Spring 2012 - Ursuline Sisters of Louisville

Continuing the
Legacy of Spirituality
and Service
A P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E U R S U L I N E S I S T E R S O F L O U I S V I L L E • S P R I N G 2 0 1 2
planting seeds of
Justice & Hope
How will you affect the causes,
organizations and people that
shaped who you have become?
Let Your Legacy Live On Through the
Saint Ursula Society
Are You
Ursuline Affected?
Has your life been impacted by an
Ursuline Sister?
If so, we would love to hear from you.
Please mail or email your comments to the
Mission Advancement Office
3105 Lexington Road
Louisville, KY 40206
[email protected]
“As we approach Thanksgiving Day, we at Saint Joseph
School (Columbia, SC), are thankful for the academic
excellence that the Ursuline Sisters started here so
many years ago. We are blessed to have Sister Maria
[Goretti Lovett], Sister Julienne [Guy] and Sister
Andrea [Callahan] as role models for our children.
Thank you for sharing your legacy of excellence in
education with us.”
– Kemn Dodds, Assistant Principal, Saint Joseph School
(pictured above with Sister Maria Goretti Lovett)
“Sister Claire Mountrey made it possible for me to
attend and graduate from Ursuline College (1953).
This changed my life. Sister Claire was a beautiful
power for good on all whom she met.”
– Daresdean Kim (UC ’53)
Recognizing and Honoring
your generosity
with membership in the
Saint Ursula Society
The Saint Ursula Society was established in 1992
to recognize those who have chosen to include the Ursuline
Sisters of Louisville in their estate plans. It was St. Ursula,
whom foundress St. Angela Merici chose as its patron
when formalizing her followers into a Company in
Brescia, Italy in 1535.
I/we have already included the
Ursuline Sisters in my/our Will.
Thank you! To make sure you are recognized in the
Saint Ursula Society and to verify your wishes in our
records, please contact the Mission Advancement Office,
or check the appropriate box on the enclosed
remittance envelope and mail it to our office.
Thinking about including the Ursuline
Sisters in your Will?
If you haven’t included the Ursuline Sisters in your Will but are
considering this option as part of your planned giving, please
contact the Mission Advancement Office and let us know.
Mission Advancement Office Contact
Ellen McKnight
Director
(502) 515-7526
[email protected]
If you need a professional estate planner to help you with
planned giving decisions, please contact your attorney, bank
or financial advisor for assistance.
“Planned giving is a way to pay back for all they
(Ursuline Sisters) have done for me.”
– Judy Michels,
Ursuline Academy-Louisville ‘57
• Spring 2012 •
Mission Advancement Office
Ellen McKnight
Director and Alumnae Relations
Kim Bradley
Data Coordinator
Conti
Legac
and S
Fran J. Webb
Communication & Media Relations Coordinator
Jennifer McGee
Visual Communications Coordinator
Maria May
Community Messages
DOME Staff
A P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E U R S U L I N E S I S T E R S O F L O U I S V I L L E
Sister Martha Jacob
Editor-At-Large
Fran J. Webb
Editor
Jennifer McGee
Graphic Designer
Sister Marilyn Mueller
Proofreader
CONTACT US
Send changes of address
and story ideas to:
Mission Advancement Office
3105 Lexington Road • Louisville, KY 40206
(502) 896-3938 • fax (502) 896-3949
[email protected]
Web address:
www.ursulinesisterslouisville.org
Features
Saint Angela Feast Day
Ursuline Sisters & The Civil War
Sisters in Ministry
�Where, O Death is Your Victory?"
Angeline Award Call for Nominations
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6-7
8
10
13
Departments
Letter from the President
Ursuline Associates
Letter from Peru
Ursuline Connections
In Memory
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9
11
14-15
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See us on Facebook, Twitter,YouTube!
The printing of The Dome is donated.
All content and design by the Ursuline Sisters staff.
OUR MISSION
Teaching Christian living is
the corporate ministry of the
Ursuline Sisters. This ministry,
cutting across socio-economic,
racial and national boundaries,
assists women, men and children
to live more fully and to develop
a personal relationship with God.
DONATION INFORMATION
oN THE Cover:
Packets of mustard seeds—
symbolizing the parable of the
mustard seed— were used
during the Ursuline Sisters’
celebration of the Feast of
Saint Angela Merici.
The Ursuline Sisters of Louisville appreciate the support of those who share their financial resources with us.
We make every effort to ensure that you receive the maximum tax credit allowed by law. When making
a donation, please be certain to address the envelope containing your check to the following: Mission
Advancement Office, Ursuline Sisters of Louisville, 3105 Lexington Road, Louisville, KY 40206.
The check must be processed through the Mission Advancement Office for the Ursuline Sisters to generate
the proper documentation you will need for your tax-deductible donation.
Ursuline Society and Academy of Education (USAE) is the corporate title under which the Ursuline Sisters of Louisville
do business. USAE does not include gifts received for the other corporation, Sacred Heart Schools (SHS), Inc. Gifts for
Continuing
the Legacy
of Spirtuality
Service
| SPRINGand
2012
Sacred HeartUrsuline
AcademyDOME:
and other
campus schools
are received
by the SHSand
Office
of Development
used exclusively
for the schools and their programs.
