PROVINCE

News Notes
SISTERS OF ST. JOSEPH OF CARONDELET AND ASSOCIATES ST. LOUIS PROVINCE NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2017

Into our darkness comes the Light

Searching for those who have lost sight
Of what is truly important in life.

Into our darkness comes the Light

Radiant in faces reverencing the mystery
Of this holy silent night.

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
Kelly Anne Davis
Mary Flick, CSJ
Jane Gerard, CSJ
Proofreading
Page 2 November/December 2017 PNN
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
6-7 8 16-17
DRAWING CLOSER SISTER ACT STORY OF JUSTICE
TO GOD Read about Sister It's about change, not
Sisters Lisa Lazio and Suzanne Giro's acting charity. Meet Sister
Nancy Marsh are bug and how she sees Barbara Jennings and
devotees of the this role as another way learn about her ministry
mandala, the spiritual to reach out to the dear working for systemic
practice of creating neighbor. change through
circular images. Learn shareholder voice to
more about this prayerful influence companies.
art form.
CONTENTS
Province Leadership ........................................................................................ 3-4
Advent...................................................................................................................5
CSJ News........................................................................................................... 6-9
CSJ Life .......................................................................................................... 10-11
Association .................................................................................................... 12-13
Health and Wellness .................................................................................... 14-15
Justice............................................................................................................ 16-17
Sponsored Institutions .................................................................................. 18-21
Archives ...............................................................................................................22
Necrology: Sister Jane Edward Schilling..........................................................23
Necrology: Sister Mary Therese Esswein...........................................................24
Necrology: Sister Alice Hein ..............................................................................25
Multicultural Committee ...................................................................................26
Events and Happenings ....................................................................................27
Calendar .............................................................................................................28
ON THE COVER: THE CHRIST
"Into our darkness comes the Light..." Read the complete
poem by Sister Jean Paul Selissen on page 5.
The PNN staff wishes you both a blessed Advent and
Christmas season!
 Province Leadership
2014-2019 Province Leadership Team: Sisters Mary Margaret Lazio, Linda Straub, Maureen Freeman,
Rita Marie Schmitz and Marilyn Lott
Who is Stealing Christmas?
by Sister Maureen Freeman
As we enter the Advent season and move closer to the
winter solstice and Christmas, I am distracted by the
overabundance of Christmas paraphernalia in the stores
and in the ads. My mind keeps going back to a quote
in Diarmuid OMurchus book, Religious Life in the
21st Century. Like many of you, I am working through
it. In Chapter 9, there is a sentence that begins: In a
culture of insatiable consumerism, how do we maintain a
contemplative sense of vigilance?"
How do we counteract the deluge of Christmas ads, cards,
candy and music that has already begun?
Beginning to feel like I was somewhere between the Grinch
and Scrooge, those words became a mantra in my head
insatiable consumerism. This Christmas glitter everywhere
got me thinking about how I want to celebrate the seasons
of Advent and Christmas.
Speaking of consumerism, did you know that the National
Retail Federation expects an increase between 3.6 and 4
percent of spending this holiday season? That would bring
us somewhere between $678 billion and $682 billion, up
from $655.8 billion spent last year. Thats a lot of spending.
How can I be a liminal person in the midst of all the
Christmas lights and wrapping paper?
Lets look at that insatiable consumerism. Does that mean
we dont give any gifts? I read once that giving gifts is part
of our DNA as human beings. Its the way we connect with
each other. The way we show gratitude and express our love.
Lets try and be more creative this year. Maybe create
your own gift cards to give family and friends. Make them
practicaldinner at your house, homemade bread and jam,
movie and popcorn at your house. You get the idea: more
creativity, less money. Inner child outwallet tight!
I could start making a list of what I think would be great
alternative gifts or places to support, but I have a better
idea. Why dont we do it together? Send your ideas to
Communications Director Jenny Beatrice, and we will put
them on our website and share on social media
(jbeatrice@csjsl.org). It will be our CSJ alternative
Christmas list to share with everyone.
Lets break that culture of insatiable consumerism that
Diarmuid O'Murchu writes about. Lets be creative. Dont
let the almighty dollar and the need for more stu steal
Christmas.
November/December 2017 PNN Page 3
 CORPORATION & COUNCIL
AUGUST MINUTES
Corporation
Approved
July 20, 2017 Board Minutes
July (Unadjusted) 2017 Financial
Statements
All-Africa Conference: Sister to
Sister$1,000
Peace by Piece Table
Sponsorship$1,500
Micronancing Partners in
Africa$500
Return to Motown, Cardinal
Ritter Senior Services Table
Sponsorship$5,000
NLC Swimming Pool Resolution
Water with Blessingssell car to the
project
Albany Province Debt Repayment
Extension
Council
Approved
July 20-21, 2017 Minutes
St. Joseph's Academy Board
Appointments (2)
Multicultural Awareness Committee
Discussed
CLG Mtg., Feb. 28-March 5, 2019
CSSJ Collaborative
PLTs Priorities/Ongoing Needs List
Policy Book Updating
IT Policy Guidelines
Acts of Chapter Distribution
CSJ Housing Guidelines for PLT
Sister Formation Plan, July 2017
Assembly 2019 Location
Carondelet Community Betterment
Federation (CCBF) Board Member
Change
Reviewed
The Village Apartment Guidelines
Page 4 November/December 2017 PNN
SEPTEMBER MINUTES
Corporation
Approved
August 22, 2017 Board Minutes
Fiscal 2017 (Adjusted) Financial
Statements
July 2017 (Adjusted) Financial
Statements
August 2017 Financial Statements
PROMO Table Sponsorship$750
Friends of NPR 2017$500
St. Joseph Institute for the Deaf
(SJID) Table Sponsorship$3,000
CRSS Rae$100
Hurricane Maria Victims, Puerto
Rico$5,000
Disaster Relief, PR, Divine
Providence Sisters$1,000
Water with Blessings FL/Mexico
Disaster Relief$2,000
Journey House$1,650
SJID Board of Directors
Appointments (4)
Discussed
Extra sets of Motherhouse china
Archives Project
Council
Approved
August 21-22 Minutes
Avila Board Appointments (3)
CPC Selection Committee Appt. (1)
Discussed
4th Session of Chapter
Associate Five-Yr. Strategic Plan
STA
Updated
Motherhouse Administration
Health & Wellness
Nazareth Living Center (NLC)
Mission Integration Board
OCTOBER MINUTES
Corporation
Approved
September 22, 2017 Board Minutes
Fiscal 2017 Financial Audits
September 2017 Financial
Statements
Sponsorship Donation for Bishop
Baraga$1,000
Marian Middle School Table
Sponsorship, April 2018$5,000
Discussed
The Reid Group Final Report
Council
Approved
Sept. 22 & 25 Minutes
Sabbatical Request (1)
Extended Travel Request (1)
Discussed
Committees for Congregational
Chapter
Funerals During NLC Construction
The Reid Group Report
Updated
Motherhouse Administration
NLC Mission Integration Project
2019 Assembly Location
 CSJ News
The Christ
By Sister Jean Paul Selissen
Christmas 1999
Into our darkness comes the Light
Searching for those who
have lost sight
Of what is truly important in life.
Into our darkness comes the Light
Setting relationships with the earth aright
Seeing all as sacred, holy.
Into our darkness comes the Light
Assisting sojourners with truth and insight
In a time of complexity and uncertainty.
Into our darkness comes the Light
Revealing the generous mites
Which make all the dierence.
Into our darkness comes the Light
Refusing to hold control and power tight
Allowing innate freedom of choice.
Into our darkness comes the Light
Opening hearts to assist the plight
Of immigrant and alien alike.
Into our darkness comes the Light
Illuminating a path so bright
With hope and trust rekindled anew.
Into our darkness comes the Light
Radiant in faces reverencing the mystery
Of this holy silent night.
ADVENT
REFLECTIONS
Animating Advent
From the Animation Committee
Desiring to deepen relationships among us, our 2017
Extraordinary Chapter Animation Committee invites our
sisters and associates, consociates, O'hana and Familia
de San Jos to pray our way through the holy season
of Advent. You should be receiving emails from this
committee through Epiphany week, inviting you to pray,
reect, and then share the insights you receive in a variety
of ways.
The Animation Committee hopes that our praying
together will strengthen our bonds and re-energize our
turning beyond ourselves to serve a world in need.
#AdventAppreciation
From the Congregational Communicators
On Dec. 3, the Congregational Communicators will
post #AdventAppreciation reections each Sunday,
Tuesday and Thursday on our respective CSJ social media
channels: Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Reections
are written by sisters from across the congregation based
on the scripture reading for the day.
Alternative Advent
From Sister Maureen Freeman
In her PL letter (page 3), Sister Maureen calls us to break
the culture of consumerism and come up with a list of
alternative and creative Christmas gifts. Send your ideas
to Communications Director Jenny Beatrice at
jbeatrice@csjsl.org and, we'll share them online.
THANK YOU From Sister Mary Flick
My sincere thanks for your cards, notes, gifts and kind
wishes to me as I celebrated my perpetual vows. I am
proud and honored to be a CSJ! And I count myself as
blessed. Your presence at my celebration and your words
of encouragement have strengthened me for the road
ahead. I look forward to journeying with you.
November/December 2017 PNN Page 5
 CSJ News
Drawing Closer to God: Mandalas
Sisters Lisa Lazio and Nancy Marsh pray with art form
by Jenny Beatrice, director of communications, and Julia DiSalvo, contributor
Sisters Lisa Ann Lazio and Nancy Marsh are devotees of an
ancient and global spiritual practice. As part of their regular
prayer life, they create mandalasspiritual images, circular
in shape through which they commune with the divine, seek
union with self and others, and gain inspiration.
We need tools to reect on our own experience with God, a
key to the sacred that is familiar to us, says S. Lisa. This is a
tool of a dierent sort.
An expert on the form, S. Lisa rst heard about the mandala
in the 1970s while studying Christianity at Saint Louis
University. She became a certied instructor in 2006, and
she facilitates workshops and groups, another aspect of her
work as a spiritual director.
It is of assistance to someone who is trying to understand
their relationship to themselves and God, she says. The
purpose of nearly every mandala retreat Ive done or made
has been, Whats going to draw me closer to God?
A few years ago when S. Nancy was seeking ways to recharge
her spiritual life, she learned the mandala techniques from
S. Lisa and became devoted to the practice. I needed to
connect with the God in my heart. I needed to get back in
touch, she says. It focused me.
h
rs
a
y
M zi o
nc
Sis t e r N
a
Page 6 November/December 2017 PNN
After meeting and far surpassing a 100-day mandala
challenge, S. Nancy now creates mandalas almost daily and
posts her work weekly on the province Facebook page in a
Mandala Mondays series. (Follow the series on
www.facebook.com/csjsl.) Im an extrovert and sometimes
I dont know what Im thinking unless I express it in some
other way, says S. Nancy. Words dont always do it. The
artwork does it.
The process begins with prayer and meditation, setting
an intention for the mandala, whether it be a reection, a
scripture or a positive statement, such as I am or I will
, being mindful of Gods grace in the process.
Recognize that you are not standing in the way but inviting
the God within you to hold the marker or the pen to express
along with you, S. Lisa says. It may be a shape, it may be a
colorit will make itself known if you bless it.
Part of that expression is revealed in the lines you may
or may not intend to create. S. Lisa says, When you do
something in a mandala, you dont correct your work or start
over. You just continue with what you did and know theres a
message in that, and youll understand the meaning at some
point.
La
e r L isa
S i s t
Sister Suzanne Giro, another regular mandala practitioner,
arms that experience. When I start with my going-nowhere
lines, it ends up meaningful to me and speaks to me. Even a
mistake, turns into something totally dierent. I never know.
At the end, I have a sense of feeling in touch with my God
with a little more knowledge of my heart.
Srs. Lisa, Nancy and Suzanne participate in a mandala group
every third Sunday of the month. Sister Lisa recommends
that beginners take a workshop, like the ones she oers, to
