U r s u l i n e S i s t e r s o f t h e C e n t r a l P r o v i n c e S u m m e r 2 0 1 8

InsideMessage from the provincial • Seeing in new ways • Tending the

shrine • Praying with prisoners • Laredo celebration • Angela’s

living legacy • Library exhibit • Painting icons • Jubilarians

L A U R E L S

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Sister’s vision loss leads to new insights

hen Sister Mary Jacqueline Pratt began experiencing vision problems in her

late forties, she was surprised but not unprepared. She has a family history of genetic glaucoma and had seen many family members struggle with the disease. At 49, though, she was the youngest in her family to get it.

“It’s just a fluke,” she says, “but I have been fortunate to have had a long time to prepare for what would happen, and as each new challenge arose I had help meeting it.”

A native of Festus, Missouri, Sister Mary Jacqueline entered the Ursulines in 1958 and made her vows in 1964. She has served in Missouri, Illinois, Louisiana and Wisconsin and ministered as an elementary school teacher; religious education teacher, coordinator and consultant; novitiate director; academy president and retreat house associate director.

“I taught one year in a classroom

and from there my ministry has mostly been a progression from religious education with children to adults, faith formation with adults and to spiritual direction,” she says. “I have done them all at once and progressively.”

Since the onset of glaucoma in 1986, there have been several occasions when a change in her vision precipitated a change in her ministry, she says. “With acute glaucoma, there are times when your vision is stable, and then

something happens, and you experience more vision loss.”

Spiritual direction already had been a part of her ministry, but as her vision loss progressed, Sister Mary Jacqueline asked to go to Aquinas Institute in St. Louis to get formal training while she still had her sight. When she began offering spiritual direction in St. Louis, she put notices in parish bulletins; now people find her through word of mouth.

As a spiritual director, Sister Mary Jacqueline serves as a companion and resource on her clients’ personal journeys of faith. It is a ministry that she believes has been enhanced by her own difficulties.

“In Second Corinthians, Paul says he believes all the things he had gone through strengthened him to help others. My own experience has helped me to really listen to the fears and anger of others when they are diminished. My listening so intently allows them to hear what they are saying and understand more fully how God is at work in that.

“Spiritual direction is about listening to a story and helping a person come to grips with life, fears, hopes, love,” she says.” People need a safe place to tell their story. “My greatest joy is when someone says, ‘Did you hear what I just said?’ I say, ‘Yes, did you hear it?’”

Sister Mary Jacqueline says the way the loss of one sense makes the others so

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much more intense continues to amaze her. “There are many more ways to see than by the eyes. My heightened sense of touch allows me to see around the house. And I’ve learned to listen to the tone of voice since I can’t see body movement. Sometimes you also see by what is not said.”

Besides the senses of touch and hearing, Sister Mary Jacqueline’s sense of humor also has become sharper throughout her journey. “I’ve learned that if you don’t laugh, you’re going to cry,” she says. “I’d rather laugh.”

Among the many changes she has experienced due to vision loss is her concept of God. “I—and many people I’ve dealt with—have a concept of God giving us difficulties to cope,” she says. “I don’t believe that now. God is strengthening us and encouraging us to manage through our difficulties.”

Thirty-two years after being diagnosed with glaucoma, Sister Mary Jacqueline continues to find new ways to navigate her life and ministry and discover blessings that accompany the loss. Resources such as the St. Louis Society for the Blind and Visually Impaired, Missouri Council for the Blind, the State of Missouri and computer programs are crucial to her well-being. “I can’t imagine what I would do without them. And there are a lot of Ursulines here to help, too,” she says with a smile.

Dear Friends,

So much has happened in our world these past months. We’ve rejoiced with the families and people of Thailand at the rescue of the 12 boys and their coach. It seemed like a miracle and it happened because of rescue workers from all different nations working together. Working together, cooperating and discerning together the best way to accomplish their mission resulted in a great rescue. What a wonderful message to send out to our world today which often seems to forget that together we are better and stronger than when we are alone.

I am also very conscious of the plight of many families at our borders who are experiencing separation and heart-wrenching anxiety over the whereabouts of their children. For me it is hard to believe this would happen in this day and in a country where we enjoy so many freedoms. In Scripture we read of the agony that Mary and Joseph experienced as they were separated from Jesus. Today that same agony is being experienced by so many on our own borders. The joy and relief that was felt by Mary and Joseph as they round their child Jesus is the same joy and relief I hope many families will experience soon as they are reunited with their children.

