Ursulines Alive Summer 2014

Ursulines Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph Proclaiming Jesus through education and Christian formation

Summer 2014 Vol. 13, No. 1

www.ursulinesmsj.org

St. Angela Hall is 100 5K Pictures New Retreat Center Classes

Water With Blessings is Worldwide!

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From our Congregational Leader Dear Friends, I remember in the second grade, when I was about 7 years old, that words began to fascinate me. Of course I had always lapped up the ideas and information that words conveyed, but at that moment I became suddenly aware of the words themselves. And I blame – or credit – the humble apostrophe.

We were studying contractions. We had learned that when an apostrophe was placed between the “e” and the “r” in “were,” its pronunciation was magically transformed. The four letters (w-e-r-e) that had been “wurr” just a moment Sister Sharon before, with the apostrophe suddenly became “weeer.”

How in the world could those same four letters have such unique sounds? I plagued my poor mother and my dad with endless questions, with “why,” “what if,” “but ...” My dad hastened to introduce me to the dictionary to save their sanity.

So today I put before you two words with the same root but so different meanings – permeable and permanent. When I think of their definitions, these words seem to have nothing in common. It turns out those words share the Latin root, “per,” for “through” or “throughout.” The root itself offers multiple interpretations, and thus the two words that emerged yield radically different images. If I want water to flow freely through my system, my filter must be permeable. If I want my structure to last 100 years, my foundation must be of material and construction that is permanent.

I believe that our prayers and our spiritual searches must share these same kinds of multiple-meaning roots. I know as I pray, that I often want to hold tightly to the special insight, the received gift of understanding, the overwhelming feeling of oneness. I long to be able to place that unique prayer gift in some permanent reservoir, so that “it” will always be there for me in my need. But I know that my insight is not permanent; that quality rests only with the Divine. So God and God’s Spirit are the permanent and our hearts must be the permeable receptacles.

As you peruse this Ursulines Alive, you will experience the Spirit flowing through the work of Water With Blessings and the people who receive the gift of clean water. You will sense the presence of a secure foundation as you rejoice in the century of service emanating throughout St. Angela Hall.

As always we are delighted that you continue to share in the charism and ministry of Saint Angela and of the Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph.

May the Love of God flow through you and from you, in all ways.

In Angela, Sister Sharon Sullivan, OSU, Congregational Leader Cover: Center: Sister Larraine Lauter, OSU, left, visited Honduras to share the Water With Blessings clean water initiative. (Photo by Peter Obetz Photography) Left: A group in the Philippines with Water With Blessings containers for producing clean water. Right: A woman in Uganda holds a Water With Blessings bucket which is used to catch and carry clean water after it runs through a filter.

Did you know that today’s Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph come from 15 states and two countries (U.S. and Ireland)? A majority are from Kentucky, followed by Missouri and Kansas.

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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:

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

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

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

Administrative Specialist/Web Developer..........................April Ray

Mission Advancement Assistant.........................................Sister Catherine Barber

In this issue Water With Blessings, started by an Ursuline Sister, is a blessing to many...3 St. Angela Hall turns 100......................6 2014 Jubilarians.....................................8 Not Really Retired...............................10 Inaugural 5K Run/Walk photos..........11 Retreat Center Calendar ....................12 New Evening with an Ursuline Presentations at Retreat Center.........14 Obituaries............................................15 Stephany is a new postulant..............16 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 Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/ursulinesmsj Follow us on Twitter: ursulinesmsj and LinkedIn, YouTube, Google Plus

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Water With Blessings expands to 20 countries with Ursuline leadership

By Dan Heckel, Mount Saint Joseph Staff

Ursuline Sister Larraine Lauter met Regino when he was 7 years old, walking out of a Honduran garbage dump with a big bag of plastic soda bottles to recycle.

Regino had been “the man” in his family since he was 5, working in the streets of the impoverished country or else his younger siblings had nothing to eat. His job was to sell bags of clean drinking water in the street to motorists who could afford to buy it. He was not allowed to drink the clean water.

“That’s a terrible irony, isn’t it?” Sister Larraine said as she recounted the story March 24 to eighthgrade students at St. Joseph Catholic School in Bowling Green, Ky. It was an irony that Sister Larraine and her compadres who traveled to Honduras twice a year decided to do something about. The result was Water With Blessings, an organization that raises money to buy water filters and then teaches “Water Women” in poor countries how to clean the drinking water in their small communities.

“Fifty percent of water projects fail, because the wrong people are entrusted with the resources,” Sister Larraine said, executive director of the charity headquartered in Louisville. “I’m adamant to entrust the resources to mothers. It’s empowering women.”

Sister Larraine began traveling to Honduras in 2000 with Father Ken Mikulcik, a Diocese of Owensboro, Ky., priest. Within a couple of years, she was traveling with a medical mission team led by the First United Methodist Church of Frankfort, Ky. That’s where she met Jim Burris, an architect, and Arnie LeMay, a hospital engineer. It was eight years ago that she learned Regino’s story.

Year after year the team realized they were treating the same illnesses, dysentery in the children that could sometimes kill the very young because they ingested water with parasites in it. It was LeMay who said, “We can be treating this water instead of the illness,” Sister Larraine said.

The Sawyer PointONE filtration system represented an affordable, reliable method of cleaning water, Sister Larraine said. It requires no electricity, just the filter connected to a bucket. The technology was developed for military use and is back flushable, making it last at least 10 years. The filter removes 99.9999 percent of the bacteria, and results show the children where it’s used are no longer getting

A group gathers in Bolivia to learn how to obtain clean water with basic equipment from Water With Blessings.

dysentery or parasites.

Water With Blessings is now working with 3,500 Water Women in 20 countries, adding Belize and Haiti most recently.

“The best people to work with are mothers,” Sister Larraine said. “Mothers will always do what is best for their children.” The women have a saying in Spanish that means, “If the mother is not connected, the filter means nothing.”

The biggest challenge has been that most nonprofits work differently, so people expect Water With Blessings to work that way too, Sister Larraine said.

“I came to realize that God has put smart, dynamic women in every corner of the planet -- that is an absolute truth that anyone can count on -- but so often these women are unrecognized,” she said. “Their power, their energy is hidden below the earth, like an unknown spring of water in a desert. When we ask them to serve as teachers in our program, it’s like tapping into a powerful spring that has been lying just below the surface.”

The number of Water Women chosen for a community depends on how many filters are available.

One mother can be sponsored in the program for every $60 raised, which includes her equipment and training.

“We put the names in a bucket, we pray and then we draw the names,” Sister Larraine said. “It’s a very transparent process. We tell people if they have a problem with who was chosen, talk to God.” The women sign a covenant with God, promising that they will clean water for three families for six months. They are not allowed to sell the water. Sister Continued on page 4

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Larraine has been impressed at the long-term commitment of the Water Women.

