UrsulinesSpring 2008

Volume 6, No. 2

www.ursulinesmsj.org

Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint JosephFreeing and Nurturing Women and Children

Center’s Silver Anniversary

TASSC EarnsSALT award

Academy Remembered

Retreat Center Has Welcomed Guests for 25 Years

Dear Friends,Happy New Year! January’s symbol is Janus, the Roman god with two faces — one looking forward and one looking back. For this issue of Ursulines Alive, we may need a “mascot” with three faces: one to look back at the past, one to meditate on the present, and one to gaze into the future. Mount Saint Joseph Academy is an important part of our past, not only because it was the very first ministry of the Ursulines in western Kentucky, but because it can be said to represent all the schools we have owned and/or staffed in small towns, rural areas, and cities in Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, Tennessee, and South America. Education has been the defining characteristic of Ursuline ministry for centuries, and we are all still educators one way or another.The ministry of the Mount Saint Joseph Conference and Retreat Center represents the present. As the academy began to serve fewer students each year, its educational tradition transformed into a place where nearly 6,000 people now come each year for education, spiritual enrichment, or to find a peaceful and hospitable place to meet. This transformation reminds us of the expansion of our own individual ministries into parish work, direct service to the poor, justice, different forms of education/ Christian formation, and all the good works to which we Ursulines are called today. Our Web site, www.ursulinesmsj.org, describes some of our ministries. What will the future hold? We await God’s call with open minds and hearts! For all the times and seasons of our lives and the life of our community, we give thanks, and ask for God’s blessings on each of you who are part of our past, present, and future.With deep appreciation for your friendship,

Congregational Leader, Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph

U r s u l i n e s A L I V E

From our Congregational Leader

Ursulines Alive is published by the Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph, Maple Mount, Ky. Three issues are published each calendar year.

EDITORS: Director of Mission Advancement/Communications ........Dan Heckel Associate Director of Marketing and Communications ...Jerry Birge Communications Specialist/Graphic Design ......................Jennifer Kaminski MISSION ADVANCEMENT STAFF: Director of Ministry Development ....................................Sister Suzanne Sims Director of Mission Effectiveness ......................................Sister Rose Marita O’Bryan Director of Spiritual Formation .........................................Sister Marietta Wethington Director of Ursuline Partnerships ......................................Marian Bennett, OSUA Administrative Assistants ...................................................Melanie Sears Christi Bowman

OUR MISSION

We, the Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph,

sustained by prayer and vowed life in community,

proclaim Jesus through education and Christian formation

in the spirit of our founder, Saint Angela Merici.

OUR PURPOSEFreeing and Nurturing Women and Children

OUR CORE VALUES

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In this issueRetreat Center ................................ 3Mount Saint Joseph Conference and Retreat Center celebrates 25 years of welcoming and educating guests

Ursulines Alive in Pictures.............6-7

Mount Saint Joseph Academy ........ 9Ursulines have fond memories of its girls’ school that operated from 1874 to 1983

Sr. Dianna earns SALT award .........10Sister Dianna Ortiz and TASSC are honored by Society of American Law Teachers in New York City

Statement of Accountability ........10

Soli Deo Gloria .............................. 12We rejoice in the gifts of our sisters, given for the kingdom of God

Sister Michele Morek

ServiceEmpowermentJusticeContemplative PresenceSpirit of Angela

•••••

CONTACT USUrsuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph

8001 Cummings Road Maple Mount, Kentucky 42356

270-229-4103Fax: 270-229-4953

info@maplemount.orgwww.ursulinesmsj.org

Celebrating the past, present and future

Cover: Sister Amelia Stenger, left, director of Mount Saint Joseph Conference and Retreat Center, welcomes guests in the Madonna Room at the Center. Standing is Jean Gutierrez and seated are Brenda Semar and Catherine Gawarecki. All are Ursuline associates from Grayson County, Ky. A group of eight associates from that area decided to schedule a weekend retreat at the Center Jan. 11-13. Both the Center and the associate program celebrate a quarter century of service in 2008.

Cover photo taken by Jerry Birge

Sister Michele Morek, OSU

S p r i n g 2008

D uring the late 1980s, Easie Cecil and her fellow sewing enthusiasts with the Runaway Quilters were meeting at a youth camp in far western

Kentucky, when they learned they needed to find a new home.

One group member mentioned a retreat center at Mount Saint Joseph, so the group moved there the next year, Cecil said. That was 17 years ago.

“Everybody likes it so much, we don’t even think about changing,” Cecil said.

