minister in Kansas. The Ursulines of Paola merged with the Ursulines of Mount Saint Joseph in 2008. Sister Michele Morek, who has been an Ursuline Sister of Mount Saint Joseph for 55 years, moved to serve in Kansas City earlier this year to become the sixth sister in active ministry there.

Saint Angela Merici founded the Ursuline Sisters to meet the needs of the times, and her sisters have been doing that ever since. This is the second article in a series of Ursulines Alive that features the people who serve with or who are served by the Ursuline Sisters. This issue focuses on the Ursulines ministering in the metropolitan Kansas City, Kan., area.

Sister Martina Rockers–“Joyful Servant” “I believe she is singularly focused on her mission and vows,” said Colette Bernica, development associate at Bishop Miege. “She is the consummate joyful servant. She just smiles and asks, ‘What else can I do?’ She is the epitome of joy in the Lord. She just radiates it. She makes my day happy.”

Sister Martina helps take some of the workload from Bernica when she has multiple projects.

“You have to smile at her,” Bernica said. “She’s happy where she is.

There’s a hymn called ‘Bloom Where You Are Planted.’ Where she plants herself, she blooms.”

Bernica has worked at Bishop Miege since 2010, and was unaware of Sister Martina’s impact until she started calling supporters of the school.

“People always ask about Sister Martina,” Bernica said. “‘Tell her I Continued on page 4

Sister Martina Rockers, right, with Katie Jo Kirk, who manages the Stag Shop (school spirit items) at Bishop Miege High School, Shawnee Mission, Kan. Sister Martina is the assistant shop manager.

Sister Martina, left, joins Joe Passantino and Colette Bernica in front of the Saint Angela statue at Bishop Miege High School. Sister Martina helps them with development efforts at the school.

Vice President of Development Susan Tremonti, left; Sister Martina, center, and School Librarian Judi Wollenziehn pose in the Bishop Miege chapel.

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New Ursuline Associates pose with their contact sisters on Dec. 10, 2016, at Curé of Ars Catholic School, Leawood, Kan. From left: Sister Angela Fitzpatrick, Associate Kay Howa, Associate Lisa Guenther and Sister Jane Falke.

Sister Angela, left, a CSC caregiver, sits with Sophia Zanko, 99, and her daughter Marcia Zanko in their home in Kansas City, Mo. Sister Angela visits Sophia twice a week.

Sister Angela, left, brings the Eucharist to Lorene Kremer at Brighton Gardens, Kansas City, in December 2016. Kremer is holding a gift from Sister Angela – a triptych nativity scene.

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Sister Jane, left, with her supervisor at Catholic Charities, Rachel Pollock.

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said hi.’ Now I know why that is.”

Katie Jo Kirk is a 2001 graduate of the school who now serves as the president’s administrative assistant and manager of the Stag Shop, where Sister Martina helps her.

“I knew Sister Martina as a student, she worked with student government,” Kirk said. “When you say ‘Bishop Miege,’ the first thing people say is, ‘How is Sister Martina?’”

“I got to know her because I was on student council. You don’t appreciate the work somebody does until you have to do it yourself,” Kirk said. “It was the Sister Martina standard, you rose to that standard. It wasn’t until I was an adult that I realized how phenomenal she was to get kids to rise to that standard. To not only complete the task, but to go above and beyond. To care about what they are doing, and see how their actions affect others. I’m 35 and I’m still learning from her.”

While Kirk is amazed by Sister Martina’s work ethic, it’s her love for the students that sets her apart.

“I think her patience, kindness and her love for the kids shows in everything she does,” Kirk said. “She will do whatever you ask and expect nothing in return. She’s a humble person. She’s someone to aspire to.”

Alan Thomas, chairman of the science department, shared a classroom with Sister Martina when she was teaching AP biology. It was a smooth and natural transition when he took over, Thomas said.

“There isn’t that ego present,” he said. “If the situation were reversed, I might be more concerned that I left this indelible mark. She wouldn’t want you to say that.”

Sister Martina helps Thomas during his preparation time and elsewhere.

“She’s like a teaching assistant, she’ll prep the lab, grade papers, come up with test questions for AP biology,” he said. “I bounce ideas off her, she’s a wealth of knowledge.” He notes she’s still humble enough to wash glasses in the lab.

“She doesn’t need anything, she just gives to you,” Thomas said. “She’s so reliable, it’s a real privilege to have that time with her. I can share an article on what they’re doing now in genetics. She’s still learning, I continue to learn from her.”

Thomas was one of many people at the school to marvel at Sister Martina’s work ethic.

“She’s 24-7, it’s part of who she is,” he said. “She’s spiritual as well as academic. She is a great role model for us and me. You can never complain that there’s too much work to do, when you see her tearing through it.”

Susan Tremonti is vice president of development at Bishop Miege, and is another person who was taught by Sister Martina before getting to work with her. Sister Martina’s knowledge of all the graduates, their families and what they’ve done with their life is remarkable, Tremonti said.

“We ask her, ‘Will you be the computer again?’ All Miege alumni know Sister Martina,” Tremonti said. “They always want to know how she is. She is the connection with the Ursulines. It’s keeping our tradition alive.”

Sister Martina’s influence led Tremonti to become a biology teacher from 1985-89.

“She is a lifelong learner, an example of what it means to live a faith-filled life,” Tremonti said. “She is someone we aspire to be like.”

Judi Wollenziehn, the librarian at Bishop Miege for 14 years, said the two greatest spiritual influences in her life are Sister Martina and Mary Perrini, the campus minister at Bishop Miege who died in 2012.

The parking lot at Bishop Miege High School is named in honor of Sister Martina Rockers.

“She is totally selfless. She does whatever needs to be done,” Wollenziehn said. “She wants to serve, it doesn’t matter how small the job is. She has a servant heart. I want to be like her.”

Few people at the school want to talk about the day Sister Martina retires.

“There is a book called ‘Outlive Your Life’ (by Max Lucado). When you are no longer present, your life lives on,” Wollenziehn said. “Sister has lived a life of such mission and example, her legend will live on.”

Sister Angela Fitzpatrick–“Comforting Caregiver” Sophia Zanko turned 99 in February 2017, but she still gets a thrill when Ursuline Sister Angela Fitzpatrick comes to see her on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

“I’m tickled to death when she comes,” Zanko said.