“When I go back, I find out they are serving years later, and with many more households,” Sister Larraine said. “If you set up something with a spiritual foundation, it will last. People will step up and be conscientious.”

The teams train 12 to 15 women at a time. “A lot of these women have never been to school, so it’s hard for them to sit through a three-hour presentation,” Sister Larraine said. “There are smart women everywhere, you just have to find them. Single mothers will be young, smart and at the bottom of their society.”

“We have teams of people in Honduras who minister to people even poorer than themselves,” she said. “We have a very spiritual foundation. There are no favors, and we have no ‘tree of gold.’ Sustainability is the gold standard.”

Sister Larraine spoke about Water With Blessings at the United Nations on Feb. 14 during the meeting of the Commission for Social Development. UNANIMA, a nongovernmental organization (NGO) of religious communities that advocates on behalf of poor women and children, works closely with that commission. The Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph are one of the founding members of UNANIMA, and Ursuline Sister Michele Morek is its coalition coordinator.

“I got a really good response,” Sister Larraine said.

There were NGOs, representatives of countries and the ambassador to Uganda, but it was the NGOs that Sister Larraine wanted to reach.

“I was after the nuns,” she said. “They immediately get it, why we program the way we do.” She has been contacted by some of the sisters since her presentation.

The ministry has received wide exposure from National Catholic Reporter and support from churches and religious communities across the country. Two groups, the Conventual Franciscans and Mary’s Pence, which invests in women across the Americas, are helping financially support leadership development in Honduras.

Sister Larraine typically offers her presentations to groups that can help recruit supporters. In March, she came to Bowling Green at the request of Stephany Nelson, who entered the Ursuline Sisters as a postulant this summer.

Stephany saw Sister Larraine do a presentation at the Mount last year and thought it would be perfect to share with the schoolchildren. “It’s so visual, they get it,” Stephany said. “They’ve been very excited.”

Sister Larraine didn’t leave empty-handed that day.

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ABOVE: Women in India enjoy clean water with a Water With Blessings filtration system.

RIGHT: A mother and daughter with a WWB bucket in Mexico.

St. Joseph School raised $360, enough for six filters.

“We had a sports theme day for March Madness and it cost $1 to participate,” Stephany said, a first-grade teacher at the school.

For many years, Sister Larraine did her water ministry as a sideline while involved in other full-time ministries, but Water With Blessings was launched as her main ministry in May 2012.

“I could see that the program could be replicated and was proving to be very sustainable,” she said. “The interest was growing in unexpected places ... across many churches. The mission just took hold of me -- I was working on it in my dreams at night.”

As the program grows, it has needed more space. The landlord in the Louisville suburb of Middletown offered double the space at a very low rent in late June, another exciting event, Sister Larraine said.

To learn more about Water With Blessings and get involved as a supporter, visit its website, waterwithblessings.org. To watch videos of Sister Larraine demonstrating the filter, or her presentation in Bowling Green, visit the Ursuline Sisters’ YouTube channel, youtube.com/user/UrsulineSistersMSJ. Photo by Peter Obetz Photography

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To donate directly, checks can be sent to:

Water With Blessings 11714 Main St., Suite D Middletown, KY 40243 Sister Larraine smiles as she talks to a girl in Honduras.

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The Gift of Water

Sister Larraine Lauter talks to eighth-graders at St. Joseph Catholic School in Bowling Green, Ky., on March 24 about Water With Blessings.

Sister Larraine hands a cup of water that has just been filtered to a first-grader to drink at St. Joseph School.

Sister Larraine, left, shares a laugh with Stephany Nelson, center, a first-grade teacher at St. Joseph, and Karen Stringer, a kindergarten teacher. Nelson invited Sister Larraine to talk to the students about Water With Blessings, and the school raised $360 to be able to equip six Water Women.

Water is a blessing to all of us. It gives life, cleans wounds, moves cargo and eases a tired mind as one listens to it move across stones or in the baptismal font in the Convent Chapel. We believe it cleanses the soul in Baptism. We all need it to survive in body and in spirit.

Sister Amelia There are many places throughout the world where water is scarce. In others, it is abundant but is controlled by companies that keep it from the people who really need it. As time goes on, water is going to become an issue of major importance. With our climate changing, people are going to be dealing with too much in some areas and not enough in others. Some are facing this situation already.

How do we deal with our use of water? It would be interesting to do an inventory of our homes to see how much water we use and how we use it. If we cut down on the amount of time it takes to shower or stop running the water when we brush our teeth, how much water could we save?

These are small things for us but for those who don’t have clean water to drink, they are life altering.

Personally, water was a great part of our family work growing up. We pumped and carried water to use for cooking, washing our clothes and to fill the big steel tub for bathing.

We carried it to water the garden and the animals. We didn’t have hoses with nozzles. Each plant in the garden got two cups of water from the bucket and we had a big garden. Water was precious because we had to pump it and many times one ended up with blisters from the pump handle. We didn’t waste any of it.

You might be asking yourself why a development director is talking about water and what this has to do with supporting the mission. The Ursuline Sisters have worked with the poor in many areas where water is a special gift and has to be preserved. We have taught that Earth is a gift from God and all its resources need to be taken care of. We continue to teach about good stewardship of the Earth and sharing of its resources. We are teaching about the use of water with Water With Blessings, a project that provides filters for women who need clean water for their children. They in turn teach others.

Only one sister is serving with the project right now, but where one Ursuline serves, we all serve in spirit. When someone supports our mission of education and Christian formation, that person is supporting the wonderful work of each of our sisters. We are so blessed to have people who share such great support with us. Our mission continues because we have so many donors who partner with us through their support of our work.

Thank you for your willingness to help us help others.

Without you, we could not do the work we do in so many areas. Please pray for us. We remember you in prayer each day at our morning liturgy.

God Bless you with abundant blessings.

Sister Amelia Stenger, OSU, Director of Development Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph

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Ursuline Sister Marie Goretti the second floor of the building.

Browning worked in St. Angela Hall The first floor was for the college when she was assistant community offices. superior from 1980-84. Both she and “There was a big room in the the superior, Sister Mary Irene Cecil, back, like a parlor, where we could had their office and bedroom separated have dances,” she said. by a curtain.

