News Notes

PROVINCE

SISTERS OF ST. JOSEPH OF CARONDELET AND ASSOCIATES ST. LOUIS PROVINCE MAY/JUNE 2016

May you breathe in the

beauty of summer with its
power of transformation.
Joyce Rupp

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

6
HEALTH AND
WELLNESS

Province News Notes is a

publication of the Sisters of
St. Joseph of Carondelet, St. Louis
Province. Its purpose is to promote
dialogue and unity within the
St. Louis province and to keep
members informed on those
subjects that promote community
and ministry.
We welcome your submissions!
Submit articles and photos to
Sarah Baker at sbaker@csjsl.org.
**Materials are subject to editing
and will be published at the
discretion of the editor.

STAFF
Jenny Beatrice
Editor
Sarah Baker
Graphic Design
Madeleine Reilly &
Print Shop Volunteers
Production, printing and mailing
Sarah Baker
Jenny Beatrice
Jane Behlmann, CSJ
Abigail Blaes
Jane Gerard, CSJ
Proofreading

The Health & Wellness

Committee provides the
how and what of
their planning process.

May/June 2016 PNN

ASSOCIATE
SPOTLIGHT
Associate Dave
Armstrong writes about
his ministry at Jerusalem
Farm in Kansas City.

2016 JUBILEE
We continue to
celebrate our jubilarians
by sharing a few 60th
jubilee photos, honorary
contributions and thank
yous.

CONTENTS
Province Leadership News............................................................................... 3-5
Health & Wellness Committee.............................................................................6
Congregational News...................................................................................... 7-8
2016 Tabitha Grants..............................................................................................9
Association...........................................................................................................10
Sharing of the Heart............................................................................................11
CSJ Life.................................................................................................................12
MCRI.....................................................................................................................13
2016 Jubilee................................................................................................... 14-15
Archives................................................................................................................16
Necrology: Sister Rose Mary Murphey..............................................................17
Necrology: Sister Mary John Dillard..................................................................18
Necrology: Sister Mary Reinhart........................................................................19
Necrology: Sister Marianne Thomas.................................................................20
Necrology: Sister Elizabeth Ann ODonnell......................................................21
CSJ Book Club............................................................................................... 22-23
CSJ Event Recap: Generosity of Joseph of Honors Gala...............................24
CSJ Event Recap: Linger Over Breakfast.........................................................25
CSJ Events & Happenings............................................................................ 26-27
Calendar..............................................................................................................28

SUMMER PRAYER BY JOYCE RUPP

Prayer is
shortened
version of
original.

Page 2

14-15

10

May the God of summer give us beauty.

May the God of summer give us rest.
May the God of summer give us joy.
May the God of summer give us inner light.
May the God of summer give us what we need for healing.
May the God of summer give us a sense of satisfaction
in the works of our hands.
May the God of summer give us shelter when inner
storms threaten our peace of mind and heart.
May the God of summer lead us to amazing discoveries
as we travel the inner roads of our soul as well.

Province Leadership Team

2014-2019 Province Leadership Team: Sisters Rita Marie Schmitz, Marilyn Lott, Mary Margaret Lazio,
Linda Straub and Maureen Freeman.

An Invitation to the Edge

by Sister Rita Marie Schmitz

June is Great Outdoors Month, as proclaimed by President

Obama in 2015: During Great Outdoors Month, we
celebrate our nations natural heritage, reaffirming our
commitment to conserve our environment and recognize the
many volunteers who help maintain our natural spaces.
June 1 is International Childrens Day, a day when all
children across the globe are celebrated. This observance
dates back to 1925 at the World Conference for the Wellbeing of Children in Geneva, Switzerland.
For me, these June commemorations reaffirm our
commitments to conserve the environment and to serve
children in need. It is a way that we walk on the edge.
At a recent Region X LCWR gathering, we were reminded
that:
Edge Walkers are people who persevere walking the
undulating edge between hope and fear, success and failure,
praise and blame, love and anger, justice and injustice
This difficult path often feels razor sharp and dangerous,
and it is. Scientists call it the edge of chaos. Its the border
created by the meeting of two opposing states
Possibility only lives on the edge.

As children around the globe keep groaning and Mother

Earth groans, how are you, the Edge Walkers, responding?
The Rev. Barbara Schlachter, who died earlier this year,
was known for being one of the first women priests in
the Episcopal church as well as for her environmental
activism. She responded to the groans of a world in need by
harnessing the power of grandmothersa power she shared
in her poem, A Grannys Musings:
Its 3:23 in the afternoon
and my great-grandmother wont let me nap.
She keeps poking me in the ribs with her knitting needles.
Get off your rocker, girl!
You have to be off your rocker and go mad,
mad with love, mad with hope, mad with action.
You are not old! Look at me; I lived to be 89!
You are just getting going, and you just keep going!
I didnt come to this country so that my descendants
could lose their lives to consumerism and climate
change.
And its not just me:
Your great-great-grandchildren are pulling you forward.
Dont you dare sit back down. Dont you dare go to
sleep.
Just take a first step; then take another.
cont. page 4

(slightly adapted, Margaret J. Wheatley, Perseverance, 131)

May/June 2016 PNN

Page 3

Province Leadership
PL Message continued ...
Now take hold of the hands near you.
Raise them together, in love, in
strength. Lean in on each other.
Push out against the false walls that
imprison
Your mind, your body, your spirit.
Dont ever take no for an answer.
Your yes is more powerful than any no.
You go, girl. Ill be back here, pushing.
What is your response? Remember, we cant
take no for an answer! Our yes is more
powerful than any no.
Some of the groans to respond to:
One billion people live in extreme
poverty.
One in 10 have no access to school.
Women do 70% of the work yet earn
just 10% of the income.
Eleven children die every minute of
every day.
830 women die every day in childbirth.
One in 10 lack access to safe drinking
water.
One in three live without access to
toilets.
1.1 billion people live without electricity.
Violence costs $140 trillion and 1.6
million lives.
(Ann Scholz, LCWR)
Sisters and associates, we are Easter People
filled with new life, with hope, and gifted by
the Holy Spirit. Each of us is called to listen
to the groans, to respond whole-heartedly
in love, and to celebrate the life of each child
around our globe; to celebrate the gifts of all
creation!
Possibility only lives on the edge! Will you
live on the edge with me?

Page 4

May/June 2016 PNN

2016 PROVINCE ASSEMBLY

Friday, July 29 - Sunday, July 31

St. Margaret Mary Alacoque Parish
4900 Ringer Rd., St. Louis, MO 63129
The format for this years Province Assembly will be the same as last
year, with sisters and associates having separate meetings the first day,
Friday, July 29. Both groups will be together all day on Saturday, July
30, and Sunday, July 31 until noon.
The only assembly event being held at the Carondelet Motherhouse is
the annual Finance Report at 4 p.m., followed by dinner at 5 p.m. on
Thursday, July 28. Any associates travelling from outside the St. Louis
area are welcome to attend this dinner.
Any sisters wishing overnight accommodations at the motherhouse
during the assembly should contact Denise Raggio, hospitality
coordinator, at 314-678-0478 or draggio@csjsl.org for availability.
If you have any questions or need further information, please feel free
to contact any member of Province Leadership.

Flat Fontbonne joins her CSJ sisters and the Avila community on
a customized journey-of-a-lifetime hosted by Avila President Ron
and Suzanne Slepitza with commentary from local experts Sisters
Joan Lescinski and Kitty Hanley. Pictured (l-r) are Sisters Ann Charles
Everett, Ann Strizek, Kitty, Mary Ann Figlino, Marie Joan Harris, Joan
and Kathy Crowley.

