Ursulines. Hearing God s Call to be a Sister. New Leaders Installed. Ursuline Convocation. New Chaplain. Retreat Center News

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1 Ursulines Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph Freeing and Nurturing Women and Children Fall 2010 Vol. 9, No. 1 New Leaders Installed Ursuline Convocation New Chaplain Retreat Center News Hearing God s Call to be a Sister UA Fall 2010.indd 1 9/7/2010 2:56:25 PM

2 U r s u l i n e s A L I V E From our Congregational Leader Dear Friends, The one who sat on the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. Then he said, Write these words down, for they are trustworthy and true. [Rev 21:5] This fall s Ursulines Alive focuses on the new year (yes, I know it is September, but we so often think in terms of academic years or perhaps the year begins after Picnic ), new ministries, new leadership. We are also challenged to consider what makes the Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph unique. You ve read in earlier issues about the new leadership Sister Sharon team. I invite you to reflect with me on the variety within this new Council. Our homes were from rural and urban Kentucky, rural Kansas, and urban Texas. Our families range from just two offspring to a robust group of nine. We ve served in special and regular education, higher education, parish ministries, plant administration, and internal ministries. Yet each of us is an Ursuline Sister of Mount Saint Joseph through and through. In this issue, you ll read of new ministries; gatherings of Ursulines and Associates in convocation, reunions, and community/gathering days. You ll enjoy an excursion into the daily life of one of our Not Really Retired, and still quite active sisters at Mount Saint Joseph. In each of these explorations, you will encounter just what makes an Ursuline Sister of Mount Saint Joseph unique. And just what is unique? Do you suppose unique means different? One of a kind? It may; but more truly, unique also means radically distinctive and without equal. So I believe I know that those elements which make the Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph unique are the people we serve and the people who serve with us to carry to others the unique, the radically joyous, message of the Gospel of Life. Saint Angela calls us always to the feet of Jesus, and it is there that we Ursulines, associates, friends, benefactors, students, colleagues discover the Word we cherish that is truly unique and without equal. May this fall be for each of you a time of unique blessings. Sister Sharon Sullivan, OSU Cover: Sister Monica Seaton, 35, kneeling at the altar, professes her final vows as an Ursuline Sister of Mount Saint Joseph as she is blessed by the congregation at a special liturgy on June 28, Sister Monica, a native of Owensboro, Ky., entered the postulancy in 2000, became a novice with the Order of Saint Ursula in 2002, and made temporary vows in She is a graduate of Brescia University, and since January 2007, she has ministered with the Daviess County School System in Owensboro. Her mother and five siblings live in Owensboro. The Ursuline Sisters now have over 450 Facebook fans! To become a fan, visit Ursulines Alive is published by the Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph, Maple Mount, Ky. Three issues are published each calendar year. EDITORS: Director of Mission Advancement/Communications...Dan Heckel, OSUA Communications Specialist/Graphic Design...Jennifer Kaminski MISSION ADVANCEMENT STAFF: Director of Development...Sister Amelia Stenger Director of Mission Effectiveness...Sister Rose Marita O Bryan Director of Spiritual Formation...Sister Marietta Wethington Director of Ursuline Partnerships...Marian Bennett, OSUA 2 Administrative Specialist/Web Development...Tiffany Orth In this issue Vocations...3 Hearing the call to be an Ursuline Sister Ursuline Convocation...6 A gathering of Ursulines in North America that occurs every three years Our Louisville Roots...6 New Leadership Installed...7 Not Really Retired...9 Obituaries...10 New Motherhouse Chaplain...11 Retreat Center...12 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 Fax: info.msj@maplemount.org Follow us on Facebook: UA Fall 2010.indd 2 9/7/2010 2:56:38 PM

3 Helping future Ursuline Sisters to answer God s call Sister Dianna Ortiz was a speaker for the Contemporary Woman Program at Brescia University on Feb. 15, Sister Dianna is now office manager for Pax Christi USA in Washington, D.C. Sister Margaret Ann Zinselmeyer ministers at Hope House day care in Memphis, Tenn., a place for children infected or affected by HIV. Sister Monica Seaton shows students in a faith formation class in Owensboro, Ky., a poster about her mission trip to Jamaica. By Dan Heckel, Mount Saint Joseph Staff Do you remember the call? When did you hear your name out loud? Can you remember the word that you heard When the story began in you? In the Name of Love, by Sister Jennifer Corlett, an Ursuline Sister of Cleveland, and Rev. Mark Hobson Ursuline Sister Martha Keller began as director of vocation ministry on Aug. 1. Now for a quiz: Who is responsible for spreading the news of how becoming an Ursuline Sister will allow a young woman to serve God and society in a myriad of ways? A. Sister Martha B. All Ursuline Sisters C. All lay people who support the mission of the Ursuline Sisters D. All of the above If you answered all of the above, you and the Ursuline Sisters both win. Most religious orders are struggling with attracting members who are willing to devote their lives to Christ. The reasons are varied, but few believe that God is failing to call people to religious life. I love this community, Sister Martha said. We have a valuable mission to offer within the church and we need others to help us carry out this mission. It s a rewarding life, a fulfilling life, she said. I know women are hungry for that. During the community s Chapter of Affairs meeting in July, the Ursuline Sisters overwhelmingly voted to approve a proposal that the community pursue together intentional and extensive conversations/study/implementation concerning every avenue for new vowed members. That will result in a year of study and conversation on how to best interest women who are being called to religious life. Why religious life? The changes that took place following the Second Vatican Council opened new avenues for women in the Catholic Church. Some who have a passion to serve the church may feel they can do so while still pursuing dreams of having a family or a career. Ursuline Sisters are great supporters of lay ministry, but their vowed life is a deeper commitment. Without the restrictions of commitment to a spouse and children, we have the added freedom, with which comes responsibility, to follow freely our call to wherever it takes us, said Sister Mary Jude Cecil, who serves as a religious presence in Paducah, Ky. Our community life together enriches, encourages, and prepares us to go, in the spirit of Saint Angela Merici, to follow the call to reach out to many areas of our world, supported by our sisters with prayer, to answer our call to minister to others in Christ s name. Continued on page 4 Sister Darlene Denton, right, helps Clarice Scott gather school supplies in the food pantry of Shively Area Ministries, Louisville, Ky. Sister Marilyn Mueth teaches her second-graders math at St. James Catholic School in Millstadt, Ill. She has taught for almost 20 years in the only Catholic parish in this small town. 3 UA Fall 2010.indd 3 9/7/2010 2:57:02 PM