Sister Angela is in her seventh year as a CSJ caregiver for the elderly in metropolitan Kansas City, helping them stay in their homes by providing various services. It’s a ministry of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet.

“It’s always been a comfort to know that my mom is in such good, comforting, healing hands,” said Marcia Zanko, who shares her home with her mother in Kansas City, Mo. “I know Sister Angela won’t panic, won’t jump to conclusions. I think Mom feels at ease with her and that’s important.”

Sister Angela fixes Sophia’s breakfast and spends much of the day helping her move from her bed to her wheelchair, to the bathroom or to the couch. She reads scripture to her some days, and brings her the Eucharist.

“They pray the rosary, which is great, because Mom can’t go to Mass anymore,” Marcia Zanko said.

Sister Angela has been visiting Sophia for more than a year. Marcia Zanko said being an Ursuline Sister helps make Sister Angela a special caregiver.

“I would love to have sisters five days a week,” Marcia said. “I know the care is going to be excellent. After Sister Angela has been here, Mom is always in a good mood, always alert.”

The role is clearly more than a job to Sister Angela, Marcia said. “It’s obvious she cares about my mom and cares about what she’s doing,” Marcia said. “That puts my mind at ease.”

If one of Sister Angela’s clients moves to a long-term care facility, her responsibilities are concluded. But when Lorene Kremer, 95, moved to Brighton Gardens in Prairie Village, Kan., she was depressed about losing her independence.

Sister Angela, right, helps Janet Hyde put a wreath on her husband Peter’s grave in Resurrection Cemetery, Kansas City, in December 2016. He died in 2014. “Sister Angela was my husband’s caregiver for three years,” Hyde said. “She’s a devoted friend.

She’s everywhere I need her to be.”

Sister Angela continued visiting her every Wednesday.

“She brought me out of a bad stupor I was in,” Kremer said. “I’d kind of fallen apart. Every word she says, everything she does, works for the better.”

Sister Jane poses with Greg Bole, an It isn’t just the people she cares for who get close immigration attorney for Catholic Charities of Kansas City, Kan. to Sister Angela. Janet Hyde enlisted Sister Angela’s help in December 2016 to put a wreath on her husband’s grave in Resurrection Cemetery in Kansas City. Sister Angela cared for Peter Hyde for three years until he died in 2014, and has since become a good friend of Janet Hyde’s.

“Sister Angela is a devoted friend,” Hyde said. “She’s everywhere I need her to be.”

Sister Jane Falke–“Sharing Compassion” Greg Bole still barely knows what an Ursuline Sister is.

But he knows how valuable Ursuline Sister Jane Falke is to his role as an immigration attorney for Catholic Charities of Kansas City, Kan. “She’s been a huge help,” Bole said. “She’s the first face people see. There’s a toughness that’s needed for her position, but a heart to serve the people we serve. She’s very bright, she figured out what I need for scheduling immediately.”

Sister Jane is the receptionist for an immigration legal office of Catholic Charities. “To have her as the receptionist is phenomenal,” Bole said. “She’s so overqualified for what she’s doing. She’s elevated the position beyond what the average receptionist would.

“When she goes to Kentucky (for Community Days and a retreat week in July), those two weeks are markedly different in a negative way,” Bole said. “A bit of chaos reigns. She’s the helmswoman. She keeps the ship steady.

She has a sense of calm, sensibility and caring.”

Aside from her qualifications in the job, Sister Jane “has a caring heart and an innate kindness,” Bole said.

“I’ve gotten a sense the people we serve know Jane,” Bole said. “She has a way about her that people feel comfortable with. That’s important, a lot of people I see are undocumented. Seeing Jane first heightens their security, they feel welcome here. They feel like you are on their side.”

Rachel Pollock, director of refugee and immigration programs for Catholic Charities, thinks Sister Jane’s job is the most difficult in the building.

“There are lots of different needs and languages,” Pollock said, who has served in her role for nine years.

“She brings a compassionate face for those coming into the building. She keeps things running smoothly. At first, we didn’t have a receptionist, it was a huge problem.”

Having a woman religious on the staff benefits the work Continued on page 6

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Sister Helen Smith visits with Father Francis Hund, her friend of 35 years and pastor of Church of the Nativity in Leawood, Kan.

Sister Helen, left, and her friend Jean Stump visit at Church of the Nativity in Leawood, Kan. The two have been friends for 17 years.

Stump is the librarian at Nativity School.

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of Catholic Charities in several ways, Pollock said.

“I feel like Jane, more than anyone else I’ve worked with, understands commitment,” Pollock said. “She’s the most consistent person I have on my team. Her commitment to who we serve is really high. She sees her work as a calling. I have to beg her to take Congregational Leader Sister Amelia time off.”

Sister Jane offers a good perspective Stenger, right, visited Sister Mildred Katzer in her Richmond, Kan., home on Feb. 1. for clients who don’t know what it means to be a sister, and for the young people on staff who are passionate about the work they do, Pollock said.

“I’m not Catholic, so she is the person I ask, ‘Is this OK?’ when it comes to the Catholic Church,” Pollock said. “She’s my secret weapon.”

The staff thinks it’s great to have a sister on staff, Pollock said.

“She’s 76. People wonder, ‘Why are you still working?’” Pollock said.

“Instead, she shows me things on the computer I didn’t know how to do.”

Renee Schooley volunteers at the reception desk on Friday mornings. She and Sister Jane regularly take in a movie or have lunch together.

“I think she brings calmness and counsel to people,” Schooley said. “She prayed with someone who was losing a grandson.”

Most people call her Jane, not Sister Jane, Schooley said.

“She’s proud of being a sister, but doesn’t want it to intimidate people from approaching her,” Schooley said. “So many refugees are Christians, but they don’t know sisters. She’ll go visit some of their events. She really cares about what she does.”

Sister Helen Smith–“Woman of Faith” Father Francis Hund was taught by Benedictine Sisters growing up and in college, but as a newly ordained priest in 1982, he met the Ursuline Sisters. One of those sisters from his early days was Sister Helen Smith.

“We met at Queen of the Holy Rosary Parish in Overland Park. She was planning Masses and liturgy,” Father Hund said. “It was my privilege to be present at the ceremony when she made her permanent vows in 1984.”