About 125 quilters come to Mount Saint Joseph Conference and Retreat Center each September, from as many as 11 states, Cecil said.

“We like the atmosphere,” she said. “Everyone is so friendly, and they bend over backward to accommodate us. People just look forward to it every year.”

Sandra Wood can tell a similar story.As executive director of Leadership McLean County

(Ky.), Wood recognizes the need to get her new class members out of their comfort zone each fall. That’s why the class comes to the retreat center.

“It’s so peaceful, it’s a beautiful spot,” she said. “Because you have the sisters praying for you while you’re in session, there’s a real serenity.”

When class members rate their overall experience with the program, their visit to the Center is always listed as a highlight, Wood said.

“It’s just a very special experience.”That’s what Sister Amelia Stenger, center director,

wants to hear.

2008 marks the 25th anniversary of the Center. Over the summer of 1983, the buildings were transformed from housing the Mount Saint Joseph Academy to a place for quiet and reflection.

Mount Saint Joseph has always been welcoming, and that’s the feeling Sister Amelia wants for visitors at the Center.

“I want the Center to be a place of peace and calm and welcoming for all who want to come here. A place for quiet and prayer,” Sister Amelia said.

Bishop John J. McRaith, who recently celebrated 25 years as head of the Owensboro diocese, said he believes a retreat center is needed now more than ever to help people with the pressure they feel in their lives.

“To set aside time to turn off the noise of the world and spend some time with God in a special way is so important,” he said.

Old things have passed away; behold, new things have come. (II Corinthians, 5:17)

After 109 years of operation, the academy had dwindling numbers of students and fewer teachers trained to handle their special needs. In May 1983, the decision was made to close the school, said Sister Mary Irene Cecil, who then was major superior of the Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph.

Immediately, talk moved to how best utilize the buildings.

“The diocese didn’t have a retreat center, so we got Continued on page 4

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Pictured: Center Director Sister Amelia Stenger stands in front of the Center in 2008.

By Dan HeckelMount Saint Joseph Staff

After 25 years, Retreat Center remains a place for quiet reflection

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Left: A new facade was built for Mount Saint Joseph Conference and Retreat Center in 1997. Renovations included adding an elevator. Right: Bishop John J. McRaith blesses the new chapel in Mount Saint Joseph Center by pouring holy oil on the altar.

CENTER From page 3

support from the bishop and the diocese,” Sister Mary Irene said. “When the younger sisters came home for the summer, they jumped in to set up the retreat center.”

Sister Mary Irene believed there was a need for a retreat center.

“People were more interested in learning about spirituality and prayer,” she said. “The Cursillo movement was at its height and charismatic renewal interested people. The bishop was a big supporter. He made the director of the Center the spiritual life person on his staff.”

Sister Mary Matthias Ward was the retreat director at the Saint Thomas Center in Louisville and volunteered to return to Maple Mount to run the new center.

“I’d been away from the diocese of Owensboro for (five years) and I felt strongly that we needed a retreat center,” Sister Mary Matthias said.

“Spirituality should be the big part of each person’s life,” Sister Mary Matthias said. “We need to help foster that. We had the buildings and the limited resources.” She had little time to get started. “I arrived on July 13 to discover there was a booking in three weeks,” Sister Mary Matthias said. “We had a lot of younger sisters who worked untiringly with me to get it put together. Without them, we never would have opened so soon.”

The work wasn’t always safe.“We had to take an item from the bottom floor to the top

balcony,” Sister Mary Matthias said. “We had to swing it from outside over the balcony. We

Joe Overby speaks to teens at the Academy of Young Leaders Conference at the Mount in November 2006.

A student from Asbury College in Wilmore, Ky., relaxes in the Memorial Garden during a retreat in April 2005.

tried everything.”Much of the work

was cleaning out the school, getting rid of desks and trying to find what could be reused.

“Sister Mary Bertha Wethington was an

excellent seamstress,” Sister Mary Matthias said. She made all the drapes and tablecloths in the retreat center.

Sister Mary Bertha, 101, now the oldest member of the Ursuline community, said, “Yes indeed, it was a big job.”

The first people to use the retreat center in August 1983 were Bishop McRaith and his staff, and he’s remained a major supporter over the years.

Having a place to affect the spiritual life is necessary, and the diocese was fortunate it didn’t have to build a center, the bishop said. The setting at Mount Saint Joseph makes it special.

