March/April 2016 PNN

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News NotesPROVINCE

SISTERS OF ST. JOSEPH OF CARONDELET AND ASSOCIATES • ST. LOUIS PROVINCE • MARCH/APRIL 2016

The heavens declarethe glory of God;the skies proclaimthe work of God's hands.-Psalm 19:1


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Page 2 March/April 2016 PNN

Province News Notes is a

publication of the Sisters ofSt. Joseph of Carondelet, St. Louis

Province. Its purpose is to promotedialogue and unity within the

St. Louis province and to keep

members informed on those

subjects that promote communityand ministry.

We welcome your submissions!

Submit articles and photos toSarah Baker at [email protected].

**Materials are subject to editing

and will be published at the

discretion of the editor.

• STAFF •

Jenny BeatriceEditor

Sarah Baker

Graphic Design

Madeleine Reilly &Print Shop Volunteers

Production, printing and mailing

Sarah Baker Jenny Beatrice

Jane Behlmann, CSJ

Mary Flick, CSJMadeleine Reilly

Proofreading

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

PLANNING PROCESS

The Health & WellnessCommittee provides

updates on what is inplace for the care of our

sisters.

2016 CELEBRATIONS

Let us come together in

celebration of the JubileeReceptions of 1956 and

1966, and the Generosityof Joseph Honors Gala

honorees.

A SPECIAL MISSION

From Peru to St. Louis:

Sister Zaida Perez Peraltacompletes a one-year

immersion experience.

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CONTENTSProvince Leadership News ..................................................................................3

Health & Wellness Committee ........................................................................ 4-

Province News ......................................................................................................6

Focus on Earth ......................................................................................................7

Congregational News ................................................................................... 8-11

Multicultural Awareness .............................................................................. 12-1

2016 Jubilee ........................................................................................................14

2016 Generosity of Joseph Honors Gala .........................................................15

Sponsored Institutions ........................................................................................16

St. Louis News ......................................................................................................17

Archives ...............................................................................................................18

Necrology: Sister Margaret Gregg ...................................................................19

Necrology: Sister Margaret Camper ................................................................20

Necrology: Sister Rose Mary Willett ..................................................................21

Necrology: Associate Karen Cox .....................................................................22

Necrology: Sister Mary Annette Schorman .....................................................23

CSJ Book Club ....................................................................................................24

CSJ Event Recap: Linger Over Breakfast ........................................................25

CSJ Events & Happenings ........................................................................... 26-2

Back Cover .........................................................................................................28

ON THE COVER: EARTH DAY 2016Let us continue our call to action to live in communion with the

earth as we celebrate Earth Day on April 22. In its 46th year,this movement to inspire, challenge and motivate people on

environmental issues focuses on “Trees for the Earth.” So, let’s get toplanting! Visit earthday.org for more information about Earth Day.

Learn how Sister Janet Kuciejczyk’s passion for justice has made animpact on the Earth through the Intercommunity Ecological Council

on page 7.

10-11 14-15


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March/April 2016 PNN Page 3

Province Leadership Team

Are We Settlers?by Sister Maureen Freeman

2014-2019 Province Leadership Team: Sisters Rita Marie Schmitz, Marilyn Lott, Mary Margaret Lazio,

Linda Straub and Maureen Freeman.

Tere’s a commercial for DIRECV that has really caughtmy attention. In some ways it is very silly, but it also has avery important message.

It shows a family, dressed and living like 20th-centurysettlers, while everyone around them is living in modern day.Te children of the family keep asking why they can’t have

better V like their neighbors. Te father’s simple answer:“Because we’re settlers.” And therein lies the pun.

Te next few words out of his mouth get me every time.“We’re settlers because we settle.” Of course, he means theysettle for something that’s less than perfect.

Every time I see it I ask myself, “What have I ‘settled’ for?What is it that I’m content doing or being?” o me being“settled” means I don’t need to be inconvenienced; I don’tneed the aggravation; I don’t need my life disrupted. I’m

comfortable.

Since Earth Day is right around the corner, my thoughtshave turned to our Acts of Chapter that we, as a province,are working on this year: Communion within the EarthCommunity. Tis is a call to action, not a call to be “settlers.”On page 6 of the Congregational Chapter of 2013, thesecond belief statement commits us to specific actions

regarding water, climate change, food, consumption andwaste.

Tat darn commercial makes me ask myself:• What have I done in the last six months about my water

usage?• What actions have I taken to confront climate change?

Have I made any changes in where I buy my food orwhat kinds of food I buy?

• What about consumption and waste?• Am I settling into a routine that is comfortable without

even thinking of what it does to Mother Earth?

Am I a settler? Are you a settler?

Let’s get unsettled and do something different this year forEarth Day on April 22. Invite folks over for dinner and amovie with an Earth Day theme.* Let’s think about the

food we serve—really think about it—and where it camefrom. Let’s get unsettled by learning new facts around earthcommunity issues. Let’s challenge each other to not besettlers!

*Movie Suggestions: Te Lorax; Food Inc.; Blue Gold: WorldWater Wars; Dirt! Te Movie; Gasland; Fern Gully: Te LastRainforest; apped; Te Corn King .


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Health & Wellness Committee

Planning Process UpdateWhat is currently in place for the care of our sisters?

“Once upon a time” ... six Sisters of St. Joseph moved to thenew world ... it was 1836 and they did not know what thefuture held for them. Little did they know that their lovefor one another and for their dear neighbor would be aninvitation to thousands of young women over the next 180years to join their community.

In 1880 Nazareth Convent was established to care forthe sick and infirmed members of the community. Sisterscared deeply for each other. Some were educated as nurses,pharmacists, physical therapy aides—all with the idea thatthe sisters would be cared for in their last years. Te “new”Nazareth was opened in 1965 and continued to be the placefor the sisters to live their last years. Because of a concern forthe dear neighbor, McGovern Commons was built in 1992.Lay people were welcomed to live with the sisters. NazarethLiving Center was established and became a licensed facility

by the state of Missouri.

oday, Nazareth is still inviting the dear neighbor to live andpray with us. Te number of sisters is dwindling, but thereare still a large number who need care. Some are living inthe newly built “Village at Nazareth” that is for independentliving. Others are in Gleason Hall, where 62 receive someassistance with their daily needs. Another 30 are living inMcGovern Commons, the skilled facility.

Te Community Life Staff (six full-time sisters, three

part-time sisters and three lay people) care for the dailyneeds of the sisters who reside at Nazareth. Te primaryresponsibility of the staff is to advocate for the sisters, to be“family” for them. It is important that the needs of the sistersbe made known to the administration at Nazareth.

It also means making doctor/dentist appointments; findingdrivers to those appointments; taking sisters shopping orshopping for them; attending care plans; keeping familymembers updated about a sister’s condition; scheduling

retreats; picking up over-the-counter medicines; mailingpackages; reading and writing letters for them; andorganizing celebrations like jubilees and parties.

And the staff does all this with smiles on their faces, becausewe love our sisters and they love us! We are extremely

grateful to our sisters and associates who volunteer to assistus, of which many take “on call” shifts from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m.

One of the greatest gifts is to be with a sister when she isdying, to sit with her and help her plan her funeral. Tenwe celebrate her life, and “prepare the way” as her body isgiven over to the mortuary for burial. Tis little ceremony istruly touching if you have ever had the privilege of being atNazareth when a sister (or any resident for that matter) dies

Nazareth is undergoing a time of renovation and building.

Another 50-room apartment complex is being added to TeVillage. A memory care unit designed to accommodate 44residents suffering with Alzheimer’s disease will be addedoff the present chapel area. Nazareth is about growth anddevelopment. During this time of renovation, there is “noroom in the inn” for any sister who has the need of skillednursing. Terefore, at this time, we have sisters who needour “family care” located at Laclede Groves Skilled Facility.Tey are receiving excellent care there and are visited dailyby one of our staff members.

Nazareth is about living—living life to the full into eternallife. Please continue to pray for and support our ministryand know that our sisters at Nazareth and our CommunityLife Staff will continue to pray for you and your ministries.

We began with the words commonly used in fairy tales,“once upon a time.” We conclude with the words, “with God’sprovidence and St. Joseph’s guidance, they all lived happilyever after!”