After ministering in different parishes for years, the two were reunited in 2010, when Sister Helen came to Church of the Nativity in Leawood, Kan., where she handles sacramental preparation for reconciliation, first communion and confirmation.

“Sister Helen brings a deep faith that really shines through in her ministry,” Father Hund said. “She’s so good with sharing faith with young folks. She encourages the parents to be the primary teachers of their children’s faith.”

Having a sister in the parish brings an added dimension to the lessons the youths receive, Father Hund said.

“Through her faith, her commitment to community and the witness of her prayer life -- her whole life has been devoted to living and sharing the faith.”

“I think the parents think she brings a lot of wisdom and experience,” Father Hund said. “For the children, it’s 6

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trying to understand what a sister is and does. It’s always a blessing to have religious women serving.”

Sister Helen notified Father Hund in 2016 that this year would be her last at Nativity. She was elected in November 2016 to the Ursuline Leadership Council and will move to Maple Mount whenever the sale of the former convent in Paola is completed.

“Sister Helen is already talking about how to help the new person and the staff,” Father Hund said in December.

“She will empower someone else.”

Jean Stump was hired by Sister Helen as a fourth-grade teacher in 2000 when Holy Rosary School opened in Wea, Kan. She went into library science and spent six years there as a librarian. She’s been the librarian at Nativity since 2010.

“Sister Helen has a great sense of seeing the whole picture,” Stump said. “She makes sure everyone knows what’s going on. She has a great personality. She’s very approachable and super knowledgeable.”

Being a sister brings more reverence to her role at the parish, Stump said.

“Students look up to her more. She’s dedicated her whole life to being a sister,” Stump said. “The parents hold her to a higher level. They see her as a person really close to God.”

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Sister Mildred Katzer–”Bringing Sunshine” Sister Mildred Katzer was a teacher for nearly 50 years before she began volunteering her time at St. Therese Parish in Richmond, Kan. – and that was 18 years ago.

Sister Mildred is the second oldest Ursuline Sister at 98, and she celebrates 80 years this year as an Ursuline. Thanks to her longtime friend and former Ursuline, Sister Loretta Roeckers, Sister Mildred is still serving the elderly in Richmond.

“She’s a dynamic, wonderful woman,” Sister Loretta said. Once a week, the two visit Richmond Health Care and Rehabilitation Center for Mass and to visit the residents, and they also go to Meals on Wheels.

“We try to cheer the people up, lift their spirits,” Sister Loretta said. “They are happy to see the two of us.” Sister Mildred’s absence would be noticeable, Sister Loretta said.

“They would miss her smile. She’ll find something positive and encouraging to say,” Sister Loretta said. “She’s someone to bring sunshine to them.”

Sister Mildred leads the rosary on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday in the parish before Mass, Sister Loretta said.

She continues to make rosaries, baptismal bonnets and crocheted items.

“She’s always fixing someone’s rosary,” Sister Loretta said. The two have lived together for 26 years, nine in Garnett and in Richmond since 1999.

“She’s a joy to live with,” Sister Loretta said. “She has a lot of insight.”

Sister Michele Morek–”Joie de Vivre” When Sister Michele Morek decided to end her tenure as coalition coordinator with UNANIMA in New York City, she knew one criteria for her next ministry was an ability to share community with other Ursuline Sisters.

God’s fortune was evident when she received the opportunity to pursue her love of writing with the Global Sisters Report and do so near her Ursuline Sisters serving in Kansas.

Public is invited to Maple Mount to pray for vocations On the Fourth Sunday of Easter, also known as Good Shepherd Sunday, the Catholic Church observes the World Day of Prayer for Vocations. This is the 54th anniversary for the World Day of Prayer, which will be May 7, 2017. The purpose of the World Day of Prayer for Vocations is to publicly celebrate vocations to ordained ministry and religious life in all its forms. The Ursuline Sisters invite you to join us for Eucharistic Adoration in our Motherhouse Chapel on Sunday, May 7, from 3-5 p.m. We will close with evening prayer.

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“As our sister liaison, Sister Michele’s role is to not only connect Global Sisters Report with sisters around the country (and the world!), but to advise the mostly lay staff of Pam Sister Michele Global Sisters Report Hackenmiller Morek on the best way to cover the sisters – the process of discernment, for example, or which sisters have historical roots in schools or interfaith outreach,” said Pam Hackenmiller, managing editor of the Global Sisters Report. “She has also taken to writing blog posts for Global Sisters Report on a variety of topics, including one blog post in which she compares nuns and fungi. (Trust me, it works.)”

“When we were interviewing sisters for this position, Sister Michele stood out from the start,” Hackenmiller said. “She was warm, funny, engaging and friendly, and she made all of us laugh the first time we talked to her. She spoke passionately about her work at UNANIMA and was excited to take on something new as her time there was coming to an end.”

“Sister Michele officially joined Global Sisters Report in January, and she brings a ‘joie de vivre’ to our office every day,” Hackenmiller said. “She fits seamlessly into our team and her optimism is infectious. She has traveled to a few conferences to represent Global Sisters Report, and each time, she returns to the office excited about the connections she’s formed and full of great ideas for continuing to move Global Sisters Report forward.”n

Statement of Accountability As a member of the National Catholic Development Conference, the Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph submit an accountability report after their annual financial audit. This is a summary of Donations/Bequests and Expenses for fiscal year ending June 30, 2016. Questions? Contact Director of Development Betsy Mullins: 270-229-2008.

Revenue__________________________ Unrestricted Restricted Restricted Alumnae MSJ Center Chile Ministry Grants Bequests Unrestricted Retirement Quilt Club Annual Ky Derby Dinner Picnic

206,551.42 32.69% 24,872.36 3.94% 15.00 0.00% 6,872.00 1.09% 10,779.00 1.71% 8,500.00 1.35% 86,021.09 13.62% 29,932.78 4.74% 40,740.15 6.45% 22,418.69 3.55% 195,067.47 30.88% 631,769.96 100.00%

Expenses_________________________ Retirement Fund 265,740.40 42.06% Chile Ministry 10,779.00 1.71% MSJ Center 6,872.00 1.09% Restricted 24,887.36 3.94% U.S. Ministry/Program Service 288,842.17 45.72% Management/General 25,199.30 3.99% Fund Raising 9,449.74 1.50%

631,769.96 100.00%

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A Ministry of the Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph

Give Peace, Quiet and Prayer a Chance

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.