get introduced to the foundations of the practice. When I
invite other people to do the mandala work, my experience of
the God of my heart deepens. Its contagious. By setting that
atmosphere I can guide you to that space in your own life that
will allow you to see.
Associate Donna Corno, a newbie attending the third Sunday
sessions, appreciates the group dynamic. As yet, I havent
gured out how to communicate through this medium, and
what I produce is primitive, but I am fascinated by the process
and privileged to be in the company of those who are there.
Sister Lisa says she has yet to nd another method that oers
her the powerful transformative experience of the mandala,
and she wants to share that experience with others. I hope my
life will help people nd their way home to the God within
their hearts.
Interested in pursuing the mandala spiritual practice? Contact
Sister Lisa for information about the monthly group or hosting
workshops. 314-591-7898 or llazio@csjsl.org.
h
rs
a
y
M
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Sis t e r N
The Mandala Process
A typical session will contain these aspects
in some way to improve the experience and
facilitate its higher purpose:
Create a sacred environment. Leaders of
a group session might begin with centering
prayer or quiet contemplation or prepare
some soft, meditative music. Set a table with
candles, pictures and religious items in the
center of the room. The environment should
foster openness and peace without disruption.
Set the intention. An intention can be a word
or phrase, scripture passage, current event,
personal issue, petition or simple gratitude for
this moment. State the intention in a positive
way. Be mindful that the process is of God,
and keep the focus on God.
Start with only white on black paper. The
simplicity allows you to focus on the prayer
and intention and symbolizes light shining
through the darkness. (More advanced
practitioners can work on coloring and
shading.)
Share your finished mandala. Sharing is
optional. The Buddhist tradition discourages
mandala sharing, because the process is
seen as sacred and sufficient in itself. Not so
in Christianity, which emphasizes the value of
the church community in faith formation and
divine revelation. When others comment, they
listen, not judge.
a zi o
s aL
L i
Sis t e r
November/December 2017 PNN Page 7
 CSJ News
Sister Act
Sister Suzanne Giro finds acting with a theater company
another way to reach out to the dear neighbor
by Patti Eischen
Sister Suzanne Giros life sounds like a mashup of movie
titles, Sister Act and an Italian version of My Big Fat
Greek Wedding.
She grew up an only child in a large, extended Italian family
in Kansas City. She lived in the family duplex with her
parents upstairs, grandparents and aunt, uncle and cousins
downstairs.
Her family entertained themselves by going to movies,
concerts and the theatre all the time.
On Sunday afternoons, you could hear my grandfathers
opera from upstairs. If you went downstairs after 4 p.m. on
Sunday, he would snatch you up and youd be forced to listen
to his explanation of the opera that was airing, she explains.
A self-admitted extreme extrovert, S. Suzanne says the
performance bug had always been somewhat recessive in her.
In her eight-year ministry as the mission coordinator for
the congregation, she says she was on stage or at the lectern
acting on Jesus behalf and the mission of the CSJs. I was a
traveling show and spoke in churches of all sizes. I got rave
reviews.
When she moved to St. Louis attending Mary, Mother
of the Church Parish, she heard about a production of
Annie Get Your Gun. She admits that she thought about
auditioning, but didnt. She ended up getting a small part.
When I was asked to be a townsperson I was on cloud
137!
It was through her involvement with that production
that she learned about Monroe Actors Stage Community
(MASC) in Waterloo, Illinois. She auditioned, having never
seen a production of theirs. She landed a part and started
rehearsing. It was only when she had a scheduling conict
between rehearsals and a CSJ community meeting that her
life as a woman religious came up.
Page 8 November/December 2017 PNN
Im not who you think I am,
is what she told her director.
Her fellow co-actors didnt
really treat her any dierently
after learning that Suzanne
was really Sister Suzanne.
But she explains, They
responded dierently as a
fellow human. I think they
were and are attracted to our
charism, which brings them
in.
Bonds were and are created. Sister Suzanne Giro
Help was oered to one
another. Actors are a community themselves. As a whole
they are welcoming, acceptinga community forms with
each production because of so much time spent together,
she explains. They are arming, conrming people and
with each production, the idea of were all in this together
comes through.
S. Suzanne has been in two of the companys productions as
well as two other productions with her church community,
and she has found the experiences invigorating.
Learning to do these things, like fainting and remembering
the lines, is a challenge at this stage of my life. I never
thought at 67 that I'd get into theatre. But I love it, I thrive
on it. I am the happiest when Im in a show, and my friends
tell me they see the dierence in me when I am in one,
S. Suzanne explains.
Her involvement with the productions propels her to always
be moving to the More. S. Suzanne says that she sees her
mission to the dear neighbor fully engaged when she is with
her theatre community. Im reminded of the quote, 'The
glory of God is man fully alive,'" she says.
And alive she is, especially when the curtain is going up.
 Welcome to CORE
A Q&A with CORE Volunteer Natasha Troung
by Patti Eischen
The CSJ CORE (Charism, Outreach,
Relationship, Experience) volunteer
program provides young women,
ages 20-35, with opportunities
to engage with Sisters of St.
Joseph and their lay associates
and share in their mission and
ministry. Directed by Sister Kathy
Eiler, CORE provides experiences,
space and time for young women
to discern their next steps in life and
engage in ministry opportunities where
sisters or associates serve the people of
God.
Meet Natasha Troung, our newest CORE
volunteer. A St. Louis native of Vietnamese
descent, Natasha moved into the Agape House
in August 2017, living with Sisters Clare Bass, Janet
Kuciejczyk and Mary McGlone to get the full
experience of what living in community is like.
Shes also volunteering at Marian Middle School,
teaching a class, subbing, and working as a 5th
grade teacher's aide. Shell be a CORE volunteer
until at least June 2018.
How did you nd out about CORE?
I rst learned about CORE from Sister Linda Markway, the
[former] vocation director sometime after graduate school in
2012. She invited me to several gatherings and events. She
told me about CORE. I led that away and thought I might
want to do that someday.
How did you decide to become a part of the program?
I had been traveling quite a bit, teaching a year in Palestine,
a year in Jordan. It has given me more time away from
distractions to live with other sisters and to pray, creating
time and space to hear God more.
Why is this program dierent than other volunteer
programs?
The other programs I had considered didnt oer living in
community. Here, I get a sense of what it is like.
Its been a wonderful experience so far.
What do you like best about your
experience with CORE?
I love that my house meets with the
other sisters. We pray together. I just
learned, too, that the Blessed Sacrament
is in the house. That makes me so happy.
g
un
o Having one-on-one conversations with the
T r sisters is greatI will often journal about it.
ha
Natas I get to have opportunities for vocation events in
the St. Louis area, like retreats.
What have you learned so far in your experience with
CORE?
I have learned that sisters can attend Katy Perry concerts!
I went with Sister Clare, and she knew all the lyrics better
than I did. Ive learned that all the sisters have really
amazing experiences, yet they are so humble about it. Living
in community has denitely given me a lot of insights on
religious life. It has certainly deepened my spiritual life more.
What was your familys reaction to your decision to live in
community with CORE?
My mom was overjoyed! I had been traveling since 2011, so
she was glad to have me back in St. Louis and not moving
around. My dad just wants me to be happy.
What advice would you give to others who are looking for
a time and place for discernment and volunteerism?
I would totally recommend this program. You get to live
in community, and get your feet wet to see if it is right for
you. The program allows for volunteering that matches your
skills, experience and preferences with what the needs are
out in the community. It is totally tailored to what you need
and want to get out of the program.
For more information about the CORE program, contact
Program Director Sister Kathy Eiler at 314-443-1234 or
keiler@csjsl.org.
November/December 2017 PNN Page 9
 CSJ Life
Black Lives Matter
Sister Amy Hereford shares her experience from
the streets with the movement
by Sister Amy Hereford
The people of St. Louis are trying to process
another not-guilty decision in another
police shooting that left another young
black man named Anthony Lamar Smith
dead. I thought I was woke. I thought
I got racism, as much as a white middle-
aged woman could. And for this reason,
I took to the streets, repeatedly.
On the one hand, I saw amazing moments
of solidarity, community and grass-roots work
by blacks and whites and everyone in between. We
are so far ahead of where we were in Ferguson just three
years ago, though in truth, we have many miles still to go.
In Ferguson, we heard, we saw, we experienced, we cried, we
raged, we all went home, and many of us came together to
try to do our homework. I went to groups where we talked
about white privilege and how to address it in the white
community. I learned about unpacking my own racism and
how to begin being a better ally to my brothers and sisters
of color. I wasnt sure it was making a dierence, but my
brothers and sisters of color assured me this would make a
dierence in their lives.
I come back to the streets in 2017 much more prepared.
And I think the black community was doing its homework
as well. We come back to the streets organized, determined,
ready to do the work of justice with the sometimes awkward,
partially-woke white community. And the result is the magic
we are seeing on the streets.
The police did their homework as well, but the narrative
they were working from was how to quell a riot. Well, this
is not a riotthis is a peaceful assembly with a clear and
persistent message. The people show up: people of color,
people of all colors and people of no color. We peacefully
assemble, we speak freely, we petition the government to
address our grievances, and its protected by the constitution
which forbids:
Page 10 November/December 2017 PNN
abridging the freedom of speech, or of the
press; or the right of the people peaceably
to assemble, and to petition the
government for a redress of grievances.
We are doing something fundamental to
the very existence of our democracy. And
ord
the police show up in riot gear with tear
ef
gas, pepper spray, zip-ties for mass arrests,
er
H and riot guns. So the crowd chants:
y
Am
S is t e r
I dont see no riot here.
Why are you in riot gear?
The crowds, a few hundred strong are peaceful, collaborative,
disciplined and proud.
Tell me what democracy looks like.
This is what democracy looks like.
One of the actions was an interfaith prayer service. We
prayed together, and people even gave speeches to God.
People spoke of their faith, their hope, their courage. People
spoke of justice and of Gods creation of all peoples to be
brothers and sisters. People spoke of the grace that disturbs
systems of injustice and calls us back to a holy indignation
that recognizes and dismantles systems of oppression. Then
we marched; we prayed with our feet. And we chanted:
Tell me what theology looks like.
This is what theology looks like.
At one point when I was out on the street, the group was
gathered and chanting. Earlier in the day, the police had
interrupted an otherwise peaceful protest and started
indiscriminately arresting people. So we gathered outside
the jail where they were being held. We marched around the
area a bit.
I wanted to move outside the group and onto a nearby
sidewalk to join a friend. In order to do so, I had to cross
a police line that was forming. The ocer in semi-riot
gear said I couldnt cross. What? I told the ocer I wanted
to join my friend on the sidewalk. He said he had orders
not to let anyone out of the group. What? I asked, Am I
being detained? knowing that he would have to articulate
reasonable cause to suspect me of something. He said he
would have to ask his sergeant. They ended up letting me go.
But Im a white middle-aged woman, and the rst cop could
have been my grandson.
seem unable at times to distinguish between a riot and a
peaceful assembly protected by the constitution.
I heard an ocer report on his radio that a dispersal order
had been given, when there was no dispersal order audible.
I was close to the ocers and the crowd and heard no such
order. However, shortly thereafter, squads of riot police
appeared on the scene. Why was that report given when it
was clearly wrong? What is wrong with this system? I hear
the protesters chant, and I seem to see it validated:

No one was arrested in the action but only because the
protesters kept their cool, kept on message, kept strong
and kept together in the face of aggression from law-
enforcement. I repeatedly see the elegance of their planning,
organizing and actions. And by the grace of God, they elude
the threatening ocers.
Walking away from these actions, I am ever more woke to
the brutality of racism. I can go to a protest or stay home. I
can walk across a police line on the grounds of my race.
Now I must say, that some ocers have been courteous, fair
and restrained in some tough situations. I thank them for
that, and I thank them for the many ways they serve and
protect the community. At the same time, it is clear that the
police have an element of brutality in their midst. These
departments clearly have trained to quell riots. But they
The whole damn system is guilty as hell.
I see my brothers and sisters of color who have lived with
this system day in and day out, year in and year out, decade
after decade. Im only beginning to see what they have lived
with for a lifetime, and too often for a lifetime cut short by
violence. My heart is breaking.
I turn to the men and women in blue. In another day, in
another place, we walk the streets together, we do festivals
together, we pray together in the same churches. Can we
talk? Can we talk about the magical moments that are
happening on the streets? Yes, sometimes the police protect
the crowds as we come together to link arms and build
the beloved community. Other times there is something
powerfully and painfully wrong. And I believe that we can
come together. Violence isnt the answer.

BOOK RELEASE: ANYTHING OF WHICH A WOMAN IS CAPABLE

The History of the Sisters of St. Joseph BOOK SIGNINGS
in the United States
by Sister Mary McGlone Dec. 2 in St. Louis at
Carondelet at 4 p.m
In this volume, commissioned by the U.S. Federation
of Sisters of St. Joseph, you will read the story of the
foundations beginning in LePuy and Lyon and of all Dec. 5 in Kansas City at
the groups in the United States that were founded Avila's Library at 4 p.m.
through 1912.
"This first volume capsulizes significant moments,
Jan. 7 in Denver at
thoughts, patterns, threads and available facts into
a remarkable journey marked by clarity and vision. Creator Mundi at 3 p.m.
The women who shaped our history come alive as
their stories unfold."
BOOK COST $21.99
S. Joanne Gallagher, SSJ, Boston