3
from the
president
Dear Friends,
As the season changes and we celebrate the
joy of Easter, I am drawn to a passage on
“Homecomings” from To Bless the Space Between
Us, by John O’Donohue (2008):
There is an old shed near my house. Each April, after their long
journey from Africa, the swallows return to the same nests in its
rafters. They refurbish the nests and soon new little swallows will
hatch out there. It is fascinating that the destination of such a huge
continental journey is the fragile little grass-and-mud homes in the
roof of an abandoned shed. It suggests that one can undertake any
voyage if the destination is home. Humble or grand, home is where
your heart belongs.
“Home,” according to the Oxford English Dictionary, is “a place
where a thing flourishes or from which it [a thing] originates.”
I invite each of you to pause and let yourself be in touch with
such a place in your own life where you have returned time and
again physically and/or spiritually to draw from its shelter and
love, intimacy and belonging. The influence and formation of
home continues for a life time.
The impact of home is beyond description. This is the message
I found in the movie, “Happy Feet Two.” The movie opens with
the whole colony of emperor penguins dancing and singing in
step. Yet Erik, the offspring of the Emperor Penguins Mumble
and Gloria, felt he did not fit in. He did not feel comfortable
with the dance steps. Afraid and searching, he “left home” to
find where he belonged and could be happy. While his father,
Mumble, is bringing Erik back, a natural disaster occurs which
leaves the entire colony cut off and doomed to die of starvation.
It is only through the efforts of Erik, jointed with Mumble’s
wisdom, plus his mother’s strong and constant support, that
a way is found to rescue the colony. Then the dancing of the
colony begins again and this time Erik is free enough within
himself to join the steps. His “homecoming” awakens him to
the life-giving influence and formation which his upbringing
had given him.
A few years ago I was gifted with a framed 4"x6" colored photo.
When I first un-wrapped it, I was not sure what it was. Then
my eyes recognized it and I rejoiced. The photo is of a bunch
of bright spring green-colored grass and flower buds pushing
up through newly poured blacktop where previously there
had been a green space (photo at right). I had come upon this
scene a few days earlier on a spring day when I needed such
encouragement myself. The insistence of these plants to survive
lifted up my spirits. The sister with me on that spring day had
gone back to take the photo and later gave it to me as a gift. To
this day, the photo remains a source of encouragement and
witness to me. It tells me I can adjust and adapt. The life force
within me is the same as in the grass and flower buds finding
their way through the weight and force of the blacktop to reach
towards the sun and to live.
Like this treasured photo, the familiar stories and songs of
Eastertide touch my core and bring me home. They awaken
anew the love and intimacy God offers to each of us. I am taken
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SPRING 2012 | www.ursulinesisterslouisville.org
by the Easter message to my “foundational home” like the birds
who migrate long distances to reach the old familiar nest in a
shed, or in the corner under the roof ’s gutter, or high in the
branches of the tall tree in the front yard. During the winter, the
dead-looking nests are just that: a bunch of twisted twigs and
dead, dried grass. But in the spring when the birds return, these
dead-looking nests become “home” to the birds who dwell there
and who “dig deep” to create them. The return of the birds to
nest creates the energy and welcoming sounds that can fill the air
as a day dawns in late spring.
Inside each of us there is the foundational influence and
formation of God, the source of life and our first home. Because
we all know that through “the dance steps,” the art of “creating
the nest,” and the energy “of pushing up through the blacktop,”
we have much to share with others. The coming of spring and
the celebration of Easter are more than fresh buds and lovely
songs. They are an invitation to be open to the truth that deep
within our beings we are loved more than we can ever grasp.
This amazing love enfolds us, connects us, and leads us to be
lovers, creators, nurturers of the life right before us. We do not
have to run away. We do not have to stop the long migrations.
We do not have to wait for another springtime. Our connections
and possibilities of effectiveness are now.
I invite you to let this Easter Season touch your core. May it be
a time of homecoming to the familiar and to what may be totally
new. Dig deep.
“To be, we need to be home. When a place to belong is assured, the
adventure of growth can begin with great promise.” (O’Donohue,
2008.)
Easter and spring give us this assurance and promise. Happy
Nesting!! Keep pushing up through what may weigh you down.
Such seeking is the same as that of the disciples on the road to
Emmaus or Mary and the disciples when they went to the tomb
seeking Jesus.
Rejoicing with you in the home-coming Jesus offers us this
spring season and Eastertide,
Sister Lynn Jarrell, osu
President, Ursuline Sisters of Louisville
Celebrations Marked Saint Angela Feast Day
“It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds
on earth. Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the
largest of plants.” Mark 4:31-32
The parable of the mustard seed (from Mark 4:2634) served as the theme for this year’s Vesper service on
January 27 to commemorate the feast of Saint Angela
Merici. The Ursuline Sisters of Louisville held their
service in the Motherhouse Chapel , which was filled with
Ursuline sisters and associates, USAE co-workers, and
Maple Mount Ursulines who live in the Louisville area.
The service was coordinated and led by Sister Ruth
Ann Haunz. It included a schola, led by Sister Paula
Kliene-Kracht , and a choral reading of quotations by
Saint Angela Merici that was prepared by associate
Patricia Hagan. Offering the reflection was Sister (M.
Loyola) Clara Fehringer, a Louisville Ursuline who
lives and ministers in Lexington. She challenged all in
attendance to “step out of your comfort zone” and “plant
seeds of justice and hope on what appears to be infertile
ground.” Had it not been for Angela Merici planting seeds
of her passionate ministry, “we would not be gathered in
this place tonight,” Sister Clara noted.