CORPORATION & COUNCIL

JANUARY MINUTES
Jan. 12 Meeting
Corporation
Accepted
Minutes of Board of Directors
of the Corporation meeting held
Dec. 15, 2015
December 2015 Financial
Statements

Approved
Catholic Charities Flood
Relief$10,000
English Tutoring Project$10,000
Youth Ministries Coordinator,
Sts. Teresa & Bridget$5,000

Approved
Microfinancing Partners 2016
African Gala$1,250
Gateway Region YMCA Annual
Campaign$2,500
CWIT Beautiful Transformations
Gala$5,000
Council
Accepted
Minutes of the Province Council
meetings held Jan. 11-12
Approved
Patrimony Requests (3)
Extended Travel Requests (3)
Education/Workshop Requests (4)

Council
Accepted
Minutes of the Province Council
Meetings held Dec. 14-15, 2015
Sponsorship Statement

Updated
Auxiliary Fund Report
Design Team Process
Core Team Reporting

Approved
Patrimony Requests (2)
Education Request (1)
Travel Requests (2)
Federation Event participants,
St. Louis Province

Corporation
Accepted
Minutes of Board of Directors of the
Corporation meeting held Feb. 4
January 2016 Financial Statements

Updated
S. Ilia Delio Presentation
Jan. 22 Meeting
Corporation
Approved
NLC Service Agreement

FEBRUARY MINUTES
Corporation
Accepted
Minutes of Board of Directors of the
Corporation meeting held Jan. 12
Minutes of special Board of
Directors of the Corporation
meeting held Jan. 22

MARCH MINUTES

Approved
Black Repertory Theater$1,000
St. Patrick Center$500
NCR Annual Appeal$5,000
Little Sisters of the Poor$200
Motherhouse Replacement Window
Project
Council
Accepted
Minutes of the Province Council
meetings held Feb. 3-4
Approved
Extended Travel Requests (2)
Renewal of Vows Request (1)
Province Chapter Sessions, 2018-19

Updated
Motherhouse Study Task Force
Heartland Federation meeting
Sponsorship Day, KC

APRIL MINUTES
April 1 Meeting
Corporation
Approved
Julie Mize, S. Mary Carol Anth, and
Michael Pressimone to the Board of
Directors, St. Josephs Academy
Regina Mooney as president of
St. Josephs Academy
Mother Teresa of Calcutta in Bloom
Event$550
April 12 Meeting
Corporation
Accepted
Minutes of Board of Directors of the
Corporation meeting held March 8
Minutes of special Board of
Directors of the Corporation
meeting held April 1
February 2016 Financial Statements

Approved
SJID$150,000
School Bell Breakfast$1,000
National Religious Vocation
Conference$1,000
Journey to New Life$25,000
Water With Blessings$650
SJID New Board Member
Council
Accepted
Minutes of the Province Council
meetings held March 7-8
Approved
Patrimony Request (1)
Extended Travel Requests (4)
Updated
Health & Wellness Committee
May/June 2016 PNN

Page 5

Health & Wellness Committee

Planning Process Update
The How & The What
Province Leadership recognized the need to initiate
succession planning for the Office of Senior Ministry and
the Community Life Coordinator at Nazareth Living
Center. The Committee on Health and Wellness was formed
and began meeting in August 2015. In considering how best
to approach the health and well-being of every sister, the
committee decided to design a program that would include
every member irrespective of her age.
In the last two issues of our Province News Notes we shared
the purpose and goal (the why) of the committees assigned
task: to develop a comprehensive, holistic, integrated
approach to facilitate the optimal health and well-being
of every member of the province. Our objective is that
every sister in the province will enjoy a quality of life that is
satisfactory to her.
The first article provided an introduction, and the second
gave an overview of the roles and scope of the services
provided by the Office of Senior Ministry and the
Community Life Coordinator at Nazareth. In this, our third
article, we share the guiding philosophy of our work
(the how) and the key elements of the integrated approach
(the what).
The How
The committee chose to use person-directed care as its
philosophical framework. Simply stated, this means that
each person is actively engaged in determining how she
would like to receive support, service and assistance that
may be needed. We believe that mutuality and respect
for each persons desires should be given recognition and
consideration. We are also relational; we live in community
and share a common life.
As interdependent persons, we all want to participate in
decisions that affect us. We also recognize that dialogue and
discussion may be needed to arrive at an acceptable course
of action that takes into account the individuals needs and
preferences and the communitys perspective. A guiding
question is, Does this decision incorporate personPage 6

May/June 2016 PNN

directed care? This approach is particularly important when

considering the most appropriate place of residence for each
sister in the province.
As members of a religious community, we have committed
to each other to share all things in common, especially our
resources. We make decisions and choices with this in mind
and seek to balance individual preferences with the common
good. We value our ability to make choices and we exercise
this in the context of our communal life and our religious
vows.
The What
The committee selected five key elements that would
compose the desired integrated, holistic approach: safety,
living environment/place of residence, support systems,
resources and transition.
Safety considers both personal and environmental aspects.
Do I feel safe where I am living? Is my living environment
safe? Can modifications be made to enhance my personal
safety?
Personal living environment or place of residence must be
evaluated in such a way that it leads to an honest, realistic
description of my current state. This evaluation includes
a cognitive, psychological, physical, social and spiritual
assessment. In performing this evaluation, we seek to
answer the question, Does the living environment reflect
consideration of the individuals needs and preferences and
responsible use of community resources?
Support systems describe the current support the individual
enjoys from family, friends and members of the CSJ
community who are in close proximity. Are there adequate
opportunities for socialization and spiritual support for
faith, prayer and retreat?
Resources address those aspects an individual currently uses
to obtain groceries, health and dental care, and medicines.
Resources also address how finances are managed and if
continuing to live in the current place of residence is an

Congregational News

PRAYER & ACTION ON

LAUDATO SI
THE SISTERS OF ST. JOSEPH BELIEVE
that creation is a sacred trust given to the
whole Earth community.

WE BELIEVE in the interdependence of

humanity and nature and recognize our
harmful impact.

CARONDELET MAGAZINE
HAS ARRIVED!

WE COMMIT ourselves to act with urgency

to protect her stability and integrity and to
celebrate her beauty wherever we are.

The first issue of this congregational

piece focuses on Peru.

JOIN US in caring for our common home.

We are proud to share with you

Carondelet, a collaboration between
the congregational communications
and mission advancement offices.

Download our free reflection guide at csjcarondelet.org

THE SISTERS OF ST. JOSEPH OF CARONDELET

Love of God and neighbor without distinction
Laudato Si Anniversary: The week of June 12-19 is the major
international celebration of the encyclicals anniversary to reflect on
Laudato Sis message and express our gratitude to Pope Francis by
taking action to bring the encyclical to life.

It was mailed out in early May. (If you

did not receive your copy, contact the
Print Shop at 314-678-0333). It is also
available online at www.csjcarondelet.
org/carondelet-magazine.

appropriate use of the common fund. Are broader community resources

readily available if needed? These may include access to durable medical
equipment, assistance with light housekeeping, meal preparation, personal
care and transportation. Does the person have a current durable power of
attorney for health? Is one of the persons listed a member of the province?
(This may be necessary if decisions are made that involve province funds.)
Does the sister have a designated CSJ contact?

Special thanks to:

Kim Westerman, congregational
communications coordinator, for
managing the project and bringing
it to fruition.

Transition involves determining those events that may require an evaluation

leading to a change in place of residence. Such a change may be relocation to
St. Louis or movement from independent living to some type of supportive
care, including maximum support.
Our next communication will describe the who: the vision for succession
from our current dual roles of the Senior Ministry Office and the
Community Life Coordinator to a program and its key roles that address the
health and well-being of every sister as we continue our life journey together.

St. Paul's Ann Thompson and Ralph

Scorpio (communications and
mission advancement) for visiting
Peru to capture the experience for
us.
To the GHR Foundation for the grant
that funded their trip.
And to the sisters and people of
Peru who shared their stories with
love.

May/June 2016 PNN

Page 7

Congregational News

Front row (l-r): Sarah Baker; Kim Westerman; and Mary Rose Noonan, CSJ, Albany communications director.
Back row (l-r): Jenny Beatrice; Pat Houlihan, CSJ, Albany communications assistant; Barbara Dreher, CSJ,
CLT liaison; Ann L. Thompson, St. Paul communications, with Flat Fontbonne; Michaela Charleston, St. Paul
communication specialist; Meyling Eliash-Daneshfar, Los Angeles director of communications and public
relations; and Carol Louise Smith, CSJ, Los Angeles communications assistant/graphic designer.

Congregational Communicators Meet in St. Paul

by Kim Westerman, Congregational Communications Coordinator

For more than 20 years, the communication directors from

throughout our congregation have been gathering annually
to share and plan. This month, they met together for the
21st time in St. Paul, Minnesota. The faces around the
table may have changed over the years, but the spirit of
collaboration remains the same.

The 2015 year saw the hiring of Kim Westerman as the

congregational communications coordinator. She has helped
our leadership team communicate more effectively with
our members and organized more collaboration across our
various units through regular video conferences between all
of the communication directors.

Among the projects the communicators have worked on

together over the past year are: creating a new congregational
magazine (see page 7), ads in America Magazine and
the National Catholic Reporter, and statements on issues
ranging from the shooting in Charleston to the Syrian
refugee crisis. We have also seen an increase in information
and story sharing across our social media accounts and in
our publications. You may notice Flat Fontbonne in the
photo above. She is a fun new social media theme you
may see popping up on our accounts with the hashtag
#FlatFontbonne.

For the coming year, the communicators are excited to

publish another issue of the congregational magazine,
Carondelet. They also plan to update the information found
about the congregation on Wikipedia and help to publicize a
new justice-focused curriculum called "Walk with Wisdom."

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May/June 2016 PNN

All of the communicators agreed that the past year has been
a good one, and they are excited to see what 2016 holds for
our congregation!

2016 Tabitha Grants

For this funding cycle, the Tabitha Grant Committee received a total of 34 applications,
requesting over $320,000. This year the committee disbursed a total of $200,000 to the following organizations:

Agatha Amani House, $5,000

Maternal, Child & Family Health Coalition, $4,000

Funding for the Affordable Sanitary Pad Project in

Kenya, Africa.