As we savor the last weeks of summer, I hope it is a time of relaxation and renewal for all. A prayer by Sister Rita Bourassa, osu, is one of my favorites, and I end by sharing parts of it with you:

“Angela, our mother, be with us as we journey in these our times. We are walking into mystery, but you promised to be always in our midst. Walk with us now along the way of new horizons. Help us to see more clearly our journey as one of hope and of bondedness. Pray that we may be open and perceptive in discovering the will of God for us. Through your intercession, and strengthened by your example, may we have the courage to risk the way into the future with our eyes fixed on Jesus who is our unique life and hope.”

Enjoy your issue of Laurels as you read stories of how many of our sisters are with others in the spirit of Angela, with true bondedness and hope.

Rita Ann Bregenhorn, osuProvincial, Ursulines of the Central Province

A Message from the Provincial

Director shares devotion to Shrine of Our Lady of Prompt Succor

ister Carolyn Marie Brockland, director of the National Votive Shrine of Our Lady of Prompt

Succor (OLPS) in New Orleans, discusses the shrine’s role in the city’s past and present and her role as its latest keeper.

How long have you been director of OLPS?I began as shrine director in the summer of 2015, following Sister Carla Dolce, under whose leadership a successful capital campaign was undertaken to renovate the shrine in time for the bicentennial of the Battle of New Orleans in January of that year.

What was the significance of the shrine in the Battle of New Orleans?In 1815, the Sisters and other women of New Orleans gathered in prayer before the statue of Our Lady of Prompt Succor on the eve of that battle, praying all night. When victory was won after a relatively short skirmish and little loss of life on the American side, a vow was made to have a Mass of Thanksgiving every year on Jan. 8, the anniversary of this “miracle.” What drew you to this ministry?Our Lady’s shrine has long been a sacred space for me. I had the privilege of making my final vows here and of celebrating both my silver and golden jubilees of religious profession as well— a rather unusual occurrence, since we sisters are asked to serve in many parts of our province over the years. So when I was asked to serve as shrine director, it was a joy to accept this call.

What activities take place at the shrine?We have Mass every day, and on Saturdays what we call a “perpetual novena” because we always say the novena prayer and sing the hymn to OLPS at this Mass. About once a month we have a special celebration for one of Mary’s feasts, for example, her Assumption on Aug. 15.

One of my favorite duties is to serve as sacristan for our school Masses, usually celebrated every month. These sometimes include other ceremonies in which we retell parts of our “story,” just as we do on Jan. 8. I also enjoy helping with weddings and baptisms when I can.

Other sisters assist in welcoming pilgrims who come from various parts of our city, state and country and telling them the story of OLPS and her shrine.

What does your ministry entail?Besides my work at church services, I am responsible for coordinating the work of our shrine board of trustees and of the various committees which they chair, such as overseeing the finances of the shrine, its maintenance, and development and outreach activities.

What areas of ministry have you been involved in primarily in the past?I began as a teacher, then became a high school principal. Later I did training as a spiritual director and ministered at our retreat center in Frontenac, Minnesota. I also have also served in leadership for local communities of sisters and on our province leadership team.

Did past ministries prepare you for this role? Each of my ministries has taught me more about how to minister to people of

different backgrounds and perspectives. Experience in community and school administration has helped me develop skills needed for administration of the shrine. Because I was the local prioress in New Orleans during and after Hurricane Katrina, I have additional background and a shared experience with many people who turn to Our Lady for “quick help” in their time of need.

What do you most enjoy about your ministry?I love the one-on-one contacts with people, whether it is in greeting them after Sunday Mass, working with them at wedding rehearsals, or watching our students “grow up” before our very eyes as they come in as toddlers and graduate as beautiful and accomplished young women. What challenges do you face?As is the case with all non-profits, we constantly need to raise funds to maintain our beautiful and sacred shrine and to offer meaningful ceremonies and programs for those who come here.

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Sister Carolyn Marie Brockland prepares for a service.

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isters Marie Thèrese Le Goc and Maria Jaworski, members of the Roman Union’s General Council

in Rome, visited Ursuline communities in the Central Province in May.