Mary Helen Nash, left, and Louise Elpers were among the attendees at the Feb. 16 discussion of Pope Francis’ book “The Joy of Love, On Love in the Family,” led by Sister Ann McGrew. “Focus on Faith” meets monthly on Thursdays from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Sister Michael Marie Friedman confers with Father Richard Meredith, the pastor of Sts. students in the gym as they work on selecting the Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Hopkinsville, gift of the Holy Spirit they most hope to receive.

Ky., left, speaks to representatives of diocesan The Retreat Center welcomed students from five Family Life offices from Region V at their annual parishes in the Diocese of Owensboro to its first conference on March 13-15. Region V is made up Confirmation Retreat Day on March 18, led by of Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi and Sister Michael Marie. The students also toured the Louisiana.

Motherhouse Chapel.

Lori Elder, seated, and Kelly Moore, both from Owensboro, were part of the Winter Scrapbooking group of 18 women who enjoyed their first weekend retreat at the Center on Feb. 18-19.

The scrappers set up in a Janada Hagerman, left, and conference room.

Sheila Campbell listen to Sister Vivian Bowles discuss how to overcome fear as she led the March 7 “Evening with an Ursuline” discussion on Mary Garcia, of Bartlett, Tenn., looks over the pieces “Belief and Expectations.” of her Yule Log Cabin quilt top she spread on the This series on the first floor. Quilting Friends were at the Center from Feb. Tuesday of the month (except 26–March 1. The quilters use donated fabric to make July 11) includes a meal for a beautiful quilt tops before they leave, donating these fee of $20. tops for the Ursuline Sisters to quilt later. Some may be hand quilted and included in the monthly Quilt Club Ursuline Associate Joan Perry, left, is drawing, while others are machine quilted and sold. joined by Jessica Dilsaver, center, and Jenny Likens over breakfast during Sister Cheryl Clemons’ annual women’s retreat on March 10-12. The theme for this year’s retreat was “Called by Name: Jesus and the Unnamed Women of the Gospels.”

Dee Huber, left, of Louisville, is joined by her sister, Cheryl Leadbeater, far right, of Virginia Beach, Va., at the women’s retreat. Between them are Elaine Wood, second from left, and Vickie Osborne.

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RIGHT: Seminarians from the Saint Meinrad Seminary and School of Theology in Indiana pray in silence as they wait for Mass to begin in the Center Chapel.

A silent retreat helps participants focus more deeply on their relationship with God, blocking out the noise of the world.

The group made their annual silent retreat at the Center from Jan. 21-27.

Schedule your next event at Mount Saint Joseph! Contact Kathy McCarty: 270-229-0206 • kathy.mccarty@maplemount.org

What’s Happening at the Center?

Dear Friends of the Center, It is springtime at the Mount Saint Joseph Conference and Retreat Center. What has been happening during those cold and dark days of winter? There has been a lot of the same each month: deacons, spinners, quilting, Focus on Faith, Spiritual Direction classes.

But there has been “newness” also: St. Meinrad seminarians’ directed retreats, Winter Scrapbooking, Women’s Retreat, Busy Persons’ Retreat for employees and Confirmation Retreat. We moved into Lent and as I write this, we wait for Easter to come.

And as Easter approaches it allows me to reach back into time and say “thank you” to a very important person in the life of the Retreat Center, as well as someone who has formed and shaped my own spirituality. This person is Monsignor Bernard Powers.

Oftentimes we wait until it is too late to say “thank you” for the difference one has made in the life around us. Father Powers, a priest of the Diocese of Owensboro, is one of those priests who gives and gives and gives. He has given of his time, his talent and his expertise.

Father Powers has been around the Retreat Center since its inception in August 1983. Oh yes, he did retire and we even roasted him at his farewell dinner. He has been and still is available for days of prayer or for a weekend. He also does spiritual direction and gives directed retreats. He is generosity personified. His holiness exudes.

Looking back in history, I got to know Father Powers when he was pastor at St. Joseph in Leitchfield, Ky., and I was teacher and principal at St. Paul. I attended an adult education class that Father taught at St. Joseph.

When I went to Louisville to be principal at St. Denis, I thought “everyone” should be exposed to Father Powers’ spirituality. So once a year I hosted a weekend retreat for the Ursuline Sisters missioned in Louisville plus the Maltese Sisters at Brandenburg. Retreats for others had already begun to run in my bloodstream. Father Powers was so generous with his time and talent. He always seemed to know the right time to send a prayer my way, to make a phone call. It was much easier being principal of a large school having a friend like Father Powers.

Thank you so very much, Father Powers, for all you have been, all you are, and all you will be to the many folks who have come or will come to Mount Saint Joseph Conference and Retreat Center. You are so LOVED. (See story on next page.)

Blessings for 2017,

Sister Mary Matthias Ward, OSU

Director of Mount Saint Joseph Conference and Retreat Center mary.ward@maplemount.org Don’t forget to visit the Mount Saint Joseph Gift Shop. Open Wednesdays and Thursdays 10 a.m.–2 p.m. or by appointment.

Contact Cyndy Madi: 270-229-4103 ext. 818

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SPIRITUAL DIRECTION TRAINING PROGRAM

F

2017-2019

Please inquire by Aug. 31, 2017

eeling called to companion others on their journey with God? Sign up for the 20172019 class of our Spiritual Direction Training Program, sponsored by Mount Saint Joseph Conference and Retreat Center and the Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph. Beginning Oct. 16, participants meet for weeklong sessions eight times over a two-year period, entering into study, reflection and prayer around a topic fundamental to the understanding and practice of spiritual direction. There are daily opportunities for Eucharist, prayer and reflection.

The program, which leads to certification as a spiritual director, takes place on a quiet, rural campus. Close to 50 individuals from across the U.S. have completed the program.

Topics and Dates Spirituality........................... Oct. 16-20, 2017 Spiritual Direction..................... Jan. 8-12, 2018 The Inner Journey................... April 9-13, 2018 Prayer & Scripture...............July 30-Aug. 3, 2018 Theology............................. Oct. 15-19, 2018 Ethics .................................... Jan. 7-11, 2019 Supervision .......................... April 8-12, 2019 Case Studies/Retreat............July 29-Aug. 2, 2019 To register or for more information, contact Sister Mary Matthias Ward: 270-229-0200 mary.ward@maplemount.org Limited scholarships are available.