“God’s creation is so magnificent and such places are more conducive to the beauty and grace of others,” he said. “The Mount is a beautiful example of God’s handiwork.”

The Center’s first break came when a regional Cursillo group of about 200 people arrived in October 1983.

“They were to meet in Louisville, but after I left, a priest who was a friend of mine asked if I would like to host it,” Sister Mary Matthias said. “We used all the beds and put mats down in the chapel.”

After that, the Center drew a regular clientele from Louisville and Nashville, she said.

Sister Mary Matthias left the Center in 1988 when she was named major superior for the Ursuline sisters. For the past five years, she has been director of Sacred Heart Retreat Center in Gallup, N.M., a diocesan retreat house celebrating its 30th anniversary this year.

“I think spirituality is a big calling card for all of our young people today,” Sister Mary Matthias said. “There’s a need for people to come find that. We live in such a hectic world...”

Sister Marie Goretti Browning had been the director of spiritual formation for the Ursuline sisters, then was doing parish ministry when she became director of the Center in 1988.

“We wanted to be that spiritual presence in the faith community,” she said.

Many Catholic groups were using the Center in those years, and some Protestant groups began also. The growth

Members of Together We Care, a community coalition in Ohio County, Ky., share a laugh at their January 2007 retreat.

in usage made it obvious the facility needed renovation, Sister Marie Goretti said.

“The heating and cooling systems were not up to par,” she said. “The rooms were not as large

as we needed and there were only common bathrooms.”As the time to renovate drew closer, Sister Marie

Goretti discerned that new leadership was needed. She left the position in 1994.

“There was so much administration in my years there, I couldn’t spend the time on the spiritual aspect that I wanted,” she said.

“Our challenge is to make people aware that they need time for reflection,” she said. “We work, work, work, rush around, but sometimes we don’t focus on our spirituality as much as we should.”

Remove the stumbling blocks from my people’s path. (Isaiah, 57:14)

Sister Darlene Denton was principal at Saints Simon and Jude Elementary in Louisville in 1994 when she came to the Mount for the annual Ursuline picnic that September.

“Sister Mary Matthias was the superior then and she said, ‘Let’s take a walk,’” Sister Darlene said. Little did she know what lay ahead.

“She told me the decision was made to renovate the Center and they needed someone who was very hands-on to run it, because it would be very stressful for the staff,” Sister Darlene said. “I’m just a very organized, hands-on person.”

There were many challenges to renovating the Center, partly because it remained open during construction.

“Kathy McCarty was booking rooms, I don’t know how she knew which rooms were empty,” Sister Darlene said.

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Elaine Thomas, Rita Hayden, Eileen Payne, Theresa Ballard and Betty Medley with the Catholic Pastoral Center in Owensboro take a break during a May 2007 workshop. The rocking chairs are on a second floor balcony.

“Larry Hermann (in maintenance) and I about killed each other trying to figure out which keys to use.”

Construction began in 1996. One of the biggest challenges was the elevator.

Because the four buildings hosting the academy were constructed at different times, the floors aren’t at the same level, Sister Darlene said. To make the building handicapped accessible, a main ground floor entrance was needed for an elevator. That’s why the elevators are 1A and 1B.

Architect Terry Blake, with RBS Design Group, developed the idea of the facade as the entrance. He used reflective glass windows that face south and help divert heat from the building to keep it cooler in the summer.

The original building is on the National Historic Register, so its exterior could not be changed, Sister Darlene said. Even without those limitations, she would have been hesitant to change much.

Sister Darlene never lived on the grounds until she was director. She at first didn’t understand the love for the buildings from the sisters who were academy graduates.

“They told me their stories and I said, ‘There’s no way this building is coming down,’” Sister Darlene said.

Sister Darlene gives much credit to Sister Rita Scott, now plant administrator, during the renovation.

“Whenever I went to do something stupid, she’d say, ‘That won’t work,’ and I’d say ‘OK.’”

“We had to look for old cisterns before we could build,” Sister Rita said. “I got the oldest members to tell me what they remembered. Sister Agnes Catherine Williams (who died in 2007) remembered really well, and helped us construct the building.”

Geothermal wells were dug to heat the building, but Sister Rita found that Mount Saint Joseph is built “on an endless aquifer,” that made drilling tough.

“We couldn’t dig a foot without hitting water,” she said. Workers also had to find the old septic tank before the drilling could begin. It wasn’t on any map, Sister Rita said.