The Vespers concluded with the singing of the “Veni
Angela” as the congregation left the chapel and proceeded
to dinner in the Motherhouse dining room.
Others marked the occasion of Saint Angela’s Feast Day in special ways, further illustrating how the seeds of Saint
Angela’s charism have been sown in the community. They included:
Bellarmine University
Sacred Heart Academy
Ursuline Sisters and Ursuline College alumnae were invited
to a special evening prayer service and light supper at
Bellarmine on January 25. The evening was hosted by the
Campus Ministry Department, which is under the direction
of Melanie-Prejean Sullivan. A number of students from the
department led the service, and then joined the sisters and
alumnae for soup and sandwiches in a Bellarmine dining
room. Following dinner, Sister Lynn Jarrell, president of the
Ursuline Sisters of Louisville, praised the students’ “reading,
singing and leading,” and thanked them for their hospitality,
for their “zeal to being open to the charism of Saint Angela,”
and for their “continued appreciation of the Ursuline legacy
at Bellarmine.”
Twelve Ursuline Sisters
attended a special liturgy
service at Sacred Heart
Academy on January 26.
Father Mark Spalding gave
a homily on Saint Angela,
and after Communion there
was a slideshow featuring alternating pictures of Saint
Angela with pictures of our Ursuline Sisters. The Madrigals
sang "Daughter of God" during the slideshow. The service
concluded with a special blessing bestowed upon the sisters.
Afterwards the sisters had lunch in the cafeteria with the
SHA Student Council Executive Board.
Sacred Heart
Model School
The students at Sacred
Heart Model School
held a special prayer
service honoring Saint
Angela Merici in the
Motherhouse Chapel
on January 30. That day
also coincided with the launch of Catholic Schools Week,
which the Model School chose to recognize with a service
project, inspired by Saint Angela’s desire to serve others,
especially the marginalized. Students from SHMS teamed
with students from Nativity Academy (co-sponsored by
the Ursuline Sisters) and delivered donated socks, hats and
mittens to Wayside Christian Mission. The donations were
bundled with inspirational cards made by SHMS students.
Ursuline DOME: Continuing the Legacy of Spirtuality and Service | SPRING 2012
5
Ursuline Sisters
By Sister Martha Jacob
Ursuline Sisters of Louisville Archivist
It may have started 150 years ago, but for the past few
months it has been prominent in the media. Stories
have been appearing about the main characters and
about the lesser known heroes; charts contrasting 186162 to 2011-12 are being distributed. And what is this
‘IT’? The Civil War, of course, on its 150th anniversary!
During the Civil War, women religious (sisters) reached
out to their neighbor, whether Confederate or Union,
and suffered from the war along with their brothers
and sisters.
Three Ursuline Sisters had arrived in Louisville,
Kentucky, just weeks after the Ursuline Sisters had
opened a convent in Columbia, South Carolina, in
September 1858. The two communities were to become
one in 1936 when the Columbia Sisters joined the
Louisville congregation.
The hand-written “Annals [journal] of Ursuline
Convent, Columbia, South Carolina,” which is in the
archives of the Ursuline Sisters of Louisville, gives
details of how the Ursuline Sisters in South Carolina
suffered throughout the war - parents removed some
of the children who were boarders; food and fuel for
cooking and heating were scarce.
But the worst came on February 17, 1865, when
General Sherman’s army entered Columbia. According
to the account in the Annals, about noon [on February
17] a cavalry officer rode up to the convent [also
a boarding school], spoke to the guard and rang for
admittance.... He introduced himself to Mother Superior
Baptista Lynch as Major FitzGibbons, a Catholic, and
offered any service he, as an individual, could render.
Mother Baptista, not suspecting any danger to the
convent, declined; at the same time thanking him for the
offer. He, earnestly insisting, said, “Columbia is a doomed
city; at least, that is the talk of the army; and I do not
know if a house will be left standing.”
“Such an announcement startled the Superioress; yet she
and her companion answered that such threats could not
apply to the convent since General Sherman had given a
patron of the institution the assurance that her daughter,
a pupil, was in a place of safety. ‘Of course,’ replied Major
FitzGibbons, ‘I do not say the convent will be burned,
such a thing would happen only by accident – but we all
know what accidents are.’
“Mother Baptista quickly wrote a letter to General
Sherman, and Major FitzGibbons promised to give it to
Sherman. Around three o’clock that afternoon, (February
17), FitzGibbons and several other soldiers arrived at the
convent. He gave Mother Baptist her letter to General
Sherman on which Sherman “had penciled orders to the
nearest commanding officer to protect the convent.
“About midnight on February 17, flames were fast
approaching the convent-boarding school property.
Sisters and pupils marched in silence to St. Peter’s
Church, away from the flames. The plundering began
and the convent was burning. Sisters and
children were watching the destruction from
the churchyard.”
Morning found the sisters and children cold,
hungry and homeless. “General Sherman
rode up and was addressed by Mother
Superior. During their short interview, the
General told her to choose any home in the
city for a refuge and it would be protected.
Mother Baptista chose to go first to the
Methodist College property. When the
group arrived there, the authority refused
to admit the convent refugees. However
Remains of the Ursuline Convent after the February 17 fire.