FLOURISH St. Louis Program, addressing the issue of

high infant mortality in the St. Louis region.

Annunciation House, Inc., $10,000

MicroFinancing Partners in Africa, $6,500

Shelter to immigrants fleeing economic crisis and poverty,

violence and oppression in the El Paso region.

The Fistula Prevention Program provides pre-natal care and

delivery to pregnant women in African regions.

Cardinal Ritter Senior Services, $6,000

Migrant & Immigrant Community Action Project,

$10,000

Supports safe shelter to low-income, older adults with

mental illness and functional disabilities.
Carondelet Community Betterment Federation,
$5,000

The Sustainable Garden & Farmers Market will provide

locally-grown produce and lower costs to Carondelet area
residents.

The Family Unity Project provides legal services to

immigrants.
Ministry Formation Program, $3,000

Trains members of the Deaf Community to become active

lay ministers in the Roman Catholic Church.

Center for Conflict Resolution, $9,800

Most Holy Trinity Catholic School & Academy,

$7,500

Assists children and youth at-risk for violence, providing

alternatives for solving conflict in the Kansas City metro
area.

Funding for the L.O.V.E. Project, a character education and

social justice program for students.
New Ways Ministry, $9,800

Center for Women in Transition, $9,100

Womanjourney Weavings promotes equality and

understanding for LGBT persons through educational
programs and public awareness.

Funding will be used for the Mentoring and Advocacy

Program to economically poor women in the criminal
justice system.
CHARG Resource Center, $10,000

The David Quarton Drop-In Center assists low-income

people living with mental illness in the Denver area.
EXCEL, Inc., $10,000

North Grand Neighborhood Services, $8,000

Funding for supplies and equipment for property

development and the Angel Baked Cookie program.
Our Ladys Inn, $10,000

Funding for LED Light Installation in five properties.

Provides care and shelter for homeless, pregnant women

and their children.

Institute for Peace & Justice, $3,000

Queen of Peace Center, $6,800

Solving Our Situations (SOS), an educational program

for women ex-offenders from the Missouri Eastern
Correctional Center, Pacific, Missouri.

Behavioral healthcare to women with addiction, their

children and families residing at St. Philippine Home,
St. Louis.

Jerusalem Farm, $10,000

St. Francis Xavier (College) Church, $10,000

Journey to New Life, $10,000

Documentation outreach assistance for marginalized

low-income men and women and their children.

The Journey House shelters economically poor women

returning to society from prison or jail in the Kansas City
area.

Sisters of St. JosephGulu, $5,000

Education assistance to needy students in the Gulu District,

Uganda, East Africa.

Latinos En Axion St. Louis, $6,000

Solid Ground Washington, $5,500

Funds will be used for sustainability initiatives.

English as a Second Language and Cooking/Nutrition

courses to Latino immigrants in the St. Louis area.

Workshop sessions for homeless adults and teenagers in the

Seattle area.

Marian Middle School, $10,000

Whole Health Outreach, $10,000

Academic and educational programs focusing on the

environment and sustainability to low-income students of
MMS.

Supports the Healthwise for Life Senior Program in

southeastern Missouri.

May/June 2016 PNN

Page 9

ASSOCIATE SPOTLIGHT
DAVE ARMSTRONG, CSJA

A new kind of community

is growing in Kansas City,
Missouris oldest surviving
neighborhood. Jerusalem Farm,
which turned four years old on
May 1, the Feast of St. Joseph
the Worker, is a Catholic
intentional community striving
transform lives through service
retreat experiences, sustainable
living and home repair.
As the co-founder, board chair
and all-around volunteer, I
join with other committed
volunteers to grow the Farms
missionto share the message
of peace for all through the
four gospel cornerstones of
prayer, community, service and
simplicity.

Mia Rosinski (Avila 1650 Society), Sara Francesconi (Jerusalem Farm

Community), Dave Armstrong, Alishiya Kapoor (Jerusalem Farm
Community) and Aaron Arnzen (Avilas 1650 Society)

The entire ministry is built upon the foundation that the

development of community is facilitated by the creation
of relationships.
In an area populated by refugee families with people of
50 different ethnic groups residing in a two-mile radius
of the Farm, the need to break down walls and provide a
place for people to encounter one another as a common
human family is enormous--even overwhelming.
Through our outreach efforts, volunteers not only help
with our homeowners, but more importantly, they are
called to be in relationship with one another and with
those whom we serve.
This basic understanding of the charism of the Sisters
of St. Joseph is lived out in our intentional community
every day. Volunteers who spend a week at the Farm
are immersed in a culture ruled by relationship over

Page 10

May/June 2016 PNN

thingsrelationship with God, self, others and Earth.

We invite everyone to share prayer as we come together
in community. We invite everyone to recognize their
relationship with Earth. Jerusalem Farm is a place where
serving the dear neighbor and serving God are one in
the same.
To learn more about Jerusalem Farm and to discover
the many ways to get involved and become part of our
community, visit www.jerusalemfarm.org.
And for a more relational way to learn about us, please
contact me at dave.armstrong@avila.edu. I will tell
you more about this ministry of the four cornerstones
and arrange a visit for you to encounter our unique
community.

Sharing of the Heart

Breakfast at Nazareth
by Sister Laura Ann Grady

It's 7:30 a.m. People start getting off the elevator to make
their way to the dining room. Some walk, some walk with
walkers, a few are in wheelchairs. These are the early risers
who check out the sunrise. I am not one of them.
As a "morning person," I appear on the scene a little past
8 a.m. Entering the large dining room, I pass the Fashion
Review Board seated at Table 2 in the front of the room.
They are usually very complimentary on my ensemble, but
on occasions offer suggestions for improvement. One of
these was to move a shirt button one-fourth inch to the left
for a more pleasing fit. I did and it did.
At my table, Jack appears holding two large coffee pots:
regular and decaf. Jack is one of the high school students
who comes to Nazareth in the morning a few days a
week to learn life skills as part of a special program. As he
approaches, he singsto the tune of The Muffin Man"Do
you know the coffee man [fill in the repetitive lyrics]who
works at Nazareth Lane?" His beautiful smile is a sunrise in
itself. Not so long ago, I noticed a dim shadow of a future
beard on his 17-year-old handsome face. I love it when our

Sister Care Persons join in for a greeting, a cup of coffee, or

even a whole breakfast. They add meaning to their title of
"Care Persons."
The wait staff collects our menus and our ordered breakfast
"just comes." The food is quite good with a variety of items
to choose from: cereal, bacon and eggs, sausage, muffins,
fruit, and on Sundays donuts!
Our Nazareth Dining Room houses a family of a special
kind. We celebrate birthdays there with song, cards and
gifts. There we can keep in contact with one another with a
simple smile and a cheerful "Good morning." There news of
whatever kind, good or bad, meets you almost at the door.
Our dining room is a holy place. There, friendships grow,
confidences are shared, worries are eased, and best of all joys
are celebrated. All this comes from hearts knowing loving
listening is at the table. A sacred communion develops.
There both body and soul are nourished. It is indeed holy
ground.

Green Bay Associates Make Initial Commitments

by Sister Shawn Madigan

The Community of St. Joseph in Green Bay, Wisconsin,

spent the morning of March 19 in reflective prayer, focused
on personal and corporate meanings of commitment in
living loving unity.

The morning concluded with a commitment ritual as Mary

Armbrust and Paula Rieder made their initial commitment
as associates. The other associates and sisters in Wisconsin
each renewed aloud the meaning of commitment in
their unfolding lives as members of the Community of
St. Joseph. The commitment of the new associates was
accepted by Marie Robillard, standing in for Association
Co-Directors Peggy Maguire and Kay Komotos. Marie has
been an associate for 23 years and is the elder associate in
Wisconsin.
A communal lunch concluded the day for the Community of
St. Joseph and guests. This joyful and prayerful gathering of
the community in Wisconsin was a fitting way to celebrate
the festival of St. Joseph as a prelude to Holy Week.

Pictured (l-r): S. Shawn Madigan, Paula Rieder, Mary

Armbrust, Marie Robillard, and S. Judy Miller.

May/June 2016 PNN

Page 11

CSJ Life
The Beauty of Community
by Sister Sarah Heger

As we talk about the future of religious life, alternative forms

of membership are nearly always part of the discussion.
While discernment houses, like Fiat, are not a formal form
of membership, they provide live-in experiences for those
considering religious life, a supportive community for those
discerning life in general, and a way for the charism to be
transmitted as the discerners and sisters share life together.

Being able to experience community as part of the
discernment process allows me to look deeper into what
religious life is before deciding to enter. It has deepened
my appreciation for religious life and helped me realize I
am going in the right direction, says Kate McFall, a first
grade teacher at Most Holy Trinity who is finishing her year
at Fiat. Kate has started the application process with the
Daughters of Charity.