Visits to Ursuline provinces allow the Roman Leadership to better know the reality of each province, meet and visit with the sisters, and see the ministries the sisters are involved in. Sister Rita Ann Bregenhorn, provincial, says. “It gives them an overall picture of how Ursuline life is lived in the U.S.”

General council members visit Central Province

Sisters Marie Thèrese Le Goc and Rita Ann Bregenhorn enjoyed getting to know each other better during Sister Marie Thèrese’s St. Louis visit.

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Are people who have a devotion to the shrine usually local or from elsewhere?Our Lady of Prompt Succor is the patroness of the Archdiocese of New Orleans and of the other dioceses in Louisiana. There are many parishes in Louisiana that carry her name. But there are people from many parts of our country and other parts of the world who contact us to ask for prayers and who come on pilgrimage when they can.

What do you see as the future of the shrine?My predecessor, Sister Carla Dolce, and her capital campaign committee worked very hard to build an endowment to ensure the future needs of the shrine. We continue the work she began with special emphasis on outreach: finding new ways to respond to the needs and desires of God’s people, especially those who look to Mary for her motherly care.

OLPS shrine chapel

Rain did not prevent Sisters Regina Marie Fronmüller, Ginger Cirone and Donna Hyndman from showing Sister Marie Thèrese around New Orleans.

Councilors also visited the Eastern and Western provinces of the United States.

Sister Marie Thèrese spent most of the month with Ursuline communities in St. Louis; Springfield and Alton, Illinois; and New Orleans. Sister Maria spent two weeks with the province’s Mère Marie community in the northeast. Both councilors attended the annual meeting of RULUSA (Roman Union Leadership in the United States of America) meeting in Chicago.

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ne Sunday a month, Sister Elisa Ryan steps into the Buzz Westfall Justice Center

in Clayton, Missouri, and begins the three-step screening process she must undergo before being given access to the women prisoners she ministers to on the fourth floor. She has been doing this since she returned to St. Louis from Rome a decade ago.

“When I came back after 12 years of service with the General Council team, I was given sabbatical time to rest and get back in sync with the U.S. culture and the Central Province,” Sister Elisa says. “I wanted to share the time I’d been given by reaching out to people on the margins, but I didn’t know how I would do it. Then, in the back of a Catholic Workers newspaper, I saw a tiny blurb about prison ministry.” Quickly following up, Sister Elisa soon was training with other volunteers at the St. Louis County Jail. After considering how she wanted to volunteer, Sister Elisa decided on leading prayer sessions.

At any given time, there are about 1,200 male and female prisoners in the county jail. On her Sundays there, Sister Elisa tends to the spiritual needs of a small group of women prisoners—usually 12 to 15—by forming a circle of support and prayer. “An announcement is made that the prayer leader is here and women who want to participate gather in a small classroom,” she says. “The prayer session is not billed as Catholic; everyone is welcome.”

The women begin by introducing themselves, first name only; then Sister Elisa starts things off with some breathing and relaxation exercises. Next she invites

the women to bring anyone they want into the circle of prayer by saying their names. At this, she says, “their hearts melt and from this point on they seem fully present.”

Sister Elisa chooses a scripture reading for each visit and invites the women gathered to listen for what touches them. “It’s amazing what happens after that,” she says. “They feel very free to say what touches them and why.”

She says the women she sees usually are at rock bottom, allowing them to share their own vulnerability and recognize the need for God. “I am inspired by them,” she says. “They bring their faith experience from everyday life, and it is so real, so genuine. Once, when I was telling them about Angela and that she had a special concern for women, a woman started to cry.”

The women recognize that being in jail is what they need at the time, Sister Elisa says. “It forces them to slow down, reflect, pray, and begin to get over addiction. All they want is a normal family life again—and maybe for the first time.” She always brings fliers with information about resources they will need when they get out, such as housing, food and counseling. The only other thing she can bring is greeting cards for events such a birthdays, graduation and anniversaries donated by other sisters, which the prisoners greatly appreciate as a way to keep in touch with their families.

Sister Elisa, who has a full-time ministry as vocations director for the Ursulines’ three U.S. provinces, says prison ministry has changed her in many ways. “It grounds me, no matter

what I’m doing, to keep coming back to women for whom things have fallen apart. They are recognizing their need to get their life together, admitting they’ve made mistakes, and they know they need to work on it. I want these young women to realize how blessed and how important they are.”