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SPRING 2012 | www.ursulinesisterslouisville.org
t
h
e
Civil War
General Ewing, whom Sherman had appointed to protect
the refugees, demanded the keys and gave them to
Mother Superior.”
problems. To help with the expense of beginning a new
Ursuline Convent in Kentucky in 1858, the Ursuline
Sisters had borrowed a sum of money from Mr. Joseph
The historical account continues to explain that the sisters Lammer of Bavaria. As the value of the dollar decreased,
and children suffered much at the Methodist College site Mr. Lammer demanded re-payment of the loan, and the
as they had scant food and were in too small a space. Since sisters struggled to meet the payments.
General Sherman had told her to choose any home in the Excerpts from Lammer’s letters to Mother Salesia
city, Mother Baptist then asked for “General Preston’s
Reitmeier—
mansion.” Although that house was to be destroyed as the
January 29th, 1863 – I hope you take it in good part
Union Army left Columbia, since Mother had chosen it,
when I tell you that today I took the liberty to draw a bill
the order was “countermanded.”
on you for the interest of 5% expired since September 8th
Later, the sisters and the 30 pupils still with them were
from the capital of 5300 florins with 265 florins. I ask
able to move to “Valle Crucis,” a country estate belonging
you to respect this bill and to pay the bill of exchange from
to Mother Baptista’s brother, Bishop Lynch of Charleston,
Jan. 29th 1863….
South Carolina. It was about three miles from the city,
May God protect Louisville that it will not become a
where Saint Joseph Church and School were later to be
theatre of war. I must confess that I am worried because
located. [Today, three Ursuline Sisters of Louisville -of this accursed war. You will not blame me when at such
Sisters Andrea Callahan, Julienne Guy and Maria Goretti
circumstances I ask myself: How will it be with my money
Lovett -- minister at Saint Joseph Parish.]
if Louisville should become the place for war operations?
The sisters several times sought reimbursement from
If your Convent should lose everything?
the Committee on War Claims, and the House of
August 12th, 1863 – I hope you have received my letter
Representatives printed the Bill asking for reimbursement
written in June in which I asked you to pay back 1000
in the Congressional Record on December 8, 1931. That
florins of the money I have lent you, because I need this
Bill asked for “the sum of $100,000 in full payment
sum very badly. I did not receive an answer to the letter
of all claims…for the damage and destruction of its
mentioned above which was not necessary in this case.
convent, outbuildings, altars, statues, oil paintings, art
I only want to tell you that today I drafted 1000 florins
supplies, musical instruments, desks, library, apparatus
of my loan to you and added to the 1000 florins the
for scientific research, household and school furniture,
interest for 5300 with 265 florins. You have to pay the
supplies, effects, fixtures, and provisions, in February
sum of 1265 florins one day after sight (506 dollars) in
1865 by the military authority of the United States.” No
hard cash….
action was ever taken.
While Kentucky officially remained neutral during the
Civil War, Louisville suffered from lack of food and
other necessities. Parents removed their daughters
from Ursuline Academy, a boarding school, in fear the
city would be invaded. Mother Salesia Reitmeier, the
superior, at one point considered turning the building
into a temporary hospital to help care for the wounded
from both armies who were being brought to Louisville.
But the crisis passed.
However, the lack of income from the boarding school
and the de-valuing of the U.S. dollar caused great
After an acknowledgement of receipt I shall cancel 1000
florins of my loan. We read in the papers that the great
danger that the South will defeat the North has passed.
We hope and believe that there will be peace soon in
your country.
The Archives of the Ursuline Sisters of Louisville do not
contain copies of Mother Salesia’s letters to Mr. Lammer.
While no other documentation has been found, it has
passed down to us that it cost the Sisters twice the amount
borrowed to repay the loan.
Ursuline DOME: Continuing the Legacy of Spirtuality and Service | SPRING 2012
7
Small Quilts
are Making a
Big
Difference
Sister Dolorita Lutsie has been sewing since she was a
teenager. Being smaller in stature “forced her into it” she
jokes. Other than a six-week class in high school, she has
not had any formal training. Looking around her sewing
room in the Ursuline Motherhouse, a visitor quickly
surmises that Sister Dolorita has a hard time saying
“no.” A skirt here. A pair of pants there. A veil that needs
mending. She explains that most of her sewing projects
come from residents of Mercy Sacred Heart Village,
sisters and friends.
While all her handiwork is no doubt appreciated, perhaps
none is more appreciated than the 3’ X 5’ baby quilts she
makes for families in West Virginia.
“I guess you could say I started this,” Sister Dolorita
explains. “I found myself with a growing amount of
leftover fabric from other sewing projects. I had heard
that Sister Janet Marie Peterworth in West Virginia might
have a program where young women were learning to
sew, so I called to see if she wanted me to send her the
fabric. ‘Actually,’ she said, ‘I was hoping that YOU would
do something for me....would you consider making baby
quilts with the fabric?’”
Sister Dolorita could not say “no.” That was about 10 years
ago. Since then, she has averaged about 15 to 25 quilts a
year, depending upon how busy she is.
The baby quilts are distributed through the Maternal
Infant Health Outreach Worker program that ABLE
Families has had since 1999. ABLE (Affirming. Believing.
Learning. Empowering.) Families is a nonprofit faithbased agency dedicated to empowering families in the
rural Tug Valley area of northern Mingo County, West
Virginia, who are caught in the net of poverty – especially
women and children. Sister Janet was the director of
ABLE Families for 15 years, and it was during this time
that Sister Dolorita started making the quilts.