4 4 Continued from page 3 The quality of our bond of love among us is the key to this challenge. For Sister Marietta Wethington, director of formation for Ursuline Partnerships, it s the witness of the sisters that makes the difference. Our celibate life calls us to a deep union with God and to freely, compassionately, and joyfully love all people without focusing on one particular love, she said. Our vow of poverty frees us to not seek a lot of possessions. Our desire is not for material things, rather we empty ourselves and depend on God alone. Our consecrated life gives a unique focus to our witness just as the vocation of marriage or the single life gives devoted lay persons a unique focus to their witness, Sister Marietta said. I really feel called to give my life in service to God, said Sister Martha, who has been an Ursuline for 34 years. I felt a need to be in community with women who shared the same values, to pray with other women, and be supported by their prayer and example. You can be a very passionate woman in the church today, but to live in community and go forth, there s a difference. Why the Ursuline Sisters? There are many communities of sisters to choose from, some who actively minister like the Ursulines, others who are monastic. Sister Larraine Lauter gathers with some of the Hispanic children at the Church of the Epiphany, Louisville, Ky. She serves as the parish s social responsibility minister. Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph formed a choir to help celebrate the 60th anniversary of Blessed Mother Parish, Owensboro, Ky., in Sister Rose Theresa Johnson, left, and Sister Rose Karen Johnson, right, pray with and give Communion to Bonnie Clemons in her home in Muhlenberg County, Ky. Querciolo Mazzonis, author of Spirituality, Gender, and the Self in Renaissance Italy, said that while women in cloisters are physically separated from the world, Saint Angela provided her daughters a way to be separated from the world through an inner detachment from secular values. Sister Martha said, There is reflected in us a balance of being active and contemplative, and that s very unique. Educators are passionate, that is typical of the Ursulines. We re passionate about whatever we re doing -- I can tell it when I walk in the room. That s why I tell people, just come be among us. Sister Marie Goretti Browning, a former director of novices, said, I believe our commitment to simplicity in our life and in our person, and our commitment to hospitality in relation to everyone we meet are the essential expressions of our Ursuline charism. Some of the unique traits of the Ursuline Sisters are our unprejudiced love; our loving support of one another in community; our generous other-centeredness lived out in our prayer life, in our community life, and in our service to others; our joyful, hope-filled spirit; and our not being centered in power and possessions, Sister Marie Goretti said. Women should be attracted to the Ursuline way of life because of who Ursulines are, not what they do, Sister Marietta said. Angela tells us in the prologue to her Rule that we are true and virginal spouses of Jesus and asks us to realize what an astonishing dignity that is. Sisters Jacinta Powers, left, and Catherine Barber stand on the steps of the Kentucky State Capitol in Frankfort after witnessing the signing of the state s anti-human trafficking bill in Sister Pam Mueller, campus minister at Brescia University, Owensboro, Ky., often visits Brescia s chapel. Sister Joan Riedley practices her guitar at the former St. Denis Parish, Louisville, Ky. BELOW: Sister Mary Sheila Higdon stands at the lectern in St. Catherine Church, Piedmont, Mo. UA Fall 2010.indd 4 9/7/2010 2:57:28 PM