Once Upon a Time…Nazareth Living CenterBy Sisters Kathleen Karbowski and Pat Dunphy


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What about the sister who doesn’t reside at Nazareth or anyother assisted living/skilled facility? Who journeys with her?Te Office of Senior Ministry serves sisters beginning at age70 and continues until a sister moves to Nazareth. Tis givesyou a quick overview of the current scope of the Office ofSenior Ministry:

1. Assessing During these 10-20-plus years, communication is keptup through visits, phone calls or emails. Currently, we

minister to 176 sisters in 15 states and two countries,necessitating quite a bit of travel at times. We, togetherwith the sister, ascertain her health, safety and quality oflife in her present residence. If she can no longer care forherself without a great amount of assistance, she notifiesus of her decision to move to Nazareth, or we stronglyadvise her to consider moving there.

2. Assisting We assist her with the application process, set up datesfor interview and admission, make sure she has an

appointment with her primary care physician who sendsin a medical report to Nazareth. If she needs assistancewith sorting and packing, closing out her current livingspace, we help. Sometimes she needs help closing outher house account. We continue the journey with herthrough her day of admission.

3. Advocating We advocate for sisters, regardless of age, who mayneed Med A rehab following surgery. Again, we assistthem through this process, making certain a Med A

bed is available, coordinating their follow-up doctorappointments and attending their care plans.

4. Transportation We keep track of the driving test program. Sisters needto be tested at ages 80, 83 and 86. At age 89, they aretested yearly. Sisters (and associates) who volunteer todrive for our office or Nazareth also need to be testedevery three years. ests are scheduled twice a year (Mayand October), and on an as needed basis: if a sister

has two at-fault accidents in a three-year period, sheis required to be tested, according to Province Policy.How do we know if a sister needs to be tested due toaccidents? We are notified by the Finance Office, whichhas records of accidents from the Insurance Company.

5. Travel Another area of responsibility is to manage the CSJElderhostel Fund. When a sister finds a Road Scholarprogram in the continental United States that she wouldlike to attend, she contacts us for a request form. Ten

we assist her through the related procedures: filling outa registration form, applying for a program scholarship,and requesting reimbursement for the funds she tookfrom her house budget.

I leave you with these questions:

• Who is “walking with” the sisters who are under theage of 70?

• How may they best be served?

Outside the Boundaries of Nazareth Journeying with Sisters 70-plusBy Sister Bonnie Ann Murray

In preparation for the next Province Chapter of Elections(2018-2019) the Government Committee is calling forvolunteers to serve on the Selection Committee. See pages7 and 11 of the Government Plan for a description of theselection process and the composition and responsibilitiesof the Selection Committee.

Please forward your name and a brief statement of yourinterest and availability to Sister Mary Carol Anth,executive secretary of the Government Committee, byApril 15.

A Message from the Government Committee


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Province News

A LOVING WELCOME to our newest St. Louis CSJ Associates of the Marian Cowan Community!Congratulations to the eight new associates who made their Initial Commitment at the Mardi Gras Mass and Celebration on Feb. 7.

Front (l-r): Donna Corno, Maureen Wessels, Sylvia Morton and John MortonBack (l-r): Dan Winkelmann, Susan Lenihan, Ellie McGahan and Patrick McDowell

Support the Mission and Ministryof the Sisters of St. Joseph

Tuesday, May 3

24 hours of giving.

Visit givestlday.org on May 3 and donate!

Spread the word to family and friends!


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When Sister Janet Kuciejczyk retired after teaching bothhigh school French and Spanish for 41 years, one wouldhave thought that she would take some timeto consider where she might next focus herenergy. But her passion for justice has notrequired any long deliberations.

Sister Janet is involved in three justiceministries. She serves on the MarianMiddle School Members Board. She

is a tutor through the Immigrantand Refugee Women’s Project. Butthe ministry that has garnered herfaithful allegiance for 14 years is theIntercommunity Ecological Council (IEC).

Begun in 2001, the IEC represents 15 congregationsof women religious and one male congregation, as well asRockhaven Ecozoic Center. Its members meet monthlyto share and discuss ecological topics and take action on avariety of eco-justice issues and projects. Sister Janet has

represented the Sisters of St. Joseph since 2002.

Te IEC’s accomplishments include carbon footprintworkshops in the St. Louis area, an interfaith film series on justice issues, a sustained voice for urgency in the WestlakeLandfill issue, and an interfaith prayer service prior to lastDecember’s climate forum in Paris.

S. Janet was involved with the IEC while teaching atUrsuline Academy. Tere, she blended her passions andhelped found the Inter-School Ecological Council (ISEC)

in 2008, which includes six local all-girls high schools. Sister Janet served as co-moderator of the Environment Club untilretiring in 2014. Under her guidance, students worked withfood service consultants to provide more vegetarian optionsfor the school lunch programs, to buy from local grocers, toeliminate the purchase of bottled water, and to decrease theuse of Styrofoam. It was a concrete way for Janet to pass onher concern for the environment to the next generation.

S. Janet is eager to talk about her highest ecological issue.“Water is a human right,” she says. “Te crisis in Flint,

Michigan, is an example of the abuse of water.Water is not a luxury, not something to pay

for. And it is an issue that I personally cando something about.”

She also called attention to one ofearth’s primary nemeses—plastic.“Tere is a plastic island in the middle

of every great waterway,” she says. “It’san island of plastic waste. And plastic

never disintegrates, it just gets smaller,until it’s eaten by animals and passes into

our food chain.” What can be done? Janet’sfirst answer is practical and simple: “Remember

your cloth bags.”

And she sings the praises of Pope Francis’ recent encyclicalon integral ecology, Laudato Si, as no other pope has giventhis much attention to ecology.

S. Janet says the gifts of the IEC are both visible and unseen.“Doing with other communities gives us more personnel,more energy. We are not alone. We have one another’ssupport and encouragement in reverencing the earth.”

It’s a support S. Janet finds crucial, as the Sisters ofSt. Joseph continue to be in communion within the earthcommunity and to join with others in addressing issuesimportant to the dignity and well-being of all.

Stories of JusticeEngage Support, Reverence the Earthby Sister Mary Flick, Justice Ofce Coordinator

focus on earth

Sis t e r J a

n e t

K u

c i e

j c z

y k

Sister Janet’s Top 5 Earth-Friendly Tips

1. Use cloth bags while shopping.

2. When cold in the winter, instead of turningup the heat, put on a sweater.

3. Drive less, consolidate trips.

4. Avoid wasting food; take smaller portions.

5. Refuse to buy bottled water; carry yourown BPA-free water bottle.


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Congregational News

Congregational Leadership Group Meets in Lima, Peru

February 18-22, 2016from the Congregational Center

Te Congregational Leadership Group met in Lima, Peru,from February 18 to 22. After a very warm welcome by oursisters in Peru, we gathered in the “kitchen of LePuy,” thenspent an afternoon of personal reflection on two questions:What am I being called to now? What grace do I need toask for as we begin our days together? We came back to thekitchen and shared our responses.

Sister Mary Dacey, SSJ, from Philadelphia who facilitatedour retreat experience at Linwood Retreat Center lastSeptember, spent two days with us to help us thinkcreatively about our congregation. We explored images,thoughts and feelings about our future, which evokedstimulating discussion.

After reviewing the historical background of the Chapter2013 Call to Action to “continue intra-congregationalconversations and discernment about oneness and structures

begun at chapter” (p. 9), we discussed how the experiencescreated by the Process Design eam have been addressingthis call. We emphasized the importance of every sister’sparticipation in one of the upcoming retreat opportunities,either in her own or another province of the congregation.We named as integral to the retreat experience theopportunity for each sister to share her insights on how ourrelationships and structures will enable us to move forward

in mission as a congregation.

Regarding finances, we approved proposed budgets forchapter implementation projects. We also received our 2017congregational budget and reviewed our congregationalinvestment funds and how they are used.

We discussed the recommendation from the archivists ofeach province and vice province based on a professionalstudy of the archives in Albany, Los Angeles, St. Louis and


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On May 1, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet willpublish the inaugural issue of Carondelet, a congregationalmagazine. Tis issue highlights our vibrant Peruviancommunity. Tis publication is the result of two years of collaborationbetween communication directors, development directorsand leadership in all of our provinces and vice provinces.

“Tis project is important because it shows that though wecome from different cities and ministries, we know that thereis strength in working together,” said Sister Barbara Dreherof the Congregational Leadership eam. “We thank thosefriends and donors of the Sisters of St. Joseph who will joinus in supporting our sisters ministering in Peru.” Our sisters have been present in Peru for more than 50years. Tey live in both urban and rural areas in three citiesaround the country, ministering in education, counseling,parish ministry, hospital chaplaincy and more.