"The in-home family educators give a quilt to each newborn, and the mothers are always so grateful,” Sister Janet
explains. “Not only do the quilts give warmth to the new
baby, they also add color to a baby's bed.” Sister Janet
reflects, "Our babies do not usually come home to lovely
decorated nurseries with lots of frills and colorful things,
so a new quilt full of color can make a big difference."
Sister Dolorita has certainly made a difference in many
lives throughout her 57 year ministry. She has served in
eight states and has taught every grade level from third
to 12th. Notably, for 23 years, she was the librarian at
Providence High School in Clarksville, Indiana. She
continues to work in the library at St. Anthony of Padua
Elementary School in Clarksville when she’s not looking
for ways to help the Ursuline Sisters “Reuse, Reduce
and Recycle.”
And lucky for the newborns in West Virginia that Sister
Dolorita couldn’t say “no” to “recycling” some leftover
fabric all those years ago when she contacted Sister Janet.
Reuse, Reduce, Recycle – Rewarding.
Sisters Helped Santa Sprint & Stroll
On December 16, Ursuline Sisters volunteered to help with preregistration for the 16th annual Santa Sprint & Stroll that benefitted
United Crescent Hill Ministries (UCHM). The race course included
historic Frankfort Avenue in Crescent Hill and Clifton. The sisters
took a few minutes out of their volunteering to pose with the big man
in red suit!
Front Row—Sr. Dolorita Lutsie, Shirley Davis (UCHM volunteer), Sr. Annunciata Muth
Back Row—Sr. Shannon Maguire, Sr. Lelia Kirchner, Sr. Mary Jo Gramig
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SPRING 2012 | www.ursulinesisterslouisville.org
Associate
call
Prayer Service Drew Many
On the evening of December 1, associates and sisters from
many religious communities gathered at Brescia Hall on
the Ursuline campus for an Advent Prayer Service hosted
by the Associate Call. There was representation from
seven religious communities including the Louisville
Ursulines, Sisters of Charity of Nazareth, Sisters of
Providence, Mount Saint Joseph Ursulines, Dominicans
of Peace, Presentation of Blessed Virgin Mary, and the
Holy Cross Brothers. The prayer service was led by a
Louisville Ursuline Associate, Audrey Tuax and the
reflection was given by Sister Adeline Fehribach, who is
a Sister of Charity of Nazareth. It was obvious from the
level of conversation both before and after the prayer
service that this is an initiative that should be continued.
Even though our charisms may differ from community to
community, our common bond of spirituality does not.
And what a gift it was to share that common spirituality.
Wise Women Came Bearing Gifts
The Cumberland Associates are Coming to Town! With apologies to Santa Claus,
this could have been the Associate Call’s theme song the weekend of December
17 and 18 when five Ursuline Associates travelled from Cumberland, Maryland to
bring gifts to the sisters at Sacred Heart Village. This was the second year that the
associates have collected and distributed the gifts to the sisters. When asked what
this meant to them, the associates replied that it was an honor to give back to the
sisters who had contributed so much to the lives of those in Cumberland, and
that in bringing the gifts they [associates] received so much more than they gave.
Anyone who has visited Cumberland would not be surprised by this response for
the hospitality extended by the Cumberland associates is remarkable. It is very
evident that they live the charism of Angela in their daily lives.
The Ursuline Associate Call Advisory Board thought that the Cumberland
visit called for a celebration, so the board members hosted a dinner for the
Cumberland associates on the evening of December 18. It is rare that the
associates from both Cumberland and Louisville have an opportunity to meet
and enjoy one another. Hopefully, this is just the beginning of a long and
rewarding tradition.
Ursuline DOME: Continuing the Legacy of Spirtuality and Service | SPRING 2012
9
“Where, O Death is Your Victory?”
by Ginny Schaeffer
Director, Angela Merici Center for Spirituality
It is 4:00 AM and I have been rudely awakened by my
dog that vows and declares that she must go out to do her
business. Unable to go back to sleep, I turn on my bedside
radio in hopes that the soft, soothing accent of the British
commentator on the BBC will lull me back to where I
ought to be.
As it is, this morning happens to be the 60th
anniversary of the death of King George VI, the father of
Queen Elizabeth II. The BBC is rebroadcasting the official
announcement of the not-yet-old king’s death, the words
of consolation and affection offered by Prime Minister
Winston Churchill, and snippets of the somber music
played that day instead of regular programming.
The great British Empire was in mourning. She had
lost her beloved king, a king who was never meant to
be king, a ruler who sacrificed his own safety so that he
might stay with his people in London during the Nazi
blitzkrieg of World War II and who faced his personal
handicaps and demons so that he might better serve.
However, it was not only an empire thrown into
mourning. There was also a family, a wife and two
daughters, who now bore the grief all families must bear,
the death of a loved one.
As a current Hosparus commercial reminds us, “…
death is a part of living.” It surrounds us. Our next
door neighbor’s grandson drowns in the family’s pool.
A teenager cries hysterically because she just got a text
that one of her classmates was killed in an automobile
accident. Parents seem to suddenly grow old, requiring
more and more attention; and then they are gone. The
one we once said we could never live without has left a
gaping hole in our lives.
sting of death, only one action that can overcome it.
Love.