5 Sister Marian Powers sorts mail at the Maple Mount Post Office. Sister Mimi Ballard, left, helps Maria Jose with candlewicking at Casa Ursulina in Chillan, Chile, where women learn skills to become more self sufficient. Sister Clara Reid speaks with students in her class at St. Charles Borromeo School in Albuquerque, N.M. BELOW: Sister Michele Morek helps fold emergency information flyers at a temporary shelter at St. Joseph and Paul Parish, Owensboro, Ky., after a 2009 ice storm hit the region. It is the charism of Saint Angela that sets Ursulines apart, a creative, contemplative response to the needs of God s people, wherever they are, whatever their needs, Sister Marietta said. Perhaps it is for this reason that the Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph have always been known for their ability to go where others do not go, especially to poor, rural areas, she said. We are women who do not seek to promote ourselves but choose to serve in ways that keep us in the background. At our best we are women of deep prayer, simple living, and gracious hospitality. Sister Sharon Sullivan, the new congregational leader, said to be an Ursuline is to be fully human and fully alive... laugh a little, cry a little, love a little, learn a little... all in loving response to God. Sister Sharon knew she needed a commitment to a life in service of the Gospel. I believed as women bound by vows to each other and to their calling that joining the Ursulines could strengthen my call, give support when I was not so committed, and give me a chance to do the same for others who shared the same call. While many religious orders were created for a particular ministry, Sister Mary Jude said Ursuline Sisters follow the path set by Saint Angela in the 15 th century. We continue her legacy by formal education, from pre-school to university, reaching out to the poor, the sick, the widowed, the homeless, the rural areas of neglected marginalized, all in the effort to be Christ to those who touch our lives, and whose lives we strive to change for the better, Sister Mary Jude said. What One Person Can Do The ministries of the Ursuline Sisters education, church ministry, social outreach and justice advocacy, and ministries of body, mind, and spirit continue to serve thousands of people each year in eight states, the District of Columbia, and Chile, South America. These missions require new sisters to continue ministering to people in need, to lead others to Christ, and to share the story of God s goodness. Through more than 130 years of faithful service, the Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph have amassed many wonderful friends. If each supporter of the Ursulines passed along the name of just one young woman who might be interested in religious life a child or grandchild, a co-worker, a parish member, a student, a neighbor just imagine what impact that could have on the faith lives of those who receive their ministry in the future. It all starts with an invitation, just like the one Sister Marie Goretti gave to Sister Martha when she was still in high school. Sister Marie Goretti told me, you re not going to know until you give it a try, Sister Martha said. F a l l Sister Rosemary Keough visits a family in Sebree, Ky. From left are the mother, Aurelia, and two of her five children, Luis and Selena. Sister Marietta Wethington leads a retreat focusing on The Life and Writings of Saint Angela Merici Aug at Mount Saint Joseph Conference and Retreat Center. Sister Marie Joseph Coomes stands behind Audubon Area Community Services senior companion clients Louise and Allen in Daviess County, Ky. Louise said, Sister is a blessing to both of us. 5 UA Fall 2010.indd 5 9/7/2010 2:57:57 PM

6 Sister Martha Keller is the new director of vocation ministry for the Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph. She continues to serve as pastoral associate at St. Francis de Sales Parish in Paducah, Ky., where she is very active in adult education. She is always glad to meet a young person who is interested in religious life. her at martha. keller@maplemount.org or call her at (270) Visit her on Facebook, and read her blog, The Journey, at ursulinesmsjvocations. blogspot.com. More than 50 sisters, including Sister Martha, have been featured in our monthly Sisters in Ministry series. Find them online at. North American Ursuline Convocation Nearly 300 Ursuline Sisters and Associates gathered in Cleveland, Ohio, on July 1-4 to share in the spirit and charism of Saint Angela Merici at the North American Ursuline Convocation. The convocation, held every three years, celebrated the 475 th anniversary of the founding of the Company of Saint Ursula. The highlight of the convocation was the two-day address by Querciolo Mazzonis, author of Spirituality, Gender, and the Self in Renaissance Italy, a book that gives context to the world Saint Angela lived in when she started her company. The Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph were represented by 15 sisters and four associates. Sisters Pam Mueller and Beth Akins were on the convocation planning committee, and Sisters Mary Lois Speaks and Mary Sister Pam Mueller, a member of the convocation planning committee, gathers a candle that was part of a labyrinth set up in the prayer room. INSET: Sisters Lisa Marie Cecil and Mary Angela Matthews modeled the Saint Angela scarves given to each attendee. The two ministered together in New Mexico from Celine Weidenbenner played prominent roles in two daily prayer services. Among those leading breakout sessions July 3 was Mount Saint Joseph Sister Suzanne Sims, who described the UNANIMA human trafficking Stop the Demand campaign. The Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph are the smallest of 19 congregational members of UNANIMA, a nongovernmental organization of the United Nations that helps shape international policy, particularly those promoting the welfare of women and children. Participants in the convocation had the chance to visit the Women in Spirit exhibit that was on display in Cleveland, and were treated to Mass and dinner at the Ursuline Sisters of Cleveland Motherhouse. Our Louisville Roots... In a recent review of property deeds, the Mount Saint Joseph finance director discovered that the original parcels of land purchased by the Louisville Ursulines when they first established the girls academy at Mount Saint Joseph in 1874 were still recorded in the name of the Louisville community. The Mount Saint Joseph group broke off from Louisville and became an autonomous community in 1912, but somebody forgot to transfer the ownership of the property! While the Mount Saint Joseph sisters did in reality own the land by virtue of adverse possession, a quit-claim deed was executed to make it official, and it was signed (see photo above) on June 8. 6 The Ursuline Sisters of the Immaculate Conception of Louisville, Ky., dedicated a historic marker (photo at left) at the site of the original motherhouse on the corner of Shelby and Chestnut Streets on July 25 (entrance to original convent is pictured at right). Sisters Michele Morek, Amanda Rose Mahoney, Emma Anne Munsterman, and Vickie Cravens attended from the Mount Saint Joseph community. The Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph got their start when five Ursuline Sisters from Louisville arrived at what is now Maple Mount in 1874 to start Mount Saint Joseph Academy. DEED SIGNING AT LEFT: Pictured, back row: Sisters Nancy Murphy and Kathleen Dueber, with Louisville Ursuline Sisters Rita Wiggington, Rita Dressman, and Martha Jacob. Front row: Sisters Cheryl Clemons, Barbara Jean Head, Michele Morek, and Louisville Sisters Lynn Jarrell and Ruth Ann Haunz. UA Fall 2010.indd 6 9/7/2010 2:58:15 PM