To purchase: contact S. Mary McGlone at mmcglone@csjsl.org or 314-678-0498

November/December 2017 PNN Page 11

 Association
Associate Volunteer Spotlight
Carrie Arnold
by Jenny Beatrice, director of communications
Five years as a chaplain at the Brown County
Jail in Green Bay, Wisconsin, exposed
Associate Carrie Arnold to the realities
of a broken judicial system that only
magnies the inequities in our society.
Carrie says the experience taught her
a lot about the prevalence of white
privilege, the devastation of substance
abuse and the dangers for people in the
LGBTQ community.
Yet, she says, I also learned a lot about the resiliency of
the human spirit and how sometimes it only takes the rst
step to a better life. And its on those rst steps that Carrie
focuses her volunteer ministry, supporting those coming out
of jail in more ways than one.
After I retired, I started getting phone calls from people
whom I had met while they were incarcerated, she says.
With support from her husband Bob, they not only began
mentoring but oering housing and funding to them as well.
Carrie explains, We have occasionally taken in a person
who has found herself homeless while she gets her bearings
and nds a job and a permanent place to live. We have also
funded an ongoing scholarship at our local community
college, with the only requirement being that the recipient
has spent time incarcerated. We have what I like to call
our Peep Fund that enables us to give limited emergency
nancial assistance to my former 'peeps.'"
For Carrie, reaching out to people on the margins in
such a personal way comes with the risk of burn out and
being victimized by the people she is trying to help. One
particularly dicult incident occurred when Carrie and Bob
took in a homeless addict who relapsed and stole some of
their treasured possessions for drug money.
Page 12 November/December 2017 PNN
I try to give without expectation, but
sometimes things happen that hurt, she says.
Its dicult to make ourselves vulnerable
sometimes.
Such experiences have not tainted
ol d
Carries perspective. In fact, she nds
A rn
herself a strong vocal advocate when
talking to friends that dont understand
rie
ar
C
her level of commitment. When a person
e
iat has a face-to-face encounter with someone
A ss o c who is incarcerated or poor or homeless or
LBGTQ or marginalized in whatever way, I think it is
easy for him or her to blame that marginalized person for
the negative circumstances in their lives, she says.
Its frustrating to hear a friend say, Why doesnt he just get
a job? Why doesnt she just quit using drugs? Im tired of
lazy people milking the system. I try hard to put a face on
marginalization and hope to soften some hard hearts.
In addition to helping people on a personal level, Carrie
works for systemic change, becoming more active in
community programs that serve former inmates. She is also
a board member of Wellspring, a womens drop-in resource
center. I learned that we are all connected, and if one of us is
broken, the whole is broken as well.
Carrie is forever grateful to the people she has met through
her work who have shared their lives and stories with her,
enabling her to, as our Acts of Chapter states, partner with
new eyes. Her service exemplies the CSJ commitment to
mutuality, collaboration and walking with our brothers and
sisters who are marginalized.
I started this ministry open to however the Spirit moves
me. She hasnt failed me yet.
 INITIAL & ONGOING
COMMITMENTS
Green Bay St. Teresa's Academy, Kansas City St. Louis, Missouri

Green Bay Initial Commitment Oct. 14 St. Teresa's Academy Initial Commitments
Oct. 16

Sister Judy Miller witnesses new Associate Chuck Katie Weber, Alicia Steward, Laura Reynolds, Casey
Pankratz sign his commitment. O'Flaherty and Maddie Lueke.

St. Louis Commitments Service Nov. 19

Initial Commitments: Front: New Associates Beth Ongoing Commitments: Lynette Lahay, Ceal
Barbieri, Jan Cattaneo, Pam White, Tina Saputo and Parchomski, Cathy Modde, Tracy Brown, Sue Etling
Laura Kozak, S. Monica Kleffner and Associate Carol
Vizzier. Back row: Mentors Kay Komotos, Mary
Mertzlufft, Ruby Douthet, Maureen Wessels and
S. Carol Brouillette, Candidate Debbie Bucchino and
mentor S. Janet Kuciejczyk