It is the love a family wraps around itself sitting at
the kitchen table, telling stories, laughing and crying
simultaneously. It is the thoughtfulness of neighbors
who bring bowls and plates of food. It is the compassion
of friends who ask, “What can I do?” and when you tell
them, they do it no matter the inconvenience. It is the
tenderness in the eyes of all those who take the time out
of their day to stop at the funeral home to say something
with their presence that words could never convey. It is a
faith community that reminds us that light will overcome
the darkness, that life springs up out of death and that
LOVE is the ultimate victor.
It is this LOVE that came to us as one of us and
showed us how to live. It is this LOVE who said, “No one
has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s
friends,” and then He did just that, surrendering Himself
to death – even death on a cross. Lastly, it is this LOVE
that is so infinite, so incomprehensible that death could
not keep it buried.
This is the LOVE we celebrate during the Easter
season. A love that is divine, whole and holy. A love that
lights the way in the darkness, that replaces despair with
hope, that sucks the venom out of grief and that gives
birth to life, even out of death.
This LOVE is the source of all love, that of family,
friends, and sometimes even strangers. It is this LOVE
that sustains us, that strengthens us in our weakness and
that offers us the fullness of life in the face of death. It is
this LOVE that makes us shout and sing:
Hallelujah!!
Christ is risen!!
O death, just where is your victory?
Where is your sting?
O death, where is your victory?
O death, where is your sting?
“Right here!!” we scream, when death darkens our
lives. “It is right here,” we whisper, as we point to our
hearts.
Yes, there are deaths that bring relief to the one who
has died and to the family; and still there is loss, pain
and grief.
There seems to be only one balm that can cool the
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SPRING 2012 | www.ursulinesisterslouisville.org
Angela Merici Center for Spirituality
Schedule for May and June
May
12 Sabbath Moments
14 Taize Prayer
18-20 Circle of Healing Retreat
June
6, 13, & 27 Vacation with God
9
Sabbath Moments
11 Taize Prayer
www.amcspirituality.org
Peruvian Journal
Do you want to drink water or gold?
This was the question Ollanta Humala, president of Peru
asked of the people of Cajamarca during his campaign
there. The people responded, “We want water,” to which
the president said, “Water is more important than gold
because you don’t drink gold.” With that, he promised to
protect the water rights of the people and defend the ecosystem that depends on water.
Since the election and Humala’s win, things have changed.
Now, it is not a question of water or gold, but rather
“development” which spells out money for Humala’s
social programs. It is the age-old question: How can
a people become “developed” if there is no money
being poured into the country? Can “development”
mean something other than the destruction of natural
resources?
Even if it were only a matter of the land mass surrounding
the mine it would be a serious problem because of the
destruction of the rich, fertile top soil. But as a matter of
fact, the mining process contaminates the waters for miles
and miles around and turns the fertile fields into dried
golden colored waste land.
The project at issue now is “Conga” – huge water supplies
sitting on top of large deposits of gold. The mining
company (Newmont Mining, a U.S. owned company)
wants to build reservoirs from the existing lakes in order
to mine beneath them. But the very process would result
in the destruction of the eco-system. The promise is that
the mining would be for only about ten years, but by that
time there would be no turning back.
The farmers of Cajamarca organized a “March for Water”
to Lima in early February to present their grievances
to the Congress. Joining them were farmers from the
north (Lambayeque), from the south (Puno), and from
the areas in between including Trujillo, Huaral, and
Contumaza. In all, about 1,500 farmers arrived in Lima on
February 10, and presented two proposals to Congress:
That a law be developed declaring water is a basic human
right, and that mining cannot take place in river beds nor
anywhere water might be contaminated or drained off for
the purpose of mining. The impact of their efforts is not
evident yet.
San Miguel
Kathy tells us that the retaining wall for the center for the
handicapped in San Miguel has been completed. It is just
in time as the rains have started in full force.
Callao
Approximately 17 associates renewed their commitment
on the Feast of St. Angela on January 27 (photo at left).
Several young women from the Company of Angela
were present also. Of course there is no celebration
without dancing. Whether or not it was the strength of
the commitment or the heat of the summer evening,
the joyous and energetic dancing that followed the
ceremony was a testament to how much the women enjoy
being together.
Saint Angela Merici School in Callao has shown a steady
increase in enrollment over the past few years. With the
help of a fund-raising activity hosted by the parents, a new
classroom is being added on, but we are still in need of
more funds to complete the project.
Kathy, Yuli, and Sue are together now in Callao for the
summer. The heavy rains keep us from doing much in the
interior of the country, so we take advantage of the time
to take courses, meet with friends and relax some. We are
eagerly awaiting Carol’s return in March.
With warmest of greetings (really),
Yuli, Kathy, Sue
Ursuline DOME: Continuing the Legacy of Spirtuality and Service | SPRING 2012
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Sisters Never Retire, but Mini-Vans Do!
The Ursuline Sisters’ 12-year old mini-van with 137,000 miles needs to be replaced. It has faithfully driven our senior sisters
to doctor appointments, on errands, to their ministries and numerous other destinations in the Louisville metro area.
A replacement that provides easy access as well as a secure and safe ride for our sisters has been identified. We are more
than halfway to our goal of $35,000! If you would like to make a donation towards the purchase of a new van, please write
VAN on the enclosed remittance envelope and include your check in any amount made payable to the Ursuline Sisters,
or you may charge your donation to a credit card.