Tanks to a generous grant from the GHR Foundation,Ann Tompson and Ralph Scorpio, who work incommunication and development respectively for our St.Paul province, were able to visit Peru in March 2015 tointerview, photograph and video sisters, along with help of aprofessional videographer.

“Peru is a welcoming and beautiful country and the sistersthere talk about the importance of walking with the people,”says Ann. “I watched that happen every day of my visit. Tesisters have a deep and abiding love for the people they workwith. Teir care and compassion is gladly returned. As theyoften reminded me, their work is about presence.” Ann is also using the interviews and footage to create thenext installment of “In Search of the Divine,” a video serieson spirituality produced by our St. Paul province, which willbe available soon.

New Congregational Magazine to Highlight Peruvian Communityby Kim Westerman, Congregational Communications Coordinator

St. Paul. Tere was unanimous approval of moving forwardwith the consolidation of the archives with the goal offinalizing the site no later than September 2016.

Te Partnering with New Eyes Call to Action to “collaboratewith representatives from CSJ-sponsored ministries andinstitutions to explore ways to build capacity for missionintegration into the future” (p. 11), was addressed witha brief summary of the work done by the St. LouisSponsorship ask Force. Everyone was encouraged tocontinue sharing developments as they pursue this Call toAction.

Our Peruvian leadership team led a discussion of culturaldifferences. Videos about the Peruvian culture provided

thought-provoking personal reflection. We also discussedthe differences between surface culture and deep culture, andhow we are called to respond.

Updates were presented about sister formation andvocations: 1. Te Congregational Formation Plan is stillbeing developed. 2. Albany, Los Angeles, Hawaii and Peru

are working on a plan for a congregational sister formationprocess. 3. A working group will develop plans for acongregational approach to vocation ministry for womeninterested in becoming sisters.

Our congregational magazine focusing on the mission andneeds of our sisters in Peru will be mailed around May 1(more information below).

Our first intention is to raise awareness, trusting thatsignificant financial support for our sisters will follow.We were touched by each of our sisters in Peru, especiallyby their deep faith, their faithfulness to one another and themission, and their deep trust and hope for the future. Tehospitality we experienced was total gift.

We left with grateful hearts and returned to our homeprovinces eager to celebrate the feast of Joseph withour jubilarians. We know ever more deeply that ourcongregation is blessed by women who live into the mysteryof being called by God. May we courageously continue thatgraced journey.


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Last March, the St. Louis province welcomed Sister ZaidaPerez Peralta from the Vice Province of Peru for a one-yearimmersion experience. It wasn’t Sister Zaida’s first time inthe United States, but in many ways it was a first for her, theprovince and the congregation.

Tis unique program was designed for S. Zaida to learnEnglish while experiencing culture, custom and community.

She lived at the motherhouse in St. Louis, worked in theprovince’s Archives Department, and participated in theInternational Institute of St. Louis’ immersion program.

Yet, S. Zaida speaks of a broader objective. “It is a specialmission to come to know our congregation in the UnitedStates—our sisters, their missions, their culture, their language,their reality and our rich, historical heritage of evangelization,as well as our life in looking toward the future.”

Life at the MotherhouseLife at the motherhouse offered S. Zaida an abundance of

opportunity for rich interactions. Central to her experiencewere the sisters with whom she lived in the Holy rinityCommunity—Sisters Rose Mary Brueggen, Paula PatriceMichaud, Janet Muehlbauer, Patricia Quinn and SandraSchmid.

“Te Holy rinity Community offered kindness,understanding and the necessary help, which permitted me tobe a member of the community, giving me the opportunity tolive my process of learning and speaking English,” she says.

“Te good interpersonal relationship among us deepened

community prayer, Wednesday Sharing of the Heart and themany times we open our house to other sisters to celebrate ourlives together.”

S. Zaida was also grateful to be in the company of sisters, likeIda Berresheim, Mary McGlone, Maureen Freeman and others,who were familiar with her native language and homeland.“Immersion is a strong challenge. It helped me so much to bewith sisters with whom I could occasionally speak Spanish andexpress myself with depth.”

She also enjoyed connecting with the sisters from the variousmotherhouse communities, sharing Eucharist, prayers, meals,good conversations and support in difficult times. And sheappreciated the engagement with the associates and dearneighbors that come through the motherhouse doors formeetings, events, concerts, and more.

“I believe I have grown much in the living of these many events

and experiences in the motherhouse and in my community,Holy rinity” she says.

A Ministry of ImmersionWhen S. Zaida arrived at the International Institute, she wasplaced at the intermediate/high level in her English classes andcould understand a little more than what she could speak. Shecredits her fine professor, daily reading of the Bible in Spanishand English, and the Holy rinity Community’s help fordeveloping her speaking, reading and writing skills.

However, the institute’s program goes beyond learning English,

offering a full spectrum of adjustment services directed towardimmersion, investment and inclusion. Teir programs servemore than 7,500 immigrants and refugees from 75 countries,each with a story to tell.

As a Sister of St. Joseph, S. Zaida recognized that she couldbe a loving presence to her classmates by walking with them,sharing stories and listening empathetically.

“At the institute, I found a good place to realize the ministryof accompanying persons, giving my time to listen to their

joys and sorrows, their experiences in this new culture, and

memories of their families and their people to the degree thatour facility with the language allowed.”

Broadening HorizonsMany sisters introduced S. Zaida to the culture and historyof St. Louis, but she also had the opportunity to expand hervision of the United States and the CSJs’ presence in it.

Sister Mary Kay Liston invited S. Zaida to Kansas City (alongwith Sister Sandra Straub as her companion and translator),

A SPECIAL MISSIONFROM PERU TO ST. LOUIS: SISTER ZAIDA PEREZ PERALTA

COMPLETES YEAR-LONG IMMERSION EXPERIENCE

Compiled by Jenny Beatrice from the writings of Sisters Zaida Perez Peralta

and Sandra Straub. Translations by Sister Ida Berresheim.


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hoping to share S. Zaida with the KC region and the KCcommunity with S. Zaida. o that end, Sisters Sandra andZaida joined the KC sisters in their monthly potluck andSharing of the Heart/State of the House meeting.

Additionally, S. Mary Kay led them on a whirlwind tour of theinstitutions where our CSJ works of service began 150 yearsago: St. Joseph’s Hospital, Avila University, Visitation Parish,St. eresa‘s Academy, and the Cathedral. S. Mary Kay imparted

a rich and deep knowledge of the significance of this serviceand the mutual impact received between the people of KC andthe Sisters of St. Joseph..In Green Bay, S. Zaida got a taste of rural life with Sister PatVanden Bergh, who serves in Hispanic pastoral ministry atSt. Philip and St. Bernard Parish. As Wisconsin is anagricultural state, there are many migrants from Mexico andCentral America who help on the farms. Te parish assistsimmigrant families with basic necessities, education andreligious formation.

“My horizons have been widened as I visited other placesof our missions such as Green Bay, Kansas City and othercommunities in St. Louis,” S. Zaida says. “I feel that I amthe inheritor of the generous gift of love and care of the dearneighbor. I have also seen new faces of God in the life of thespecial people such as immigrants and others who call for ourservice.”

New PerspectivesS. Zaida says this experience has helped her to know the realityof the lives of the people and of the congregation in the United

States and to recognize her own reality in Peru.With Peru being a smaller and more integrated unit withoutassociate members, S. Zaida appreciated gaining a sense of therelationship between the sisters and the associates.

“After learning about their process of formation and knowingsome of them, I understand their importance and I feel moreopen to new forms of relationship for the service of the dearneighbor.”

S. Zaida also witnessed another kind of partnership, comingface-to-face with parishioners while doing mission appeals withSister Sandra Schmid and Ida Berresheim. “With the sistershelp, I could express in English my gratitude for the generoussupport of the people and the evangelizing action of oursisters,” she says.

Working in the province archives with Sister Jane Behlmannwas another new endeavor for S. Zaida. Tis work widened

her scope of the CSJs and of her ministry possibilities. “Sister Jane gave me the opportunity to collaborate and learn,” she says“Te sisters in the archives oriented me and have developed myinterest in this service in the Vice Province.”