Living in community is like coming home to a family,
though not a traditional family. Being at Fiat has encouraged
me to try things I never would have on my own, says Rachel
Shedd, a senior at Fontbonne completing her second year at
Fiat. Rachel is planning to begin a masters in social work at
Saint Louis University in the fall.

I like seeing how other people live their day-to-day lives,

Rachel says about her roommates. Kathleen takes time
to pray every morning. Sarah is in her prayer chair in the
evening. Community gives different examples of how I want
to live my own life.

Isnt that the beauty of community? Kate says. The four
of us range in age from twenty-two to seventy-something.
We come together to laugh, giggle, play games, fight over ice
trays, and live.

The benefits, however, are not just for the women living
with us. This flexible form of community provides us with
insights into what may be coming for the next generation of
religious life. It forces us to continually evaluate community
and the way we are living. In our CSJ language, it is a
continual call to the More.

Neither Kate nor Rachel has plans to become a Sister of St.
Joseph. However, there are women living with us who do.
How is the time defined? Can it count as time in candidacy?
While the future of religious life with its many questions
continues to develop, discernment houses are playing an
important role for the women living with us and for us as a
community as we work to listen to our evolving call.

Kathleen Murphy, Rachel Shedd, Kate McFall and S. Sarah Heger

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May/June 2016 PNN

MCRI
Spring Report

Some Things DO Change!

by Sister Barbara Jennings

COAL INITIATIVES
Arch Coal and Peabody Energy filed for bankruptcy while
paying their executives close to $5 million, a decrease from
last year of about 33% and 13% respectively. Both companies
are still mining coal, mostly in the Powder River Basin but
have stopped mining in other areas, Colorado, Central
Appalachians and Montana. Neither company had an
annual shareholder meeting this spring.
Exxon Mobil shareholders filed a Moral Imperative
resolution which calls the company to adopt a policy
acknowledging the imperative to limit global average
temperature increases to 2 degrees C, which includes
committing the company to support the goal of limiting
warming to less than 2 degrees C. EXM challenged the
resolution but lost at Securities and Exchange Commission;
this sets a precedent for other companies to receive this same
resolution. The EXM annual meeting was held on May 25.
Ameren shareholders voted 8.6% on a resolution to report
on how Ameren could decrease its climate change impacts
by a more aggressive renewable energy adoption. The vote,
sponsored by Sierra Club and As You Sow, could be brought
back next year. Missouri and Illinois are the second and
third highest coal-consumption states in the United States.
MCRI members will continue to dialogue on water and coal
ash, possibly filing a resolution in fall 2016.
SSM Health has committed to an investment program
focused on mitigating climate change and fully divest all of
its investments in coal production companies. STL Business
Journal, 04/28/16.

WATER INITIATIVES
Monsanto continues to implement the CEO Water
Mandate, a commitment they signed in April 2014, at
the urging of MCRI/ICCR. The commitment is to:
account for internal water performance and basins in
which they operate; assess water-related business risks and
opportunities and negative impacts; define a policy and

performance targets; implement water strategies within and

in the supply chain; and monitor and communicate progress.
Resolutions at Monsanto and Votes, 01/29/15: Report
on certain matters related to Glyphosate, 5.3%; Report on
lobbying, 20.8%.

HUMAN RIGHTS INITIATIVES

Boeing introduced a Global Citizenship Supplier Award
this year because of our encouragement to consider how
they would award a supplier for an exemplary year in human
rights, anti- trafficking, etc. Our job now is to make sure this
award goes beyond philanthropic practice into real labor
justice. Boeing has done a considerable amount of work in
its supply chain in connection to conflict minerals.
Walmart, despite its talk about social and environmental
responsibility, is sourcing tuna from Thai Union Group,
a very large canned tuna supplier, notorious for ocean
destruction and abuse of workers. Look at that tuna source
before you buy.
The third anniversary of the Rana Plaza collapse was April
24. Members of ICCR signed a statement to clothing
companies to commit to complete and disclosed remediation
to workers; to use their leverage to the establishment of
effective, proactive safety committees; and to publicly
disclose their supplier factories and sub-contractors, starting
in Bangladesh. Poor wages and working conditions are
certainly among the causes of labor and sex trafficking.
Change does happen! There were a record 94 resolutions
relating to climate change this spring. Most of them quote
Pope Francis and Laudato Si. The climate is a common
good, belonging to all and meant for all. Earth is our
common home!
Please contact me at midwest.coalition@yahoo.com if you
have any questions or comments about these shareholder
actions. And please keep our work in your prayers.

May/June 2016 PNN

Page 13

Reception of 1956: On May 7, the 2016 60th jubilarians gathered in Holy Family Chapel surrounded by family
and friends for a special Mass in their honor. Pictured are: (Back, l-r) Sisters Monica Kleffner, Rita Louise Huebner,
Martha Niemann, Barbara Ellen Fleury and Mary Ann Potts. (Front, l-r) Sisters Mary Joyce Bringer, Carol Olson.
Phyllis Bardenheier, Barbara Moore and Jean Junak.

Several sisters provided the celebrations

music (l-r): Ida Berresheim on violin, Nancy
A friend of the sisters, Fr. Dick
Liddy and Mary McGlone on guitar, and
Linda Straub and Betty Leiwe on vocals, and Lavoie, La Sallette Missionary,
led the celebration.
S. Bonnie Ann Murray on piano.
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May/June 2016 PNN

S. Mary Ann Potts opened

the event with a special
performance on the piano.

Honorary Contributions

The names listed are those who made contributions in honor of the 2016 jubilarians.
S. Phyllis Bardenheier
S. Michael Therese Bauer
A. Diane Calcaterra
Community Life staff at Nazareth
Living Center
S. Jean Katherine deBlois
A. Ann DeMaria
S. Francis Regis Feise
S. Rita Flaherty
S. Joy Gilder
S. Laura Ann Gruber

John Komotos, Jr. & A. Kay Komotos

A. Marilyn F. Koncen
S. Ann Landers
A. Peggy M. Maguire
S. Linda Markway
Associates Roland and Marie Martir
S. Kathleen OMalley
A. Judith A. Russell
A. Mary G. Sheppard
A. Nancy A. Siefker

Thank You
From S. Ruth Baudhuin: Thank you
for prayers, gifts, Masses and well
wishes during my jubilee.
From S. Jean Junak: Thank you for
your loving presence at our jubilee
celebration and for the gifts of masses,
donations, money and lovely cards. I
am very grateful.
From S. Monica Marie Kleffner:
Thank you for your greetings and
remembrance at Mass in celebration of
my 60th jubilee. I am grateful for your
good wishes and prayers.
From S. Christine Massman: Thank
you very much for your loving presence
at my 70th jubilee celebration, for
your prayers, cards, notes, gifts and
donations given to charities and
ministries. May God bless each of you.
From S. Barbara Moore: Thank
you for your presence, prayers, cards,
Masses offered, and donations to your

favorite charities in honor of my 60th

anniversary as a Sister of St. Joseph of
Carondelet. I am grateful to God and
to each of you faithful companions, for
whatever length of time, on my 60-year
journey. May we continue together in
faith, hope and love.
From S. Justine Ostini: Thank
you for the many gifts, cards, and
greetings for my 70th jubilee. You
were most generous. I really enjoyed
my time there at Nazareth and all the
wonderful people. God Bless You.
From S. Mary Ann Potts: I cannot
begin to thank you enough for all your
notes, enrollments, Masses and gifts to
the mission at the time of my jubilee.
It meant so much to me. I am very
grateful to you and to all the people
who did so much to make the jubilee
celebration such a wonderful time. All
this came at a time of Sister Helens
one year anniversary of death.

75 Years
Sister Laurita Joseph Nemec
Sister Martha Ritter

70 Years
Sister Ann Albrecht
Sister Ruth Baudhuin
Sister Leo Ann Bub
Sister Ruth Marie Burkart
Sister Anna John Igoe
Sister Ruth La Var
Sister Christine Massman
Sister Justine Ostini
Sister Edward Cecilia
Schniedermeier
Sister Kathleen Stack

60 Years
Sister Phyllis Bardenheier
Sister Mary Joyce Bringer
Sister Barbara Ellen Fleury
Sister Helene Gutchewsky
Sister Rita Louise Huebner
Sister Jean Junak
Sister Monica Marie Kleffner
Sister Maureen Kottenstette
Sister Barbara Moore
Sister Patricia Murphy
Sister Martha Niemann
Sister Carol Olson
Sister Mary Ann Potts

50 Years
Sister Barbara Lynn Dreher
Sister Jeanne Janssen
Sister Mary Frances Johnson
Sister Anne Kelly
Sister Marilyn Lott
Sister Linda Carol Maser

For more on the 2016 jubilarians and to make a donation in honor of a sister, visit csjsl.org.
Share your memories of the jubilarians on our Facebook page at facebook.com/csjsl.