Ursuline Teaching Award
Presented to SHA Aluma
On February 15, during its 22nd annual
Alumnae Awards Celebration, Sacred Heart
Academy honored Kathleen Wagner SHA ’67
with the Ursuline Teaching Legacy Award. This
award was established in March 2008 by the
SHA Alumnae Board to honor the Ursuline
Sisters’ 150 years of teaching in Louisville. This
award is given annually to an SHA alumna who
has dedicated 20 or more years to teaching.
Mrs. Wagner’s teaching career included service
at St. Albert the Great, Our Mother of Sorrows,
and Kennedy Montessori School.
She retired in 2011, but remains active by
volunteering at St. Anne’s Kids Café and at
Catholic Charities of Louisville.
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SPRING 2012 | www.ursulinesisterslouisville.org
Kathleen Wagner (second from left) joined by (left to right) Sister Martha Jacob, councilor,
Ursuline Sisters of Louisville; Dr. Beverly McAuliffe, principal, Sacred Heart Academy; and
Dr. Cynthia Crabtree, president, Sacred Heart Schools.
2012
Angeline Award
Nominate a Dynamic Woman for the
Award Criteria
Since 1991, the Ursuline Sisters of Louisville have
recognized women for their outstanding service and
dedication with the Angeline Award. This award is
presented to a woman who exhibits Christian living
by her character and service, particularly in matters
relating to women and families, and who represents
the vision and legacy of Saint Angela Merici –
foundress of the Ursuline Sisters.
The Ursuline Sisters of Louisville are pleased to
announce the call for nominations for the 2012
Angeline Award. Overall, the nominee should exhibit
the charism of Saint Angela and the Ursuline Sisters
which is “a contemplative love of God resulting in the
openness and eagerness to serve the needs of others.”
Past recipients include:
1991: Donna McKinney Hansen,
Spokane, WA
Name of Nominee:
Address:
The criteria for the 2012 Angeline Award nominee are a woman who:
• Demonstrates Christian leadership as a disciple of Jesus Christ by being
actively involved with challenges that face women and families today,
such as illiteracy, poverty, violence, abuse, prejudice or addiction.
• Reflects “a contemplative love of God resulting in the openness and
eagerness to serve the needs of others.” (The charism of Saint Angela
and the Ursuline Sisters.)
• Currently has a personal connection to the Ursuline Sisters of Louisville
through ministry, professional association, education, relationship or
common goals. Ursuline Sisters are not eligible.
• Is able to receive the award in person at a ceremony to be held Saturday,
October 27 at the Ursuline Motherhouse in Louisville, Ky.
Angeline Award Nomination Form
Phone:
Email:
1992: Juanna Gil Sanchez, Callao,
Peru, South America
Have you nominated this woman before (circle one)? Yes No
1994: Barbara Emrich Cassidy,
Louisville
On separate sheet answer the following: (Please type or print.)
Give 2 or 3 specific examples of how this nominee:
1996: Margo Thompson Borders,
Louisville
1998: Maria Scharfenberger,
Louisville
2000: Jane Thibault, Louisville
1. Reflects and demonstrates an awareness of God’s love and activity in her life by serving others.
2. Demonstrates Christian leadership by being actively involved with a specific challenge that faces women
and families today.
3. Describe the nominee’s personal connection or relationship with the Ursuline Sisters of Louisville and
your most recent contact with this nominee.
4. L
ist two other references for this nominee (Please include name, address, phone, email, and relationship
to nominee).
2002: Mary Kwan, Houston, TX
2004: Shannon Lockhart,
Guatemala City
2006: Mary Louise “Peasie” Fischer,
Louisville
2008: Mary Ann Kopp Hubbs,
Louisville
2010: Paula Fangman,
Shelbyville, KY
Nominated by (your name):
Your Address:
Your Phone:
Mail, e-mail or fax nomination to:
Sister Ruth Ann Haunz, OSU
Angeline Award
Ursuline Sisters of Louisville
3105 Lexington Road • Louisville, KY 40206
E-MAIL: [email protected] • FAX 502-896-3913
Your Email:
Deadline for
nominations is
June 8, 2012.
Ursuline DOME: Continuing the Legacy of Spirtuality and Service | SPRING 2012
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Nomination forms are available on our website: www.ursulinesisterslouisville.org
Ursuline Connec ions
A New Home for Amelia
In the early 2000s, a group of Ursuline College alumnae commissioned
artist and UC alumna Nancy Grundy DeCamillis (UC ’60) to create a
statue that would represent the women of their alma mater and their
legacy. Thus, Amelia was “born.” In April 2004, the five foot sculpture –
that features symbols of family, music, education and growth at her base –
was gifted to the Ursuline Sisters and placed on the patio on the east side
of what was then Marian Home. That is where she remained, ever since
the closing of Marian Home in 2010...until now.
In October 2011 the leadership of the Ursuline Sisters
of Louisville and representatives of Sacred Heart Schools
announced their decision to deconstruct Marian Hall, having
determined there was no viable use for the building. The
building is scheduled for deconstruction this summer.
With the announcement came the need to find a new and fitting
home for the revered Amelia. In November, she was carefully
transported to her new home, in front of Brescia Hall.
Clovers Gathered for AMHS Reunion
On Sunday, November 6, nearly 170 alumnae and former
teachers of Angela Merici High School gathered at the Flaget
Center for an all-class reunion.