And after learning about who we are as a congregation in thepast and present and imagining who we will be in the future,S. Zaida is committed to continuing the study and practice ofEnglish in Peru. “I consider it important for communicationamong us.”

Gracias

Sister Zaida’s “special mission” ended on March 30 as she leftfor Peru “deeply happy and grateful.” She wishes to express herprofound thanks to the many people who made this immersionexperience possible, especially for:

Te Congregational Leadership eam for extending to thesisters of the Vice Province of Peru the experience for one year,of which I was the first to enjoy this.

Te St. Louis province for welcoming me and providing for me.

Te Holy rinity Community with whom I have participated

in nearly all the activities of the province.

Te sisters in charge of the archives for all their help.

Te sisters who have given their lives in service and now are inneed of our care.

For all this, generously shared, I am truly grateful and enlivenedto continue serving with generosity and the for love of God andthe dear neighbor without distinction.

Left: Sister Betty Conrad, who serves in the Vice Province of Peru, at her 2015 jubilee with Sister Zaida Perez.

Center: Sisters Zaida, Miriam Ukeritis, Mary Ann Leininger and Rose Mary Brueggen at S. Zaida’s motherhouse

farewell party. Right: Sisters Sharon Jones and Zaida dancing at the party.


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Metropolitan Congregations United is a faith-basedcommunity organization in St. Louis. Organizing throughreligious congregations, M.C.U. addresses a variety of social justice issues. Tey develop leaders who will impact publicpolicy decisions, and the allocation of resources that create abetter life for all citizens, especially the poor.

M.C.U. and multi-cultural awareness are like shoes areto leather—much needed with feet planted firmly on theground.

M.C.U. advocates for awareness, sensitivity, and providinga greater understanding of the history, values, experiencesand lifestyles of different groups of people. Building on thesevalues and experiences, M.C.U. leaders help to bring changeto the whole region. Tey are a reason for celebration intheir willingness to take risks and step out on faith.

My acquaintance with M.C.U. came about through mychurch. I was privileged to attend a couple of M.C.U.functions. I felt the organization had much to offer, but I

never really became involved. In fact, I was not into social justice issues at all. It is like they always say, you are asinnocent as a lamb until the slaughtered lamb is thrownon your doorstep. Te slaughtered lambs for me wererayvon Martin and Michael Brown. Te hatred, prejudice,unspoken truths on racism and brutal history came back toroost on my doorstep.

Te first thing I did after rayvon Martin’s death was askour pastor if I could do something at our church in memoryof rayvon. He was very open to the idea and supported

us all the way in our endeavor. I planned and organized theevent. It was suggested we do it on the Feast Day of theransfiguration. Te program required me to speak. Publicspeaking is something I have never been fond of doing, butGod knew what was in my heart and he has always been bymy side. Te program was a success.

My work in social justice really began when I received anemail from M.C.U. inviting me to their Sacred Conversationon race (+ action). Tis is how I became totally committed.

Te first Sacred Conversations event was held at St. LouisUniversity. Call me naive, but imagine my shock when Iwalked into a room of mostly white people. My first thoughtwas, “Tis does not seem right. Where are the black people?”

I left that day with a completely new mindset. In relatingmy experience to my pastor, my words to him were that Ifelt that God was in the plan. It showed me that there arecaring white people not created in our likeness but are just asconcerned about doing the right thing.

My next thought was that white people were the ones thatreally needed to be there to hear the story. We as African-Americans are living the story every day. Our history is stillevolving and has not been resolved.

Te ground-breaking experience for me was the tragic killingof Michael Brown by a police officer that occurred right herein my hometown of St. Louis. When I saw Michael lying inthe street, all I could think of was this: only by the grace ofGod this was not my son or any other African-American

mother's child lying in the street dead. No matter thecircumstance, it was heartbreaking to think of how Michael'sparents must have felt.

Te parents, Lesley McSpadden and Michael Brown Sr.,made us all proud as African-Americans. Tey stood sideby side, united in their desire to forgive and to not let theirchild’s death be in vain. Tey decided that if Michael’s deathcould help someone, then they would use his death as aplatform to make it happen.

Tis is what M.C.U. is all about. Te challenge of tryingto make everyone aware of the racism that has shapedour community at every level: education, economicstransportation, and sadly, even the church.

From Jefferson City, Missouri, to the mayor’s office, cityhall or marching in the streets, M.C.U. feels called to standunited with churches and clergy to fight for justice and peace

Multicultural Awareness

Metropolitan Congregations United & SacredConversations on Race (+ Action)

by Associate Dorothy Dempsey


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2016 Feuerbacher GrantsListed below are the programs that have been granted funding for 2016.

Almost Home, $3,000

Funding for housing homeless teenage mothers and theirchildren in the St. Louis area.

Cardinal Ritter Senior Services, $5,000

Providing ongoing services to impoverished seniors livingwith mental illness in the greater St. Louis metropolitanarea.

Center for Women in Transition, $7,000

Funding for Direct Client Assistance (bus passes, medical

co-pays, etc.) and staff support for women who arereintegrating into their families and communities afterincarceration.

Gene Slay’s Boys’ Club of St. Louis, $6,000

Funds to assist updating the girls’ locker room.

Laughing Bear Bakery, $4,000

Start-up costs for bakery employing women ex-offenders.

Let’s Start, Inc., $6,000

Expanding services to the caregivers of the children of

incarcerated women.

Most Holy Trinity Catholic School & Academy, $3,000

uition assistance/scholarships for low-income students.

Queen of Peace Center, $7,000

Computer literacy and employment skills program for drugrehab residents.

Rockhaven Ecozoic Center, $4,000

Providing support of the Women’s Renewal Series program.

St. Anthony Food Pantry, $5,000

Scholarships for women earning their Patient Careechnician (PC) licenses.

St. Francis Xavier (College) Church, $8,000

Funding for the Documentation Assistance Program whichassists immigrants in St. Louis City.

St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church, $7,000

Parish facility repairs.

Walker-Scottish Rite Clinic, $5,000

Providing speech and language therapy to pre-school-age

Hispanic children through the Clinic’s KidStart program.

in a neutralized and sinful world. M.C.U. is working toend the structural racism that twists our community and iskilling our young people.

Tey focus on having the shepherds of our churches ridthemselves of the fear of losing their sheep and speaking outfrom the pulpit about the injustice of the world.

Te people of M.C.U. have been an inspiration to me, andthey are the reason I decided to try and make a differencein my life as well as in the lives of others. As a result ofmy association with M.C.U., I have started a social justiceministry at our church and I serve as the co-chair of theministry. It all has been very rewarding for me.

Te words of Desmond utu speak to me of injustice andthe oppressor:

If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosenthe side of the oppressor. If an elephant has its foot on thetail of a mouse, and you say that you are neutral, the mousewill not appreciate your neutrality.

God does not appreciate our neutrality when we do notrespect each other through mistreatment, abuse, indifferenceand apathy. I invite you to the challenge of making adifference in someone's life. Come and stand in solidarity with me, an associate of theSisters of St. Joseph, with Metropolitan CongregationUnited and all the people that fight for justice in an unjustworld. You will be blessed.


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2016 Jubilee Celebrations

JUBILEER Saturday, May 7

10:00 a.m. Mass, followed by brunch

RSVP by April 28 [email protected] or

314-481-8800

GOLDEN JUBILEER

Saturday, August 611:00 a.m. Mass, followed by lunch

RSVP by July 28 [email protected] or

314-481-8800

“WHY DID YOU STAY?”

“My life as a Sister of St. Josephis home to me. It’s my skin, theair I breathe and the valuesand energy that get me up,

keep me up and drive me tobe a Gospel presence.”

Sister Barbara Dreher

“Community is where I canbe my best self and becomewho I am meant to be. Since

this is so rooted in me, I feelcalled to walk with others andencourage them to be their

best self.”

Sister Marilyn Lott

“It is only by God’s always-available love that I haveremained faithful to God’sfaithfulness to me. Without my

vocation to religious life, I maynot have stayed tuned-in to

the God within who loves meas I am, yet always urges me to

become more.”