A brochure can be found at ursulinesmsj.org under Conference & Retreat Center.

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Monsignor Bernard Powers leaves indelible imprint on Center Monsignor Bernard Powers had been a priest for 15 years in the Diocese of Owensboro, Ky., when he arrived at Maple Mount in 1967. He served as chaplain for the Ursuline Sisters and taught religion at Mount Saint Joseph Academy.

The Academy was at its peak in the 1960s, and Monsignor Powers taught there until it closed in May 1983. “I joke that I got my Ph.D. in feminine psychology at the Mount,” he said.

But when the former Academy was recreated as the Mount Saint Joseph Retreat Center in the fall of 1983, it afforded Monsignor Powers an opportunity to expand his ministry in a new direction.

“It was a wonderful idea. There was no place nearby to have retreats,” he said.

Monsignor Powers remained as chaplain at the Mount after the Academy closed and became associate director of the Retreat Center under the direction of Sister Mary Matthias Ward in 1985, a position he retained until 2001.

“It was like wildflowers that sprung up,” he said. “It was a benefit for the whole area. It offered many opportunities for the people. The idea we started with was deepening their faith and we were able to pursue that. Since then, it’s been adapting to the spiritual needs of the people.”

“Monsignor Powers has been a part of the Mount since 1967.

He came to be the chaplain at the Mount the same year our class entered the convent. He also taught a number of the theology classes to the novitiate.

He would come out in the evenings and play volleyball with us. Nobody wanted to play across the net from him because he could really spike the ball. He was a great teacher and became a good friend as we returned to the Retreat Center many years later. We asked if he would have the Marian Retreat each year in October and it is still being held today. He is a holy man who has given his life to God and the Church.” –Sister Amelia Stenger, former Center Director, now Congregational Leader for the Ursuline Sisters 10

Monsignor Powers has remained a presence at the Center through the years, leading retreats and special days of prayer for Lent and Advent – usually adorned in his signature bright red sweater.

“I think there is a period of time that people see their life in God as a personal journey,” he said. “It’s not just a parish connection. The Retreat Center has helped them to do that.”

“The need is still there to pay attention to our spiritual journey in life,” he said.

“Sometimes people say, ‘We should have come sooner.’ It’s an opportunity to encourage people in their relationship with God, or make them aware to give it some consideration. To encourage them to be attentive to God.” “It’s been a wonderful opportunity to extend my ministry as a priest, to work on the spiritual journey of the people,” he said. “It’s been a great privilege and blessing.”

Monsignor Powers turned 91 earlier this year and celebrates 65 years as a priest in 2017. (He was named a monsignor by Pope Paul VI in 1972.)

Sister Mary Matthias, who returned to lead the Center in 2016, asked some of the people who have been influenced by Monsignor Powers through the years to share their thoughts about him. Here’s what they said:

“My friendship with Monsignor Powers goes back to my first retreat with him over 20 years ago. No one has been more instrumental in my continuing faith formation. I still reflect upon the notes I took during his conferences; I still quote and read from his books to groups with whom I worship and teach (RCIA); I still look to him as an inspirational example of humility, obedience and holiness. His love of God, of Mary and our Church are exemplified in everything he does. His devotion and support of reconciliation is especially impressive at a time when our culture seems to feel no necessity of sacramental forgiveness. He truly ‘walks the walk.’ Monsignor graced Teri and me by concelebrating our marriage 15 years ago in Louisville; he even assisted in the writing of our vows to one another. He has been and remains an integral part of our family; we love him dearly and are eternally grateful for his prayers, his friendship and his priesthood.” –David Huber

“As a young novice in the early 1960s, we referred to Father Powers as ‘the Pope.’ ” –Sister Pat Rhoten “I have said laughingly to Father Bernard Powers, ‘Why don’t you run for the office of Pope?’ and he would say ‘it’s not for me’ with an oh-so-slight chuckle. But I think the hat he wears for me and a lot of people in the St. Joseph, Curdsville and surrounding areas is pretty tall. I have known him all my life, he is the one person I firmly believe lives and breathes and speaks what faith in God is all about. No greater respect could I have for someone. Thanks Father for well planted footprints in the sand to follow.” –Elaine Foster, Center staff

“Father Powers is a man of very few words, but when they come, they’re insightful and discerning.

I believe he possesses some kind of natural intuition about people.

After listening very intently, he knows how to cut right to the heart of your concerns and remind you that you belong to the most loving God, that He is always concerned with your eternal salvation, and that our work is to seek and do His will in all things.” –Kamille Stich “When I hear the world ‘Holy,’ I think of Monsignor Bernard Powers. I admire and respect him so much, because he ‘walks the walk’ and ‘talks the talk.’ His sense of humor is awesome.

It’s a privilege to know him.

He is one of God’s great gifts to me. When he is here at the Center for a program, you can see people light up around him. He makes you feel special and loved.

He really does care about everyone!” –Kathy McCarty, Center staff

“When I was director of the Retreat Center, Monsignor Powers was a part-time staff member. He was also working as a parish priest. He attended staff meetings. He gave days of prayer, weekend retreats, spiritual direction and directed retreats. He made himself available for confessions or any need. His spirituality attracted many people, and he was influential far and wide in our diocese and extended into other states. He was a good listener and very insightful in spiritual direction. He was tireless in his ministry of leading people to God.”–Sister Marie Goretti Browning “He loves me. He knows my warts and junk, but chooses to see the potential within me for what and who I can become. In his love for God, he chooses to love me (not what I do) and God’s love is shown to me through him. I am blessed by him and through him.

And I am so grateful to be able to call him friend and Father.” – Sister Emma Anne Munsterman

“When I think of Father Powers, two ideas come to my mind: He is a model of deep faith and a person with a good sense of humor. How could anyone write poetry such as his and not see the sincerity and understanding of who God is and how humans fit into that picture? His dedication and faithfulness as a priest is so evident in his everyday life. His ministry to the Retreat Center as a spiritual director and retreat director is commendable and inspiring. Thanks to Father Bernard Powers for giving of himself over and beyond the call of duty.” –Sister Elaine Burke “Father Powers’ Advent day gave me a chance to reflect.