There were cupolas on both the Saint Joseph and Saint Ann buildings, but they were in bad shape. They were removed with a plan to rebuild them, but the cost was

prohibitive.The renovated center reopened in January 1998, at a cost of more than $1 million, Sister Rita said.

Sister Darlene was not there to

A seminarian from Saint Meinrad Seminary in Indiana sits on a bench at the Mount in March 2007. He was on a week's retreat at the Center.

Continued on page 8

Attendees sing at a March 2006 Women’s Cursillo at the Center. Cursillo is a movement that emphasizes the uniqueness, originality and creativity of each person.

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The leadership team from the Ursuline Sisters of Paola, Kan.,* met with the Leadership Council at Mount Saint Joseph in January. Front: Sisters Pat Lynch,* Cheryl Clemons, Kathleen Dueber,* Maureen Griner, Congregational Leader Michele Morek. Back: Sisters Helen Smith,* Ann McGrew, Jane Falke,* Paola Congregational Leader Kathleen Condry,* Barbara Jean Head.

Left: Alumnae, sisters and acquaintances participate in the second annual Alumnae Memorial Mass Nov. 3, 2007. The Mass honors deceased Mount Saint Joseph Academy students, faculty and friends. Above: Sister Vivian Bowles attended the Memorial Mass and dinner along with her mother, Willa Katherine “Billie” Stein.

Left: Visitors sit beside the Rosary Walk and the stone which marks the spot where the first Ursulines came to Maple Mount. The visitors prayed the rosary, led by Sister Ann Patrice Cecil, on the Feast of the Holy Rosary, Oct. 7, 2007 (inset). Above: Anna Walters, 96, of Daviess County, Ky., and her brother, Jim Yeiser, 75, of Durango, Colo., visited the Mount Oct. 19, 2007. They are the great nephew and great niece of Mother Agnes O’Flynn, who served as superior from 1920-28.

Sister Rose Marita O’Bryan, far right, speaks to young women and other sisters at the Ursuline Way of Life weekend at Mount Saint Joseph Nov. 30-Dec. 1, 2007. Vocation Director Sister Alicia Coomes hosted the weekend, which was designed to introduce young women to the Ursuline community. Four young women attended.

All 11 sisters employed at Brescia and five other sisters attended Founders Day held on Jan. 24. Front: Sisters Pam Mueller, Philomena Cox, Marie Julie Fecher, Mary Diane Taylor, Judith Nell Riney, Marie Joseph Coomes. Back: Sisters Barbara Jean Head, Susan Mary Mudd, Rose Marita O’Bryan, Helena Fischer, Annalita Lancaster, Vickie Cravens, Rose Jean Powers, Elaine Burke, Mary Henning, Sharon Sullivan.

FOUNDERS DAY AT BRESCIA UNIVERSITY

ROSARY WALK PRAYERS

WAY OF LIFE

LEADERS VISIT FROM PAOLA, KANSAS

ALUMNAE MEMORIAL MASS

S p r i n g 2 0 0 8

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The leadership team from the Ursuline Sisters of Paola, Kan.,* met with the Leadership Council at Mount Saint Joseph in January. Front: Sisters Pat Lynch,* Cheryl Clemons, Kathleen Dueber,* Maureen Griner, Congregational Leader Michele Morek. Back: Sisters Helen Smith,* Ann McGrew, Jane Falke,* Paola Congregational Leader Kathleen Condry,* Barbara Jean Head.

WTVW Fox 7 meteorologist Ron Rhodes hosted a Jeopardy game Jan. 4 for Mission Advancement. He also spoke to sisters in the dining room and gave them a 12-month prediction of the weather in Owensboro.

Pilgrimage to Italy with the Ursuline Sisters May 27-June 5, 2008! Time is running out, but we have available seats for this spiritual journey that includes stops at the foundational “home” of our founder, Saint Angela Merici, in Desenzano, Brescia, and Cremona. Sister Marietta Wethington, OSU, and Father John Vaughan, Ursuline associate, will serve as our spiritual directors. Other points of interest are Assisi, where we will experience the rich Franciscan heritage of Saint Angela’s prayer life, some beautiful highlights of Siena (home of St. Catherine), Florence, and finally the “Eternal City” of Rome, including an audience with Pope Benedict XVI. Contact Sister Suzanne at ssims@maplemount.org or 270-229-2008.