In 1950, the junior college “One of the most memorable moved to Owensboro and became moments, I was having a confidential Brescia College. On July 25, 1950, conversation with a sister in my office the first floor of St. Angela was when Mary Irene knocked on my door,” converted to offices for the sisters Sister Marie Goretti said. “I told her in elected leadership. ‘just a minute.’ When I When Sister went next door, the ceiling Annalita became tiles had fallen on her superior of the head.” community in 1972, “It didn’t hurt me, they part of that former were light,” Sister Mary parlor served as her Irene said. It’s a story the office and living two still laugh about today. quarters. The second If the venerable and third floors building could talk, it remained residential would have countless for the sisters. stories to tell about its Sister Marie many manifestations over Goretti said living what is now 100 years on and working in the the Maple Mount campus. same room didn’t Fortunately, sisters who bother her. Her second have called the building year in office, she home can tell some of moved upstairs for her those stories. bedroom.

“St. Angela was the “Only the offices first building that the sisters had air conditioning,” TOP: The 1935 class at the Junior College at St. Angela Hall. MIDDLE: could call home,” Sister she said. “The breeze Vintage outside views of St. Angela Hall. BOTTOM: Vintage interiors of Annalita Lancaster said. from the south took St. Angela Hall (basement at left, first floor on right).

“Until then, the sisters lived care of all my needs in the Academy building with the students.” for air conditioning.”

The building’s construction began in 1913, just a year Sister Mary Irene was the last leader of the community after the Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph became an whose office was in St. Angela. Her sleeping quarters independent community. “Things started happening pretty moved to the second floor and then to Desenzano, a house fast after the independence,” Sister Annalita said. on campus where all the leadership lived. Her office moved The building opened Aug. 15, 1914 for use as the to St. Michael Hall. Some of the sisters continued living novitiate. There were 31 young professed sisters, 34 upstairs in St. Angela, and the sisters who came home in novices and five postulants. The only buildings still in the summer often stayed there. use that are older are parts of the Mount Saint Joseph The basement of the building was originally a laundry Conference and Retreat Center (the original Mount Saint from 1914-26. When Sister Mary Irene entered the Joseph Academy) and the Guest House, which was built in community in 1946, the basement was known as the Jot 1898.

‘Em Down store.

St. Angela Hall has been intertwined with several “If the sisters needed toothpaste, we just jotted it down facets of Sister Annalita’s life. When the sisters decided to and the sister in charge got it for us,” she said. open the Mount Saint Joseph Junior College in 1925, St. Paul Volk Hall was opened in 1981 as a residence, Angela was used as the student’s residential housing. When but sisters continued living in upper floors of St. Angela Sister Annalita came to the college in 1941, she lived on during the 1990s, said Sister Mary Matthias Ward, who was

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Partnerships remain housed in St. superior from 1988-96.

Angela. The upper floors and the Sister Elaine Burke lived on basement are now used for storage. the third floor of St. Angela for With no elevator, the steep stairs three years in the 1990s while St. have been much traveled through Ursula Hall was being renovated. the years.

Her floor mates were Sisters Nancy Sister Amelia Stenger’s office Murphy, Nancy Liddy and Diane is on the first floor of St. Angela Marie Payne. as director of Development. It “I loved living there,” she was her temporary office in 1997 said. “There was something about when she came home to lead the the oldness of the building. It was Mount Saint Joseph Conference almost like an apartment building.” and Retreat Center, There was a because the renovations kitchenette on the for her office were not second floor, and the completed. sisters who lived on “If I go back a that floor joined the little farther to the year sisters from upstairs 1967, I came over to for evening prayer. this office to meet with “I didn’t want to Sister Joseph Marian move,” Sister Elaine (Logsdon) to sign the said. “I was the last papers asking to enter one to move out. I the community,” she stayed there the last said. night with just a “For me, over mattress.” the years, St. Angela In 2001, the has been a symbol newly created Mission of stability,” Sister Advancement office Amelia said. “Its walls moved into St. Angela, are strong and sturdy. which remains there Its roof is long lasting today. Sister Annalita’s and one can see the last official ministry TOP and MIDDLE: St. Angela Hall as it looks today. whole farm from its was director of A statue of Saint Angela can be found inside the front reception area. attic window. Just like Mission Effectiveness, BOTTOM: St. Angela Hall front porch today (left) and in 1963 when this big old building, from 1995-2005, which Kentucky Gov. Ned Breathitt visited Mount Saint Joseph Academy. we, as a community, ultimately led her back have stood through some difficult times but continue to to St. Angela for the last few years as part of Mission view the world with strength and a broad perspective,” Advancement. she said. “St. Angela Hall has served us well. Let us take Some of the offices that began with Mission her example and continue our service for many years to Advancement have moved elsewhere, but today the come.” offices of Development, Communications and Ursuline

– By Dan Heckel, Mount Saint Joseph Staff

The third annual Young Daughters of Saint Angela Summit took place on the grounds of Mount Saint Joseph for the second time June 1821, with 11 girls from Kansas joining 7 girls from Whitesville, Ky. LEFT: Sister Diane Marie Payne explains that an oratory is a quiet place to pray as the Y-DOSA girls gather in the Angela Oratory. RIGHT: The girls said the Chaplet of Divine Mercy in the cemetery, led by Sister Suzanne Sims (in visor) and Carol O’Keefe, far right.

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12 sisters celebrating jubilees of religious life 80 years... tSister Jean Madeline Peake – At 99, she is the oldest member of her Ursuline community. A native of Holy Cross, Ky., she was an educator for 48 years. She taught at two St. Joseph Schools, Owensboro (1937-46) and Central City (194650). She taught at Holy Name of Mary, Calvary (1953-57) and was a teacher/principal at St. Benedict, Wax (1957-60) and St. Andrew, Harrodsburg (1960-67). She taught at St. Bartholomew, Louisville (1967-70) and was principal (197085). She served as parish minister in Leitchfield (1985-96). In Missouri, Sister Jean Madeline taught at Seven Holy Founders in Affton (1950-53).

In her first two ministries from 193637, she was a housekeeper at the convent in Jeffersonville, Ind., and then in Affton. She was director of the craft room at Mount Saint Joseph (1996-2002) and continued to quilt for the Ursuline community until 2011. Today she is active in prayer.

75 years...

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tSister Clarentia Hutchins – A native of Louisville, she was an educator for 46 years and taught in 14 Kentucky schools: St. Lawrence, Daviess County (1941-42); St. Denis, Louisville (1942-48); Holy Cross, Holy Cross (1948-50); St. Elizabeth, Curdsville (1950-54); St. Rose, Cloverport (1954); St. Catherine, New Haven (1954-55); St. Paul, Leitchfield (1955-56); St. Bartholomew, Louisville (1956-57);

St. Mary Magdalene, Sorgho (195763); St. Joseph, Mayfield (196365); St. Romuald, Hardinsburg (1965-71); Immaculate Conception, Hawesville (1971-73); Our Lady of Mercy, Hodgenville (1973-82), and St. Francis of Assisi, Loretto (1982-87). From 1987-2005, she was engaged in outreach ministry in Louisville, including the Red Cross, a soup kitchen, and visiting nursing homes and hospitals.