7 F a l l Sister Julia Head visits with Father Timothy Sweeney, OSB, before Mass. Father Sweeney was the pastor at Immaculate Parish until 2006, where Sister Julia has ministered since Sister Rita Scott, a new Councilor, is joined by Ursuline Associate Bonnie Marks of Owensboro at a dinner in the Motherhouse dining room following the installation Mass. New Mount Saint Joseph leadership installed July 18 The five new members of the Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph Council were officially received into office on July 18, before a packed Motherhouse Chapel. Sister Sharon Sullivan was installed as congregational leader, with Sister Julia Head installed as assistant congregational leader. Sisters Kathleen Dueber, Rita Scott, and Nancy Murphy were installed as councilors. Standing before the congregation with flowers in their hands, each signifying their unique strengths, the new team heard these words from the outgoing leadership: On behalf of the community, we accept with gratitude the gifts you bring to your six years in community leadership. The rest of the Ursuline community said, We, the Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph, welcome and affirm you as our leaders for May God be with you and Saint Angela guide you. The new team each put their flowers in a vase before a picture of Saint Angela Merici, the Ursuline founder, and received hugs from the outgoing team. The new team then sat in the first row to the left of the altar, the official leadership seats during all community Masses. Bishop Emeritus John McRaith gave a brief homily, thanking both leadership teams on behalf of Bishop William Medley, who could not attend, and thanking the entire Ursuline community for making such an incredible difference in western Kentucky and so many other places in sharing the good news with others. Sister Sharon offered her reflection on the day s readings and related them to the coming years for the Ursuline Sisters. She called on the sisters to immerse themselves in God s love and step beyond what they know about life, much the way Martha was instructed by Jesus to be more like her sister Mary (Luke 10:38-42). Sister Nancy Murphy, left, receives congratulations from Sister Dorothy Helbling, former superior of the Ursulines of Belleville, Ill. (They merged with Mount Saint Joseph in 2005.) Sister Nancy served in Belleville from 2005 until this summer. Sister Kathleen Condry, left, embraces Sister Kathleen Dueber following Mass. The two served in leadership with the Ursulines of Paola, Kan., prior to the merger of that community with Mount Saint Joseph in COUNCIL Seated: Congregational Leader Sister Sharon Sullivan, Assistant Congregational Leader Julia Head. Standing, left to right: Councilors Sister Rita Scott, Sister Nancy Murphy, and Sister Kathleen Dueber. The outgoing leadership team was presented with wooden pilgrim staffs (gifts from the community) by Saint Angela Merici, or Sister Marietta Wethington, left, during community days in July. Pictured above: Sister Ann McGrew, Sister Cheryl Clemons, Sister Barbara Jean Head, Sister Maureen Griner, and former Congregational Leader Sister Michele Morek. 7 UA Fall 2010.indd 7 9/7/2010 2:58:47 PM

8 U r s u l i n e s A L I V E STUDENT VOLUNTEER Sarah Elrod, left, visits with Sister Helen Hermreck and other sisters in Saint Joseph Villa. A student at Berea College, Sarah volunteered at the Mount Aug and then spent a week with the Ursuline Sisters in Memphis, Tenn. She is from Paducah, Ky. RIGHT: Sister Cheryl Clemons was the keynote speaker on Associates and Sisters Day July 10 at Mount Saint Joseph. She spoke on Living with Change to 132 attendees. ASSOCIATES DAY REMODELING Work by Lanham Brothers Construction to install a new ramp, steps, and handrails on the north end of Lourdes Hall, which began May 24, is nearly complete. The third floor has been remodeled and now houses offices for the new leadership team. Eventually archives and the business office will also move into this building Celebrate with CAKE! RECOMMITMENTS 8 Former pupils and friends of Sister Alfreda Malone met at St. Anthony Church in Peonia, Ky., (where she taught and was principal from ) on Aug. 1 to celebrate her 60th Jubilee. Sister Alfreda, left, laughs with her former student, Barbara White Kiper. Sister Mary Patrick McDonagh, above left, was surprised on her 80th birthday Aug. 12 by members of her family from Cincinnati, including her niece Bridget McDonagh. Sister Mary Patrick is originally from Ireland. The first meeting of the Young Daughters of Saint Angela met April 14 in Queen of The Holy Rosary Wea, Kan. The girls, led by Ursuline Associates Carol O Keefe and Lisa Reilly, will meet monthly to learn about the life of Saint Angela Merici. Sister Marietta Wethington, far right, helps lead an Ursuline Associate recommitment ceremony in Paola, Kan., on June 6. LEFT: Sister Michele Morek, right, pins Mary Ann McGraw at the April 17 recommitment Mass in Belleville, Ill. Recommitments took place in both Belleville and Paola following the mergers of those communities with Mount Saint Joseph. RIGHT: Sister Rosanne Spalding, left, and Sister Helen Smith, look up something on a laptop at a meeting during the Ursuline Sisters community days in mid-july. The sisters had meetings, prayers, and activities for six days. BLOOD DRIVE Sister George Mary Hagan, who organized a blood drive June 10 at Mount Sain Joseph, stands in front of the bloodmobile. Among the dono was Sister Celine Leeker, at left. LEFT: Sister Mary Sheila Higdon, left, Sister Claudia Hayden and Sister Renee Monaghan look at papers describing the sisters dreams an God s dreams for the community s future durin community days in mid-july. BELOW: Sister Fra Wilhelm and Sister Elaine Burke dress in Mexica costumes to entertain during community days. COMMUNITY DAYS UA Fall 2010.indd 8 9/7/2010 2:59:48 PM