November/December 2017 PNN Page 13

 From the Nurses' Station
Lifestyle Medicine
The benefits of plant-based nutrition
by Associate Kathy Fisher, assistant director of Health & Wellness
I recently attended the 5th annual International
Plant-Based Nutrition Healthcare
Conference. I have never felt more hopeful
because an emerging eld of medicine
known as lifestyle medicine is growing
exponentially, with over 900 doctors
and healthcare providers attending this
conference.
These practitioners look at lifestyle as
treatment and not just prevention. The
integration of a whole- food, plant based diet
(WFPB) with the best conventional medicine is the
hallmark of their approach when treating patients.
Dr. T. Colin Campbell, PhD, presenter and author of The
China Study stated, Our food choices shape our health, and
the foods that comprise the Standard American Diet (SAD)
is shaping our health for the worst.
Research has clearly shown positive evidence that a WFPB
lifestyle can:
Prevent, arrest and even reverse chronic conditions such
as heart disease and type 2 diabetes
Decrease cancer risk
Lower cholesterol and blood pressure
Enable healthy weight loss and maintenance
And much, much more!
So, what is a whole food, plant-based diet? Well, it is not a
diet of just vegetables. Rather it is made up of familiar foods
like tubers and starchy vegetables, even comfort foods like
mashed potatoes, fruits, whole grains and legumes.
When you begin to eat real food instead of processed or
food-like substances you will no longer have to leave the
Page 14 November/December 2017 PNN
table hungry or feeling deprived. You can load
your plate up and not count servings or
calories and eat until you feel satised.
Our bodies have been shown to be very
resilient and have remarkable capacity
r
to begin healing by removing the
ish e
underlying cause of the diseasenot
yF
just eliminating the symptoms of the
th
K disease.
a
t e
A ss o c ia
The good news is that the majority of diseases
that Americans are facing today are food-borne
illnesses. This is wonderful news because it is easier and
less expensive to x. If what we eat is causing our physical
health to deteriorate over time, then reversing these steps is
possible, and it doesnt take long to see the results.
Learn More
In the words of Dr. Michael Greger, M.D., author of the
book How Not To Die, Eating healthier is easier than you
think, its inexpensive, and it just might save your life.
If you are interested in learning more about the lifestyle and
how to implement it, here are some resources:
A great starting point: The Physicians Committee for
Responsible Medicine www.pcrm.org
Practical help: Forks Over Knives
www.forksoverknives.com
Cooking class: Follow Stlveggirl.com on Facebook and
Twitter
And feel free to contact me, Kathy Fisher, for questions or
personal assistance at 314-243-8262.
 Live Simply
Minimize stuff for maximum satisfaction
by Patty Lindauer, director of Health & Wellness
Live simply. What exactly does that mean?
By denition, "simple" means easily understood
or done; uncomplicated; of humble origin
or modest position. "Simply" means in a
straightforward or plain manner; without
embellishment. "Simplify" means to make
something easier to do or understand.
So, to live simply may be dened as living in a
very ordinary, plain and functional way. Denitely
not a bad thing but, perhaps, a dicult concept to
embrace.
So, I ask do you live simply? Do you desire to live simply?
What are the benets of living simply as we age?
There is much written about living simply and how to
simplify your life. Just Google living simply and you will be
amazed at what you can nd. Everything from 60 Things to
Toss out in the Next 60 Days to 72 Ideas To Simplify Your
Life."
For the purpose of this article, I simply want to stimulate
some thoughts about how you can begin to live more simply
as you age.
Some people are collectors or savers and some people are
more inclined to get rid of things. We are all unique and that
is okay.
Howeverand this is a generalizationas we get older,
I think many people nd themselves looking for ways
to simplify their lives and make it easier; ways they can
maximize satisfaction and minimize stu."
Yep, there it is the S word. The word
that clutters our lives and so often makes
us feel like we have achieved something
just by having it.
If you nd the thought of cleaning
out and getting rid of stu
daunting, you are not alone. It can
be overwhelming. It can stir emotions
r
such as happiness, sadness, guilt, loss
ue
da
Lin and pain to name a few.
P att y
Getting to simplicity isnt always a simple process.
Its a journey, not a destination, and it can often be a journey
of two steps forward and one backward.
If you are interested in simplifying your life, here are two
easy steps to get you started:
1. Identify whats most important to you
2. Eliminate everything else
Sounds easy enough, right? Maybe not for everyone. For
those living in a house, the process will be dierent than for
those living in an apartment and still dierent for those who
live, for the most part, in a room.
My goal for the next year is to give you, a month-by-
month tool, a checklist to help you begin to simplify your
life, declutter, if you will, and help prepare for that next
transition in your life.
Stay tunedyour rst checklist will be sent in the weekly
e-news messages in January.
November/December 2017 PNN Page 15
 Justice
Story of Justice: Sister Barbara Jennings
It's About Change, Not Charity
by Sister Mary Flick
Sister Barbara Jennings started her ministry as
most sisters did 50 years ago, by teaching
high school English and religion classes.
This could have been enough, except
it was the 1970s, and everything was
changingin religious life, and in
the world. That change has led her
on an ever-evolving path of ministry,
with Catholic Worker and with
NETWORK, as a parish administrator
and as a community organizer, and now
as coordinator of Midwest Coalition for
Responsible Investment. MCRI is a coalition of
religious communities in the St. Louis area who work
for justice by inuencing the policies and practices of
corporations through a variety of shareholder activities.
MCRI is a member of the Interfaith Center for Corporate
Responsibility in NewYork City (www.iccr.org).
S. Barb reects on her early days of justice ministry at the
Catholic Worker House in Kansas City. Still teaching at
St. Teresas Academy, she would bring the students to cook
at Holy Family House, oering a meal to the residents, but
little else. She now sees that service was based on charity, not
justice. "When you are doing charity, you feel good, you are
following the gospel, Sister Barb says. But you dont change
the system.
Life next led her to work at an inner-city parish in Kansas
City, Church of the Risen Christ, where I really saw a
model for social justice in community organizing, she says.
I quickly learned its much easier to ask for charity than to
ask people to participate in systemic change.
Meantime, she was an active member of NETWORK, an
organization of Catholic sisters that educates, organizes
and lobbies for economic and social transformation. Its a
group, S. Barb says, that serves as a good teacher in social
change at the legislative level. In 2006, she briey worked
for NETWORK as a lobbyist, inuencing legislation on the
national farm bill, and setting up educational meetings in the
region, oering ways for members to inuence the bill. It
Page 16 November/December 2017 PNN
was so easy for me, she recalls. I knew so many
people in Kansas City, it was easy to set up
Farm Bill nights.
In 2007, she began her work with MCRI
in St. Louis. Her work involves pulling
in g s
together religious groups who can
impact companies. Its dierent but the
nn
same as approaching legislators, she says.
Je
By saying its the same, she means,You
ra
a
a rb are in dialogue, you still have to know what
B
S is t e r the corporations are and are not doing. You
have to write a good letterand my background in
English helps. But its dierent, she says, because she sees
corporations as having more inuence and money than
legislators. Corporations are the real change agents in
society. We fool ourselves if we dont recognize this. They
follow the law of supply and demand.
S. Barbs work requires her to be a good teacher and
researcher. Its a lot like adult education, something I
learned when I taught at Avila and Fontbonne, S. Barb says,
referring to adjunct positions she has lled at the two CSJ-
sponsored universities in Missouri.
And there are more comparisons to her years in the
classroom. Like teaching, you give the corporate reps a
little praise if they did something right. Then you push and
challenge them to do more.
Finally, like teaching, it requires a lot of preparation.
She pulls together information and research for MCRI/
ICCR team members before they go to a dialogue with a
corporation or le a shareholder resolution. I want MCRI
team members to ask a question or make a comment, so its
not just me doing all the talking, she says. This shows a
company that everyone has an active knowledge and interest
in what the company is doing. Thats important.
S. Barb says its the little successes that keep her at her
work with MCRI. In 2014, Monsanto Co. joined the Water
Accessibility to Sanitation and Health (WASH) CEO
Water Mandate. WASH is a very measurable program, she
says, requiring the installation of clean water and sanitation
facilities at every facility or contract farm in every country
where the corporation operates." Monsanto has done a
tremendous job, with 370 completed facilities. Monsanto
was the rst agricultural chemical company to sign the CEO
Mandate at our suggestion in 2014."
Systemic change is so hard because it costs money for a
company to do the right thingin the short term, she says.
But in the long term, it saves money. With the WASH
program, instead of protests and sick workers in India,
Monsanto has healthy workers.
One of the greatest challenges of this work, S. Barb admits,
is the global reach of corporations. We need people on the
ground with concrete examples of what should be and is not
being done, she says, something not always possible when
a corporation operates a continent away. We need to hear
from more religious women and men about their rst-hand
experiences in India, Africa, and Argentina.
All of this requires relationships, which is the way the
Sisters of St. Joseph have always operated. Our CSJ mission
is the mission of systemic change, through relationships,
WINE & CHOCOLATE
S. Barb says. MCRI is built on relationshipsamong
communities, between companies, with other organizations
in the St. Louis area. Whether our focus is selecting
investments or working for environmental issues, we have
to develop relationships. We cant do this work in silos. Its
about systemic change and relationships.
S. Barb confesses that one of her greatest challenges today
is seeing that this work continues. Thats why one of her
main tasks currently is succession planning for MCRI, as the
number of communities in St. Louisand the number of
community memberscontinues to decline.
When we go to Monsanto, and they see gray hairs, they
likely think, 'Two more years with these people and they
are gone, she fears. But investment companies are sending
younger employees and doing the engagement work. Its
hopeful to see more young people attending to represent
faith-based companies. We can put our money in investment
companies that actually challenge companies to change, to
improve.
And the work of change begins and continues with hope.
On October 12, more than 100
guests enjoyed an evening at
the motherhouse full of speciality
wines, fabulous hors d'oeuvres,
gourmet chocolates and live
music. Special thanks to our
wine experts Dave Birkenmeier,
manager, Schnuck's Markets,
Inc.; Anne Birkenmeier education
specialists Major Brands; and Mike
Ward, state wine educator and
Ward on Wine owner. Thanks to
the Director of Dining Services
Scott Hark and his kitchen staff
for their cuisine. And thanks
to Sister Kate Filla who offered
guests tours. Kudos to the Mission
Advancement Office for hosting
such a wonderful event.
November/December 2017 PNN Page 17
 Sponsored Institutions
Nazareth Living Center Receives Silver Award
by Sister Mary Kay Hadican
In October, Nazareth Living Center was honored with The
Silver Award from the American Health Care Association.
The primary focus of the American Health Care Association
is quality.
Over 13,000 skilled/long-term care facilities belong to the
American Health Care Association. Of the 461 applications
that were submitted this year, 190 facilities were awarded.
Nazareth Living Center is the only St. Louis skilled-care
facility with this distinguished honor.
The application for this award must include: the mission;
an overview of populations served; policies and procedures
for implementing quality measures; the decision-making
process for determining quality measures; methods for
communicating and educating sta for implementation of
quality measures and data supporting results.
Elaine Moore, vice-chair of the Nazareth Board of Trustees
says, The employee (associate) focus on hospitality and
quality is reected in this very signicant award. The Silver
Award speaks volumes about the outstanding care that our
residents receive. And imagine all of this being done while
major construction work was taking place and we were
experiencing sta shortages. We are very proud of the eorts
of the entire Nazareth team.
Nazareth Living Center is already a 5-Star ranked facility
with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. This
Page 18 November/December 2017 PNN
Silver Award adds to Nazareths extraordinary reputation
among national, state, and local agencies.
The award is a testament to the remarkable associates who
serve our sisters and other residents on a daily basis. With
the many challenges of on-going construction the past three
years along with the regions challenge of stang a care
facility, this Silver Award is a remarkable accomplishment.
Dan Sinclair says, As a member of Nazareths Board of
Trustees and as its chair over the last two years, I have had
a detailed view of the eorts that the Nazareth team has
made in order to deliver the service that led to the award for
Nazareth Living Center."
He continues, The sta did this under the well-known
challenges facing healthcare, and in addition to signicant
construction, before, during and after the year in question.
The sta was still able to deliver the service that was
the basis of this award. To have done this in the current
challenging healthcare environment while dealing with the
opening of a new independent living facility and starting the
construction of another signicant campus addition, speaks
to the dedication of the sta to the Catholic mission: caring
for the dear neighbor.
We salute the leadership and associates of Nazareth Living
Center, and we are grateful for their commitment to mission,
highest quality and best service possible for all residents.
GLEASON HALL UPDATE
Gleason Hall at Nazareth Living
Center has been undergoing
demolition during the month of
November. Thanks to Sister Mary
Lou Basler on the Community
Life Staff for keeping the
community up-to-date on the
transformation with her e-mail
photo updates.
 St. Joseph's Academy Opens
New Campus Ministry Room
by Kara Kieffer, SJA marketing coordinator
This fall, St. Josephs Academy (SJA) in St. Louis proudly
opened a new Campus Ministry room. Anna Hotop,
director of Campus Ministry, says, This location, at the
heart of the school, reects what is core and valued most
at SJA. The space was deliberately moved from the second
oor to a more prominent location on the rst oor of
the school. The room was designed to be open, inviting all
students, faculty and sta to build a lifelong foundation of
faith and values.
This project was made possible through generosity at the
2017 Auction Fund-A-Need and through an alumna parent.
Members of the SJA community saw the importance of the
space and how much Campus Ministry could impact the
spiritual lives of generations of students to come.
Campus Ministry is a vital part of every girls life at St. Joe.
Ellie Burnham 18, Campus Ministry president, believes
that Campus Ministry is a place that invites and challenges
everyone in the SJA community to grow in SJAs core
value of Spiritual Courage and Condence. The Campus
Ministry experience challenges girls to think about faith in
their everyday lives.
One component of the space that will foster growth in faith
and understanding is technology, which includes video
conferencing equipment, and puts SJA at the forefront of
SJA students cut the ribbon, officially opening the
new Campus Ministry room.
collaborative, faith-lled learning. Students have the ability
to connect to CSJ-sister schools around the world, including
Kansas City, Japan and France. Anna Hotop already has
joint Campus Ministry meetings in the works with St.
Teresas in Kansas City. It is also a dream to connect with
the CSJ missions in Peru and Uganda, the beneciaries of
the schools annual Mission Week fundraiser. Students will
be able to see our Catholic faith in action around the world.
Campus Ministry would not be what it is today without
the leadership and charism of the CSJs at the academy. SJA
was honored to welcome back former faculty member and
administrator, Sister Nancy Folkl, to the grand opening.
She has seen the program grow and blossom into what it is
today. She was proud to exclaim, Now were here, where it
[Campus Ministry] should be, where we have always wanted
iton the rst oor, right around everything! The new
room features glass windows looking in from the hallway,
which S. Nancy explains, Windows help you look in and
out, and so does Campus Ministry. Your work in Campus
Ministry draws you in through prayer, retreats and more.
The windows also help you look out. That lets you take what
you have learned, touched and seen inside of you to others
around you. It also helps you to look beyond the school
windows, to the world out there.
Inside the new SJA Campus Ministry room.
November/December 2017 PNN Page 19
 Sponsored Institutions