70 years... tSister Marie Montgomery – A native of St. Lawrence, Ky., she served for 55 years as teacher, principal and parish minister in Kentucky, Missouri, New Mexico and Arizona. In Kentucky, she taught at St. Thomas More, Paducah (1948-55); St. Charles, Lebanon (1955); St. Paul, Leitchfield (1956); St. Alphonsus, St. Joseph (196062), and St. Columba, Louisville (1962-69). In Missouri, she taught at Seven Holy Founders, Affton (194648) and St. Teresa, Glennonville (1996-97). In New Mexico, she taught at Sacred Heart (1956-58, 1973-91) and Sacred Heart Catholic Academy (1993-94) in Farmington, as well as Sacred Heart Academy, Waterflow (1958-60). She also taught at Immaculate Conception, Cuba (1997-98). She served as principal/teacher at St. Joseph, San Fidel (1969-73) and returned to teach (1991-92). She was a parish minister for Sacred Heart Parish, Farmington (1994-96) and St. John the Evangelist Parish, Houck,

These Ursuline Sisters are celebrating milestone anniversaries of religious profession in 2014. Seated is Sister Jean Madeline Peake, (80 years).

From left are Sisters Karla Kaelin (50 years), Joan Riedley (50 years), Diane Marie Payne (50 years), Mary Matthias Ward (60 years), Mary Timothy Bland (50 years), Marie Montgomery (70 years), Melissa Tipmore (50 years), Susan Mary Mudd (60 years), Laurita Spalding (50 years) and Lisa Marie Cecil (50 years). Not pictured is Sister Clarentia Hutchins (75 years).

Ariz. (1992-93). Altogether, she ministered in the Southwest for 40 years. Her final teaching position was at St. Francis of Assisi, Gallup, N.M. (1998-2007). Since then, she has been a mail distributor and a switchboard receptionist at the Motherhouse.

60 years... tSister Susan Mary Mudd – A native of Lebanon, Ky., she ministered in education for 53 years. In Kentucky, she taught at St. James, Louisville (1956-60) and was principal (1975-85). She also taught at St. Anthony, Axtel (1960); St. Margaret Mary, Lyndon (1960-66); St. Ignatius, Louisville (1972); St. Thomas More, Paducah (1972), and Immaculate Conception, Earlington (1973-74). In Nebraska, she taught at Lourdes Central, Nebraska City (1973). In Wisconsin, she was an associate professor at Mount Mary College, Milwaukee (1990-91). In Virginia, she was principal of St. Anne, Bristol (199196) and Charlottesville Catholic, Charlottesville (1996-97). She taught at St. Thomas More Ursuline Academy in Venezuela (1966-68) and at the Colegio San Ignacio, Santiago, Chile (1968-72). She was director of the Owensboro (Ky.) Catholic Schools (1997-2002), then academic dean at Owensboro Catholic Middle School (2002-2007). At Brescia College (now University), she was director of special services and on the education department faculty (1985-1987); director of institutional research (2007-2009), and is now administrative assistant in the Brescia School of Business. tSister Mary Matthias Ward – A

native of Clementsville, Ky., she has been a teacher, principal, campus minister, major superior of her community and director of two retreat centers. She taught at St. Peter of Alcantara, Stanley (195658) and was teacher and principal of St. Romuald, Hardinsburg (1958-63) and St. Paul, Leitchfield (1963-71). She was principal of St. Denis, Louisville (1971-78). She was associate director of the Saint Thomas Center, Louisville (197883). She was director of the Mount Saint Joseph Retreat Center (198388) and served two terms as major superior for her Ursuline community (1988-96). In Murray, Ky., she was the campus minister of the Murray State University Newman Center and parish administrator of St. Leo Parish (1996-2003). She then moved to New Mexico to become director of the Sacred Heart Retreat Center, Gallup (2003-2009). Since then, she has served as director of local community life at the Motherhouse.

50 years... tSister Mary Timothy Bland – A native of Greenbrier, Ky., she has been an elementary school teacher for 47 years. She taught at St. Teresa, Glennonville, Mo., (1967-70), St. Christopher, Radcliff, Ky., (197075), St. Angela Merici, Florissant, Mo., (1975-79), St. Joseph, Bowling Green, Ky., (1979-86) and since 1986 at what is now the Owensboro (Ky.) Catholic K-3 Campus, previously Blessed Mother School and St. Angela Merici School. tSister Lisa Marie Cecil – A native of New Hope, Ky., she was a teacher in Kentucky at St. Brigid, Vine Grove (1968-71), St. Martin, Rome, (1971-74), St. Francis, Loretto (1974-75), St. Leonard, Louisville (1975-76), St. Alphonsus, St. Joseph (1976-80), Christ the King, Madisonville (1983-84) and St. Christopher, Radcliff (198083, 1986-88), as well as pastoral minister at St. Christopher Church (1986). She taught in Missouri at Sacred Heart, Poplar Bluff (1984-85) and in New Mexico at Cristo Rey, Santa Fe (1988-91) and St. Teresa, Grants (1991-94), and was pastoral

minister at St. Teresa Parish (199495). She served at the formation house with the Emmaus community in Owensboro, Ky., (1995-96) and was pastoral minister and director of religious education at St. Pius X Church, Calvert City, Ky. (19962003). She was the activities assistant in Saint Joseph Villa (2005-07), receptionist at the Conference and Retreat Center (2005-10) and since 2010, has been a librarian assistant. tSister Karla Marie Kaelin – A native of Louisville, she taught in Kentucky at St. Catherine, New Haven (1968-72), St. Peter, Stanley (1972-76), St. Alphonsus, St. Joseph (1983-84), St. James, Louisville (1984-89) and St. Matthias, Louisville (1989-91). She also taught at Seven Holy Founders, Affton, Mo. (1976-83). She was director of postulants and novices at the Motherhouse (1992-94). She was pastoral associate at Immaculate Conception Parish, Hawesville and St. Columba, Lewisport (19942000) and at St. Mary of the Woods Parish, Whitesville (2000-02), where she returned as director of religious education (2008-13). She was pastoral associate at St. Joseph Parish, Mayfield, and outreach in Benton (2003-2008). Since 2013 she has served as director of religious education at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, Louisville. tSister Diane Marie Payne – A native of Glennonville, Mo., she served as pastoral minister at Holy Name of Jesus Parish, Mobile, Ala., (1994-95). In Kentucky, she was a teacher’s aide at Immaculate Conception in Earlington, (1969) and St. Charles, Lebanon (196972). She taught at Immaculate Conception, Hawesville (1972-73) and at St. Andrew, Harrodsburg (1973-82). She was a pastoral minister at St. John the Baptist Parish, Fordsville (1983-93) and at St. Jude Parish, Clinton (199598). She was a Hospice chaplain in Owensboro, Ky. (2003-2006).