Sister Pat Murphy

75 Years Sister Laurita Joseph NemecSister Martha Ritter

70 Years Sister Ann AlbrechtSister Ruth BaudhuinSister Leo Ann BubSister Ruth Marie BurkartSister Anna John IgoeSister Ruth La Var

Sister Christine MassmanSister Justine OstiniSister Edward Cecilia

SchniedermeierSister Kathleen Stack

60 YearsSister Phyllis BardenheierSister Mary Joyce BringerSister Barbara Ellen FleurySister Helene GutchewskySister Rita Louise HuebnerSister Jean Junak Sister Monica Marie Kleffner

Sister Maureen KottenstetteSister Barbara Moore

Sister Patricia MurphySister Martha NiemannSister Carol OlsonSister Mary Ann Potts

50 Years Sister Barbara Lynn DreherSister Jeanne JanssenSister Mary Frances JohnsonSister Anne Kelly

Sister Marilyn LottSister Linda Carol Maser

For more on the 2016 jubilariansand to make a donation in honor of asister, visit www.csjsl.org.

Congratulate and share your memoriesof the jubilarians on our Facebook pageat www.facebook.com/csjsl .

Note: Jubilee contributions andthank yous will be included in theMay/June issue.


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Te Sisters of St. Joseph’s Generosity of Joseph award annually celebrates individuals who positively influence societyand encourage others by their example of life-altering generosity in the spirit of St. Joseph, our patron. Te awards will

be presented during the annual Generosity of Joseph Honors Gala on April 22 at the Carondelet Motherhouse.Meet our honorees:

Ann Rotermund S L

Former Senior Director of Mental Health Programs(St. Patrick’s Center)

Activist/Advocate for the HomelessPromotes justice with a particular concern for the poor.

Recognizes and defends the human dignity of all.

Ann began her teaching career while a member of the Sistersof St. Joseph of Carondelet. She returned to St. Louis in1985 and started at St. Patrick Center that same year. In hertenure at St. Patrick Center, she served in various capacities.

She continues to volunteer there and has served on the StateAdvisory Committee for the Department of Mental Health,was nominated for the Archdiocesan Catholic Women’s Awardand BJC Health System Spirit of Women Award. She receivedthe Cardinal Rigali Service Award.

“Every new year in teaching reminded me that I needed to giveevery child a new chance to learn and grow,” Ann says. “My jobwas to offer them the space, support and encouragement to dothat. I took this attitude with me to the work at St. Patrick’s.”

Kathleen E. Murphy S L

Former Educator, Volunteer and ActivistHeals and Reconciles

Serves all persons without distinction.

Kathleen is a former CSJ and is originally from Chicago,Illinois. After many years of teaching and serving as principalat St. Pius V School in St. Louis, Kathleen was injured by asingle bullet and was left paralyzed from the waist down. Tishas not stopped her nor slowed her down. Currently, she isworking at Doorways, which provides housing and related

supportive services for people affected by HIV/AIDS.

Kathleen says, “I reflect at times on what it means to have aseen disability and realize how many others are overlooked,those with something unseen, because no one bothers to takethe time to stop and notice them.”


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Sponsored Institutions

Embodying St. Joseph’s Academyby Mary Weiss ‘15, SJA alumna

Not I, but We, Values-driven Women Leaders, andServing the Dear Neighbor without Distinction, are justa few of the many slogans St. Joseph’s Academy implants inthe heads of the students to help them to continue to growin excellence.

Not I, but we means we work better and are better asa whole when we come together as a community. Tecommunity of St. Joe is outstanding. Te relationships Imade over the four years I attended will be cherished for alifetime ...

We build each other up and stick together because we area family. For instance, my friend found out she had a braintumor freshman year, and right away the Angels werethere to support and love her. When another close friend’sfather passed away, the SJA community was at his funeralto comfort the three sisters. Even though I graduated, theAcademy will always be there for me because once an Angel,always an Angel.

St. Joe strives to mold the girls into Values-driven Women

Leaders. Te teachers and administrators expect us to “makea profound impact on the world.” St. Joe made me believe Ican do anything and nothing can stop me from reaching mydreams ... I can confidently say that my experience embodiedthe St. Joe mission. I have, 100 percent, grown in my faith,knowledge, and respect for myself and for others.

... I willingly go to mass and love it. My relationship withGod has been strengthened tremendously ... My intellectwas challenged regularly ... I learned that each of us womenis important; we are a temple of God. I feel as though thecore values St. Joe teaches is what helped mold me into thestrong, values-driven woman leader I am today.

To Serve the Dear Neighbor without Distinction is notonly taught at St. Joseph’s Academy, but it is also taught bythe Sisters of St. Joseph. It is their motto that we follow, butit is our responsibility to go out and serve. Service is a bigdeal at St. Joe.

Each girl has a required amount of service hours to completebefore the school year is over. But the majority of studentsgo above and beyond in their work ... In grade school, Ithought service was hard work and tedious ... Just a fewyears later at the Academy, I learned what service truly was.

I did not have to do anything immense to serve. It couldbe as little as helping someone who tripped and droppedall of her books. It could also go as big as a mission trip to

New Orleans. No matter what the size, a St. Joe Angel wasthere to do it. I learned to love and to serve, and came to theconclusion that I needed no recognition for my actions ...Everything is for the greater glory of God. I do not need areward for something that should be a regular activity.

St. Joe changed me for the better. I have grown as a leader,as a student, and as a woman. Without the teachers andpeers at the Academy, I would not be where I am today. TeAcademy is the reason I am who I am.

Sister Linda Markway and Mary Weiss


17/28


Seeing the Signs of Faith St. Louis Billboard Campaign

from the Communicators for the St. Louis Catholic Sisters

St. Louis Catholic Sisters have launched a media campaignacross metropolitan St. Louis featuring billboards with themessage “We Have Faith in You, St. Louis.” Te campaign,which coincided with National Catholic Sisters Week,

March 8-14, is aimed at instilling pride in the communityand a desire to work for its betterment. Te sisters, who forgenerations have taught and shaped the character of so manySt. Louisans, know that St. Louis area residents are up to thetask of being more loving, less violent and better neighbors.

Sister Mary Flick, a native St. Louisan, says, “As CatholicSisters, we believe in a God who works through us insurprising ways. Te people of St. Louis have generoushearts. Trough our celebrations and our struggles, wecontinue to see the good in each other and what is possible

together. We believe in a future full of hope.”

Randy Raley, director of mission relationship for theFranciscan Sisters of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, said thesisters also would like the community to know they are here,still vibrant, teaching, praying and having faith in them.

Director of Communications for the Daughters of CharityProvince of St. Louise, Belinda Davis, added, “More St.Louis area residents of all faiths, ethnicities and backgrounds

have been served by sisters than many realize. Catholicsisters may no longer teach in every parish school or care forpatients at every Catholic hospital, but they are alive, welland still relevant. oday’s sisters minister to immigrants, the

homeless, the voiceless and the trafficked. Tey are the 21st-century servants of Christ.”

How do we have faith in St. Louis? Read the many waysour sisters from the St. Louis Catholic Sisters’ group answerthis question at stlcatholicsisters.org.

Te St. Louis Catholic Sisters group is comprised ofthe communicators of the following LCWR Region XCommunities:

Adorers of the Blood of Christ, Daughters of Charity of St.Vincent de Paul, Dominican Sisters of Sparkill, FranciscanSisters of Mary, Franciscan Sisters of Our Lady of PerpetualHelp, Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, SchoolSisters of Notre Dame, Sisters of Divine Providence, Sistersof Loretto, Sisters of Mercy of Te Americas, Sisters of St.

Joseph of Carondelet, Sisters of the Good Shepherd, Sistersof the Most Precious Blood of O’Fallon, Society of the SacredHeart and Ursuline Sisters of the Central Province.

St. Louis News


18/28


Meeting Our AncestorsProle of an early sister who died

in the month of Aprilby Sister Jane Behlmann

Archives

Sister Mary Birgitta Gorman was,figuratively speaking, a living history ofthe congregation. Her sister, Sistereresa Agatha, preceded her indeath.

Sister Birgitta could relate thehappenings of the congregation

from Georgia to Chicago, fromDenver to Indianapolis, fromone superior general to thenext, from one "Holy Rule" tothe newest documents. Shehad a phenomenal adherenceto the Holy Father's directivesfrom one pope to the next sinceshe enjoyed a long life of over 90years.

Never one to feel sorry for herself,nor to miss her chance, she tried onone occasion on her way to surgery toinstruct the girls who were taking her tothe operating room on the evils of abortion.

Sister's tall slender build belied the energy and force thatcould show itself when challenged with some churchdoctrine, or with some community discussion. She lived bythe principle that most of the ills in religious life could besolved if only the rule of silence would be observed.