Jerusalem Farm: Community Charism in Action

by Barbara Roberts, director of KC Mission Advancement Office

It was the vision of Associate David

Armstrong, director of Mission Eectiveness
and Campus Ministries at Avila University, to
establish a Catholic Intentional Community
in Kansas City. Buoyed by Armstrongs
enthusiasm, Sister Rose McLarney and Jude
Huntz joined the call. In May 2012, their
dream became a reality with the establishment
of Jerusalem Farm.
Jerusalem Farm Volunteers
The Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet and
Avila University embraced the groups belief
and became founding partners. With their nancial support,
the farm, located in a historic northeast Kansas City
neighborhood, was acquired. Armstrong then recruited
Jessie and Jordan Schiele, whom he met at Nazareth
Farm (which Jerusalem Farm is modeled after) to lead the
community. Jessie, who serves as executive director, and
Jordan, project director, live at the farm with their two
children and three full-time community members.
Built on the four cornerstones of prayer, community, service,
and simplicity, Jerusalem Farm is designed to provide service
retreat experiences, sustainable living and home repair. We
take a lot of inspiration and wisdom from the sisters who
have lived in community for hundreds of years. Our charism
is similar to the sisters love of their dear neighbor by serving,
listening and advocating for them. We want to keep that
tradition, the sense of community alive, says Jordan.
The community members' imprint of service has infused
their community beyond its original roots. Through their
caring charism, they have built an indelible bond with their
neighbors. They provide restorative justice by advocating
for their neighbors, many whom are elderly, with city code
violations. Seeing that their neighbors lacked basic tools for
home repair, they established a tool library. They also began
a bicycle powered compost curbside pickup program, with
over 80 neighbors helping to be good stewards of the earth.
Now, with a loan from the sisters, the farm has been able to
achieve its ve-year plan. In April 2018, the Jerusalem Farm
community will move into a new Common Home, while
also having
completed
renovations to
their current
farmhouse.
With land
obtained from
the citys free New Common Home
land-grant
program, ground was broken in February 2017. The home,
the rst new construction in the neighborhood in 50 years,
includes common living space, a reading room and sacred
prayer space, along with nine bedrooms, four bathrooms,
a communal kitchen and laundry room. Its energy-saving
features, including insulated concrete forms, will result in a
zero-net energy use.
A multitude of benefactors have helped to make their vision
a reality including Kissick Construction, Helix Architects,
Lexington Plumbing, AmeriCorps, and student volunteers.
Their generosity has helped to keep construction costs, far
below average building costs, says Jordan, who also serves as
the projects general contractor.
With the additional space, more volunteers will be able to
experience and take back to their home community the joy
of serving the dear neighbor. As community member Sunny
Hamrick shares, We are showing people that through small
changes, with love and compassion, you can reap radical
love. Just as our sisters have done for over 350 years.

Page 20 November/December 2017 PNN

 Avila and Fontbonne Launch Promise Programs
Serving the dear neighbor through tuition initiatives

THE AVILA PROMISE

Left to right: Fontbonne University President Dr. Michael Pressimone (left)
and Avila University President Dr. Ron Slepitza (right) with Province Leader
Sister Maureen Freeman at the Presidential Panel on Mission at Fontbonne
on October 26 where the promise programs were discussed.
In today's challenging economic and
social climate, a college degree may
seem out of reach for many young
adults. One of the ways both CSJ-
sponsored Avila and Fontbonne
Universities are responding to the
needs of the times is by joining a new
movement in higher education called
"promise programs" that serve to close
the gaps for those students whose life
challenges, such as nances or race/
ethnicity, prevent them from attaining
a degree.
During a time where traditional
tuition pricing follows a high-price,
high-discount model, Avila University
wanted to break the mold. Not only
are we lowering our tuition rate and
moving to a new tuition model, we're
also going to protect our students'
tuition from unexpected hikes, says
Ron Slepitza, Ph.D., CSJA. We believe
that you should expect to graduate in
four years, on time, on-budget and be
prepared to make a real dierence in
the world."
We want to change the paradigm. The
neediest students who demonstrate
academic ability deserve an opportunity
to earn a college degree, says Dr.
Pressimone. We believe at Fontbonne
we can play a signicant role in
changing communities through our
strong foundation in values-based
education. We recognize that many
recipients of The Fontbonne Promise
will be the rst in their family to attend
college. This is about providing access to
education. By creating positive change
in individual families, we are delivering
on our promise to the community and
the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet,
our founders, to serve the dear neighbor
without distinction, something that
benets the entire St. Louis region.
Both programs begin in fall 2018.
The four cornerstones of the
Avila Promise, a set of new
initiatives designed to give
students a clearer, more
affordable path to their
futures include: 1) Lower
tuition pricing including a
33 percent tuition reduction
in list price; 2) Guaranteed
graduation in four years;
3) Guaranteed internship/
research experience and 4)
a monetary travel award.
THE FONTBONNE
PROMISE
The Fontbonne Promise is
a unique opportunity for
first-time, first-year Missouri
residents who meet
Fontbonnes admission
requirements and are
calculated with an expected
family contribution of zero
on the Free Application for
Federal Student Aid. The
private university expects to
award full tuition and fees for
up to five years to at least 30
fall 2018 freshmen.

November/December 2017 PNN Page 21

 Archives

Left to right: Sisters Mary Carmelita Dowling, Kathleen Marie OLeary and Mary de Sales Fleury in the office at
Sacred Heart School, Atlanta, Georgia about 1953.

Meeting Our Ancestors

Profile of an early sister who died in the month of November
by Sister Jane Behlmann, archivist
Sister Mary Carmelita Dowling (Marie) was born July teacher, principal and superior at various times at Sacred
9, 1890, in Savannah, Georgia to Josephine and William Heart Atlanta, Mount St. Joseph, Augusta, and Aquinas
Dowling. She was educated by the Sisters of St. Joseph of High School, Augusta over the years from 1949 to 1968.
Georgia at St. Josephs Academy in Washington, Georgia. It In 1968 she retired at Sacred Heart Convent in Atlanta,
is there that she entered the convent in 1908, receiving the then St. Mary on the Hill Convent, Augusta, and nally at
habit on March 19, 1909. She made profession of vows on Nazareth Convent in St. Louis where she died on November
March 19, 1911 in Washington, Georgia. 29, 1981.

Sister Carmelita taught at Sacred Heart Grade School in
Atlanta, Georgia, from 1911 to 1930, becoming principal
of the school in 1922. From 1930 to 1936 she was a teacher
and superior at Mount St. Joseph in Augusta and teacher,
principal and superior in the convent of Sacred Heart High
School in Atlanta from 1936 to 1943.
The Sisters of St. Joseph of Georgia became the Georgia
Province of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet in 1922,
and Sister Carmelita became the provincial superior of the
Georgia province from 1943 to 1949. She continued as
Sister Marcella Marie Holloway remembers when Sister
Carmelita was her superior in Georgia. When she saw her
at Nazareth in her 90s she told her she had improved since
her Georgia days. When Sister Carmelita asked her what
she meant, Sister Marcella said, You havent referred to me
once as a damn Yankee. Sister Carmelita replied, It is you
who have improved, my dear, I didnt need to call you that.
Sister Marcella noted that she died a few weeks later and the
irony is that she lies in Yankee territory. Her remains are in
Resurrection Cemetery, Row 3, Grave 63.