She served at Mount Saint Joseph in pastoral care (1993-94, 19982001, 2011-12), as Guest House coordinator (2001-03), chapel

sacristan (2001-03, 2007-09), and since 2010, as coordinator of the Saint Angela Oratory. tSister Joan Riedley – A native of Louisville, Ky., she taught at St. Peter of Antioch, Waverly, Ky., (1967-68), then in New Mexico at St. Teresa, Grants (1968-76) and St. Joseph, San Fidel (1976-77). She taught at St. Teresa in Glennonville, Mo., (197786) until returning to her native Louisville in 1986, where she has served the past 28 years. She taught at St. Matthias (1986-92), then was their parish minister (1992-2008).

She served as a parish minister at St. Denis Church from 2008-2009, when it merged with St. Helen to become Mary Queen of Peace Parish, where she continues to serve today. tSister Laurita Spalding – A native of Springfield, Ky., she has been a teacher in Kentucky for 46 years.

She taught at St. Peter of Alcantara, Stanley (1968-72), St. Paul, Princeton (1972-73), Precious Blood, Owensboro (1973-78, 1983-89), Immaculate Conception, Hawesville (1978-83) and Bishop Francis Cotton, Owensboro (1989-2000).

Since 2000 she has taught at Holy Name, Henderson. tSister Melissa Tipmore – A native of Owensboro, Ky., she was a teacher for 29 years and has served in internal ministry at the Motherhouse since 1998 as coordinator of transportation. She taught in Kentucky at St. Francis of Assisi, Loretto (1968-72), St. Alphonsus, St. Joseph (1972-73), Mary Carrico, Knottsville (1973-76), St. Peter of Alcantara, Stanley (1976-77), Holy Name of Mary, Calvary (1977-80), St. Joseph, Mayfield (1980-82), St. Romuald, Hardinsburg (1982-83), Immaculate Conception, Hawesville (1987-88), St. Pius X, Owensboro (1988-89), Bishop Henry J. Soenneker, Owensboro (1989-92) and Sts. Simon and Jude, Louisville (1993-97). She also taught at Lourdes Elementary, Nebraska City, Neb., (1983-87).

Jubilarian congratulations may be sent to Mount Saint Joseph, 8001 Cummings Road, Maple Mount, KY 42356.

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Not Really Retired...

Sister Clarence Marie Luckett still stitching away

Ursuline Sister Clarence Marie Luckett’s mother saved every spare piece of cloth or material to sew a new creation for her family.

“My mother always had something in her lap to work on,” Sister Clarence Marie said. Her mother taught her how to quilt, crochet, embroider and even tat lace.

Sister Clarence Marie was a teacher for nearly 30 years and has been a parish minister and a religious presence in areas where there are few Catholics. But for the past 38 of her 63 years as an Ursuline Sister, she’s also had something in her lap to work on.

She moved home to Maple Mount in January and has remained busy quilting for the Quilt Club, the proceeds of which support the retired Ursuline Sisters. She’s finished four quilts this year and is working on another in her room.

“It’s a positive thing to do, providing quilts for the Quilt Club,” she said. “I feel like I’m helping the Quilt Club to continue going.”

When her mother died in November 1975, she had six quilt tops that were unquilted. “I thought, ‘I can do it,’” Sister Clarence Marie said. She has made more than 50 quilts since that time and has a picture of every one.

Sister Clarence Marie grew up in the tiny town of Greenbrier, in Marion County, Ky. She attended Grundy Public School, but she saw the Ursuline Sisters in church on Sundays.

“I wanted to be one since I was very small,” she said.

Her part of the state also hosts the motherhouses for the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth and the Sisters of Loretto, but she had five cousins who were Ursuline Sisters.

She entered as a novice in 1951, and spent from 1953-82 as a teacher in five Kentucky schools. She liked everywhere she taught.

“I always had first and second grade and sometimes the 10

– By Dan Heckel, Mount Saint Joseph Staff

Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph

2014-2015 Quilt Club Tickets

Now Available!

Sister Luisa Bickett

You get 12 chances to win a handmade quilt with our Quilt Club annual memberships, available for only $20 each. A new quilt is raffled each month. Order your tickets today!

For details, visit ursulinesmsj.org, click on “Help the Sisters” and then “Quilt Club.”

Order your tickets by Oct. 2 to get your name in all 12 drawings. Call 270-229-2009.

Email april.ray@maplemount.org

License #0290

Sister Clarence Marie Luckett has been a teacher, a parish minister and a seamstress.

Above: She crocheted the name runner that hangs in her room.

first four grades,” she said. At St. Lawrence School on the opposite side of the county from Maple Mount, she had 58 students in grades 1-4. When asked how she managed, she replied “We had to.”

From 1985-92, she was in charge of the craft room at Maple Mount. She was in charge of overseeing the production, pricing and selling of the handcrafted items sold at the annual picnic to benefit the retired sisters.

“I went out to other churches and sold items,” she said. “I even went to Louisville in the summer and sold craft items.”

She ministered with Centro Latino, the Hispanic ministry in Daviess County, from 1995-98.

“I didn’t speak Spanish, but I took the guys where they needed to go, like shopping or to the grocery,” she said. “I still have a family that comes to see me from those days.”

Her final full-time ministry was also her longest, 15 years in Caneyville, Ky., from 1999-2014, serving in outreach and as a religious presence. She started out helping people get commodities from the food pantry, then moved onto visiting rest homes and working with the Ursuline Associates in Grayson County. All the while, she was still quilting in her free time, and she has no plans to slow down now.

“I’m going to keep quilting even though my hands hurt,” she said. “As long as I can see I’m going to quilt. As long as I can make good stitches. I’ll know when I can’t do it.”

Friends can write to Sister Clarence Marie at 8001 Cummings Road, Maple Mount, KY 42356.

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Our first 5K was a fun run!

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The inaugural Get Moving at the Mount 5K Run/Walk was a phenomenal success! Many new friends joined our long-time supporters and the Ursuline Sisters to run or walk the grounds and surrounding property at Maple Mount. There were 160 competitors crossing the finish line on Cummings Road, with Steven Smith of Shepherdsville, Ky., the first-place winner. Next year’s 5K will be on May 30, 2015.

1. Ruby Powers, left, and Darlene Grimsley sport their colorful bows and hairpieces to compete in the 5K. 2. It’s a battle to the finish between Bernard Wiedemer and his son.

3. Ursuline Sister Elaine Burke prepares to cross the finish line. At 83, she was the most senior sister to complete the 5K. 4. The participants line up at the starting line and listen to Sister Amelia Stenger lead the opening prayer.