We have to slow our lives down and take time to listen to our prayers. This will open our souls to the Lord for a healthier spiritual life.” –Mark Irby

“Father Powers is the sweetest man I know. He is always full of wisdom and shares that in his poems and his retreats. I have known him for a long time and he is what a man of God should be. He not only gives good advice, but his laughter is contagious.

I admire him on so many different levels and his love for the Blessed Mother is something we have in common. He has a way of letting you know that no matter what people say, you and God know the truth and that’s all that matters. He is a great listener and has a long list of people who love him as their retreat director.

He cares for everyone and shows this in his daily life, always smiling. I can hear him say, ‘Believe in the Lord and he will guide you’ but also ‘Believe in yourself because only you know what’s in your heart.’ I have called on Father to do several retreats and he has never let me down. Monsignor Bernard Powers is my friend and a very spiritual person with a heart of gold who loves anything that’s chocolate.”

–Sheila Blandford, Center staff

“God never ceases to amaze. Sending the right person in your life at the right time.

Only through grace I was led to Mount Saint Joseph for a self-directed retreat with Monsignor Powers. His first words to me were, ‘What do you want?’ By the end of the week, my heart was changed and my journey to be the best woman I could be had begun.

But first, I had to know who I was. Monsignor would ask, ‘Who are you?’ waiting for a response, ‘a lover of God.’ Then with joyful exclamation he says, ‘Isn’t that wonderful?’

His love for God beams from him. Month after month for the past four years, I have been blessed to receive spiritual direction from someone who is gifted with a wellspring of wisdom beyond his years. He knows the human heart and is God’s great physician here on earth, healing hearts and bringing souls into a deeper relationship with the Divine.

Someday, Jesus will say to him, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant.’ ”–Mary Dearing 11

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Powerhouse of Prayer

– By Dan Heckel, Mount Saint Joseph Staff

Sister Mary Agnes has a love for the Mass This feature highlights the efforts of those Ursuline Sisters who minister in the “Powerhouse of Prayer,” who lift up all those who ask for prayers throughout the year.

During the summers when she was a girl growing up in the small town of Vine Grove, Ky., Ursuline Sister Mary Agnes VonderHaar would arise early and walk to daily Mass.

“Mass is really the thing that made me click,” she said earlier this year. Sister Mary Agnes came home to Maple Mount in 2016 after 61 years in ministry as either an educator, parish minister or apostolic presence. What has sustained her through the years is her prayer life.

“I’ve committed my life to prayer,” she said. “It’s one thing you can do whether you’re healthy or sick.”

She credits her parents for teaching her to pray. They helped support the Ursuline Sisters in Vine Grove, often driving them where they needed to go, Sister Mary Agnes said.

“During certain seasons we might pray the family rosary,” she said. “They were very faithful about Sunday Mass.”

Her love for the Mass grew when, as a sister, she taught the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults and prepared liturgical ministers.

“If you want to learn something, teach it,” Sister Mary Agnes said. “I’d prepare them and it deepened my appreciation and understanding even more.”

From 1999–2016, Sister Mary Agnes lived with Ursuline Sister Joan Walz while they served in ministry together.

“We would say morning and evening prayer together,” Sister Mary Agnes said. “I only lived alone three or four

years in Hickman, Ky. Each year when the community asked what I needed, I’d say, ‘I need someone to pray with.’ I think it makes a big difference.”

Now home at Maple Mount, Sister Mary Agnes enjoys having community prayer with the sisters.

“Sister Marie Julie (Fecher) has Centering Prayer. I just sit with the Lord,” Sister Mary Agnes said. “We don’t always pray in words.”

Sister Mary Agnes often prays while she’s driving. With her signature sense of humor, she said her most common prayer is “God help me!”

She enjoys receiving the daily prayer list in her email, and any request for prayer. “If I get a letter from someone, I’ll stop and pray for them,” she said. “I think people depend on and appreciate the opportunity to receive prayers.”

When she gets annoyed with something, Sister Mary Agnes said she takes the advice she learned during a retreat.

“Picture a basket under the crucifix,” she said, “and flip all those things bothering you into the basket and let Jesus take care of them.”

Friends can write to Sister Mary Agnes at 8001 Cummings Road, Maple Mount, KY 42356.

Pilgrims on the Journey...

This new feature offers a sister the opportunity to share the inspiration of a person, group or event that she encounters in her ministry that illustrates Christ’s presence. These are truly “Pilgrims on the Journey” in service to others.

This example comes from Ursuline Sister Carol Shively, superintendent of the Diocese of Shreveport, La., Catholic Schools.

There are six Catholic schools in Shreveport and Monroe.

Students at Loyola College Prepatory School, Shreveport, La., help prepare baskets of food and toys each year in December.

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Flyers Aiding the Hungry (FAiTH) is a student-inspired and organized effort at Loyola College Preparatory School in Shreveport. The effort works to provide a holiday meal for more than 600 disadvantaged families in the ShreveportBossier area. One of the most inspirational days at Loyola, the annual FAiTH Day is held early in December each year.

The event is supported through fundraisers, donations and basket sales. The students distribute baskets of food and a toy Sister Carol for each child who accompanies their parents on this special Shively distribution day.

Over the past five years, more than 10,000 people have been helped

by FAiTH.

Sister Catherine learns to quilt at age 84

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small baby quilts. Sister Amelia (Stenger) At age 84, many people are content to asked me if I would do a queen size quilt. look back at what they accomplished in life, I had it spread out in my room, it was so rather than forward to learning a new skill. heavy I could hardly do it. They kept telling Not Ursuline Sister Catherine Barber. me I did a good job.”

With the help of her friend Sister Eva The quilt, called “Double Irish Chain,” Boone, Sister Catherine made the first was pieced by Merline Long of Louisville. “I queen-sized quilt of her life in 2016. worked four to five hours a day on it,” Sister “I’d never dreamed in my life that I Catherine said. would quilt,” Sister Catherine said. “Sister Quilters at Maple Mount complete Eva was my teacher. She encouraged me to projects for the Ursuline Quilt Club, with keep going. She was very supportive.” quilts raffled off each month as a fundraiser Sister Eva has been quilting since 1999, for the sisters. Sister Catherine began when she returned home to Maple Mount working on her second queen-sized quilt the after 30 years in education and another 14 day after Christmas. years in parish ministry. She lives across the “It’s a way of supporting the community, hall from Sister Catherine in Saint Joseph Sister Catherine Barber, left, which we’d both like to do as long as we Villa, and told her friend she would be and Sister Eva Boone hold the can,” Sister Eva said. happy to help her learn to quilt.