May/June 2016 PNN

Page 15

Archives
Meeting Our Ancestors

Profile of an early sister who died

in the month of May
by Sister Jane Behlmann

Sister Mary Andrew Byrne (Margaret) died in our

community at St. Bridget's Half Orphan Asylum, St. Louis,
on Tuesday, May 10, 1870, at 4:30 p.m., aged 34 years,
professed 14 years, 5 months, and 19 days. Our dear Sister
Mary Andrew was 17 years of age when she received the
holy habit, hence half of her lifetime was consecrated to
God.
During those years, she was alternately employed as
Sacristan and in the care of children at St. Bridget halforphan Asylum in St. Louis, which duties she discharged
with exemplary zeal and piety. Her work with the children
confided to her care was characterized by the sweetness,
mildness and charity of Jesus, and her influence over them

was productive of the happiest results. It was remarkable

with what facility she attracted them to their duty and the
ingenuous simplicity with which they laid open to her all of
their little secrets.
From childhood she was constitutionally delicate, but the
last four years of her life were consecrated by more than the
usual suffering. Subject to severe attacks of hemorrhage of
the lungs, her pale and emaciated form lay on a bed of pain,
while her soul, strong in the love of her Beloved, anticipated
the Joys of Paradise.
Kind thoughtfulness for others was her peculiar
characteristic and this trait she used to advantage during her
long and painful malady in rejecting human sympathy and
in dispensing others from many services usually required
in sickness. Even at night she desired to be alone, chiefly
that no one should lose their rest on her account. Those
sleepless hours she passed in fervent aspirations. Her
agony continued only about 15 minutes, during which she
answered the prayers for the recommendation of the soul,
and her last breath was employed in pronouncing the sweet
name of Jesus. May she rest in peace. [Necrology Report]
Sister Mary Andrew, daughter of Bridget Beahan and John
Byrne, was born in County Kildare, Dublin, Ireland. She
entered at Carondelet on October 30, 1852, received the habit
on March 7, 1853, and pronounced her vows on November
21, 1855.[Her sister, Sister Alphonsus Byrne, (Veronica) born
in 1832 in Ballymore, entered a year later.] Sister Alphonsus
went as a novice to Our Lady of the Woods in Sulphur Springs,
Mississippi in 1855. She cared for orphans and was superior at
St. Josephs Hospital in St. Paul, Minnesota and in St. Josephs
Orphan Asylum in Chicago. She also cared for orphans at St.
Joseph Home for Boys in St. Louis. She died on April 15, 1906.
The photograph is unidentified, but is one of these two
sisters.

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May/June 2016 PNN

The Hand of God Shall Hold You

Sister Rose Mary Murphey, CSJ

(S. Mary Louis)

May 10, 1931 - February 20, 2016

A generous woman with a smiling face and sense of
humor who cared deeply for others

On May 10, 1931, Samuel and Margaret (Barcroft)

Murphey of St. Louis, Missouri, welcomed their daughter
Rose Mary, the second oldest of five children born to them.
Her father was employed as a private duty nurse which
is why Rose Marys early memories include spending
afternoons in the park with her mother and siblings so the
house would be quiet enough for their dad to sleep. She also
remembered listening to her mother reading stories aloud,
going to libraries and jumping with trucks, climbing
trees, [and] climbing telephone poles with her older brother
Jim.
Rose Mary attended Sherman and Mullanphy Elementary
Schools. When her fathers health became poor she assumed
more responsibility for her three younger siblings. Just short
of her thirteenth birthday, her father died. Her mother then
had to work outside the home. Rose Mary continued caring
for the younger ones and did housework.
At St. Margarets High School she met the Sisters of
St. Joseph, one of whom she felt close to and loved to tease,
Sister Walter Marie von Steiger. After graduating from
St. Margarets in 1949, she told her mother that she wanted
to enter the Sisters of St. Joseph. When her mother asked
her to wait a year, she found employment as a clerk at what
was then St. Johns Hospital.
On September 15, 1950, she entered the community.
She received the habit and the name Sister Mary Louis
on March 19, 1951. Her bachelors degree in psychology
(1962) was from Fontbonne College. Sister Mary Louis
taught in St. Louis at Nativity of Our Lord (1953) and St.
Roch (1961). In 1963 she taught at Holy Rosary (Kansas
City, Missouri). Returning to St. Louis, she ministered at
Holy Guardian Angels (1965) and St. Matthew (1966).
Then in 1970, she began 15 years as a houseparent at St.
Joseph Home for Boys, something she said she loved, but in
retrospect, wondered if she had been too strict.

In 1985, Kansas City became her home again. At St. Joseph

Hospital/Health Center she was a medical records clerk, an
enjoyable ministry that seemed to allow her more freedom
to laugh and tease with co-workers than had been part of
her previous experiences. S. Rose Mary returned to St. Louis
in 1992 becoming a participant in Emmaus Community.
She was grateful to have the opportunity that the Emmaus
experience provided, reflecting in her oral history: I [now]
have tools to make my life work and be responsible for my
own happiness. In 1994, she began the first of many years
in a loving community with Sisters Mariann De Buck and
Jeanne McGovern, and Associate Pat McGovern. She also
spent a short time as a medical records clerk at St. Louis
University.
Later that same year, S. Rose Mary became a receptionist
at Nazareth Living Center. Her duties, she said, were to be
kind, be friendly, talk with them, help them and (before
the days of door alarms), keeping them from going out
the door. Associate Lori Fick writes, When I first started
volunteering at Nazareth, in about 2002, S. Rose Mary was
the receptionist for McGovern Manor. I was working with a
group of high school students with disabilities, and S. Rose
Mary cared very much about those students. She watched
out for them ... S. Rose Mary's ever present smile lit up her
face.
She became a hospitality associate at the motherhouse
in 2003. She retired in 2006, though she continued her
volunteer work. In 2009 she moved to Nazareth Living
Center ministering in prayer and presence. Responding to
community need during the renovation there, she moved to
Laclede Groves in 2015.
Sister Helen Oates

May/June 2016 PNN

Page 17

The Hand of God Shall Hold You

Sister Mary John Dillard, CSJ

January 25, 1924 - February 26, 2016
Gentle, diligent, smiling, kind

Helen Hayes Dillard was the daughter of John and

Bellemere (Hayes) Dillard. She was born January 25,
1924, in Atlanta, Georgia. She had two siblings, a mentally
handicapped older brother, John, who spent much of his life
in institutions, and a younger brother, Gardner. Although
Helens elementary education began in the public school,
fifth grade through high school was taught by our sisters at
Sacred Heart, Atlanta. After a year at Fontbonne College in
St. Louis, she entered the Sisters of St. Joseph in Georgia,
September 15, 1943. She received the habit and the name
Sister Mary John, March 19, 1944. Though her first year
novitiate was in Georgia, her second was in St. Louis. (The
Georgia Province was in the process of closing its novitiate.)
Sister Teresa Maria Eagan shares: I think ... things were
[simpler] in Georgia ... regulations and restrictions in St
Louis were so different. But she always seemed to have a
smile and made friends easily. Those qualities seem to have
followed her all her religious life. She was a joyful person
and always looking for ways to help others.
Fontbonne College awarded S. Mary John a bachelors
degree in secondary education (1954). Her masters in
secondary education was from the College of St. Rose,
Albany, New York (1963). Beginning in 1946 she taught
music at Sacred Heart, Savannah; St. Joseph, Brunswick;
Mount St. Joseph (Augusta) and St. Anthony in Atlanta.
In secondary education she taught combinations of French,
Latin and English, music or religion at the following: Mount
St. Joseph (1953) and Aquinas (1958), both in Augusta;
Sacred Heart Central, Indianapolis (1962); Bishop Baraga,
Marquette (1967); Aquinas, Atlanta (1969); Roncalli,
Indianapolis (1971) and St. Joseph, Atlanta (1974).
S. Mary John served two years as principal/teacher at Queen
of Peace Grade School, Selma, Alabama (1974 -1976).
Next was pastoral ministry at Prince of Peace Parish,
Mobile; St. Joseph Hospital Center for Life, Augusta and
St. Francis Xavier Parish, Brunswick. After a year in family
care she ministered as a reading specialist at St. Joseph
School, Marietta, Georgia (1979). Returning to Atlanta she
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May/June 2016 PNN

cared for both her mother and her brother John (1981). A
brief time at Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish, Atlanta as
religious education coordinator (1989) preceded a return to
St. Louis.
Three years in St. Louis were spent as secretary at Central
Catholic Community, staff member at St. Joseph Provincial
House and librarian at St. Margaret of Scotland. Sister
Mary Jo Ritter reflects, I lived with Mary John at St.
Margaret of Scotland ... She always sang the blessings of
broccoli and drinking water ... She sang Irish songs and
played the piano. She loved my foster kids and was very
helpful.
Pastoral ministry at the Catholic Church of St. James,
Conway, South Carolina (1993) followed. Returning
to St. Louis (1994) she served Nazareth Living Center
as receptionist. In 1996, she was assistant manager for
Redemptorist Retirement Home, Kansas City, Missouri.
From 1988 until she retired to Nazareth Living Center
in 2001, sisters ministry varied: receptionist for the
Provincialate; driver for the Senior Ministry Office, and inhome service for CSJ Care Home Service.
I had her in my art class at Nazareth and she enjoyed
everything we did. She loved art and the chance to express
herself. What a darling! Sister Barbara Volk
I remember her ever present smile, warm southern greeting
and her very nice laugh. Sister Francis Rita Voivedich
Sister Pauline Oetgen, describes her good friend as a very
kind, thoughtful and happy person ... She had a smile that
could light up a room ... I once read, A sister of St. Joseph
is gentle, patient, hardworking, charitable, obedient, humble
but above all, simple and joyous. This, in my eyes, is S. Mary
John.
Sister Helen Oates