9 n the ay been e new he ilding. e, ed a June Saint ds he e. donors eline ft. r an ms and during r Fran Mexican days. Not Really Retired... Sister Susanne Bauer s life as a sister comes full circle Sister Susanne Bauer grew up on a farm in Kansas, and one of her first ministries was serving as sacristan for her community of Ursuline Sisters. After 59 years of religious life, she has come full circle -- living on a farm at Maple Mount, and ministering as sacristan for her community of Ursuline Sisters. In between she spent more than 40 years in education and eight years in community leadership. She was an Ursuline Sister of Paola, Kan., prior to that community s merger with Mount Saint Joseph in The move to Kentucky has been a good one, she said. She s glad to be back on a farm, and she enjoys looking at nature and spending time in the garden. She s been the sacristan at Maple Mount since July 2009, taking care of Mass preparations, or making the chapel available for sisters who want to pray. Sister Susanne grew up in Louisburg, Kan., about 20 minutes from Paola. Her mother, Marie, came to America from Austria after World War I, and settled in the Kansas City area, where she worked for the Sisters of Loretto for $3 a week. Her father asked his dad one day if he knew any women who would make him a good wife. Some women in Kansas City suggested the young woman who d moved there from Austria. My dad wasn t impressed, her English wasn t very good, but my grandpa said she d make him a good wife, Sister Susanne said. They went together for a year and got married. The two died in the early 1960s. Sister Susanne believes her tomboy ways on the farm led her to the Ursulines. My mother had concerns about what would happen to me, she said. She thought the sisters could do anything, so her parents enrolled her in the Ursuline Academy, the high school run by the Ursuline Sisters of Paola. The sisters saw that if they kept me busy, I stayed out of trouble, Sister Susanne said. I worked with the sisters and got to know them. I decided that s what I wanted to be. She entered in February 1951, during her senior year of high school. From , she was the sacristan at the Motherhouse and did other jobs, such as housekeeping and working in the kitchen. In 1959 she was asked to replace a teacher who was ill, and taught first grade at Queen of the Holy Rosary School in Overland Park, Kan. I really liked it, she said. She had not taken teacher certification courses or received her bachelor s degree, so she pursued them in the summers. I went to school for 17 summers, she said, including work on a master s to become a principal. Sister Susanne Bauer serves as the sacristan for the Motherhouse Chapel. F a l l Much of her education career was at St. John School in Bartlesville, Okla., which the Ursulines had run since I said I would go for a year, she said, but instead she stayed for 18, becoming principal from Bartlesville is the home of Phillips Petroleum, it s a very educated community, with lots of opportunity for city life in a small town, Sister Susanne said. She served as assistant superior of the community from , then became principal of Sacred Heart School in Ottawa, Kan., from From she was a teacher s aide in Bucyrus, Kan., with the last year ministering as an assistant pre-school teacher. That was a lot of fun. I like kids, she said. She also enjoys reading, especially books on Saint Angela Merici, other saints, and religious communities. Friends can write to Sister Susanne at 8001 Cummings Road, Maple Mount, KY Former Sisters Day About 50 former members of the Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph came back to Maple Mount on June 27 th for the Ursulines at Heart reunion. It was a joyous day filled with hugs, and included Sister George Mary Hagan, left, and visitors all the Sister Rose Marita O Bryan, right, visit way from the West with Therese Fraize of Morganfield and Coast. The day Beverly McAuliffe of Louisville. included Mass, dinner, a tour of the grounds and the Retreat Center, a video of old movies, and an anointing service. The final hymn was Magnificat. Note: Former sister Therese Fraize has created two souvenir discs from the June 27 reunion, a CD of photos and a DVD of Sister Serra Goethals, SCN, video clips with a slide show. If you left, of Louisville embraces would like these free discs, contact Sister Marie Brenda Vowels. Therese at mtfraize@roadrunner. com or call her at or by Oct. 29, UA Fall 2010.indd 9 9/7/2010 3:00:17 PM

10 U r s u l i n e s A L I V E In the joy of eternal life Sister VICKIE CRAVENS, 59, died Aug. 5 at Owensboro Medical Health System, Owensboro, Ky., in her 13 th year of religious life. She was a native of Lebanon, Mo. Sister Vickie ministered in the Ursuline archives from the time she entered the community in 1997, serving as director of the archives since She was also curator of the community museum, and an integral part of the yearly Mount Saint Joseph Picnic. Sister Vickie was a great student of Ursuline history, and loved to tell the story of the sisters. She did research for relatives of deceased sisters, provided transcripts for graduates of Mount Saint Joseph Academy, and gave tours of Maple Mount to the public, all in an effort to keep the stories alive. Prior to joining the Ursulines, Sister Vickie worked more than 20 years in the Kinderhook Regional Library system in Lebanon, Mo. Survivors include her sister, Beth Shields, of Lebanon, Mo., nephews, and the members of her religious community. The funeral Mass was Aug. 7 at Mount Saint Joseph, with burial in the convent cemetery. Sister Mary Rosaria Ray, 88, died Aug. 21 at Mount Saint Joseph, in her 68th year of religious life. She was a native of Payneville in Meade County. An educator for more than 45 years, she ministered for 40 years in the Diocese of Owensboro. She taught at St. Alphonsus School, St. Joseph (1944, ), St. Paul School, Leitchfield ( ), and St. Peter of Alcantara School, Stanley ( ). She served as principal of St. Joseph School, Mayfield ( ), Sts. Joseph and Paul ( ) and Immaculate ( ) schools, Owensboro, and Mary Carrico School, Knottsville ( ). She taught and was principal in other schools in Kentucky, New Mexico, and Nebraska. From and , she served in pastoral ministry in Saint John the Evangelist Parish, Sunfish. She also worked in crafts and mail distribution at Mount Saint Joseph. She took a deep interest in all of her religious community s activities. Survivors include two sisters, Anna O Bryan of Ekron and Mary Patricia Ray of Brandenburg; one brother, Joseph Patrick Ray of Guston; nieces and nephews, and the members of her religious community. The funeral Mass was Aug. 24 at Mount Saint Joseph. Sister Mary Jovita Milner, 89, died Aug. 24 at Baptist East Hospital, Louisville, Ky., in her 69th year of religious life. She was born in Platteville, Colo., and grew up in Grayson County, Ky. An educator for more than 50 years, Sister Mary Jovita was a compassionate person who lived her life by the words, Lord, whatever you want. She taught in the Diocese of Owensboro, the Archdiocese of Louisville and in New Mexico. From , she served as a teacher, part-time tutor, parish minister, and finally religious presence at St. Bartholomew School and Parish, Louisville. She was called home on the feast of Saint Bartholomew. Survivors include a sister, Marcella Smith of Whiteland, Ind., an adopted brother, the Rev. Peter Hsu, of China, her longtime caretaker Betty O Cana, nieces and nephews, and the members of her religious community. Funerals were held Aug. 26 in Louisville and Aug. 27 in the Motherhouse Chapel, with burial in the Motherhouse 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 License No Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph Quilt Club tickets are now available! Sister Mary Cabrini Foushee You get 12 chances to win a handmade quilt with our Quilt Club annual memberships, available for only $20 each. Buy one for yourself and one for a friend! A new quilt is raffled each month. For details, visit and click on How You Can Help. --, New Quilt Club drawings begin Oct. 1, Order your tickets today! ext. 278 tiffany.orth@maplemount.org A FAREWELL DINNER for Glenmary priests and current novices was held May 13 at Mount Saint Joseph. Since 2005, the novitiate program of the Glenmary Home Missioners has been located at Maple Mount. This year it moved to Cincinnati. Pictured: Father Tom Kirkendoll, novice Clive Otieno, Father Dave Glockner, and novice Eric Okeyo. The two novices, both from Kenya, were the fifth group of Glenmary novices to stay in the Bethany house at the Mount. The priests celebrated most of the daily Masses at the Motherhouse Chapel during their years at the Mount. UA Fall 2010.indd 10 9/7/2010 3:00:31 PM