The reunion began with a special Mass in the former school’s
chapel, with Fr. Roy Stiles as the presider. Following Mass, all
sang the AM alma mater, then headed to the gym for brunch. In
honor of the occasion, the gym was decorated in clover green
and had multiple memorabilia stations that included year books,
a uniform and a prom dress. Following a blessing offered by
Sister Lynn Jarrell, president of the Ursuline Sisters of Louisville,
Sister Rita Ann
Wigginton, AM class of
1964 welcomed all the
alumnae. Sister Jean
Anne Zappa, AM faculty
member, introduced
guest speaker, Dr.
Cynthia Crabtree, class
of 1975 and president
of Sacred Heart
Schools, who shared
some of her memories
of Angela Merici High
School.
After the meal and
brief talks, everyone was invited to take tours of the building,
chat with old classmates and have their class photos taken.
The essence of Angela Merici High School was captured in a pen
and ink rendering by acclaimed Kentucky artist and architect,Wadia
Newman. Each reunion attendee was given a set of note cards
featuring Newman’s image on the front.
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SPRING 2012 | www.ursulinesisterslouisville.org
Reunion News
Ursuline Academy – Louisville
Class of 1947 – 65th Reunion
Sunday, June 10, 2012
Mass, Brunch, Group Photo,
Memorabilia Display, Gift
11 AM – 3PM
$30/person
Brescia Hall • Ursuline Campus
donation notations
From July 1, 2011 to December 31, 2011
How money came in...
Reunions
Sisters in Ministry
Unsolicited
Card
Party
Through Sisters
Peru Appeals
Memorial Donations
Website/paypal
Dome
Matching Gifts
Class of 1962 – 50th Year Reunion
Saturday, June 2, 2012
Reception, Mass, Dinner,
Group Photo, Memorabilia Display, Gift
3 PM – 7 PM
$35/person
Brescia Hall • Ursuline Campus
All Class Gathering
Saturday, November 3, 2012
Luncheon, Mass, Class Photos,
Memorabilia Display, Gift
1:30 PM – 5 PM
$25/person
Ursuline Motherhouse and Chapel
Repeat Gifts
appeal
Wills &
Bequests
Where money went...
Angela Merici
Center for Spirituality
Ursuline Academy – Pittsburgh
Ministry to the Poor
Peru
All Class Gathering
Saturday, October 20, 2012
Celebration in the Chapel, Reception,
Class Photos, Memorabilia Display, Gift
2 PM – 5 PM
$25/person
Waldorf School of Pittsburgh
201 S Winebiddle Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15224
Interested in getting help with
planning your Reunion or
All Class Gathering?
CONTACT: Ellen McKnight
The Greatest Need
fund
Care of
Senior Sisters
Sisters in Ministry
Director of Mission Advancement/Alumnae Relations
502.515.7526 • [email protected] Ursuline DOME: Continuing the Legacy of Spirtuality and Service | SPRING 2012
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FORWARDING SERVICE REQUESTED
3105 Lexington Road
Louisville, Kentucky 40206
www.ursulinesisterslouisville.org
Non-Profit Org.
U.S. Postage
PA I D
Permit No. 879
Louisville, KY
“May Saint Angela bless us on the way, accompany us on the journey, and lead us to the One who loves us all. Amen.”
Sister M. Paulette Marchetti, OSU
Sister M. Adelaide Fackler, OSU
Sister M. Rosalita Wuersch, OSU
February 26, 1933 – November 16, 2011
July 3, 1921 – December 6, 2011
March 26, 1914 – February 6, 2012
In Louisville during the early to midsixties, Sister Paulette taught at St. Peter,
St. Elizabeth, and St. George schools, and
from 1984 to 1986, she taught at St. Vincent
de Paul School. She also ministered in
schools in Madison, IN and in Wheeling
and Morgantown, WV. Sister Paulette was
the Housemother at St. Joseph Home from
1970 to 1972, and then served for 10 years
as a teacher’s aide at the Ursuline Montessori School and volunteered for two years at
the Ursuline Child Development Center, all
in Louisville.
Sister Adelaide was elected president of the Ursuline
Sisters of Louisville for two consecutive terms, serving in this capacity from 1968 – 1976. Following her
second term, she became administrator of Marian
Home until 1984. In 1985-86, she served as assistant
administrator of the Home of the Innocents. Sister
was again elected to the Ursuline Sisters General
Council as vice president from 1988 – 1992. Sister
Adelaide’s early ministry included: comptroller of
Ursuline College; teaching at St. Ann, St. George
and St. Helen schools in Louisville; and at Catholic schools in Omaha and North Platte, NE. She
remained active in ministry until 2005, primarily in
the areas of administration and finance.
Sister Rosalita spent the majority of her
71-year ministry in Louisville teaching at St.
Elizabeth, St. Vincent dePaul, Holy Spirit, St.
Helen, Our Lady of Lourdes, Saint Boniface
and Pope John XXIII parish schools, and
Angela Merici High School. She also taught
at St. Mary School in Jackson, MS. The latter
part of her ministry was spent as treasurer
for Marian Home, secretary for Ursuline
Campus Tutoring Services, and in other
volunteer ministries.
Sister Adelaide received a bachelor of arts degree in
education from Ursuline College and a master of science degree in education from Creighton University,
Omaha, NE, where she minored in theology.
Sister Rosalita received a bachelor’s degree
from Ursuline College in Louisville, and a
master’s degree from Duquesne University in
Pittsburgh, PA.
Mail Memorial Donations to: Mission Advancement Office, Ursuline Sisters of Louisville, 3105 Lexington Road, Louisville, KY 40206