The Hand of God Shall Hold You

Sister Mary Reinhart, CSJ

(S. Ann Irene)

February 14, 1932 - March 3, 2016

Compassionate, welcoming, cheerful

Aloysius and Irene (O'Neil) Reinhart of Green Bay, Wisconsin

welcomed their daughter, Mary on February 14, 1932. Though
she was well acquainted with the Sisters of St. Joseph through
attending St. Johns School and St. Joseph Academy, she also
had an aunt in the community, Sister Margaret Reinhart. Her
aunt was on the faculty of St. Teresa College in Kansas City,
which Mary attended for a year before entering the Sisters
of St. Joseph on September 15, 1951. On March 19, 1952,
she received the habit and the name Sister Ann Irene. For
a few months in 1954, S. Ann Irene taught primary at St.
Louis School, Englewood, Colorado. In 1955 she was sent to
Immaculate Conception School in Montgomery City, Missouri.
She continued teaching primary at Sts. John and James,
Ferguson, Missouri (1958). She earned a bachelors degree in
elementary education from Fontbonne (1961).
In Houston, Texas, she taught junior high math at
St. Rose of Lima (1962-1969). I had two marvelous superiors
there, Sister Ludmilla [Gansmann] and Sister Francis Clare
Buergler. And it was very good for me to go down there to the
south in Texas. It was beautiful ... I loved it down there.
Sister Ann Landers lived there with S. Ann Irene for three
years (1966-69).
We hit it off immediately! She helped me with ideas for
primary and art, and she came to my classroom several times
to teach an art lesson. We worked through the change into
regular clothes, had laughs making our veils, etc. ... Ann was
present at my final vows at my home parish in Peoria ... and
many other events too numerous to mention. She was a good
friend.
Receiving a master's degree in guidance from St. Mary's
University, San Antonio (1970), she became a guidance
counselor at the Academy of Our Lady, Peoria, Illinois. After
some time in transition in the early 1970s, Sister Mary served
as a parish visitor for St. Peter's Parish, Kirkwood, Missouri
(1974). In 1980 she volunteered at St. Vincent and Bellin
Hospitals in Green Bay, returning the following year to St.
Louis as a patient representative/counselor at Lindell Hospital.

Sister Marys early community years were burdened with a

number of family deaths: in 1952, an aunt, her 23 year old
brother and her mother. Over the next several years this
continued with her grandmother, an uncle and then her
dad. Getting help to work through her grief enabled her
to tap into her own reservoir of empathy and compassion.
She discovered within herself the capacity to be attentive to
others in their grief or anxiety, setting the course for her next
ministry. Completing requirements for CPE certification
(1983), Sister Mary became a chaplain at St. Johns Mercy
Hospital, Washington, Missouri, until she took a sabbatical in
San Francisco (1991). Then she became chaplin at Providence
Hospital in Columbia, South Carolina (1992-2007).
Although I lived with Mary only a brief time in 1994
I remember both her friendliness and her cheerful
outspokenness. Mary was fearless in making her own view
known if she thought someone was speaking unjustly. With
no rancor or without an opinionated remark, she would
simply state what she thought a more just interpretation of
what was being spoken about. She had a cheerfulness about
her that was always welcoming whenever we met.
Sister Ida Berresheim
Retiring in Augusta (2007), she continued in volunteer
ministry at Trinity Hospital.
Mary lived in Columbia, South Carolina and worked
at a hospital there doing pastoral care. She really enjoyed it
and would come to the sectionals in Augusta. She eventually
came to live in Augusta [and] also worked in pastoral care
there ... Mary could be great fun and had a very dry sense of
humor.

Sister Francis Rita Voivedich
In 2009 she moved to Nazareth Living Center to minister in
prayer and presence.
Sister Helen Oates

May/June 2016 PNN

Page 19

The Hand of God Shall Hold You

Sister Marianne Thomas, CSJ

January 6, 1925 - March 5, 2016

Open to Gods will, loved to tell jokes,

lived a life of gratitude

Parents August and Catherine (LeFebrve) Thomas of Green

Bay, Wisconsin, welcomed their daughter Kathleen Agnes
on January 6, 1925. She entered the Sisters of St. Joseph
on September 15, 1942. On March 19, 1943, she received
the habit of the Sisters of St. Joseph and the name Sister
Marianne, thus beginning 72 years as a Sister of St. Joseph.
Her final profession of vows was August 15, 1948. She
received her bachelors degree in education from Fontbonne
College, St. Louis in 1957.
Sister Marianne served at schools in Missouri, Wisconsin
and Illinois. In March of 1945, right after she made her
first vows, she was sent to finish the school year teaching in
a primary classroom at St. Philip Neri in St. Louis. For the
next 15 years she continued to teach in schools in St. Louis
beginning in the fall of 1945 when she was assigned to Holy
Rosary. Leaving Holy Rosary in 1952 she moved to St. Leo/
St. Teresa, and in 1959 went to Our Lady of Presentation
where she taught intermediate grades for the first time.
Remaining one more year in Missouri, S. Marianne taught
primary at Immaculate Conception in St. Joseph, Missouri
(1960). Then she was able to return to her home state.
Her last years as a primary teacher were spent at St. Joseph
Indian School in Keshena, 1961-1965. The rest of her
years in education were spent teaching intermediate grades.
She taught at St. John in Green Bay, 1965-1970; and at St.
Joseph in West De Pere, 1970-1974. Returning to Missouri

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May/June 2016 PNN

S. Marianne taught at Our Lady of Perpetual Help in

Kansas City (1974-1986). St. Viator in Chicago, Illinois,
was home for her last 13 years in the classroom
(1986-1999).
Sister Marianne retired to Nazareth Living Center in
1999. In addition to her ministry of prayer and presence,
She continued to respond to her call to share laughter with
everyone who happened to cross her path. Her daily jokes
will be greatly missed. At her funeral, family and friends
recalled how she impressed them as a woman filled with
faith, humor and love, a humble and appreciative woman.
It was also shared that S. Marianne felt blessed to be at
Nazareth and delighted to entertain visitors as well as
anyone else she met. One of her nieces remembered how
she always had a joke (even at home) and that she often
expressed how good God had been to her.
Sister Mary Margaret Lazio remarked, For me, from the
testimonies that I have heard this morning, Marianne has
shown us an inspiring example of what it means to be in
relationship with self, the dear neighbor, and with God. She
prayed that Mariannes example would inspire us to do the
same.
Sister Helen Oates

The Hand of God Shall Hold You

Sister Elizabeth Ann

ODonnell, CSJ
(S. Joseph Benedict)

January 1, 1930 - March 7, 2016

Compassionate, generous, welcoming

On January 1, 1930, in Marquette, Michigan, Elizabeth

Ann was born to parents John and Catherine (Balbierz)
O'Donnell. Her father earned his living as a machinist and
her mother stayed at home with Elizabeth and her brothers.
She entered the Sisters of St. Joseph on September 15,
1947, was received March 19, 1948, and given the name
Sister Joseph Benedict. When requesting to make final vows,
she wrote her superior and said she felt that vows are the
means by which I may advance in virtue and love of God and
thus be more pleasing to Him. Her local superior at that
time, Sister Thomas Marie, said that Sister Joseph Benedict
has welcomed and acted upon every suggestion which might
help her become a better religious. She is very generous in
assisting others. Her request was granted. She made her
final profession on August 15, 1953. The College of
St. Teresa, now Avila University, in Kansas City granted
her a bachelors degree in education in 1957. She earned a
master's in biology from Central Michigan State in 1964.
Sister Joseph Benedict began teaching primary grades in
St. Louis at St. Margaret of Scotland (1950) and Nativity
of Our Lord (1952). She continued teaching primary in
Kansas City, at Assumption (1955), and then returned
to St. Louis teaching at Immacolata (1958). Moving into
secondary education, S. Elizabeth taught at St. Francis de
Sales in Denver (1959), Bishop Baraga in Marquette (1966),
St. Thomas Aquinas in Florissant, Missouri (1968), and
finally at St. Joseph's Academy in Green Bay (1969).
After teaching for almost 30 years, she ministered as a nurse
aide at St. Joseph Hospital in Kirkwood (1979). In 1980 she
became a nursing student at St. Louis Community College,
receiving an associates degree in nursing in 1982. Sister
Kathleen Karbowski said at her funeral, All the time she
was teaching she felt that there was something missing in
her life. She wanted something more. That more was leading