Irish Chain quilt that Learning a new skill is a normal part of “As soon as we started, I realized how good Double Sister Catherine quilted.

Sister Catherine’s diverse ministry career. a quilter she would be,” Sister Eva said. “She’s She was a teacher for 22 years, then worked very particular about things being exact and in health care for 19 years at the Mount and at the former pretty. Everything has to be in its right place. She’s just Mercy Hospital in Owensboro. She served as a receptionist the opposite of me,” Sister Eva said with a smile. “She’s determined, once she starts something, she sees it through. at Brescia University in Owensboro. She has served in internal ministry at Maple Mount, including in the I just loved watching her blossom into a quilter. Catherine archives, Retreat Center, as an information receptionist, turned into a beautiful quilter overnight.” chapel sacristan and assistant in Mission Advancement.

“Sister Eva brought me a sample pattern and showed me how to tie knots,” Sister Catherine said. “I made two This year (2017) marks her 64th year as an Ursuline Sister.

In the joy of eternal life SISTER JANE IRVIN HANCOCK, 89, an Ursuline Sister of Mount Saint Joseph, died March 8, 2017, at Mount Saint Joseph, in her 69th year of religious life. She was a native of Waverly, Ky. Caring for others was Sister Jane Irvin’s specialty. First it was the students she taught in Kentucky elementary schools. From 1975-83, she was dean of boarding students at Mount Saint Joseph Academy, Maple Mount, where she acted as a second mother to many girls. From 1983-89, she served as facility organizer at Mount Saint Joseph Conference and Retreat Center, caring for the guests. She also ministered in the Archdiocese of Louisville, where she cared for retired priests. She retired to the Motherhouse in 2003. Survivors include two sisters, Sister Jane Miriam Hancock, Maple Mount, and Margaret Louise Coshan, Ontario, Canada; nieces and nephews and members of her religious community.

The funeral Mass was March 13 at Mount Saint Joseph, with burial in the convent cemetery.

SISTER PHILOMENA COX, 91, an Ursuline Sister of Mount Saint Joseph, died March 9, 2017, at Mount Saint Joseph, in her 72nd year of religious life. She was a native of Owensboro, Ky. “Sister Phil” loved a challenge and was handy with tools like her patron, Saint Joseph the Worker. A teacher or principal for 29 years in Kentucky, she was happy to roll up her sleeves and work as director of building services at Brescia College/University from 1976-91. After leaving Brescia, she ministered at the Motherhouse, first as a business office secretary (1991-2000), then as local community treasurer from 2000 until her retirement in 2008. Survivors include a brother-in-law, Louis Taylor, a niece, Mary Lou Nolan, and members of her religious community. The funeral Mass was March 14, 2017, at Mount Saint Joseph, with burial in the convent cemetery.

Gifts in memory of Sister Jane Irvin or Sister Philomena or any Ursuline Sister may take the form of donations to the Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph, 8001 Cummings Road, Maple Mount, KY 42356.

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Soli Deo Gloria:

We rejoice in the gifts of our sisters, given for the kingdom of God

Four Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph who previously served in community leadership are in new ministries in 2017.

Sister Sharon Sullivan is a consultant in the School of Education at Brescia University in Owensboro, Ky. Her duties through May 2017 include data gathering, analysis and recommendations regarding the master of science in teacher leadership program; reviewing existing School of Education programs on a myriad of assessment standards; and potentially developing in-house data management for the School of Education. She reports to Ashley Holland, chairwoman of the School of Education. Sister Sharon was congregational leader for the Ursuline Sisters from 2010-July 2016. She spent August to December 2016 on sabbatical at the School of Applied Theology, an affiliate of the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, Calif. Prior to her elected service, Sister Sharon’s entire ministry career was at Brescia, with most of that time as a special education professor. She served as Chair of the School of Education from 2004-2007, when she became Academic Dean and vice president of Academic Affairs, which she continued until she began serving as congregational leader.

Her predecessor as congregational leader, Sister Michele Morek, joined the Global Sisters Report in January as liaison to sisters. She is living in Kansas City, Kan. A project of the National Catholic Reporter Publishing Co., Global Sisters Report is an independent, nonprofit source of news and information about Catholic sisters and the critical issues facing the people they serve. It is funded by a grant from the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation. Sister Michele, along with Sister Joyce Meyer of the Sisters of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, work with sisters who write commentary for Global Sisters Report and help guide reporters and editors who report on The Ursuline Sisters and the City of Owensboro invite you to our Arbor Day Tree Planting Event

Saturday, April 29

8:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

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Let's celebrate our amazing supporters who contributed all of the trees ... over 400 will be planted! Location: Off Hwy. 54/Byers along the Greenbelt path just south of Heartland Subdivision

the missions and ministries of sisters around the world. From 2011-16, Sister Michele was coalition coordinator for UNANIMA, a nongovernmental organization representing 21 women religious communities at the United Nations. The Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph are one of those communities. Sister Michele was congregational leader of the Ursulines from 2004-10. Prior to that she served as a biology professor or academic dean at Brescia College/University from 1971-2004, and also served eight years as an elected Council member in Ursuline leadership (1992-2000).

Sister Suzanne Sims began her ministry as director of faith formation at St. Pius X Catholic Church in Owensboro on Jan. 1.

Sister Suzanne’s family was instrumental in establishing St. Pius, and it’s where she went to school from fifth to the eighth grades.

Sister Suzanne has had a varied ministry career.

She was an elementary school teacher, a professor of elementary education and campus minister at Brescia College, and a pastoral minister at two small churches in western Kentucky. She was twice elected a member of the Ursuline Leadership Council, the second time as assistant congregational leader (2000-2004). She was president of Springfield (Ill.) College, and the first director of Mission Advancement for the Ursuline Sisters. From 200916, she was principal at St. Mary of the Woods Catholic Elementary School in Whitesville, Ky. Sister Jacinta Powers is serving as a registered nurse with the Green River District Health Department in Owensboro. She has been a nurse since 1986, serving at hospitals in Louisville and Owensboro, as well as in service to the sisters at the Motherhouse. From 2009-16, she ministered to the working poor at the Church Health Center in Memphis, Tenn. She was elected to the leadership Council from 1996-2004.