5. Ursuline Sister Judith Nell Riney waves as she walks with Laurie Payne, right, and Sister Mary Henning, left, around the front of Saint Joseph Villa.

6. Ursuline Sister Pam Mueller, right, calls out to someone as she and Sister Maureen O’Neill, left, walk down All Saints Avenue.

7. Participant Susan Vance smiles in thanks for the delicious apple provided to her by Sister Susan Mary Mudd.

8. The first place winners in each age bracket received these medals.

9. Ursuline Sisters Rita Scott, left, and Nancy Murphy cover both sides of the road to provide water for thirsty runners after two miles of the race.

10. Ursuline Sisters Marie Bosco Wathen, left, and Catherine Kaufman greet the runners as they turn toward the Guest House.

11. Ursuline Sister Rose Jean Powers, right, talks with competitor Don Crask after she and Sister Anh Tran, a Sister of the Lovers of the Holy Cross congregation, handed him a cool, wet towel after the race. The sisters had wet towels for the runners just past the finish line.

12. April Ray, 5K coordinator, presents this quilt to Doris Locklier after drawing her number out for a door prize.

13. Ursuline Sister Sharon Sullivan presents the winning medal in the 20-29 male 11 age group to Matthew Layson.

A Ministry of the Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph

Ursuline Sisters representing 13 congregations or groups came to the Center April 29-May 1 for the North American Ursuline Leadership Conference. Pictured in front, from left, are Sister Anne Lewans, general superior of the Ursulines of Prelate in Canada and Sister Martha Jacob, vice president of the Ursulines of Louisville.

A choir made up of Christian Leadership Institute students sings the opening hymn during their stay the week of June 22-27. High school students join a team of leaders to discover their God-given talents and to find ways to use them in parishes, schools and communities.

Give Peace, Quiet and Prayer a Chance

LEFT: This woman led a class on spiritual dancing during the April 11-13 Glory Conference. More than 45 women came to the Center to listen to speakers, musicians, artists and dancers.

RIGHT: This young man from Owensboro Catholic Schools 4-6 Campus lounges under a tree as he contemplates his letter to God. On May 13, 94 sixth-graders came to Mount Saint Joseph for a day of prayer which included letters to God, lunch in the park, the Rosary Walk, a trust walk and a scavenger hunt.

Mount Saint Joseph Conference and Retreat Center Calendar of Upcoming Events - Fall 2014 AUGUST

Angela: A Woman for All Times Retreat...........................Saturday, Aug. 9 Study of the Catholic Catechism for Adults................. Thursday, Aug. 14 Retrouvaille............................................................ Friday-Sunday, Aug. 15-17 St. Francis de Sales Choir................................................ Week of Aug. 18-23 SEPTEMBER

Evening with an Ursuline presentation: Environment....Tuesday, Sept. 2 Study of the Catholic Catechism for Adults................ Thursday, Sept. 11 44th annual BBQ Picnic at Mount Saint Joseph....................Sunday, Sept. 14 Runaway Quilters............................................................ Week of Sept. 22-26 Diocese of Owensboro Diaconate Program......... Friday-Sunday, Sept. 26-28

Rich Derry, second from left, makes a point as Gary May, left, Mike McLevaine and Therese Wilhite listen during the study of the Catholic Catechism for Adults on June 12.

OCTOBER

Regional Cursillo........................................................ Friday-Sunday, Oct. 3-5 Evening with an Ursuline presentation: Beauty................Tuesday, Oct. 7 Lunch and Learn about the Center............................... Wednesday, Oct. 8 Study of the Catholic Catechism for Adults.................... Thursday, Oct. 9 Catholic Engaged Encounter..............................Saturday-Sunday, Oct. 11-12 Spiritual Direction Training Program (Week 5)............. Week of Oct. 13-17 Sister Trek for single women ages 18-35.............Friday-Saturday, Oct. 17-18 Yoga & Meditation Retreat..................................... Friday-Sunday, Oct. 17-19 Marian Retreat................................................ Saturday-Sunday, Oct. 18-19 Diocese of Owensboro Diaconate Program........... Friday-Sunday, Oct. 24-26 Quilters Guild of Trigg County.......................... Monday-Thursday, Oct. 20-23 Glenmary Sisters Retreat.................................................. Week of Oct. 26-31 Center-sponsored programs are in bold type. Please call to register.

To register or to schedule your event, call Kathy McCarty 270-229-0206 • kathy.mccarty@maplemount.org The Retreat Center is located 12 miles west of Owensboro on Hwy. 56 12

Diane Willis, right, director of faith formation at Parish of the Immaculate in Owensboro, Ky., brought a small group of her Vacation Bible School class to pray the Rosary Walk on June 25.

Walking With The Poor...

• “Walking with the Poor: Bishop Oscar Romero and Pope Francis” – 9 a.m.3 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 22. Directed

by Father Anthony Shonis. The $25 fee includes lunch.

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Dear Friends of the Center, Mount Saint Joseph is once again clothed in the beauty of nature. If you have not had an opportunity to come for a visit, you are invited to come and bask in the natural beauty here.

The Center will host a number of returning guests this fall including Yarn Spinners, Day of Prayer with Saint Angela Sister Ann Merici, Retrouvaille, Saint Francis Youth McGrew Choir, Study of the Catholic Catechism, Center Director Owensboro Diocese Deaconate Program, Runaway Quilters and the Spiritual Direction Training Program … just to name some of the groups who will be with us.

There are a couple of new endeavors you have found mentioned in articles in this publication. The gifts of Ursulines are welcomed and we appreciate their generosity in giving their time to these programs. The “Lunch and Learn” endeavor will showcase the Retreat Center as a place for businesses to come away from the hustle and bustle of the city to the peace and quiet of Mount Saint Joseph. I invite you to read both articles.

Late August into early September has always been like a new year for me. Probably because I taught elementary school for a good number of years and it was a new year for a new group of students. So I invite you to take some time in the next week or so to reflect on these questions:

• “How is this year going for you?”

• “How are you with your relationship with God?”

• “What changes can you make in your life to deepen that relationship?”

We will pray that your journey with God will continue to grow and mature in the coming days/months/years.

Please remember to pray for the Mount Saint Joseph Conference and Retreat Center and the staff. God’s special blessings for each one of you.

Let us help you plan your own In Saint Angela,

Sister Ann McGrew, Center Director ann.mcgrew@maplemount.org

Silent and/or Personal Retreat at Mount Saint Joseph Conference and Retreat Center. Contact Kathy at 270-229-0206.

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Guests coming to the Mount Saint Joseph Conference and Retreat Center will see a familiar face in a new position.

Cyndy Madi (above) is taking over as the receptionist to greet the guests coming to the Center and will also run the Gift Shop. Cyndy has worked for the Ursuline Sisters since 2008 and has been at the Center since 2011 in food service.