Her prayer life was inspiring and all wereincluded, the conservatives and the born-

again persons, and her example willbe long remembered. Sister died

on April 9, 1978. May she rest inpeace. [Necrology Report]

Sister Mary Birgitta [Margaret

Mary] was born in Chicago,Illinois to Mary Dwyer ofChateaugay, New York, andWilliam Gorman of St. Clotilda,Quebec, Canada on July 19,1887. She entered at Carondeleton September 5, 1910, wasreceived on March 19, 1911, and

made first profession on March19, 1913. Her final profession was

made on August 15, 1918.

Sister Birgitta received a bachelor’sdegree in history from Fontbonne College

in 1934. She taught on the elementary levelmost of her life in schools in St. Louis, Mobile,

Alabama, Kansas City, Ste. Genevieve, Missouri,Chicago, Illinois, and Indianapolis, Indiana. Sister was Mistressof Postulants and Novices at Mt. St. Joseph in Augusta, Georgia

from 1934-1936. She died on April 9, 1978 at AlexianBrothers Hospital in St. Louis of cerebral thrombosis. She isburied in Resurrection Cemetery, Row 3, Grave 78.

S i s t e r M

a r y B

i r g i t t a

G o r m

a n


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Sister Margaret Camper, CSJ(S. Sarita Clare)

June 23, 1922 - December 21, 2015

Loved teaching, loved to tease,a joy-lled thoughtful woman

Te Hand of Go Sha Hold You

Myron and Jennie (oney) Camper, both Lebanese, hadimmigrated to America in their early teen years. Tey didn’tmeet one another until years later when Myron moved toFond du Lac, Wisconsin, where Jennie had settled. Teymarried, welcomed four sons, and were living in Green Bay,when their first daughter, Margaret, arrived on June 23,1922. (Four years later, another daughter, Lorraine, arrived.)

Margaret’s family moved to West De Pere where her fatheropened an ice cream parlor. Her elementary educationwas at the local public school. By the time she was readyfor high school, the family had moved back to Green Baywhere Margaret attended St. Joseph Academy. She recalledher Academy years as happy ones and remembers writinga gossip column, Camper’s Capers, for the school paper.Tat sometimes got her called to the principal’s office whenparents became incensed about something written abouttheir daughters. She didn’t remember being in too muchtrouble over it. Of the sisters, she said, “We found them tobe very refreshing human beings, but at the same time wesaw them, clearly, as religious women.”

Her parents, expecting her to go to college, were shockedwhen she told them she wanted to enter the convent.Assuring them that she would come home if she decidedthat the life was not for her, they gave their consent. Sheentered the Sisters of St. Joseph on September 15, 1940, andwas received as Sister Sarita Clare. She earned her bachelor’sdegree in English from Fontbonne College (1951) and amaster's in English from Marquette University (1960).

S. Sarita Clare was a primary teacher in St. Louis at Nativityof Our Lord School (1943); St. Roch School (1948) andat St. Anthony of Padua School (1951). She ministeredas a high school English teacher at Sacred Heart Central,Indianapolis, Indiana (1954); St. Francis de Sales, Denver,

Colorado (1955), and St. Pius X, Atlanta, Georgia, whereshe also served as the head of the English department(1962). Ten she taught English at Fontbonne College from1965 to 1989.

Retiring from Fontbonne, S. Margaret became circulationdepartment head at the Kirkwood Public Library (1989). In

1995, she volunteered as a tutor at Even Start. In 2003, shevolunteered to assist the Community Life Staff at NazarethLiving Center until beginning her ministry of prayer andpresence at Nazareth Living Center in 2011.

Sister Margaret was a member of Sectional 8 ... We often sharedtable discussions, and I found her to be very open and generousof heart. She was kind and thoughtful in her interactions, often

finding ways to disagree while maintaining harmony ... I dearlyloved being with S. Margaret ... Associate Cathy Hart

... I was missioned to St. Anthony of Padua all-boys school toteach second grade in 1951. How fortunate I was to find thereone of the most outstanding primary teachers of the time ...Sister Sarita Clare. Sarita was generous with her assistance tous as we struggled to find our way through those first years ofteaching. She was also a barrel of fun! Sister Paulette Gladis

Because I had the joy—and I do mean joy—of living withS. Margaret in the little house (St. Agnes at the time; later the

president's residence) I did not want to let the opportunity ofwriting a little about her to pass by. Margaret loved teachingEnglish and taught conscientiously. She talked about her subjectin lively terms ... No doubt she made her subject come alive forher students at Fontbonne ... She could tease with a truly straigh

face and she could enjoy another's being confused about whetheror not she was telling the truth. Sister Ida Berresheim S. Helen Oates


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Sister Rose Mary Willett, CSJ(S. Marie Francis)

June 29, 1929 - December 27, 2015

Conscientious, enjoyed telling stories,loved to travel, a beautiful smile


Francis and Eva Marie (Wheeler) Willett welcomed theirdaughter Rose Mary on June 29, 1929, in Milwaukee,Wisconsin. She grew up with three older brothers and ayounger sister. While she was still a young child, her parentsmoved to Hannibal, Missouri. For her entire grade/highschool years she attended McCooey Memorial staffed by theSisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet.

After high school, Rose Mary worked in an office for twoyears then entered the Sisters of St. Joseph on September15, 1949. At her March 1950 reception into the novitiateshe received the name Sister Marie Francis. She earneda bachelor’s degree in business administration from theCollege of St. eresa in Kansas City (1956).

St. Margaret of Scotland, St. Louis (1952) was S. RoseMary’s first mission. Her next assignment (1953) was tobe a full-time business student at the College of St. eresain Kansas City. Before she could start her studies, anunexpected community need arose so she was reassigned toteach at Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Kansas City, andthen at St. Francis de Sales High School, Denver, Colorado.In June 1954 she began full-time studies at the College ofSt. eresa. In 1955, before her studies were completed,Sister Rose Mary was assigned to fill yet another need, thistime at Assumption Grade School in Kansas City. Duringthat school year and the following summer, she completedthe requirements for her degree in business administration.

Te 1956 school year brought her to Marquette, Michigan,to teach at Bishop Baraga High, followed by Valle HighSchool in Ste. Genevieve, Missouri, in 1962. Beginningin 1963, Sister Rose Mary taught at Avila College for thenext ten years. During that time she earned a master's ineconomics from the University of Notre Dame (1964).S. Rose Mary was a secretary at the St. Joseph Provincialatefrom 1973 to 1984.

During a 1984 sabbatical program, S. Rose Mary was astudent at Gonzaga University, Spokane, Washington. Shespent this time auditing theology courses, catching up on thechanges since Vatican II and sightseeing. Registrar and part-time teacher at St. Joseph’s Academy in St. Louis filled hernext six years until she became secretary at DuBourg Housein 1991.

In 1992, S. Rose Mary was a development staff worker atSt. Joseph Provincial House. Ten, from 1996 to 1999,she was part-time receptionist at the Provincial House. Atthe same time, she served at Nazareth Living Center as thetransportation coordinator until her retirement in 2003 atSt. Joseph Academy.

Sister Ida Berresheim lived with her briefly at the Academy:I can't help delighting in that picture of her [above] in whichshe is smiling so joyfully. I can just about hear her laugh asI'm sure she was doing as the photographer tried to takethat picture. Rose Mary loved to tell stories and they wereusually funny and she would laugh while telling them. In sodoing she would have all of us, her hearers, laughing. In somany ways she spread that joy!”

Sister Rita Louise Huebner also lived with S. Rose Mary atthe Academy:

She was our bookkeeper. In that capacity she was alwaysconscientious and faithful to all of us who lived there. RoseMary loved to travel ... With her friend, S. Helene Wilson,she toured the country, from the beautiful Northwest toArizona, Yellowstone to California ... She also appreciatedher and Helene's many excursions to Lone Elk Park wherethey always counted on an exciting adventure.

In 2013, S. Rose Mary moved to Nazareth Living Centercontinuing to volunteer by trimming donated stamps to raisefunds for CSJ missions.

S. Helen Oates


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Karen Cox, CSJAJuly 10, 1957 - January 10, 2016

Warm, kind-hearted with the gift of hospitality


Avila University’s family and her Sisters of St. Josephassociates were shocked when the news that AssociateKaren Cox died on January 10 at the young age of 58. Karencollapsed at her home while watching a Sunday footballgame with her husband, Dean, in their new home in FortWorth, exas. All who knew Karen and her family memberslost an Irish jewel in the crown.