Sister Elisa typically says the groups usually ends the gathering with spontaneous prayer, an Our Father and a sign of peace. The women always thank her for coming, and she tells them she loves to come. “I receive so much more from them than I could ever give them.”

Now in her 10th year of prison ministry, Sister Elisa says that in many ways it has been one of the most gratifying. “Of all ministries, this grounds me into the deepest meaning of it all because I am with people who are truly poor, one way or another,” she says. “Recognizing the cycle of poverty that has brought them there—often beyond their control—makes me more aware of the wide spectrum of people in our society and the need to reach out to those who don’t have the means to help themselves.

“To me, it’s the heart of the gospel.”

Prisoners inspire sister

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Laredo celebrates 150 Years of Ursuline Service

Visiting the exhibit are, from left, Sister Rita Ann Bregenhorn, provincial; Lucy Cardenas, retired chancellor of the Diocese of Laredo; Sisters Pauline Lorch and Marianne Mullen; Margarita Araiza, executive director of the Webb County Historical Foundation; and Sisters Theresa Sarich, Karen Schwane and Maria Teresa de Llano.

rsuline Sisters of the Central Province were special guests at the 150th Anniversary

Celebration of the Ursuline Presence in Laredo, Texas, held May 26 at St. Augustine School.

Alumnae and Friends of the Ursulines, who hosted the celebration, invited all Ursulines who had ministered in Laredo to be their guests, and eight Ursulines traveled from St. Louis, Missouri; Alton, Illinois; and San Antonio, Texas, to attend: Sisters Rita Ann Bregenhorn, Maria Teresa de Llano, Julie Hickey, Elizabeth Susan Hatzenbuehler, Pauline Lorch, Marianne Mullen, Theresa Sarich and Karen Schwane.

The Ursulines founded the first Catholic school in Laredo in 1868. At the request of Bishop Claude Dubois, Sister Mary Joseph left San Antonio for Laredo, where she and an Ursuline from Galveston, Sister Teresa Pereda, opened an academy for girls. In the ensuing decades, hundreds of Ursulines taught at parish schools and academies in Laredo, educating thousands of children along the way.

Due to diminished numbers, the sisters closed their education ministries and left Laredo in 2006. Only one Ursuline, Sister Theresa Sarich, remained to continue her 10-year ministry at Santa Monica mission in El Cenizo, a Hispanic community just outside of Laredo.

Later in 2006, as immigration issues became more pressing, the Central Province felt the need to renew the Ursuline presence in Laredo. In 2008

Sisters Carla Dolce, Carmel Rangel and Karen Schwane went to Laredo to fulfill the province commitment to begin new ministries to the poor and marginalized residents of Laredo. After another 10 years of Ursuline service, Sister Karen Schwane was the last to leave at the end of 2017.

The celebration at St. Augustine’s included a Mass and reception. A featured part of the reunion was a historical photo exhibit from the Ursuline Collection donated by the sisters to the Webb County Heritage Foundation. The opportunity to renew old friendships will be cherished for years to come.

Sister Rita Ann Bregenhorn with alumnae and friends. Each person at Mass received a rose to present to Mary.

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s Ursuline Sisters, living and sharing the “deep story” of our Ursuline charism are at

the heart of all we are and do. That “deep story” is rooted in the life, spirit and vision of St. Angela Merici, our foundress. It is grounded in a living Ursuline history and heritage of nearly 500 years. And it is shaped and supported in our own times by an ever-widening and inclusive circle of women and men who find inspiration for their own lives in the Angela/Ursuline story. These women and men include Ursuline associates and companions, collaborators in our Ursuline ministries, alums from our schools, volunteers, and others we have encountered along the way.

In recent years, we Ursuline Sisters have become much more intentional about how we might nurture and support those women and men who, with us, are holders and bearers of the charism. Today “Angela Retreats” take place twice a year in all of our Central Province academies. During these retreats, small groups of Academy co-workers gather for an overnight retreat experience focused on the life of St. Angela and how her spirit informs the mission of Ursuline education

A Living and Unfinished Legacy

today. Using St. Angela’s words about “cultivating the vine entrusted to you,” retreat participants reflect on how they are being called individually and together, within their academy communities, to cultivate the vine of Ursuline education entrusted to them in the 21st century.

“You have more need to serve than others have of your service.” These words of St. Angela offer the inspiration for the annual summer service opportunity offered by the Ursulines to women ages 18-30 — a sharing of service, community and prayer with the Ursulines. Often it is alums of our Ursuline schools who respond to this invitation to serve in and with the spirit of St. Angela in meeting the urgent needs of today.