Her normal hours will be 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Gift shop will be open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Wednesday and Thursday, and on Saturdays when there are guests at the Center. It will be opened on request on Tuesdays and Fridays, and closed Sunday and Monday.

Ursuline Sister Cheryl Clemons once again drew a crowd to the annual women’s spring retreat. At this year’s event on March 21-23, she examined the spirituality of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux, “the Little Flower.” There were 49 women in attendance, including several Ursuline Associates who posed for a picture with Sister Cheryl and Sister Marietta Wethington. From left are Lisa Day, Suzanne Reiss, Sister Marietta, Coreen Moore, Sister Cheryl, Violet Hamilton, Martha House, Martha Little, Debbie Lanham, Melissa Tuley, Carol Hill and Betty Stone.

OUR 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.

The annual Marian Retreat led by Msgr. Bernard Powers includes opportunities for solitude, communal prayer, recitation of the rosary, Reconciliation and Eucharistic Liturgy. The $125 fee includes retreat, meals and accommodations. Commuters can attend for $85. Deduct 10% if paid in full by Sept. 18.

Retreat begins Saturday at 9 a.m. and ends Sunday at 1 p.m.

To register, contact Kathy McCarty: 270-229-0206 • kathy.mccarty@maplemount.org

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Ursuline Sisters to lead monthly programs at Center

Ursuline expertise will be a drawing card this fall with a program called “An Evening with an Ursuline Sister” at the Mount Saint Joseph Conference and Retreat Center.

Four Ursuline Sisters with a vast array of knowledge and experience will take turns leading a program on the first Tuesday evening of each month, beginning in September. The evening will start at 5:30 p.m. with dinner at the Center The speakers for the “An Evening with an Ursuline” presentations are, and then lead into the topic. Each session will be left to right, Sisters Vivian Bowles, Rose Marita O’Bryan, Amelia Stenger completed by 7 p.m. The cost is $15. and Mary Matthias Ward.

The first presentation will be Sept. 2 by Sister Amelia Stenger, titled “Finding God in our World -- Environment and Me.” Sister Amelia is the director of Development for the Ursuline Sisters and formerly director of the Retreat Center. She has an extensive background in environmental education, serves on the Kentucky Environmental Education Council and created numerous retreats concerning the environment during her time at the Center.

Other presenters include Sister Rose Marita O’Bryan, Sister Mary Matthias Ward and Sister Vivian Bowles. Sister Rose Marita and Sister Mary Matthias are both former leaders of the Ursuline community, and Sister Vivian was president of Brescia University.

Sister Rose Marita’s first topic will be “Spirituality of Beauty” on Oct. 7. Sister Rose Marita now serves as director of the Contemplative Woman Program at Brescia and as coordinator of Mission Effectiveness for the Ursuline Sisters.

Sister Vivian will discuss “Do You Hear What I Hear?” on Nov. 4. She directed the Counseling Center at Brescia for 13 years, served in Ursuline leadership and then was president of Brescia from 1995-2007. She is now director of faith formation at St. Alphonsus Parish.

Sister Mary Matthias will speak about “Receiving the Gift of Gifts” on Dec. 2. She is a trained spiritual director and has much expertise in leading retreats, serving as the first director of the Retreat Center from 1983-88 and heading the Sacred Heart Retreat Center in Gallup, N.M. She is now director of Local Community Life at the Motherhouse.

Here is the full list of programs, which are scheduled through August 2015: Lunch and Learn to • Sept. 2, “Finding God in our World -- Environment and Me,” Sister Amelia • Oct. 7, “Spirituality of Beauty,” Sister Rose Marita share the story • Nov. 4, “Do You Hear What I Hear?” Sister Vivian of the Center • Dec. 2, “Receiving the Gift of Gifts,” Sister Mary Matthias What the Mount Saint Joseph • Jan. 6, 2015, “Learning to See as the Mystics See: A Primer,” Sister Rose Marita Conference and Retreat Center can offer • Feb. 3, “The Art of Simplicity -- Living a Simple Life,” Sister Amelia people in the community is still too • Mar. 3, “A Great Treasure,” Sister Vivian much of a secret for some, but an effort • Apr. 7, “Gratitude as Gift,” Sister Mary Matthias beginning in August aims to change that.

• May 5, “Can Leadership be Redeemed or Redeeming?” Sister Amelia The first “Lunch and Learn” will be • June 2, “Contemplative Dialogue: Response to Tolerant Oppression,” Aug. 6, in which people from various Sister Rose Marita parts of the community will be invited to • July 7, “Giftedness -- Spirituality of Later Years,” Sister Mary Matthias the Retreat Center for a complimentary • Aug. 4, “The Looking Glass,” Sister Vivian lunch and a short program on what the Center can offer to professional or social groups. The program will start with lunch at 11:30 and be finished by 1 p.m.

You are welcome to attend any of our study Lunch and Learns will occur every two months, and are scheduled for sessions of the United States Catholic Catechism Oct. 8, Dec. 3 and in 2015 on Feb. for Adults.

4, April 1 and June 3. Be looking for Study the Second Thursday of each month • Aug. 14 your invitation and come discover what • Sept. 11 Catechism hospitality really means at the Mount 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. with us!

• Oct. 9 Saint Joseph Conference and Retreat Each session is $10 (includes lunch) Center.

• Nov. 13 A program book is $5. Led by Sister Ann McGrew • Dec. 11 Join the Ursuline Sisters for Eucharistic To register, call Kathy McCarty: (270) 229-0206 Adoration - 2nd Sunday of each month* or email kathy.mccarty@maplemount.org 4 p.m.-5 p.m.

Join us for Catholic Catechism

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*Except Sept. 14, Picnic Day

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In the joy of eternal life

Courtesy of Bud Smith Photography

Sister George Mary Hagan reads petitions at the June 29 Maryland to Kentucky and Beyond 2014 Reunion Mass. The three-day event brought 465 people to St. Catharine College in Springfield, Ky., to unite descendants of pioneers who came from Maryland and settled in central Kentucky. The crucifix was the first one used at Holy Cross Church in 1793. An exhibit by the Ursuline Sisters featured all of the schools where they taught in the Holy Land.

License No. 0290

The Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph invite everyone to their 44th annual

BBQ PICNIC Sunday, Sept. 14

Serving BBQ pork, mutton, chicken, burgoo 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m.

Games! Crafts! Yard Sale! Silent Auction! (Booths open 10:30-3:00) For the benefit of the retired Ursuline Sisters

Grand Raffle Prizes: Tickets are $5

You can win $10,000 • 2-year lease on a Toyota Corolla • $1,000 • Handmade Quilt • $500 • $250 • $100 Get tickets from any Ursuline Sister or call 270-229-2009 or find a form online: ursulinesmsj.org/help-the-sisters/picnic Tickets will also be available at the picnic.