Page 22 November/December 2017 PNN

 The Hand of God Shall Hold You
Sister Jane Edward Schilling, CSJ
October 8, 1930 - September 13, 2017
Jane Schilling had a passion for the poor; [Her] strong
sense of hope and desire for justice were evident to all those
who knew her. Sister Audrey Goebel
Born on the island of Minocqua, Wisconsin, on October 8,
1930, Nancy Mary Schilling was the rst of the ve children
of Dr. Lyle and Rosalie (Wolk) Schilling. (A brother and
three sisters completed the family.) Nancy attended local
schools through her second year of high school. Thinking
that she might become a dentist, she realized her small
school could not oer a good background in science. Two of
her aunts, teachers in Green Bay, mentioned that there was a
really good high school there. Nancy lived with them for two
years in order to attend St. Joseph Academyand entered
the Sisters of St. Joseph on September 15, 1948. Upon
receiving the habit on March 19, 1949, she was given the
name Sister Jane Edward, after her brother and a sister. She
received a bachelors degree in history/social studies from
Fontbonne College (1961) and a masters in ancient history
from Loyola University of Chicago (1966).
Sister Jane taught on the elementary level at St. Rita in St.
Louis (1951). She was both teacher and principal at St.
Matthew the Apostle in St. Louis (1958) and Holy Angels
in Indianapolis, Indiana (1964).
In Indianapolis, Sister Jane met Fr. Boniface Hardin, O.S.B.
They opened Martin Center (1970) to provide opportunities
for low-income, minority and adult learners to attend school.
The school was founded in honor of two Martinsthe Rev.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and St. Martin de Porres, the
rst bi-racial Catholic saint (Peru, 16th and 17th centuries).
Over time, Martin Center evolved into Martin College
(1977) and then Martin University (1990). Sister Jane
ministered at Martin for over 40 years serving in several
important roles: associate director (1970), evaluator (1979),
executive director (1981), academic dean and associate
director (1983), vice president of academic aairs (1990),
and vice president emeritus and historian (2008-2012). She
Dedicated, hard-working, visionary
also served as executive director for the Sickle Cell Center in
Indianapolis (1979-1989).
at Holy Angels I became a student of Sister Jane. She
was so informed about and aware of the need for profound
change within so many systems in our society, especially in
regard to black-white relations. Sister Pat Quinn
In the early 70s, while attending a six-week program at
Martin Center, Sister Nancy Corcoran lived with Sister
Jane:
The program was intensive and at the end, those of us who
were white understood that racism is in the air we breathe.
We had not chosen to be racist but we certainly had been
programmed since birth to believe in white supremacy.
This was a very painful experience for all of us. [ Janes]
condence in my ability to articulate the reality I now
perceived was a watershed event in my life I am grateful
to Jane for her gifts of intelligence, her passion for truth,
her courage in challenging our status quo, and her ability to
follow the teachings of Jesus no matter the cost.
Associate Van Farrington met S. Jane Edward when she
arrived in St. Louis to live at Nazareth in 2012.
Upon meeting me, she thought I was her old friend Clara.
She immediately went into storytelling mode During
some racial unrest in Indianapolis, she was walking down
the street with several African-American women she was
instructed by some roustabouts (her words) to leave them
and walk on the other side of the street. Fearing harm would
come to her friends, she obliged. After crossing the street and
looking back at her friends, she said, I took exactly three
steps, gathered my courage, lifted my head and crossed back
over and continued the journey with my friends. I asked her
if she was afraid and she said, Of course, but I was more
afraid that my good friends thought that I had abandoned
them.
Rest in peace, Jane.
By Sister Helen Oates
November/December 2017 PNN Page 23
 The Hand of God Shall Hold You
Sister Mary Therese Esswein, CSJ
Theodore and Margaret (Franke) Esswein of Kansas City,
Missouri, welcomed their daughter, Mary Therese, on April
3, 1934. Brother Ted was already on the scene and identical
twins, Larry and Leo, arrived about a year after her. Sadly,
their dad died of tuberculosis when Mary Therese was three.
Her mother moved home to St. Louis where there would
be family to help with her four young children. They settled
in St. Anthonys Parish, not far from the convent, school
and church. The parish priest helped her mother nd work
with a Works Progress Administration program at Jeerson
Barracks. Mary Therese remembers how grateful her mother
was to the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet in the parish,
because they helped her mother by providing extra food
whenever they could.
Eventually, Mrs. Esswein became friends with a gentleman
in the parish, Bernard Kuenneken. About ve years after
her husband died, they were married. Mary Therese said he
was a strict but loving dad. Her mother was able to quit her
job and be a stay-at-home mom. Her Esswein grandparents
were still living and in the area. Before Mr. Kuenneken
married her mother, he visited both Mary Thereses
grandmother Franke and her Esswein grandparents to ask
their permission. Mary Therese shared that her stepfather
felt the children should keep the Esswein name out of
respect for her grandparents. After graduating from St.
Anthony Grade and High School, she entered the Sisters
of St. Joseph on September 15, 1953. She received the
habit and the name Sister Alice Marie on March 19, 1954.
Fontbonne College awarded her a bachelors degree in
elementary education in 1970.
Sister Mary Therese began her ministry in elementary
education in St. Louis at Holy Name Grade School (1956),
St. Jude Grade School (1962), St. Roch Grade School
(1963), Holy Name Grade School (1967) and St. Margaret
of Scotland Grade School (1969). Then, she
Page 24 November/December 2017 PNN
(S. Alice Marie)
April 3, 1934 - September 26, 2017
A generous, welcoming woman,
who enjoyed helping others
taught at St. John Grade School in Green Bay Wisconsin
(1970), followed by St. Joseph Grade School in Muskogee,
Oklahoma (1972).
After 20 years of teaching in elementary schools, Sister
Mary Therese thought she would like to do some other kind
of ministry. She returned to St. Louis in 1976 to become
a bookkeeper at Nazareth Convent under Sister Thomas
Aquinas [Dinan] for two years and then was in charge when
Sister Thomas moved into another ministry. Next, Sister
Mary Therese was a sta member for the St. Louis province
Treasurers Oce (1982). In 1984, she was the bookkeeper
for St. Josephs Academy. Returning to Nazareth Convent
she became a ward clerk (1987). Then, in 1989, she served at
Cardinal Ritter Institute as bookkeeper.
Sister Mary Therese moved into the role of receptionist
beginning at Cardinal Ritter Senior Services Mary, Queen
and Mother Center (1996), then Cardinal Carberry Senior
Living Center (1997) and nally at Regina Cleri (2002).
In 2005, she retired to St. Joseph Apartments (St. Louis),
volunteering where she was able until 2009 when she began
a ministry of prayer and presence at Nazareth Living Center.
Sister Rebecca Eichhorn, a dear and devoted friend, has this
to share:
Sister Mary Therese was a woman of great faith. The
Eucharist was the center of her life. She was also very
devoted to the Blessed Mother and especially to the Rosary.
[Sister Mary Therese] liked to play poker, Bingo and cards.
She crocheted hundreds of afghans. She received great joy in
giving them to others. She loved to take the car and ride for
enjoyment. She was always ready to give a helping hand.
She had a contagious laugh, which often got her into trouble.
She loved following the Cardinals. She will be missed.
By Sister Helen Oates
 The Hand of God Shall Hold You
Gentle, kind hearted, accepting of difficulties
Alice Hein was born June 13, 1921, the oldest of seven
children of John and Martha (Powers) Hein of Unity,
Wisconsin. Alice attended school in Unity until her family
moved to Ringle, Wisconsin, where she completed seventh
and eighth grades. Her mother was not well at the time,
so Alice stayed home to help her family for the next three
years. She completed one year of high school in Wausau,
and then I had the privilege through my mothers uncle of
going to St. Josephs Academy in Green Bay as a border. So,
I nished my high school there. She entered the Sisters
of St. Joseph on September 15, 1941, and was received as
Sister John Chrysostom on March 19, 1942. Her bachelors
degree in home economics was from Fontbonne College
(1960) and she received a masters in elementary education
administration from St. Louis University (1966).
Sister Alices ministry in education began with the
Menominee Indians at St. Joseph Indian Industrial School
in Keshena, Wisconsin (1944). Sister Alice said, It was a
boarding school, so we not only taught the kids, but we lived
with the kids. We got up with them; we took care of them;
and we taught them in school, and took care of them after
school; and put them to bed at night.
In 1953, she moved to St. Louis where she taught at Holy
Name School, followed by St. Anthony of Padua (1958).
For her next two assignments, Sister Alice was both teacher
and principal at St. Rita in St. Louis (1960) and St. Marys
in Hannibal, Missouri (1963).
The following year, she taught in OFallon, Missouri, at St.
Barnabas. At St. Patricks in St. Joseph, Missouri, (1965),
she was again both teacher and principal, returning to full-
time classroom teacher at St. Louis in Englewood, Colorado
(1968). Her next 20 years of teaching were spent in Kansas
City, Missouri at: Northeast Consolidated Catholic School