11 The Ministry of Fundraising F a l l Father Ray Goetz hands the chalice to Sister Mary Angela Matthews and Sister Frances Miriam Spalding at the June 27 Mass. That was the day of the former Ursuline Sisters reunion. Father Ray is new chaplain When Father Ray Goetz was being taught by Ursuline Sisters at St. Martin Parish in Rome, Ky., he never dreamed he d someday be the chaplain at the Motherhouse. The Ursuline tradition was such a part of our family, he said. I ve known them all my life. His mother attended Mount Saint Joseph Academy in the 1930s, and two of his sisters did as well. His great aunt was an Ursuline, Sister Mary Eulalia Blandford, who died in He had many Ursuline teachers at St. Martin, and his two favorite are still with the community Sister Clarence Marie Luckett, a religious presence in Caneyville, Ky., and Sister Rose Marie Craycroft, who is retired to the Motherhouse. Sister Mary Matthias Ward, local community life coordinator, ministered with Father Ray at St. Leo Parish in Murray, Ky., from The sisters are getting a good homilist with a strong voice, she said. He is a great story teller, Sister Mary Matthias said. He s caring, loving, and he ll do everything he can do for you. He also ministered with Sister Cheryl Clemons at St. Mary of the Woods in Whitesville shortly after he became a priest in the early 1980s. Father Ray will serve as pastor at St. Alphonsus Parish across the highway from the Mount, and also teach theology part time at Brescia University. He is saying daily Mass at 7:15 a.m. at the Motherhouse Chapel and is living in the St. Alphonsus rectory. Father Ray considers preaching to be his strongest gift as a priest. It s the most important job a priest has, he said. He just celebrated his 29 th year as a priest. William Medley, bishop for the Diocese of Owensboro, was his classmate at St. Meinrad Seminary. The sisters are literally thrilled that we re gifted with a chaplain from the bishop, Sister Mary Matthias said. Photo by Therese Fraize, OSUA Dear Friends of the Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph, Over the years I have had the privilege of working with many of you and getting to know you through our work at the Retreat Center. I have been blessed in so many ways because of you. Now I have the privilege of working with you in a new capacity as the Director of Sister Amelia Development for the Ursuline community. Some have asked me why I said yes to this and how will I go about doing it. Those are pretty big questions. My answer to both is to tell you what my Dad told me a long time ago You can do anything you put your mind to. Just sit down, think about it, place it all in God s hands and do your best. I will add one more thing ask wonderful people to help you. The concept of development and fund-raising is a ministry. According to Henri Nouwen, Fund-raising is a very rich and beautiful activity. It is a confident, joyful, and hope-filled expression of ministry. In ministering to each other, each from the riches that he or she possesses, we work together for the full coming of God s kingdom. If we look at fund-raising as a ministry we recognize who we are and all the gifts we have come from God. These gifts are received and shared in so many ways. Over the years the Ursuline Sisters have received so much from the people we have served. We have received friendship, encouragement, praise, and many gifts. Our benefactors have shared their goodness and wealth with us. As we continue our mission of education and faith formation, we will need your continued support. Today, more than ever, we strive to share the good news of Jesus with people in eight states, the District of Columbia and Chile. Our works vary but their goal is the same teach people that God loves them. Development and fund-raising always aim to create new and lasting friendships. I look forward to visiting with many of you as this new ministry emerges. God bless each of you for your wonderful support in the past, present, and future. Sincerely, Sister Amelia Stenger, OSU Director of Development THANK YOU!!! Picnic volunteers and attendees and all who helped in any way to make our 40th annual picnic on Sept. 12 a success! We couldn t have done it without you. All proceeds benefit retired Ursuline Sisters. RIGHT: Sister Helen Ann Stuart helps with cherry pitting May 28 at the Motherhouse. If you would like information about including the Ursuline Sisters in your will, please contact Sister Amelia Stenger at UA Fall 2010.indd 11 9/7/2010 3:00:55 PM