Karen was born to a large Irish Bundy/Donovan familyon July 10, 1957, in Joplin, Missouri, and was raised inKansas City. Karen’s father, Jack Bundy, and mother, GladysDonovan, had 11 children; Karen was in the middle withfive older siblings and five younger ones who were deeplyrooted in the Irish traditions.

She graduated from Center High School in 1975 andmarried her husband, Dean, on June 17, 1978. Dean andKaren had two lovely children, daughter Jamie and son Jeremy. Tis wonderful lady became grandmother of threegranddaughters and one grandson, with the Christmas newsthat a fifth infant was on its way.

In 2001, Karen became an administrative assistant forClinical & Field-Based Experiences at Avila UniversitySchool of Education in Kansas City. She left Avila in January 2015 to join her husband who had been transferredto Fort Worth, exas. Professor Karen Garber-Miller, Deanof School of Education, said of Karen:

Karen will long be remembered as a warm and kind-

hearted supporter of our students. We often receivedaccolades about her positive and friendly demeanor to all.Because Karen was blessed with the gift of hospitality, shewas selected by School of Education faculty and staff toserve as our ‘hospitality liaison’ to internal and externalaudiences. She helped us reach out to students and facultyin times of illness or need as well as in times of joy andcelebration.

Karen certainly lived up to Avila University’s motto: Deoadjuvante non timendum, “With the help of God there isnothing to fear.” At the end of Karen’s e-mails, one couldread her favorite quote, “In order to succeed, your desire forsuccess should be greater than your fear of failure.”

Gathered at the back corridor of the St. Tomas More

Church in Kansas City, the members of the Avila-MèreFontbonne CSJA Community shared their grief togetheras they remembered how Karen had lived out her InitialCommitment Statement to the Sisters of St. Joseph in 2012.

I, Karen M. Cox, desire to make this commitment to theSisters of St. Joseph and their associates because I havealways been deeply touched by the spirit and charism thatthe sisters show daily to those around them. Becoming anassociate has already deepened and strengthened my faithand desire to serve one another... I am looking forward toserving our community and our world with the volunteer

work that I have set out to do and pray that my actions andspirit will serve as a ministry to others.

Yes, Karen did live out the best of the sisters’ ConsensusStatement, “… moves always toward profound love of Godand love of neighbor … from whom she does not separateherself...”

Te St. Patrick’s Day Parade will not seem the same withoutthe loving smile and kindness of Karen Bundy/DonovanCox this March. But, we have the knowledge that St. Patrick

must have greeted you, Karen, at the gate while God rejoicedupon seeing your soul and spirit.

by Associate Nicole Nicoll


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Sister Mary AnnetteSchorman, CSJ

August 30, 1931 - January 31, 2016

Hospitable, gracious, a hard worker, a loyal friend


Mary Cecilia was born on August 31, 1931, in St. Louis,Missouri, the fifth child and second daughter, of parents Joseph and Anne (Cloonan) Schorman. She attendedSt. Edward’s Grade School and began high school at Rosati-Kain. Te school was so overcrowded her first year thatstudents who lived north of a certain street were sent toLaboure for their sophomore year. She was able to return toRosati for her junior and senior years. Deciding that college

was not for her, she spent most of the next six years invarious employments such as bookkeeper in a dental office;typist for the government, and office work at the MissouriPacific Credit Union.

Over the years, she kept in contact with Sister BertinaLeneau whom she had met in grade school. She used tovisit her, even traveling to Chicago to do so. While she wasvisiting with Sister after she had broken off a marriageengagement, Bertina asked her, “When are you going to dosomething with your life?” Tat question really made her

stop and think. She entered the Sisters of St. Joseph onFebruary 11, 1955, and was given the habit and her name,Sister Mary Annette, August 15, 1955. She earned herbachelor’s degree in elementary education from FontbonneCollege in 1967.

In the meantime, S. Mary Annette began teaching in St.Louis, Missouri at Nativity of Our Lord (1957); St. Vincentde Paul (1965), St. Margaret of Scotland (1966), and HolyGuardian Angels (1973). Her ministry began to shift in1978 when she went to Keshena, Wisconsin, where she

served at St. Michael Parish as a religious education teacher.Remaining in that parish, she became a pastoral associatethere in 1980.

I lived with Sister Annette in Keshena, on the MenomineeReservation. I remember her doing a wide variety of parishwork, the CCD program, visiting the sick and elderly,bringing Communion to homes of shut-ins, making very

good friends among the Menominee people ... And she lovedto go fishing!” S. Connie Gleason

In 1988, she arrived in Kansas City, her hometown forthe next 28 years. After a year as assistant manager atRedemptorist Residence, she became the geriatric managerthere until 1999. Following some time in transition, S. MaryAnnette served as the first director of home service for CSJCare Kansas City. “She truly lived our stance of loving thedear neighbor without distinction,” says Sister Ann Landers.

Although Sister Annette retired in 2006, S. Marilyn Peotsaid in the funeral homily:

Her home was open as a wayside inn for those from out oftown—or as a rehab center for those who needed extra care.She was the hostess of KC—as she created special timeswith individuals and initiated group gatherings ... we are allaware of her eagerness to meet the smallest needs of thosewho came into her life.

Sister Roberta Houlihan says:I felt so at home with her ... She will always remain close to

me in prayer and memory.

Sister Laverne Aufmuth says:In her golden years [I]found her to be quiet and private,very loyal to her God and religious community, devoted to

family… [She] freely responded to others’ personal needs ...[I am] grateful for the time I enjoyed her presence.

Sister Rosemary Flanigan says:About a year ago, several of us asked Sister Marilyn Peot ifshe would lead us in ways of deepening our prayer life ...

S. Annette offered her apartment … each month we havemet at her place and enjoyed her hospitality as we probedmore deeply into contemplative prayer. In the sharing of theheart, I have felt closer to Annette than in all the years I'veknown her. May she be enjoying peace that we cannot evenimagine.

S. Helen Oates


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We found this book both affirming andchallenging—affirming of some things ourCSJ Community is already doing to fostercommunity and challenging us to ways toimprove our being together as community.Foundational to community is fostering amongall members a sense of ownership and belonging.Te structures for belonging can be implementedregardless of personal style even if one isintroverted. Te author puts an emphasis on gifts

and possibilities because sustainable communitytransformation is built on assets and gifts not onneeds or deficiencies.

Improvement in community occurs when peoplerecognize their own power to create. Possibilityis the condition we want to occur in the world.We become complete with the past so that ourbeing and action are no longer shaped by thepast. Bringing aliveness and wholeness to ourideas of leadership, citizens, social structures and

context are essential to creating a community ofbelonging.

Here are a few other important points forcreating structures or conditions that createa community of belonging. Leaders are heldto three tasks: to shift the context withinwhich people gather; name the debate throughpowerful questions; and listen rather thanadvocate, defend, or provide answers. Te smallgroup is the unit of transformation and has themost leverage when they meet as part of a largergathering. We come together to experience how

relatedness, gifts, learning, and generosity arevaluable to community. Tis is an organic andrelational process that creates a structure ofbelonging.

If desired, one can get all the important pointsof the book without reading the entire text.Te author does this on purpose by putting asummary at the beginning of each chapter; andhe summarizes the entire book in outline form atthe end. It is well worth reading whether in the

short version or in its entirety.

CSJ BOOK CLUBCommunity: The Structure of BelongingBy Peter Block

by Associate Nancy Broach on behalf of Matrix

Between the World and MeBy Ta-Nehisi CoatesBy Sister Nancy Corcoran

Between the World and Me is a New York imesBest Seller and the winner of the NationalBook Award. It is not often that I finish a bookand want to shout from the mountain top thewords of oni Morrison, “Tis book is requiredreading.”

Required by whom? Required for all of us whowant to become fully human, who think thatwe are white, who understand that racism is inthe water we drink and the air we breathe. It isa narrative to pry open our hearts, to feel on a

guttural level the Ferguson Effect.a-Nehisi Coates writes a meditation fromhis lived experience … a letter of memory, ofwarning and of hope to his teenage son.

It is a short book, only 150 pages. Yet it is nota fast read. It offers a retreat. It offers a deepperspective. It offers a reality check to those of uswho bask in unacknowledged privilege and whoaim to “love G*d and our neighbor from whomwe do not separate ourselves.”