Join our Pilgrimage to Italy in May/June

All 11 sisters employed at Brescia and five other sisters attended Founders Day held on Jan. 24. Front: Sisters Pam Mueller, Philomena Cox, Marie Julie Fecher, Mary Diane Taylor, Judith Nell Riney, Marie Joseph Coomes. Back: Sisters Barbara Jean Head, Susan Mary Mudd, Rose Marita O’Bryan, Helena Fischer, Annalita Lancaster, Vickie Cravens, Rose Jean Powers, Elaine Burke, Mary Henning, Sharon Sullivan.

FOUNDERS DAY AT BRESCIA UNIVERSITY

Santa and Mrs. Claus and his elf, Jenna Byrd, 3, visited the sisters on Dec. 6, 2007.

Sister Rose Emma Monaghan

LEADERS VISIT FROM PAOLA, KANSAS

Several Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph attended a Mass at Louisville’s Cathedral of the Assumption on Jan. 27 to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Ursuline Sisters of Louisville. From left are Sisters Grace Simpson, Dorothy Helbling, Mary Matthias Ward, Barbara Jean Head, Michele Morek and Michele Ann Intravia. Left: Sister Michele Ann greets Louisville Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz, D.D.Below: A sign of the times at the celebration

see the Center’s reopening. “I was there until we were ready to move the furniture back in, then Amelia came in,” Sister Darlene said. “I think they were afraid I would go nuts if I had to move it back in.”

Aside from its physical changes, the Center took a new name – Mount Saint Joseph Conference and Retreat Center.

“We wanted it to be a retreat center, but we knew the non-Catholic business community wouldn’t come without “Conference” in the title,” Sister Darlene said.Behold, I make all things new. (Revelations 21:5)

When the leadership team went looking for a new director for the Center in 1997, they asked Sister Amelia, who was superintendent of Catholic schools for the archdiocese of Louisville.

“We saw the job as requiring good community relations skills, special projects and fundraising experience and leadership,” said Sister Michele Morek, congregational leader. “She acquired those skills throughout her career.”

Sister Amelia walked into a big job. “When I got here, the elevator was not complete, there were no windows

and all the furniture was stored,” Sister Amelia said. “We had to buy beds, do all the decorating and get lots of donations.”

The Center was reopened Jan. 15, 1998, with a Christian leadership group spending the weekend, Sister Amelia said.

Her next step was to begin building a potential donor list by

asking each sister for five to 10 names of people who might help. Fundraising ideas have been creative over the years.

In 1999, to celebrate the 125th year of the Ursuline community, $125 bricks were donated for a Memory Garden. There were 2,000 bricks donated to start the Center’s endowment, Sister Amelia said. In 2006, a Memorial Rosary Walk was dedicated, also with bricks donated for $125.

Some of the major retreats today focus on women, centering prayer, and Thomas Merton. The Center also offers a spiritual direction program.

“We’re booked every weekend except holiday weekends,” Sister Amelia said.

The Center can host four or five groups at a time, but

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it’s usually no more than three. There are 79 beds, but with couples, it can sleep 105.

The Center has evolved in her tenure, Sister Amelia said. “We offer more than just religious retreats. Our mission calls for spiritual, environmental education and arts programs. That’s what we are trying to offer.”

For 10 years, the Center has offered an environmental education program for children.

“Kids love it here when they see those cows and pigs,” Sister Amelia said. “I can show them a pack of tomato seeds that costs $1.25 and tell them it will produce enough tomatoes to feed everyone at the Motherhouse. They can’t believe that.”

Programs for senior adults are in the planning process.“The senior adults have the opportunity in many cases

to take the time to get some peace and quiet in their lives,” she said. “But everyone in between those two groups needs quiet and prayer time, as well. We welcome everyone.”

Sister Evelyn Craig, with the Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, joined the staff in January to do spiritual direction full time. It’s important to have someone on the staff who can give retreats, and Sister Evelyn has a broad background in all the facets the Center will need in this area, Sister Amelia said.

Sister Amelia sees many people during retreats trying to pull their lives together.

“The Retrouvaille program works miracles for married couples who need support and help,” she said.

No matter how the Center continues to evolve, it will maintain its most important role of offering a place of quiet reflection and prayer.

About 20 seminarians from Saint Meinrad, Ind., come to the Center each year for a weeklong directed retreat before Holy Week. “The witness of the sisters at the Mount is very good for them,” said Father Guerric DeBona, spiritual director. “They allow the students to be themselves.” n

Left: Leadership Conference of Women Religious enjoy a hay ride in June 2007. Right: The Runaway Quilters display their quilts in the courtyard during retreats. This was taken in September 2006.

Students from Owensboro Middle School pet pigs at Maple Mount Farm in April 2007. Many students visit the Mount each year.