(1971) and St. Stephens Academy (1984).
Sister Alice Hein, CSJ
(S. John Chrysostom)
June 13, 1921 - October 17, 2017
Sisters Paulette Gladis and Joan Tolle, who lived with Sister
Alice in two dierent cities over 20 years apart, remember S.
Alice as a very good cook.
Sister Marilyn Peot remembers:
How caring and sensitive she was. After over 35 years,
I still have a vivid memory of her standing at the top of
the stairs. It was 11 p.m. and I was just getting home. I
presumed she was disturbed, possibly angry, when I heard,
It is very late! I reminded her that there were times my
ministry would take me out in the evening. And then she
added, But I've been worrying about you. The rest of the
year a special something developed between us.
Sister Alice retired in 1991 and remained in the Kansas City
area. She volunteered at St. Johns Center. Sister Marion
Renkens shares:
Knowing that S. Alice had a green thumb [since] she had a
great garden in her backyard, I asked her to keep the indoor
plants at St. Johns alive. The plants thrived under her care
and attention I was deeply appreciative of her dedication
to St. Johns. When S. Alice celebrated her 50th jubilee in
1998, I invited her to join the St. Johns sta for Mass and
lunch. Little did she know that we were honoring her 50
years as a CSJ. S. Alice was very surprised, especially since I
invited a dear priest friend of hers to celebrate the Mass.
In 2001, she moved to Nazareth Living Center in St. Louis
to carry out her ministry of prayer and presence. While she
was there, Sister Patricia Murphy noted how "accepting she
was of her limited vision and her aching body. I never heard
her complain.
By Sister Helen Oates
November/December 2017 PNN Page 25
 Multicultural Committee
The Issue of Race Can Be ... Touchy
by Associate Gerry Rauch
There is no more neutrality in the world. You either have to be
part of the solution, or youre going to be part of the problem.
Eldridge Cleaver
On August 9, 2014, 18-year-old Michael Brown, black
and unarmed, was shot and killed by a white policeman
in Ferguson, Missouri, and an unleashing of pent-up
frustration and anger took people into the streets of that
town. The St. Louis community, the nation and the world
watched. Weeks later in my own neighborhood, the police
shooting of an 18-year-old black man by an o-duty white
police ocer brought the conict and demonstrations to my
own community. What is my responsibility as a Christian,
a member of the Community of St. Joseph and a human
being? How do I keep the call to love the dear neighbor
without distinction from being just nice sentiment?
Was I going to sit back and be part of the problem? To
answer that question, I knew I needed to look into my
own heart and at the institutions that most closely aect
me: my neighborhood, my church community and my CSJ
community.
My transformation would be the biggest nut to crack. To
get started I turned to Witnessing Whiteness, a program
oered through the YWCA. This ten-week discussion
group that was oered at our parish raised my awareness of
structural racism imbedded in our laws from the beginning
of our country and within the history of our church as well.
Buoyed by this knowledge base, I moved beyond my comfort
zone and was rewarded with a life-changing, though touchy
experience.
Enter Touchy Topics Tuesday ... A courageous, creative
and deeply spiritual African-American woman in the
neighborhood, took a huge risk and invited people to join
her on Tuesday mornings for courageous conversations on
all things related to race. They would meet from 9 to 11
every Tuesday morning. After one year I joined the group.
I would never have imagined that I could commit to two
hours every week. Now I cant imagine my life without these
new friends and this space where the conversations are
challenging, sometimes awkward, but always real.
Page 26 November/December 2017 PNN
Since beginning this journey, I have become very aware of
being a part of the white, dominant culture and how that
makes my life easier than my friends of colors lives in many
everyday ways. I, for example, never doubt that the police
would believe me, or that my children would be judged on
their performance, not on the color of their skin. I never
worried that I might lose a job because I wore my hair in its
natural style, that I would be unable to buy a home wherever
I wanted to, or if I did mess up, my failure would reect on
others of my race.
With white cultural ways dominant and seen as normal, we
whites have lost as well. Many of us live in worlds where our
neighbors and close friends look just like us. What would
it have been like to have grown up in neighborhoods and
schools with people from many cultures and experiences?
How much richer would my life have been? What if having
many close friends of dierent colors and cultures was just
normal?
I have learned that raising my own awareness isnt enough.
Conscious as I may personally strive to become, our
institutions and structures favor and are run by people with
my skin color. Unless our structures are reformed, we cannot
achieve racial equity.
How should we, as the CSJ Community own our personal
and institutional culpability? Enter the resurrected
Multicultural Committee. Spurred by the indomitable
spirit of our chairperson, Associate Dorothy Dempsey,
the Multicultural Committee has been made an ocial
committee of the province and is ready for action.
Mark Your Calendars
Our kick-o event will be a workshop on Sun., Feb. 4, with
Amy Hunter, manager of Diversity and Inclusion at St.
Louis Childrens Hospital and community activist. As our
keynote speaker who will inspire and challenge us, Amy is
a dynamic, highly sought-after speaker that you will not
want to miss. Participants will be engaged in opportunities
for personal growth and institutional awareness and change.
Mark your calendars. Join us! Be part of the solution!
CSJ EVENTS & HAPPENINGS
NEW YEARS EVE RETREAT DAY
Sunday, Dec. 31 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Carondelet Motherhouse
All sisters are invited to continue the
community tradition of an end-of-
the-year retreat at Carondelet.
We will gather for Mass at 9 a.m.,
followed by brunch.
An 11 a.m. orientation in Holy
Family Chapel will inform
participants about the options
available throughout the day. Each
of us will be able to choose from a
variety of options: guided meditation,
journaling, breathing and body
prayer, reective coloring, communal
song and prayer. One session will
EPIPHANY
CELEBRATION
Sunday, Jan. 7
10 a.m.
Carondelet
Motherhouse
Brunch to follow
PRESIDER:
Rev. Sean Martin
RSVP by Dec. 18 to 314-481-8800
or motherhousersvp@csjsl.org.
Retreat with Sister Jean Abbott
Is Your Suffering Worthy of God?
Sat., Jan. 27 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
Carondelet Motherhouse
Registration Fee: $35 or donation,
includes lunch and materials
For more information and to
register, contact Associate Kay
Komotos at 314-678-0317 or
kkomotos@csjsl.org.
LEARN MORE AND VIEW OTHER UPCOMING EVENTS AT CSJSL.ORG.
give us the opportunity to look at
our Constitutions, the Sermon on
the Mount, and Pope Francis Joy of
the Gospel as resources to help us face
current challenges.
The day concludes at 4 p.m. with
prayer. Afterwards, participants are
invited to share a simple supper of
soup and bread.
If you would like more information,
contact Sister Kate Filla at
clla@csjsl.org.
RSVP by Dec. 8 to 314-481-8800 or
motherhousersvp@csjsl.org.
CREATING RACIAL HARMONY
WORKSHOP
Sunday, Feb. 4
Workshop: 9 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Gospel Mass: 2:30 - 3:30 p.m.
Celebrant: Father Art Cavitt
Carondelet Motherhouse
SPEAKER: AMY HUNTER
Manager of Diversity and Inclusion
at St. Louis Childrens Hospital
The day includes Mass and lunch.
Visit csjsl.org for more details.
Hosted by the
Multicultural Justice Ministry
r
he
ot
R
le y
St a n
A MORNING OF REFLECTION
THE COST OF JUSTICE:
THE LIFE AND DEATH OF
BLESSED STAN ROTHER
Saturday, Jan. 20
9-11:30 a.m.
Carondelet Motherhouse
Inspired by the church's recent
beatification of American-
born priest, Stan Rother. Former
missionary Sandra Spencer
ministered with Rother in
Guatemala until his murder by
Guatamalan military forces
in 1981. She will offer a brief
historical context of the uprising in
Guatemala and its interrelatedness
to the simultaneous development
of U.S. counter-insurgency in
Vietnam, South America and
Central America, and the rise of
U.S. corporate power worldwide.
The reality of the global community
is made personal in the story of
Father Rothers life and death.
The event is free; registration
is required. A continental
breakfast will be provided. To
register, contact the Carondelet
Motherhouse Front Desk at
314-481-8800 or
motherhousersvp@csjsl.org.
Sponsored by the Justice Office.
November/December 2017 PNN Page 27
 LEADERSHIP CALENDAR
DECEMBER 20-21 CPC Mtg. (MML, RS)
1 SJI Gala (MF, ML, RS, LS) 22 SJA Board Mtg. (RS)
2 Advent Day of Reflection (MML, ML, RS) 22-23 Council/Corporation Mtgs. (All)
6 Dept. Head Mtg. (MML, ML, RS, LS)
7-8 Avila Board Dinner & Mtg. (MML) FEBRUARY
11-12 Council/Corporation Mtgs. (All) 8 LCWR Breakfast (RS, LS)
13 Province Office Christmas Party (All) 9 Fontbonne Mission Integration & Trustee
14 LCWR Breakfast (ML, LS) Committee Mtgs. (MML)
15 Fontbonne Capital Campaign Mtg. (MML) 10 Fontbonne Board Mtg. (MML)
31 End of Year Retreat (MML, RS) 20-21 Council/Corporation Mtgs. (All)
22-23 Avila Board Mtg. & Dinner (MML)
JANUARY 24 St. Josephs Academy Dinner Auction (RS)
7 Epiphany Liturgy/Brunch (ML, RS) 27 Board Mission/Quality Information Mtg.,
10 STA Board Mtg. (ML) NLC (ML)
11 LCWR Breakfast (RS, LS) 28 Nazareth Board Mtg. (ML)
13-14 Associate Leadership Board (LS)

NEXT ISSUE: January/February PNN & Directory Changes

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Page 28 November/December 2017 PNN