her in another direction completely. She began studying

nursing at Meramec Junior College. No one was happier
than S. Elizabeth Ann when she received her nursing degree
and began to serve here at Nazareth Living Center as a
head nurse, a position she held for nine years [1983-1992].
Remaining at Nazareth as food service supervisor (1992),
she became purchasing manager in 1994.
In 1997, S. Elizabeth Ann was again drawn to another
ministry, but one where she could continue to use some of
her nursing skills. She began to work with CSJ Care, which
provided home care to seniors, helping them to age in place.
Her skills and her small dog, Holly, were both welcomed
into a number of homes. Sister Ann Chamblin, the founder
and director of CSJ Care, remembers her as a calm and
comfortable presence who was loved by the people she
served.
In 1998 when she celebrated her golden jubilee as a Sister
of St. Joseph, in an interview with her hometown diocesan
newspaper in Marquette, she was quoted as saying: There is
a great need in the world today for compassion.
She had an additional opportunity to be compassionate in
2000 when she temporarily left CSJ Care to do private care
for a dear friend in Columbia, Illinois, and stayed with her
friend until she died. S. Elizabeth Ann returned to CSJ Care
in 2001 continuing to serve actively until 2006 when she
retired to minister in prayer and presence at Nazareth Living
Center where both she and Holly were welcomed.
In her later years, after suffering a massive stroke, she found
herself on the receiving end of care and compassion of others
and responded in gratitude. S. Elizabeth Ann donated her
body to science. She was 86 years of age.
Sister Helen Oates

May/June 2016 PNN

Page 21

CSJ BOOK CLUB

Dear Ryan

Letters, Reflections and Stories Sharing the Dance Through Life

with a Handicapped Son
Book by Associate Theresa Jeevanjee, Ph.D.
Review by Associate Laura Rossman

Theresa Jeevanjee began writing letters to Ryan

before he was born and continues to write today.
In Dear Ryan, she shares these letters and stories
of Ryans journey. At the encouragement of
others (and rightly so) she also shares her story,
because, After all, I only became the me I am
now, after there was a Ryan. Dear Ryan is more
than just their story. It is a way to survive, a way
to love, and a way to journey through life.
I read Dear Ryan because my friend Theresa
wrote it. Id been hearing about the book for a
while and was so excited when it was published. I
admire Theresa and knew the book would teach
me many lessons just like Theresa teaches me
every day to be present to life (no matter what it
throws at you).
Theresa is very smart. She is strong, loving,
talented, and a great mother and wife. She knows
herself, believes in good and is always filled with
gratitude. Ryan is also strong. He is joy-filled,
funny and determined.
In Dear Ryan, Theresa takes every struggle life
throws at her and uses her mathematical mind
to throw it back. Through Dear Ryan, shell teach
you to speak your mind, speak your heart, love,
share and listen.

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May/June 2016 PNN

Every so often, I flip open the book to a random

page and start reading. When I do this, I always
find a message that speaks to me.
We spent the next several months trying to take
care of Ryan and juggle life with a rambunctious
toddler. Zulfi had a stressful job. Larry had a
stressful job. I was in graduate school, no stress
there. We were not always at our best, and I
was angry with Larry much of the time because
I did not think he was helping enough. Buddy
said to me, Let it go. Do you really want
Ryan with him if he is too busy or too stressed
to handle him? It was like cold water on my
face and warm water on my feet all at the same
time.
It was like cold water on my face and warm
water on my feet all at the same time. This
is what spoke to me today. What a beautiful
statement. I find Theresa both open and honest
about most things. She didnt want to hear that
she had to let go, but she knew if she did, she
would be released as if Jesus was washing her
feet.
Read Dear Ryan. Its worth the journey.

CSJ BOOK CLUB

Water, Wind, Earth and Fire

The Christian Practice of Praying with the Elements

Book by Christine Valters Paintner
Review by Sister Joan Pitlyk

Water, Wind, Earth and Fire is a book about

learning to see. Christine Valters Paintner offers
this book as one window among many that
leads to a more intimate and contemplative
relationship to God through the natural world.
The book is divided into sections where the
author explores each element through poetry,
quotations, suggestions for prayer and Lectio
Divina.

The final chapter is an exploration of the impact

of earth on our life. Among other topics in
this section are the tree of life, holy mountain,
communion and our own earthiness. The first
line from a Celtic prayer, Deep peace of the
quiet earth to you, and a line from John, I am
the Vine and you are the branches, are two of
the many quotations in this chapter that speak of
the mystery hidden in earth and creation.

The first chapter focuses on the wind as a symbol

for our relationship with God: inspiration, lifebreath, a powerful force in the whirlwinds and
storms of our life. Thomas Merton, St. John of
the Cross, Job, Hildegard of Bingen, Samuel
Taylor Coleridge, Teilard de Chardin are a few
whose words call us to move beyond the prayers
of asking for blessings on our lives and to become
fully present to the gifts and energy of the world
around us.

This book is small, just 150 pages. It is not

a book to be read but rather an invitation to
pause, to reflect and to behold the wonders of
the natural world and to expand our capacity
to love Gods creation. At the end of the book
is an excellent bibliography. Of interest to CSJs
would be the reference to Sister Shawn Madigan
and her book Mystics, Visionaries, and Prophets.
S. Shawns chapters on Saints Gertrude and
Catherine of Siena are two that Paintner has
selected as examples of mystics who found God
in the elements.

The second chapter explores the impact of fire on

our prayer and in our life: the fire of illumination,
the invitation to become fire, the flame of
love that burns within us. Again, words from
scripture, the mystics, poets and contemporary
writers are presented to us for reflection:
Ignatius, Go, set the world on fire, Luke, Were
not our hearts burning within us? and Annie
Dillard, I cannot cause the light; the most I can
do is try to put myself in the path of its beam.

The CSJ Ad Hoc committee on Communion

Within the Earth Community has given us
material to engage the mind, heart, and will of
each of us ... and to realize that our neighbors
are the whole Earth community. Their excellent
resource is more comprehensive and more
detailed than Paintners book yet this is what
makes Water, Wind, Earth and Fire a beautiful
companion to their work. It is another way
of helping us to become connected with the
elements and to see the whole Earth community
as a sacrament of divine presence. (2013
Congregational Chapter)

The focus of the third chapter is water: the rise

and fall of the tides, living water, fountains,
baptism and blessings. There are suggestions
for ways to reflect upon the holy wells, deserts
and oases in our life. Lectio Divina with Water
concludes this chapter with the invitation to
open ourselves to the element of water in our life
and in the world.

May/June 2016 PNN

Page 23

Sparkle and glamour filled the Sisters of St.

Joseph of Carondelets motherhouse on the
evening of April 22 as more than 160 sisters,
donors, family and friends came together
in celebration of two special women, Ann
Rotermund and Kathleen Murphy, for their
service to the dear neighbor during the 10th
Annual Generosity of Joseph Honors Gala.

Michael Cox, Associate Corliss Cox,

Regina Sexauer, and Mary Ann Collins

Sister Pat Bober and students from

Angel Baked Cookies

Kathleen Murphy with friends/coworkers

from Doorways

Ann Rotermund and Kathleen Murphy

Associate Cathie Braasch with Rhonda

and Chris Griffin

Countertenor Terry Barber

Internationally-known countertenor Terry Barber and accompanists performs a

special concert for gala attendees.

Fontbonne President Michael Pressimone

led the Fund-a-Need auction for Gulu.
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May/June 2016 PNN

CSJ sisters, associates and former members gather to sing Sancte Joseph.

