FEBRUARY 2015
VOL. XX, NO. 3
Ursulines in the family inspire some Associates
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By Dan Heckel, OSUA
ope Francis calls us all to celebrate 2015 as the “Year of Consecrated Life,” and for Ursuline Associates, it’s a good time to think about the sister or sisters who inspired the desire to become an associate. Some Ursuline Associates need look no further for inspiration than their own families. “All the sisters who taught at St. Teresa in Glennonville (Mo.) and Associate Janet Brescia University (in Owensboro, Kuper is Sister Ky.) had a part in my becoming an Mary Celine associate,” Janet Kuper said. “They Weidenbenner’s niece. have helped to influence the wife, mother and teacher that I am. I wanted to give back to them what they had given to me.” Janet is the niece of Ursuline Sister Mary Celine Weidenbenner, whose spirituality impressed Janet even as a child. “She and her sister Susan had a back bedroom in my grandparents’ house,” Janet said. “Even when they were no longer living in the house it held many of their things. It was off limits to the grandchildren, but as often happens we would get back there on the sly. Sister Mary Celine had a scrapbook that was decorated with a picture of Saint Therese of Lisieux, her baptismal saint. I was fascinated by this picture. I later learned more about her and took her as my Confirmation patron. As I learned about Saint Therese, I began to notice how Sister Celine had many of her traits, especially the littleness that Saint Therese talks about. This was to become one of my goals in my spiritual life.” The small community of Glennonville has produced many Ursuline Sisters, with six current sisters hailing from the Associate Pauline “Po” Goebel, left, with her sister, Sister Marietta Wethington, on a previous Associates Day.
southeastern Missouri community – Sisters Cecelia Joseph Olinger, Amelia Stenger, Rebecca White, Diane Marie Payne, Michael Marie Friedman and Mary Celine. “We were blessed to have many of the Ursuline Sisters from our family and community,” Janet said. Associate “I truly consider all the sisters from Suzanne Glennonville part of my family. The Gochenouer community is very proud of all of them. is Sister Julia Head’s cousin. We dedicated a pieta in our cemetery to give honor to their service to the community.” Associate Suzanne Gochenouer has long drawn inspiration from her cousin, Sister Julia Head. “I’m so lucky to have her in my life,” Suzanne said. “She’s such a blessing. She’s an example of what the Ursuline Sisters are all about. All the sisters you meet are filled with peace and calm. As soon as you are around them, you start absorbing that. You see the way they serve. They are in constant service to everyone they come in contact with.” Suzanne moved back to Owensboro in 1999 and Sister Julia began introducing her to some of the sisters. Suzanne began taking classes in the Contemporary Woman Program at Brescia University, led by the late Sister Marita Greenwell. “It was actually Sister Marita who invited me to become an associate,” Suzanne said. “But I would not have known her without Julia.” Aside from being an inspiration in her life, Suzanne said Sister Julia is fun. “All the sisters I meet are fun. If I walk across the campus, it’s like we’ve known each other for years,” Suzanne said. “They welcome you home no matter where you are. As long as you’re with them, they’re “Consecrated Life: sharing what they have with you.” Saints Among Us” Associate is the theme for Pauline Goebel Saturday, is the sister of June 13, 2015 Sister Marietta Associates & Sisters Day Wethington, who
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