Throughout the Central Province, groups of Ursuline associates and companions continue to gather for regular prayer, reflection and sharing. As with the Angela Retreats, it is the life, spirit and vision of St. Angela that forms the basis of these gatherings. Often her words are read and pondered in the light of contemporary themes and situations. The gatherings also offer participants opportunities for networking, support, and community-building as they gather informally for

Co-workers from an Ursuline Academy St. Louis Angela Retreat

food and conversation. Currently there are associate and companion groups in Dedham, Massachusetts; Laredo, Texas; New Orleans, Louisiana; San Antonio, Texas, and St. Louis, Missouri. Periodic “Angela Retreats” also are offered to bring together associates and companions from different parts of the country.

Heartbeats, a monthly newsletter, gathers the heartbeats of Angela’s charism as it is being experienced and lived today. It focuses on various aspects of Angela’s charism, invites reflections from a wide variety of voices, and connects the charism with today’s significant areas of justice and peace. A number of you reading Laurels may already receive a copy of Heartbeats. If you do not and would like to be added to our contact list, please email us at heartbeats@osucentral.org.

While today there may be fewer Ursuline Sisters in the Central Province, the above reflections help us to see that the Angela/Ursuline charism continues to be alive and strong as it is lived and shared in new ways by a growing number of Ursuline associates, companions, collaborators, alums, volunteers and friends.

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he St. Louis Public Library, in conjunction with the Communicators for St. Louis

Sisters, hosted a special exhibit, “Catholic Sisters: The Spirit of St. Louis,” in March and April. The Ursulines of the Central Province were one of 15 participating congregations that helped develop the exhibit and contributed photos, books, artifacts and memorabilia.

The free exhibit celebrated the contributions Catholic sisters have made in the St. Louis area for the past 200 years and was designed to coincide with National Catholic Sisters Week, March 8-14. Since 1818, Catholic sisters have served St. Louisans through a host of ministries, including education, healthcare and services to those in need. The Ursulines arrived in St. Louis in 1848.

Visitors ranged from alumni of Catholic schools and others whose lives were impacted by sisters to people who were not familiar with Catholic sisters but were interested in learning about their history and the ways in which they minister today. For many the exhibit provided an opportunity to recall memories of the sisters and the influence they had on their lives.

Sister Docents from each congregation volunteered to greet and talk with visitors. The Ursulines who served as Sister Docents were sometimes amazed at the large number of visitors and always glad to share information about their lives and ministries.

The exhibit originally was scheduled just for March, but the library kept it up a second month due to the enthusiastic public response—noting that only the St. Louis Blues’ exhibit was more popular!

Ursulines Part of Special Library Exhibit

Sister Rita Ann examines the con-tents of one of the display cases.

Sister Rita Ann Bregenhorn shares a laugh with St. Louis Archbishop Robert Carlson during the opening reception.

TWe cherish the memory of our beloved sisters who have passed into eternal life since July 2017.

Sister Marilyn Jean Burkemper, osuFeb. 27, 1943 – Jan. 27, 2018 Professed 1964

Sister Carla Maria Crabtree, osuMarch 5, 1928 – May 27, 2018 Professed 1950

Sister Darlene Fulgenzi, osuFeb. 28, 1938 – Oct. 11, 2017 Professed 1959

Sister Mary Ursula McGann, osuDec. 30, 1931 – June 27, 2018 Professed 1957

Sister Margaret Ann Moser, osuOct. 9, 1937 – Nov. 16, 2017 Professed 1959

Sister Helen Louise Schmitz, osuMay 26, 1919 – Nov. 13, 2017 Professed 1941

Sister Anne Dorothy Schober, osuOct. 17, 1945 – Aug. 14, 2017 Professed 1967

You can read the sisters’ obituaries at www.osucentral.org.

In Memoriam

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75th

Sister Mary Ann LuthEureka, Missouri

65th

Sister Joan BretzEureka, Missouri

Sister Margaret Mary CainBrazil

Sister Theresa PelletierWaterville, Maine

This year we celebrate the jubilees of 14 of our sisters, who have served in ministry a total of 850 years.