A basket weaving retreat was held at the Center in February 2007.

CENTER From page 5

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S ister Pauletta McCarty came to the Mount Saint Joseph Academy before she could walk. “My aunt became a sister in 1921 and they brought me out

here when I was an infant,” Sister Pauletta said. “I lived three miles down the road. My daddy played leap frog over the pine trees when they were only this tall,” she said, motioning to her knee.

“It’s always been home,” said the 1939 graduate.Whether students grew up in the area and rode the bus

daily, or moved here as boarders, the recurring theme of the sisters who graduated from Mount Saint Joseph is the sense of home Sister Pauletta mentioned.

The academy closed 25 years ago this year, but the sisters say the spirit lives on in many ways.

“The thing that made it special for me was the religious atmosphere,” said Sister Clarita Browning, who graduated in 1947. “I grew up in a very Catholic home. I got a scholarship to come, but I was so homesick I thought I would never survive.”

She credits the sisters who taught her and the friendships she made with helping her through all four years.

“I was very taken with the sisters who taught me, the way they lived their lives,” Sister Clarita said. “There was something touching about the people you associated with. We went to daily Mass, even if we didn’t want to.”

The academy was a family affair for Sister Judith Nell Riney, who grew up in West Louisville. All but the youngest of her 10 sisters attended the academy, as well as her mother.

“My mother’s mom died when she was young, so

mom spent lots of summers working at the academy,” Sister Judith Nell said. “Every one of us worked there before school started, to help pay for tuition.”

She said there was definitely a difference in the boarding students and the day students, although “the sisters would deny that.” Still, those differences didn’t affect the relationships between the girls, Sister Judith Nell said.

“It was a wonderful school, and I still have wonderful relationships with people I went with,” said Sister Judith Nell, who graduated in 1965.

BeginningsThe academy got its start in 1874, when Father Paul

Joseph Volk, pastor at Saint Alphonsus Church, asked the Ursuline Sisters of Louisville to send teachers so he could start a high school for girls. The Sisters of Loretto had run a previous school, but returned home after it burned.

Five Ursuline sisters traveled by flatboat from Louisville to help start the school, which had seven students in 1874. The academy immediately began growing, topping 100 students for the first time in 1905, and 200 in 1918, although some of those students were in grade school, as the academy took in orphaned students as well. At least 100 boys got diplomas from the academy over the years when Catholic academic options for boys were limited in the area. The boys were mostly taught at Saint Alphonsus.

The most prosperous decade for the academy was the 1960s, with an average attendance of 171 girls, including the largest year for the high school, 1963, when 194 students attended. The 1950s was the second largest decade, with an average of 148.9 students.

The numbers started to decrease in the 1970s, as families had more Catholic school options and were more reluctant to send their daughters away to school, said Sister Mary Irene Cecil, major superior of the Ursulines when the decision was made to close the school.

“The number of sisters we had trained to teach high school was lessening, and they weren’t trained to teach (the growing number of) foreign students,” Sister Mary Irene said. Some of the American girls on campus were being sent because they’d been in trouble.

By 1983, there were only 64 students on campus, the

Left: The original Mount Saint Joseph Academy as it looks today. Right: Kathy Murtaugh, Academy student, with Mother Mary Wilfred Hayden in 1953. Below left: Academy students play a game of kickball in the early 1950s.

By Dan Heckel

Spirit of Academy lives on through actions

Continued on page 11

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Sister Dianna Ortiz, founder and executive director of the Torture Abolition and Survivors Support Coalition, and TASSC member Jennifer Harbury were presented with the prestigious SALT award for human rights Jan. 5 in New York City.

The Society of American Law Teachers, a community of progressive law teachers working for justice, diversity and academic excellence, presented its 2008 awards during a dinner program at the Golden Unicorn Restaurant in New York City’s historic Chinatown. During the presentation of the M. Shanara Gilbert Human Rights Award to Sister Dianna and Harbury, the presenter stated, “Sister Dianna Ortiz and Jennifer Harbury have selflessly worked to expose the horror of torture. Their work with victims reminds us all that there can never be any justification for the torture of other human beings.” TASSC is the only organization founded by and for torture survivors. Its mission is to end the practice of torture wherever it occurs and to empower survivors, their families and communities. Sister Dianna recently resigned as executive director of TASSC. The new director is Demissie Abebe.

TASSC Founder Sister Dianna Ortiz spoke at the SALT awards ceremony Jan. 5 in New York City.