12 A Ministry of the Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph Give Peace, Quiet, and Prayer a Chance On July 9, the seven members of the Spiritual Direction Training Program at Mount Saint Joseph Conference and Retreat Center completed the requirements of their twoyear program and were certified as spiritual directors. First row, from left, Sue Provost, Brother Benedict L. Robert, and Sister Martha Keller; second row, Kim Kaberle, Sister Sandy Sherman, Kathy Sarver, and Bonnie Trachsel; top row, the coordinating team of Sister Elaine Burke, Sister Marietta Wethington, and Sister Ann McGrew. NOTE: The Spiritual Direction Training Program begins the week of Oct. 18. If you are interested in registering, please contact Sheila Blandford at ext. 427 or sheila.blandford@maplemount.org. A brochure and registration form can be found at 12 Mount Saint Joseph Conference and Retreat Center Calendar of Events Through 2010 September 40th Mount Saint Joseph Barbecue Picnic...Sunday, Sept. 12 Glenmary Retreat...Monday-Friday, Sept Leadership McLean County... Friday-Saturday, Sept First Baptist Church Choir... Saturday, Sept. 18 Runaway Quilters...Tuesday-Friday, Sept October Marian Retreat... Friday-Sunday, Oct. 1-3 Private Wedding Reception... Saturday, Oct. 2 United Methodist-Madisonville, Women s Retreat Friday-Saturday, Oct. 8-9 Pray the Rosary in the Center Chapel...Sunday, Oct. 10 at 2 p.m. (No registration needed for Praying of the Rosary) Mount Hope Weekend... Friday-Sunday, Oct New Spiritual Direction Class Starts... Monday-Friday, Oct Catholic Engaged Encounter... Friday-Sunday, Oct Priests Retreat Week... Monday-Friday, Oct November Academy for Young Leaders... Saturday-Sunday, Nov. 6-7 Thomas Merton Retreat...Friday-Sunday, Nov Yarn Spinners Day... Saturday, Nov. 13 Pax Christi/Women s Retreat, Lexington... Friday-Sunday, Nov December Advent Day of Prayer... Thursday, Dec. 9 Center-sponsored programs are in bold type. Please call to register. To register or to schedule your event, call Kathy McCarty , ext. 413 kathy.mccarty@maplemount.org The Retreat Center is located 12 miles west of Owensboro on Hwy. 56 Dot Poppe, Sister Joan Miriam Glaser, OP, and Father Greg Trawick listen to a discussion during the Aug. 27-Sept. 3 Centering Prayer retreat. This process cultivates a deep level of interior peace and silence in a nurturing, supportive environment. A retreat for Hispanic youth took place May 7-8 at the Center. Participants relax in the Center courtyard during the April theological reflection and assembly organized by Father Dominic Duggins. UA Fall 2010.indd 12 9/7/2010 3:01:19 PM

13 Sister Ann Dear Friends of the Mount Saint Joseph Conference and Retreat Center, Summer is quickly moving into autumn. With the winding down of summer brings some new programs we are hosting and sponsoring. The Center is a place of beauty and quiet. The invitation is to come away to this place and allow God to speak to your heart and soul. The fourth session of the Spiritual Direction Training Program is scheduled to begin in October and the interview process for the candidates has begun. Sisters Marietta Wethington, Elaine Burke, and I are facilitators of this two-year program. Throughout the two-year period other experts are invited to facilitate some of the sessions. As we listen to the reactions of the groups who come to the Center these are some comments we hear from them: The Center is a home away from home, always clean and all needs are met. The appearance and taste of the food is always a welcoming treat (some even say that they come for the program but stay for the food). The warm hospitality from the staff is always appreciated by the groups. The retreats and programs offer enrichment for our spiritual lives. People often ask, What is spiritual direction? Spiritual direction is the art of companioning others on their journey to God and helping them uncover the presence and action of God in their everyday experiences. People go to spiritual direction because they are seeking a deeper relationship with God and believe they can do that better with another person than they can alone. There are a number of other retreats and programs scheduled for the next few months. We will welcome the Glenmary community and the quilters in September. In October, the Marian Retreat, Rosary Walk, Mount Hope, Methodist Women Retreat, Engaged Encounter, Diocesan Priests Retreat, and women s retreat come to the Retreat Center. You are always invited to come and spend time here at the Retreat Center. We thank you for your support of our mission and ministry. With your continued support we will have the resources needed to make our Center truly the spiritual life center for the Diocese of Owensboro. Are there programs you would like to see offered here at the Center? We invite your suggestions and will try to meet your needs as we journey together in faith. Instructor John Rose teaches campers how to purify water during a class at the Discover Music, Discover Nature camp for children ages at Mount Saint Joseph. The campers at the June 1-5 event tie-dyed their own T-shirts. Writers discuss their work at a 10-day writers retreat workshop in June. Writers from across the nation and a few foreign countries were on hand for the workshops. It was the first time in the 23-year history of the workshop that it was held at the Center. Sister Ann McGrew ann.mcgrew@maplemount.org Ursuline Associate Chris Denniston and Sister Judith Nell Riney relax in rocking chairs at the Center during the May Mount Saint Joseph Academy reunion. Both are members of the class of Schedule a Silent Retreat... Take One Or As Many Days As You Need One of the greatest challenges is to SIT STILL and BE QUIET. Silence tends to force us to be more keenly aware of the reality that surrounds us. In the silence God is at work assisting us to come into a deeper relationship with both oneself and Him. Set your own schedule and activity around our set meal times. We offer space to reflect, meditate, study, or just rest and enjoy our rural campus. Our chapel provides space in which to pray and be still in the presence of Jesus Christ. To set up a silent retreat, contact: Kathy McCarty at ext 413 or kathy.mccarty@maplemount.org 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. 13 UA Fall 2010.indd 13 9/7/2010 3:01:37 PM