Congratulations to our Jubilarians

60th

Sister Barbara BecnelNew Orleans, Louisiana

Sister Glenda BourgeoisDallas, Texas

Sister Julia GenettiAlton, Illinois

Sister Mary Frances JudgeSt. Paul, Minnesota

Sister Pauline LorchSt. Louis, Missouri

Sister Madonna O’HaraSt. Louis, Missouri

Sister Francis Marie ThrailkillNew Orleans, Louisiana

Sister Marianne MullenAlton, Illinois

50th

Sister Madeline KellySan Antonio, Texas

Sister Deana WalkerSt. Louis, Missouri

hank you to all of our generous donors. Your faith and support fill our hearts, and we are grateful for your presence on our journey. T

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hen asked what prompted her to begin painting icons a decade ago, Sister Madeline

Kelly offers a practical response: “I had been weaving, but then I moved from Dallas to San Antonio and realized the loom and yarn were too much to carry around,” she says. A deeper conversation with her soon reveals that painting icons has become a work of love and way of prayer.

“In Henry Nouwen’s book, ‘Behold the Beauty of the Lord: Praying with Icons,’ praying becomes writing and writing becomes praying,” Sister Madeline says. “For me, praying becomes painting, and painting becomes praying.”

An icon is a religious work of art, usually a painting. Iconography is a precise art steeped in tradition and dating back centuries to Eastern Orthodox and Catholic churches. The most common subjects are Christ, Mary, saints and angels.

A former art teacher and artist who has worked in many media, Sister Madeline was taught by two different instructors, one a traditional icon artist and the other a graphic icon artist. She has studied with these instructors at the Biblical Museum of Art in Dallas, in Waco and in San Antonio. She takes extension courses with iconographers around the country.

Although Sister Madeline has painted some non-traditional, or “realistic” icons, she prefers the centuries-old patterns and processes. It is exacting work.

“You can’t vary from the pattern on traditional icons,” she says.” You have to use the right colors for the subject; for example, Mary’s garment is always

painted red. And you must know how to build it. Traditionally you put on seven or eight layers of each color, starting with very dark and going to light. The layers give volume and bring light in the end. It’s like Rembrandt lighting—when you look the shadows for folds are realistic.”

The recipe for paint used in traditional icons is very precise and has been handed down over centuries. “You create your own paint using dried pigment, egg yolk, either vodka or dry white wine and a little water,” Sister Madeline says. “Pigments come from all over the world. My most recent batch was 50 grams from England. Once you’ve mixed a batch of color, you must keep going. You can’t save the paint— it’s too difficult.”

Sister Madeline has created 20 icons to date, including two each of Michael of the Archangel and Mary Magdalene, one graphic and one traditional. She says the artist leading a course chooses the icon. “Right now, I’m working on ‘The Motherhood,’ a nontraditional icon with Anne, Mary and the Christ child, through an extension course led by a Russian artist in Vermont. It’s all done by FaceTime or through emails and pictures. You can’t be a beginner to do it this way. You must know what you’re doing.”

On average it takes her 72 hours to paint an icon, she says, “if nothing goes wrong!“ Her largest icon was 14” x 11” but most are 12½ x 9½.

Sister Madeline’s icons have been exhibited at Ursuline Academy in Dallas, where she was head of the high school’s art department and returned in January to celebrate her Golden Jubilee. She has sold several of her pieces.

Portraits in Prayer: Sister Madeline Kelly

When she’s not painting, Sister Madeline leads prayer and spiritual workshops at St. Brigid Catholic Church in San Antonio and helps with the planning of a faith historical museum at St. Paul Church. She has worked with persons experiencing homelessness at Haven for Hope and visits critically ill patients in their homes.

As to her next work of art, Sister Madeline says she already has an icon planned but won’t reveal the subject. “It’s a gift, and it’s a secret!”

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URSULINE SISTERSCENTRAL PROVINCE OF THE U.S.Provincial Offices353 S. Sappington RoadSt. Louis, MO 63122

Provincial Sister Rita Ann Bregenhorn, osuCouncilors: Sister Maria Teresa de Llano, osu Sister Jean Hopman, osuLaurels Editor Susan M. Whelan

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As Ursulines of the Central Province, members of a worldwide community of Catholic sisters, we are women whose lives and mission are rooted in the gospel of Jesus and the spirit of our foundress, Angela Merici. Grounded and empowered by our relationship with God and with one another, in prayer and community, we seek to be a compassionate, reconciling presence of God in our world.