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“Exploring Our Soul Energy” presented by Sister Carol Patron

by Sister Helen Oates

In 1987, after 23 years as a teacher and principal, SisterCarol Patron went on sabbatical. It was during this time shedeveloped a passion for the mind-body-spirit connection.

Tat led her to become a certified massage therapist and aprayer and ritual team member. Tis teacher also becamea “student” of spirituality, exploring the similarities of ourCatholic faith through various lenses such as the CSJs,Creation, Earth and Native American spiriualities.

S. Carol’s invitation to the February 27 “Exploring OurSoul Energy” program said: “God freely makes available tous an abundance of grace. How do we access his pathway ofunending blessings and how is grace part of our mind, body,spirit connections? “

And so, she invited us to “explore what animates our souland makes us each unique expressions of the Divine.”

Trough a process of music, prayer, humor, stories,informed input, and discussion S. Carol began to acquaint(or reacquaint) us with the energy centers of our body, theseven chakras.

“Chakra” is an Indian word for wheel, and a spinning wheelis an easy way of envisioning the energy of the chakra.Tese chakras help us to know our aliveness. Just as we see

and experience energy such as sun, thunder and lightningand realize that all of them transmit energy, so too, canthe networks that support our body be physically seen andexperienced.

We are energetic beings. We need energy to survive andthrive, and we know when we do not have energy. In ourexperiences and interactions our energy mingles with that ofothers and we are changed.

How we share our soul’s energy with others affects theseinteractions. When we are able to connect with our own souenergy we feel at home with ourselves. Ten we are open tofind God in our deepest self and will find nourishment forour spiritual energy.

Te body’s energy centers may speak to each of us throughlightness or heaviness. We are most aware of this in ourchoices which we make through faith—or fear. Tislightness or heaviness experience could become spiritualdirectors in our prayer—a guide towards choosing grace, foras S. Carol remarked, “Grace is God’s energy.”

We could also use our energy to hold on to past traumaticevents, things that hurt us. Tis keeps us locked in thepast where we might find ourselves experiencing a spiritualloneliness that blocks us from good energy. Remember thatgood energy (grace) helps us to know God for God is theenergy of our existence.

S. Carol recommends reading, Anatomy of the Spirit, byCaroline Myss, Ph.D. to learn more about these energy

centers. Te book examines where they are located in thebody; what each does for us; how they can be representedby colors; how they are connected to sacraments, religiousseasons and events; how they can be effective in our lives;and how they can help us to be our best selves, aware of theenergy for good circulating in and among us.


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CSJ EVENTS & HAPPENINGSTogether We Gather

by Associate Mary Kay Christian, province liturgist

February was a month full of activity in our chapel beginning with theFebruary 7 annual Mardi Gras Mass and ongoing commitment with theassociate community. Tat afternoon we hosted “We’ve Come Tis Far byFaith,” a celebration in honor of Black History Month and the contributions ofblack Catholics in St. Louis, to begin the 2016 ogether in Faith event series.

On Feb. 20, we enjoyed a morning of prayer and reflection with Sister KathyBrazda, CSJ from LaGrange, who gave a spiritual reflection of her pilgrimageon the Camino de Santiago, an ancient pilgrimage to the site of the shrine ofthe apostle St. James the Great in the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela.

We began the month of March with “A Lenten Contemplation” concertperformed by erree Rowbottom, a wonderful mezzo-soprano, accompaniedby Elizabeth Ramos on violin, and Bonnie Wilson on piano and the glassarmonica. Tis event was also a part of the ogether in Faith event series.

LITURGY CALENDAR

April

2 Ilia Delio, OSF

6 Midday Prayer 11:45 a.m.


20 Morning of Prayer 9 a.m.


May 7 60th Jubilee Mass 10:00 a.m.



16 Missouri Choral SocietyConcert 2 p.m.


21-27 Heritage Retreat

FILM SCREENING & PANEL DISCUSSIONWHAT IS RADICAL GRACE AND HOW ARE WE CALLED TO EMBODY IT?

MAY 1ST | 2 PM - 4:30 PM@ ST. JOSEPH’S ACADEMY | AUDITORIUM2307 SOUTH LINDBERGH BLVD. | FRONTENAC, MO 63131

MORE INFORMATION AND FREE TICKETS AT

RADICALGRACESTL.EVENTBRITE.COM


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SAVE THE DATES

LEARN MORE AND VIEW OTHER UPCOMING EVENTS AT CSJSL.ORG.

KANSAS CITY

APRIL 16

CSJ Spirit & Spirituality:What Keeps Our Feet in the Street

with Marianne Keena, CSJ

9-11 a.m.

St. eresa’s Academy,Windmoor Center

Offering: $15

Visit csjsl.org to register for tickets andmore information.

ST. LOUIS

APRIL 30

Live Until You Die: Aging and Caregiving

with Pat Dunphy, CSJ &Kathleen Karbowski, CSJ

9-11 a.m.Carondelet Motherhouse

Offering: $16

Register by Feb. 22 to 314-678-0307or [email protected].

SPRING CONCERTSaturday, April 23 at 2:30 p.m.

Holy Family Chapel

Enjoy the musical sounds of theMCS who join us from St. Charles.

Members of the choral societyare seasoned choral musicians and

volunteers. Free admission.

Learn more about the ensemble atwww.missourichoralsociety.com.

RSVP to 314-481-8800 [email protected].

HUMAN TRAFFICKING:21ST CENTURY SLAVERY

Monday, April 11 at 1:30 p.m.St. Joseph Hall

Sister Margaret Nacke, CSJ(Concordia) will present an overview

of human trafcking, who is involved,

how one “buys” people, and how wecan join the good works being doneto stop this modern slavery.

RSVP by April 4 to 314-481-8800 [email protected].

Sponsored by the CSJ Justice Ofce See page 15 to learn more about our honorees,

Kathleen E. Murphy & Ann Rotermund.

Visit csjsl.org for more event details.

FRIDAY, APRIL 22


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LEADERSHIP CALENDAR

NEXT ISSUE: May/June PNN & Directory ChangesSubmission Deadline: May 10 • Publication Date: June 1

April

2 Ilia Delio, OSF (All)

3 Process Design Team Mtg: Phase 1B (All)4 Committee on Health & Wellness (MML, ML)

4-6 Heartland Federation Mtg., St. Louis(MF, ML, RS, LS)

7-10 LCWR New Leader Workshop (MML, LS)7 Motherhouse Study Task Force (RS)11-12 Council/Corporation Board Mtgs. (All)13 Dept. Head Mtg. (ML, MML, RS, LS)

14 LCWR Breakfast (LS)14-15 Tabitha Selection Committee Mtg. (MF)16 Marian School Gala (ML, RS, LS)

18 Agenda Committee Mtg. (MF, LS)19 Sponsorship Collaborative, STA (ML, MML, RS, LS)

22 Mission Advancement Gala (ML, MML, RS, LS)23 Government Committee Mtg. (LS)

26-5/4 Retreat (RS)

29 Mission Integration Committee, Fontbonne (MML)30 Fontbonne Board Mtg. (MML)

30 Micronancing Partners in Africa Gala

(MML, ML, LS)

May

7 60th Jubilee Celebration (ML, MML, RS)9-10 Council/Corporation Board Mtgs. (All)11 STA Board Mtg. (ML)11 NLC Ministry Committee Mtg. (LS)

12 LCWR Breakfast (LS)13-14 Avila Board Mtg. (RS)17 Investment Managers Mtg. (All)

20 Nazareth Spring Party (All)23 Motherhouse Study Task Force (RS)

27 CPC Mtg. (All)

Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet

and associates live, minister andtravel in all corners of the world. To

help us see just how far we reach,we've recruited an old friend of

ours.

Mother St. John Fontbonne is a

guiding light for our sisters, so it'stting to take her on some of ourtravels. Flat Fontbonne is inspired by

the Flat Stanley children's books.

The idea is simple. Download Flat

Fontbonne, print her, cut her out,and pack her in your bag. When

you see a picturesque opportunity,

snap a sele with her, then send itto us for our #FlatFontbonne photocollection.

You can email it [email protected]

Or share it with us on Facebook,Twitter or Instagram. Be sure to usethe hashtag #FlatFontbonne, so we

can nd it!

“Say Cheese!” with #Flat FontbonneCSJ Congregation’s Social Media Campaign

March/April 2016 PNN

Documents

Transcript of March/April 2016 PNN