14 U r s u l i n e s A L I V E New Gift Shop Hours The Mount Saint Joseph Gift Shop now has two regular open hours during the week. The shop will be open on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 a.m.-10 a.m. The shop will also be open on Saturdays after lunch if there is a group event in progress. To find event dates, see the calendar on page 12 or check the Center calendar on the website, For more information about the gift shop, contact Sister Mary McDermott at the Center at or mary.mcdermott@maplemount.org. Schedule your next event at the Center Call Yes, I/We want to support the mission of the Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph by contributing to the Memorial Rosary Walk. I/We want to support this ministry by contributing: $500 to sponsor a bead $125 to sponsor a brick $ Other If donating $125 or more, please fill in the blocks with the name of the person or persons to be inscribed on the brick or bead. One letter, comma, period or space must go in each box (15 maximum per line up to 3 lines): Amber Meeks, right, with the McLean County, Ky., extension office, purchases a chicken pin cushion (shown in photo at left) at the Mount Saint Joseph Gift Shop after her Aug. 19 meeting at Mount Saint Joseph Conference and Retreat Center. Sheila Blandford, left, Center staff, rings up the purchase. Many of the items in the shop are crafted by the Ursuline Sisters, associates, and friends. Our next spinning day is Saturday, Nov. 13, 2010 Spinners, weavers, knitters, and crocheters of all skill levels are welcome to attend the quarterly spinning gatherings at the Center. Sessions begin at 10 a.m. Lunch is $10. Call Kathy at ext. 413 to register. Come and pray at the Memorial Rosary Walk Remember your loved ones with bricks or beads. Name Address City State Zip Phone Please make checks payable to: Mount Saint Joseph Center c/o Rosary Walk, 8001 Cummings Rd., Maple Mount, KY Credit Card: Visa Mastercard Card # Expiration Date Signature Please mail this ad (or make a copy) with your contribution to help complete the Memorial Rosary Walk. For further information about sponsorship opportunities, contact Sister Amelia Stenger, OSU (270) amelia.stenger@maplemount.org 14 UA Fall 2010.indd 14 9/7/2010 3:01:54 PM

15 Pray the rosary with us Oct. 10 All are invited to pray the scriptural rosary together in the Mount Saint Joseph Conference and Retreat Center Chapel on Sunday, Oct. 10 at 2 p.m. October is the month in which Mary, Most Holy Queen of the Holy Rosary, is venerated. Please join us as Center Director Sister Ann McGrew leads us in these timeless prayers. The Center is located 12 miles west of Owensboro, Ky., on Highway 56. Also available to all visitors is our outdoor Memorial Rosary Walk, located on the front lawn next to Cummings Road. The walk was blessed and dedicated on Oct. 8, Marian Retreat Oct. 1-3, 2010 Theme: The Blessed Virgin Mary Retreat Director: Msgr. Bernard Powers The Blessed Virgin Mary not only has a physical relationship with Jesus but also a spiritual relationship. We also share a spiritual relationship with Jesus. The Marian Retreat includes opportunities for solitude as well as communal prayer, the rosary, Reconciliation, and Eucharistic Liturgy. The $175 fee includes retreat, meals, and accommodations. Commuters can attend for $120. Contact Kathy McCarty: ext. 413 kathy.mccarty@maplemount.org The Mount Saint Joseph Conference and Retreat Center Chapel is located in the former Mount Saint Joseph Academy building. F a l l More than 100 Mount Saint Joseph Academy and Junior College graduates returned to the Mount during the May annual reunion. One of the activities was a prayer service in the Memorial Garden (above). Alumnae also enjoyed tours and an awards banquet. LEFT: Faculty and staff from Brescia University enjoyed a prayer service and dinner with the Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph at Maple Mount on Aug. 18. Relaxing outside prior to the service were, seated, Sister Judith Nell Riney, OSU, director of library services, and Sister Cheryl Uebelhor, OSB, instructor of mathematics. Standing from left: Motherhouse chaplain Father Ray Goetz; Kenneth Short, Brescia staff; Keith Hudson, assistant professor of social work; and Ellen Dugan-Barrette and Craig Barrette, both English professors. The Ursulines founded Mount Saint Joseph Junior College for Women in The school began offering coeducational classes in Owensboro in 1946 and became Brescia College in 1950 and a university in Journey into Faith with Thomas Merton Weekend of Nov , 2010 Our real journey in life is interior: it is a matter of growth, deepening, and an ever-greater surrender to the creative action of love and grace in our hearts. Retreat Director Father Anthony Shonis Father Shonis is associate pastor of Holy Name of Jesus Parish in Henderson and is an Ursuline Associate. He has presented numerous retreats and workshops. Retreat begins 6:30 p.m. Friday. First meal is Saturday breakfast. Retreat ends after breakfast on Sunday. To register, contact Kathy McCarty: ext. 413 kathy.mccarty@maplemount.org Fee is $175 for residents or $120 for commuters. Deduct 10% if paid in full by Oct. 12. Join our Advent Day with Msgr. Bernard Powers Thursday, Dec. 9, 2010 The $ 15 fee includes lunch. Call to register. 15 UA Fall 2010.indd 15 9/7/2010 3:02:10 PM