Live Until You Die: Aging and Caregiving

presented by Sisters Pat Dunphy and Kathleen Karbowski

by Sister Helen Oates

We all know what AAA represents, but what about HHH

for a caregiver?
Sisters Pat Dunphy and Kathleen Karbowski presented the
value of the three Hs for caregivershumor, holiness and
hospitalityessential qualities when working with those
who need assistance. What they shared filled the room with
laughter and practical advice.
Our speakers, who are currently engaged in a ministry of
service at Nazareth Living Center, introduced each of these
points with quotations from scripture and the book of
maxims that Fr. Jean Pierre Medaille, SJ gave to the early
Sisters of St. Joseph.
Keep an ever free heart (Maxim 53) Humorous quips
and stories wove in and out of the mornings narrativetoo
many to repeat and, of course, the tale and the telling rely
on the timing and situations as narrated by the speakers.
Comedy and common sense were both abundant.
Strive for peace with everyone, and for that holiness
without which no one will see the Lord. (Hebrews
12:14) Author Henri Nouwen, internationally known for
establishing homes shared by both the able-bodied and the
disabled, reminds us that caregivers receive Gods blessing
from those for whom they give care because in ministering
to them they encounter the face of God. Which is why,
explained one of our speakers, caregiving is a ministry not
merely a job. Another author, Father Richard Rohr says:
We in our corporate holiness are the Presence of God.
Be nothing to yourself and be utterly given to God and
to the neighbor. (Maxim 39) Anyone who is or has been
a caregiver knows caring can be toughespecially if met

with anger or blank stares from those served. Though

appreciation is not the aim of caregiving, its lack may, over
time, rest heavy on the caregiveras well as the constant
listening, laundry, meals, and hygiene that need attention.
Our speakers emphasized that the number one rule for
caregivers is: Take care of yourselves. Whether you are caring
for children, a spouse, parents or other relatives; whether
you are supporting yourself through caring in homes,
hospitals or assisted or skilled facilities; if you are involved
in care, you need to be your best self, your healthiest self. In
his book titled Prayer, Han Urs von Balthasar says, What
you are is Gods gift to you, what you become is your gift to
God.
We all need to learn to nourish our souls. Our speakers
gave us lots of suggestions: find someone to talk to, call a
friend, celebrate who you are, be good to yourself. Perhaps
your loved one could spend a day in respite care so you can
take time for yourself. Are others around who also care for
someone? What about starting a support group for each
other? Could others share how they get whomever they
care for to handle the activities of daily living? Or learn
something new: take classes; learn a game; read. Learn to
understand that it is OK to be angry; OK to ask for help;
OK to be honest about what you can or cant do.
Another suggestion is to contact local hospital for advice.
For example, Mercy Hospital in St. Louis has a range of
activities to help the caregiver to learn what might help in a
given situation, e.g., taking away the car keys.
Our morning ended with prayer. On the way out that was
great ... I enjoyed this ... they could make a video could be
heard echoing around the room. Many left smiling.

May/June 2016 PNN

Page 25

CSJ EVENTS & HAPPENINGS

Take and Eat

by Sister Jean Paul Selissen

Take and eat the God you praise
Body of Christ
Found in many disguises.
Amen with one voice we raise.
Take and eat this bread
Of joy and sorrow
Peace and conflict
Light and darkness
Life and death
But always hope for the morrow.
Take and eat this bread of life and
truth
Apostles have told the story
Precious food savored
Unifying love received
Strength for the journey
Fragments gathered
Given for your glory.
Take and eat and go
Called forth to spread the Word.
Lifes hymn is sung
By old and young
Whose faithful cupped hands
Go out to home and foreign lands
Seeking to do as He has done.
Take and eat
Until at last the torch is passed
To another generation to explore
The gift stupendous,
As you are called, God to adore
face to face forevermore.

Together We Gather

by Associate Mary Kay Christian, province liturgist

The month of April began with
celebrating Earth Day with a
workshop given by Ilia Delio in the
chapel, followed by a the Process
Design Team morning the next day.

May/June 2016 PNN

June
1
8
29

Midday Prayer 11:45 a.m.

Midday Prayer 11:45 a.m.
Midday Prayer 11:45 a.m.

At the end of the month we

anticipated the feast of St. Joseph
July
Process Design Retreat
the Worker with the Generosity of
Joseph Gala, where we were blessed
29-31 Province Assembly
with a concert by world-renowned
Countertenor Terry Barber. We then
enjoyed a spring concert by the Missouri Choral Society the next day.

On May 7, the 60th Jubilarians celebrated with Mass in the chapel followed by
brunch. And, finally, the busy month of May closed with the Heritage Retreat
from May 21-27.
The beginning of the Process Design Teams retreats and the Province
Assembly will keep us busy through June and July.

COMMUNAL
PRAYER SERIES
SUNDAYS AT 2 P.M.
JUNE 12 AUG 21
OCT 16 DEC 18
HOLY FAMILY CHAPEL
Sisters, associates and those
interested in the Sisters of
St. Joseph spirit and spirituality
are invited to a series of
communal prayers. Come
to one, a few or all of these
opportunities for prayer.
A social will be held after prayer
to meet and talk to one another.

Page 26

LITURGY CALENDAR

THE SPIRITUALITY OF JUSTICE

MORNING OF
REFLECTION
Saturday, June 11
9 a.m. - Noon
Holy Family Chapel
Sandra Spencer, a former
missionary, a retreat director and
a member of the Social Justice
Committee at St. Francis Xavier
College Church, will direct the
morning, including two brief
presentations, with ample time
for prayer and reflection.
The morning is sponsored by
the Office of Justice. To register,
call 314-481-8800 or email
motherhousersvp@csjsl.org.

SAVE THE DATES

Golden
Jubilee
Celebration
Reception of 1966

2016 FALL EVENTS

SEPT 8

Coffee & Conversation with Jeremy Lillig, CSJA

Masked Reality: Media Representation of
Women and Minorities in Pop Culture

Saturday, August 6
11:00 a.m. Mass, followed by lunch
RSVP by July 28 to
motherhousersvp@csjsl.org or
314-481-8800

OCT 22

Jack Gladstone in Concert

Native American singer/songwriter to present

program on oneness with the Earth
For more details about these events, visit csjsl.org.

June 24-26 St. Louis

CSJ-SPONSORED
CONCERT IN THE PARK
MISS JUBILEE
Sunday, August 14
5:30 p.m.
Carondelet Park
Enjoy an evening of hot jazz and
swing with Miss Jubilee as she
performs in concert as a part of
the 2016 Carondelet Concerts
in the Park series.
Learn more about Miss Jubilee
at miss-jubilee.com.
For the complete
concert schedule, visit
carondeletliving.com.

The Sisters of St. Joseph of

Carondelet Vocation Team invites
women interested in religious life
to join us for a weekend event
in St. Louis, June 24-26.
MORE Weekend is an opportunity
for sisters and interested women
to share time in community,
prayer and volunteer ministry.
We will have a time for ministry at
two volunteer sites where sisters
are active: Marian Middle School
and an organic garden.
We will explore the core value
of the Sisters of St. Joseph: being
one with God and neighbor.
Our congregation is oriented to
the unifying love of God and to

bringing about our oneness with

God and oneness with neighbor.
There will be time for reflection
and prayer with the sisters. We
will focus on discernment and the
call to unifying love. And finally,
there will be time to engage with
the sisters in community, meals
and celebration.
If you are interested in religious
life and are interested in MORE
Weekend, contact Sister Amy
Hereford at vocation@csjlife.org
or ahereford@csjlife.org for more
details.
Check out the CSJ Vocation
Team's website at csjlife.org.

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

May/June 2016 PNN

Page 27

LEADERSHIP CALENDAR
June
3-7
8
9
11
13
14

15-17
16
20-21

CHA Workshop (ML)

Motherhouse Task Force Study (RS)
LCWR Breakfast (MML, RS, LS)
Associate Leadership Board Mtg. (LS)
Health & Wellness Committee Mtg. (MML, ML)
Sponsorship Collaborative Mtg.,
St. Josephs Academy (All)
PLT Planning Mtg., Ruma (All)
Exec. Board Mtg., SJID (MF)
Council/Corporation Board Mtgs. (All)

July
7-10
8-13
13-14
14
14-15

Sisters of the Earth Conference (MF)

U.S. Federation Event, Orlando (ML, RS, LS)
Design Team Retreat, Orlando (ML, RS)
LCWR Breakfast (MML, LS)
Congregational Dialogue Retreat (ML, RS)

19-21 Council/Corporation Board Mtgs. (All)

28
Finance Report (All)
29-31 2016 Assembly, SMMA (All)
August
2
Agenda Committee Mtg. (MF, LS)
3
Fontbonne Board Mtg. (MML)
6
Golden Jubilee Celebration (All)
9-14 LCWR Assembly, Atlanta (RS, LS)
11
LCWR Breakfast
15
Dept. Head Mtg. (MML, ML, RS, LS)
16
Health & Wellness Committee (MML, ML)
17
Investment Managers Mtg. (All)
18
Motherhouse Study Task Force (RS)
22-23 Council/Corporation Mtgs. (All)
26
Chapter Planning Mtg. (All)
27
LCWR Gathering (LS)

SISTERS OF ST. JOSEPH CELEBRATING OUR HERITAGE COMMITTEE PRESENTS

180th Anniversary Celebrations

SAVE THE DATES

Monday, Sept. 12

Anniversary date of sisters arrival

at log cabin

Presentation at 4:15 p.m.,

followed by dinner
St. Joseph Hall

Saturday, Oct. 15

Founders Day: The Arrival

Liturgy at 10 a.m., followed by brunch
Holy Family Chapel
NEXT ISSUE: July/August PNN & Directory Changes
Submission Deadline: July 10 Publication Date: August 5
For a complete PNN schedule, visit Members Only at www.csjsl.org.

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May/June 2016 PNN