Sister Dianna Ortiz wins SALT award

A Shining ExAmplEFather Alcuin Greenburg, O.S.B., is a shining example of one who shares the Light of Christ with the sisters at Mount Saint Joseph. For many years, Father Alcuin, a friend to our retired sisters, sends us the gift of a beautiful

paschal candle for our Holy Saturday and Easter celebrations. This special symbol of the Risen Lord is also lighted for our funeral liturgies at the Mount. Father Alcuin resides at St. Dominic Nursing Home in Houston, Texas. We wish him well and thank him for this special in-kind donation each Easter. May the Risen Christ be a light in his heart!

Correction: In the Fall 2007 Ursulines Alive, in the Saint Angela Merici Heritage Society, the first name of Barbara Trompeter, wife of Bertrand, was incorrect. We apologize for our error. Please let us know if you find a mistake in our records.

Statement of Accountability NCDC Report Fiscal Year Ending June 30, 2007As a member of the National Catholic Development Conference, the Ursuline Sisters’ development office submits an accountability report after the annual financial audit. The information below is a summary of the donations and expenses for fiscal year 2006-2007. Thank you for your generosity and partnership in our mission and ministries. If you have questions or concerns, please contact Sister Suzanne Sims at 270-229-2008 or ssims@maplemount.org. Revenue_______________________________ Unrestricted 142,964.79 26.79%Restricted: Ministry 710.00 0.13% Other 1,172.89 0.22%Chile missions 15,270.39 2.86%Residence Hall 2,122.77 0.40%Bequests Unrestricted 210,432.01 39.43%Bequests Restricted Retirement 5,000.00 0.94%Retirement 28,166.00 5.28%Quilt Club 29,090.23 5.45%Picnic 98,761.92 18.51% 533,691.00 100.00% Expenses______________________________ Retirement fund 161,018.15 30.17%Residence Hall 2,122.77 0.40%Chile ministry 15,270.39 2.86%Other Restricted 1,172.89 0.22%U.S. ministry/ Program Service 315,233.15 59.07%Admin/Management/General 21,203.81 3.97%Fund Raising 17,669.84 3.31% 533,691.00 100.00%

Sister Evelyn Craig, IHM (Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary), joined Mount Saint Joseph Conference and Retreat Center Jan. 2 as director of spiritual programs. Sister Evelyn will give retreats and private spiritual direction and help plan spiritual programs. Sister Evelyn of Monroe, Mich., earned her certification in spiritual direction at Saint Louis University-Ignatian

Spirituality. She has conducted faculty faith sharing and high school retreats. She was a spiritual director for Institute of Religious Formation International participants. Sister Evelyn has a bachelor’s degree in math and theology and a master’s degree in education curriculum/instruction. She can be reached at 270-229-0200, ext. 427.

Sister Evelyn Craig, IHM

Sister Evelyn joins Center

S p r i n g 2 0 0 8

From this came the ultimate

focus...Freeing and nurturing women and

children.

fewest since 1901, records show. After several months of discussion, the decision was made in May to close the school.

“The majority of the sisters were in agreement,” Sister Mary Irene said. “The ones who were teaching there, who knew they were doing a good job, are those who had a hard time with the closing.”

Sister Mary Irene, who graduated from the academy in 1945 and has fond memories, never regretted the move.

“We were following what Saint Angela Merici said: ‘If, according to times and circumstances, the need arises to make new rules or do something differently, do it prudently and with good advice.”

Opportunities and acceptance

Sister Marie Goretti Browning attended the academy only her senior year, graduating in 1950, but that year had a powerful impact on her.

“I was very much touched by what I found there,” she said. “There was a spirit of acceptance that I wasn’t accustomed to. There were no cliques.”

Sister Cheryl Clemons grew up in rural Grayson County and credits the academy for opening up access to people from different backgrounds.

“We had four girls from Venezuela here,” during her time, 1965-69, she said. “I roomed with an African-American girl one year. That wouldn’t have happened in Grayson County.”

She remembers excellent teachers who gave individual attention to the students, especially because there was so

much access to the sisters.

“I learned that aside from the work in the classroom, relationships outside the classroom were very important,” Sister

Cheryl said. “I’m the second oldest of eight, and grew up on a farm, so there was not much one-on-one time with parents. I got a lot of parenting from the sisters here,” Sister Cheryl said. “They were adults who invited me to talk about my life.”

Sister Jacinta Powers, class of 1972, also spoke of the opportunities the academy offered her.