Would you like to volunteer? We can use the help! To volunteer, contact Marian Bennett at 270-229-2006 or marian.bennett@maplemount.org

Friday-Saturday, Oct. 17-18, 2014 For single women ages 18-35 You are invited to a fun exploration of six women religious communities in the Owensboro, Ky., area.

Meals, accommodations and transportation are included at no charge.

Come and see what being a Catholic Sister is all about!

The trek begins and ends with prayer and supper (6 p.m. Friday until 8 p.m. Saturday).

Participating communities are: • Sisters of Charity of Nazareth • Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph (includes overnight stay) • Franciscan Sisters To register, contact Sister Martha Keller, OSU

by Oct. 10, 2014 • Glenmary Sisters 270-229-4104 • Sisters of the Lamb of God vocations.msj@maplemount.org • Carmelite Sisters Register online at ursulinesmsj.org

Sister Mary Louise Knott, 84, died May 3 at Mount Saint Joseph, in her 53rd year of religious life. She was a native of Browns Valley, Ky. Sister Mary Louise was a teacher and a parish minister, but was best known in recent years for her wonderful sewing creations. There was always a snowman or a Raggedy Ann doll to brighten someone’s world that grew from her imagination. She was a teacher in the Diocese of Owensboro, Ky., and the Archdiocese of Louisville, as well as in Nebraska and Missouri. She was also a parish minister and served at the Motherhouse in the infirmary, the craft room and in hospitality at the Retreat Center. In 2007-08 she served as a sewing teacher and in a clinic in Jamaica. Survivors include five sisters, Alma (J. Richard) Gaw and Roberta Knott, Owensboro; Dottie (Larry) Elder, Sorgho; Rosita Libs, Evansville, Ind., and Kathleen (Mike) Boldrick, Santa Maria, Calif.; two brothers, Martin (Louise) Knott and Walter (Margaret) Knott, both of Owensboro; nieces and nephews and the members of her religious community.

The funeral Mass was May 7 with burial in the convent cemetery.

Sister Clara (Joseph Clara) Johnson, 66, died June 12 at Mount Saint Joseph, in her 47th year of religious life. She was born in Owensboro, the daughter of the late Ruth Agnes Higdon Johnson and Justin Aloysius Johnson. Sister Clara was a kind and gentle woman, always concerned about caring for others. She fought an inspiring and brave battle with cancer with nary a complaint.

She was a teacher, librarian and parish minister throughout Kentucky and in New Mexico. From 1993-2011, she was secretary/bookkeeper at Sister Visitor Center, Louisville. Survivors include six sisters, Mary Ann Kurz, Yvonne Fulenwider, Theresa Haire, and Eileen Mattingly, all of Owensboro, Cecilia Harnden, Bradenton, Fla., and Dolores Hagan, Hudson; and two brothers, Charles Gregory Johnson, Hawesville, and James Leon Johnson, Owensboro; nieces and nephews, and the members of her religious community. The funeral Mass was June 17 with burial in the convent cemetery.

Sister Mary Rudina (Rita) Klarer, 88, died July 11, 2014, at Mount Saint Joseph, in her 68th year of religious life. She was a native of Louisville, Ky. Sister Mary Rudina never let any obstacle prevent her from serving as God intended.

She especially loved helping others overcome the difficulties in their lives, touched people with her portrayal of Mary as an older woman and wrote beautiful calligraphy. She was a teacher for 26 years in Kentucky and Nebraska. She then served the next 37 years in the Kansas City, Mo., area as a prison minister, retreat leader, hospital chaplain and in parish ministry. She retired to the Motherhouse in 2011. Survivors include nieces and nephews and the members of her religious community. The funeral Mass was July 15 with burial in the convent cemetery.

Gifts in memory of a Sister may take the form of donations to the Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph, 8001 Cummings Road, Maple Mount, KY 42356 15

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 leads to our website!

Soli Deo Gloria

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

Sister Joseph Angela Boone will be honored Aug. 23 for her service to the Diocese of Owensboro, Ky., by having a lodge named in her honor at the Gaspar River Catholic Youth Camp and Retreat Center. Sister Joseph Angela was chancellor of the diocese from 1989 to 2011, and has continued to serve in an advisory role until retiring this year. She was given a plaque that will hang in Boone Lodge when it is dedicated this summer, naming her as a co-founder of the youth camp outside Bowling Green, Ky. Sister Michele Morek, right, gathers with friends she’s made around the world during the annual meeting of the Ursuline Educational System in mid-June at the College of New Rochelle, N.Y. The meeting, sponsored by the Ursulines of the Roman Union, was the first with people from Ursuline schools all over the world (Indonesia, India, Australia, South America, Mexico, Poland, etc.).

Sister Michele was on a panel about global Ursuline ministry at the United Nations.

Sister Susanne Bauer received a warm welcome when she visited St. John School in Bartlesville, Okla., in July. She taught there from 1970-89 and was principal from 1976-89. Her trip out west with Sister Amelia Stenger included visiting Ursulines in New Mexico.

Stephany Nelson becomes a postulant

Stephany Nelson is the kind of person who likes to know what’s going to happen next. Joining a religious order isn’t the best way to do that.

The sisters, including Sister Fran Wilhelm, “I’ve had to line up to hug and congratulate Stephany. learn to let that go,” she said. “It’s a lesson in trust.”

On July 12, Stephany entered the Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph as a postulant. That level of involvement can last from nine months to two years, when she can choose to enter the novitiate as an Ursuline Sister for a two-year period of study and ministry. “People are very encouraging,” Stephany said. “Some people think it’s neat to see, they’ve not been exposed to it that often. They ask a lot about the stages to become a sister.”

She will start under Sister Mary Henning’s tutelage as postulant director on July 12, meeting with her twice a month.

“It’s preparing programs to help Stephany to grow in her spiritual life and learn about our community,” said Sister Mary, who is also the director of Worship and Liturgy at the Motherhouse. “Stephany will learn about community living and will be bonded with a group. She’ll study the history and charism of the Ursuline Sisters and she’ll have her own spiritual director. We’ll plan special days aside from her work to have time for prayer and reflection.”

“We’ll offer moral support in her ministry,” Sister Mary said. “This is a big change for her. She’s a lovely young woman, she makes our job easier.”

“I’m excited for things to progress,” Stephany said. “I’m continuing to work on my master’s degree as a reading and writing specialist.” She has 1 ½ years left of instruction, which she is taking online through the University of the Cumberlands.

“I’m trying to finish before I enter the novitiate,” she said.

This fall, Stephany will return to teach first grade at St. Joseph Catholic School in Bowling Green, Ky.