Save these Dates!

September 8-10

The Ursuline Sisters can't wait for you to visit, shop, eat and enjoy our new event.

FREE ADMISSION More details coming soon.

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Ursuline hospitality prompts planned gift...

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velyn Bowles visited Maple Mount for the first time in the late 1950s, when her niece, Sister Vivian Bowles, was a novice with the Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph. . Evelyn grew up in New Jersey, where she had Sister Vivian Bowles, right, visits with her aunt, Evelyn Bowles Sisters of Charity as her elementary school teachers. Her mother was an Italian immigrant who sewed swimsuits for the sisters and made them birthday cakes. “I took a little wagon to bring the birthday cakes to the sisters,” Evelyn said. . She grew up and married hotel owner George Bowles, the younger brother of Sister Vivian’s father. Their lives took them to Miami, where they became interested in race horses, and then to Hot Springs, Ark. . Following George Bowles’ death 12 years ago, Sister Vivian eventually became responsible for Evelyn’s care. In 2013, Sister Vivian became concerned that her aunt wasn’t getting the care she needed in Arkansas, so she and a friend drove there to visit Evelyn. . Although it was unplanned, Sister Vivian brought Evelyn back to Kentucky with her after that visit. She called nursing homes in Owensboro on her way home, but found no vacancies. She knew the stairs in her home eliminated any chance of Evelyn staying there. . In distress, Sister Vivian called Sister Mary Matthias Ward, then the director of Local Community Life at Maple Mount, and asked if her aunt could stay at the Mount Saint Joseph Conference Retreat Center for a few days. Those were the first two nights Evelyn spent at a convent. They were life-changing days for Evelyn. . The Ursuline Sisters welcomed Evelyn, who had been away from the Catholic Church for some years. While she and Sister Vivian went to Mass in the Motherhouse Chapel, Evelyn reached out to touch Sister Vivian’s hand. . “She said, ‘You brought me back to my church.’ We both cried,” Sister Vivian said. . These days, Evelyn is happily living in the Carmel Home, the Catholic-run long-term care facility in Owensboro. She gets to go to daily Mass, and Sister Vivian visits her most days. . “She has a martini every night and a Milky Way every afternoon,” Sister Vivian said with a smile. . Evelyn especially enjoys the occasional trip to the Mount with Sister Vivian. The hospitality of the Ursuline Sisters has touched Evelyn greatly. . “She wrote to Sister Sharon (Sullivan, then congregational leader) to ask if her cremains could be buried at the Motherhouse cemetery, and received that

permission,” Sister Vivian said. . Evelyn made a generous donation to the Ursuline Sisters in 2016 and has named the Ursulines in her will. She did so because Sister Vivian has taken such good care of her, she said. . “My community allows me to take care of you,” Sister Vivian told her. . “It makes me feel very good to help the sisters,” Evelyn said. “They’ll know how best to use the money.” . Evelyn turned 97 in January and says, “I’m going to live to be over 100.” She’s looking forward to coming to the Arbor Day event on April 29 when more than 400 trees will be planted thanks to supporters of the Ursuline Sisters, including one in her honor. . Making the Ursuline Sisters the beneficiary of a planned gift is an excellent way to support the vital ministries of education and Christian formation the sisters continue today. Contact Betsy Jo Mullins, director of Development, at betsy.mullins@maplemount.org, or (270) 229-2008.

Be decisive...Live life to the fullest!

How does a person live one’s life to the fullest? For years, I thought this meant I had to conquer the world. I would say that a lot of people feel this way. Oh, how wrong I was!

Working alongside the Ursuline Sisters, I noticed something about how sisters make decisions. Every decision is well thought out, and it is a decision that is based on God’s will and how that decision affects others. How many of us without even knowing it base our everyday decisions on what we want or how it affects us? I know I am guilty of this at times.

Being a witness to the sisters’ selfless acts day in and day out, I cannot help but be inspired. At a recent event, I had the pleasure of hearing from a few Catholic school alumni honored for their civic community involvement.

As the honorees gave their speeches, they gave thanks to various sisters, who were not only their teachers but were influential in their lives and who they are today. It’s those daily selfless decisions that although seem so simple can have such a positive, life-changing impact.

I now understand that I was completely wrong about what it means to “live life to the fullest.” It is not about conquering the world; it’s about serving the world. My life has changed because of the sisters.

Be Kind, Be Caring, Be Selfless, Be Inclusive, Sacrifice and Giving … these are the actions that I see every day from a group of amazing religious women. We live in a time when some words are meaningless. It is our actions that give words meaning. It isn’t what can we get out of life that fulfills us; it’s what we give to each other.

Betsy Jo F. Mullins, Director of Development 15

8001 Cummings Road Maple Mount, KY 42356-9999 270-229-4103 www.ursulinesmsj.org info.msj@maplemount.org If you have a QR code reader on your phone, this leads to our website.

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20 Ursuline Sisters celebrating Religious Jubilees in 2017 Twenty Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph are celebrating jubilees of religious life this year. They have dedicated a combined 1,275 years of service to God’s people. The jubilarians will be honored during community days in July. You will learn more about them in our summer issue.

Sister Mary Durr 80 YEARS

Sister Mildred Katzer 80 YEARS

Sister Rose Marie Craycroft 75 YEARS

Sister Marie Julie Fecher 75 YEARS

Sister Jane Miriam Hancock 75 YEARS

Sister Martina Rockers 75 YEARS

Sister Emerentia Wiesner 75 YEARS

Sister Joseph Angela Boone 70 YEARS

Sister Dorothy Helbling 70 YEARS

Sister Fran Wilhelm 70 YEARS

Sister Catherine Kaufman 60 YEARS

Sister Rosemary Keough 60 YEARS

Sister Lois Lindle 60 YEARS

Sister Grace Simpson 60 YEARS

Sister Mimi Ballard 50 YEARS

Sister Pat Lynch 50 YEARS

Sister Maureen O’Neill 50 YEARS

Sister Judith Nell Riney 50 YEARS

Sister Suzanne Sims 50YEARS

Sister Helen Smith 40 YEARS

Keep up with the latest news about the Ursuline Sisters! Visit ursulinesmsj.org