“I was able to be involved with the newspaper, sports and drama,” she said.

As a sophomore she became a photographer for The Mount, and later was headline editor. She also played on the basketball team and took part in several plays.

Sister Amelia Stenger, a 1967 graduate, said for a 13-year-old who came here from the tiny town of Glennonville, Mo., the academy made her feel safe and welcome.

“When I came here, I thought I’d died and gone to heaven,” Sister Amelia said. “I had all the books I could read, all the music I could listen to and teachers who paid attention to what our needs were.”

Spirit lives onThree months after the

academy closed, the Mount Saint Joseph Retreat Center opened to make use of the buildings. Several sisters believe the spirit that made the academy special lives on

through the Center.“People who come here for different programs, they

take something away they never experienced before,” Sister Clarita said. “It helps the Ursuline spirit live on.”

The school flourished with, “The idea of finding those kernels within individuals and allowing them to grow,” Sister Jacinta said. The retreat center now looks for those kernels that need nourishing.

“It’s kind of like the teachers we had in school, the same spirit,” she said.

“I believe the spirit of creativity was here during those years, and I believe it’s still here,” said Sister Amelia, now director of the conference and retreat center. “People came here to find something different. As I try to find programs that people will want to attend, that creative spirit is here.” n

The Ursuline Sisters invite you to consider naming our community in your will. Your support of our mission will continue long after your earthly life, promising a heavenly reward. Our official name is “St. Joseph Female Ursuline Academy.” We are a 501c3 in the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

Academy students gather to read in the library in 1904. Today, this room is known as the Madonna Room because of the Madonna paintings that now hang on the walls. Below: A 1916 Mount Saint Joseph Academy postcard features students playing basketball.

ACADEMY From page 9

11

Sister Elaine Burke has received special recognition for 234 hours served as a volunteer at RiverPark Center in Owensboro. She was on the “Top 10” list of volunteers with the highest number of hours served in 2007. Sister Elaine works many different events: Arts Teach Kids, Arts in the A.M., Broadway performances, Friday After Five, receptions, dinners and many others. A RiverPark spokesperson says her leadership ability, uplifting spirit and passion for helping others make her a tremendous asset to RiverPark. Volunteer Coordinator Ruth Baird says, “Sister Elaine is a joy to work with and is a wonderful person and friend.”

NON-PROFITU.S. POSTAGE

PAIDOWENSBORO KYPERMIT NO. 120

Soli Deo GloriaWe rejoice in the gifts of our sisters, given for the kingdom of God

Sister Diane Marie Payne has been named receptionist and telephone operator at the Boulware Center mission in Owensboro. She accepted the position in November. In addition to the receptionist and telephone operator duties, Sister Diane assists in receiving goods donated to the shelter and spends time with the clients, talking with them and encouraging them to better their lives. “I like the work, I really do. You can see peoples’ lives improving and see that they want to go out, do better and be a credit to their families,” she said. Sister Diane, who previously served in classroom ministry for 13 years and in parish ministry for 13 years, says she hopes to work more hours at Boulware. She is also looking forward to helping with the renovation of the former Passionist Monastery property on Wing Avenue which has been purchased by Boulware and is being converted into a new, 104-bed facility.

8001 Cummings RoadMaple Mount, Kentucky 42356-9999

270-229-4103www.ursulinesmsj.orginfo@ursulinesmsj.org

Sister Mary Louise Knott recently returned from a three-month ministry in Jamaica where she taught women in an impoverished area how to sew. A gifted and creative seamstress who has been director

of the craft room at Mount Saint Joseph, Sister Mary Louise worked at a mission of the Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, where Ursuline of Mount Saint Joseph associate Mary Danhauer is working in ministry. Following the completion of Sister Mary Louise’s work in Jamaica, Sister Clare Marie, SSCJ, wrote Sister Michele Morek, “We want to thank you so much for allowing Sister Mary Louise to spend time in Jamaica at our mission. Her sewing classes were very useful for the women, and they gained lots of knowledge and experience with the sewing machine.” Mary Danhauer wrote, “Thank you for sharing Sister Mary Louise with us here! It has been a joy to have her here. She has touched so many lives in her sewing classes.”

Coming in the next issue of Ursulines Alive...25th anniversary of Ursuline AssociatesSpiritual Direction InstituteMore!

•••

Mark your calendars for the Mount Saint Joseph Annual Picnic and

Barbecue Benefit Sunday, September 7, 2008

Sponsors and volunteers needed! Call 270-229-2008