Ursuline Sisters of Louisville

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"A Little Happiness to Each Floor" Sister Bernadine Nash - Jewish Hospital, Louisville, KY Good stories often have a few key ingredients like a pinch of friendship, a cup of faith, a dash of humor and, of course, a lively cook known as the storyteller. Sister Bernadine Nash loves serving up a good story about her travels and life as an Ursuline Sister, and they usually include many of those tasty ingredients. *Left: Sister Bernadine poses with Marsh Lucas, R.N.* Sister Bernadine, who was once known as Sister Emmet, volunteers at Jewish Hospital in downtown Louisville. Each time she comes in she gets a list of patients who requested her or who may need to see her. Pastoral counseling is one of the most important and challenging services at any hospital. Sister Bernadine adeptly uses her skill to relate to others as a way to share God’s love and help patients and their families face some of their most difficult times. To read the rest of Sister Bernadine's story, click here.

*“M” is for Miracle* “Education is the only way out of poverty and the only way to make your life better.” ~ Sister Barbara Bir Left: Sister Jamesetta DeFelice Right: Sister Barbara Bir talks with parents and staff at CCC. In early 2004, Sister Jamesetta DeFelice was facing a dilemma. Enrollment at St. Anthony Catholic School in Clarksville, Indiana, where she was serving as principal, was down and it looked as if she would have to combine classes and increase the student to teacher ratio. Sister Jamesetta was worried. She knew that kind of change would mean less individual instruction and the students and teachers might suffer. She wrestled with the decision and asked God for guidance. Little did she know help would come from a program that would later be headed by another Ursuline Sister. To read the full story of Sister Jamesetta's and Sister Barbara's ministry, click here.

*“It’s a very nurturing environment and I’m just trying to add my little bit.”* It’s a little past eight in the morning at United Crescent Hill Ministries and the kitchen is buzzing. Sister Annunciata Muth and two other volunteers, Deb Hassan and Ursuline Associate Pat Greene, are working to get ready for the day's “Meals on Wheels” deliveries. They just met with the driver for Masterson’s Catering and made sure all the food was at the right temperature. Masterson’s donates the food used for the “Meals on Wheels” at United Crescent Hill and several other area ministries. Sister Annunciata (left) and Deb Hassan prepare dessert items to be delivered. Now, the three volunteers are getting some of the dessert items together and packing up the utensils, napkins, and other items that accompany the meals when they’re delivered. “So many people rely on this. Some can hardly get out of their home and this contact means so much to them,” says Sister Annunciata when I ask her why she volunteers for the program. “The drivers are so good to the people. They will help walk their dog or check on them when they’re not well." To read the full story of Sister Annunciata's ministry click here.


*Serving Those in Need* An ice cream truck with people surrounding it is not what you’d expect to see parked outside Shively Area Ministries on most days. But, if you’d driven by the ministry in August of 2009 that’s exactly what you would have seen. It was all part of a special celebration and thank you event for co-workers and volunteers. It fell on the one year anniversary of the opening of the group’s new building, which was August 20. *Sister Jean Anne chats with a visitor at Shively Area Ministries* Sister Jean Anne Zappa is the Mission Advancement/Development Coordinator for the organization. She said the moment was important because a new building gave the organization more space to operate and that meant Shively Area Ministries, also known as SAM, was able to help more people. In fact, the organization was able to help 14,000 people living in 7,000 households from July 2008 to June 2009. More than 400 families were given food or financial assistance in the month of July alone. For the most recent fiscal year, July 1, 2009 to June 30, 2010, SAM helped 19,030 persons and 9959 Households. SAM experienced an increase of more than 2,000 people and about 20% were new clients. “I see this ministry as an extension of the ministry of Jesus to serve the needs of others,” Sister Jean Anne said. “Which is, of course, also part of the mission of our foundress St. Angela Merici. We teach Christian Living by being an example.” To read the full story on this ministry, click here.



*Working Among the People* “Give good example – teaching more by what you do than what you say.” These are the words of St. Angela Merici in her 5th Counsel. She lived during the 16th century. St. Angela believed in helping others, spreading God’s love, and being among those she served. It’s that passion and love of the people that Ursuline Sisters Rose Ann Muller and Georgine Grabenstein share today, more than 460 years after St. Angela shared her wisdom with the world. Left: Sister Rose Ann Muller helps a local woman with paperwork. Right: Sister Georgine Grabenstein helps a family pick out bread. Both Sister Rose Ann and Sister Georgine give their time and hearts to the people by volunteering at local ministries which are each a service sponsored by a coalition of churches. Sister Georgine works with St. Mathews Area Ministries, also known as St. MAM, and Sister Rose Ann works with South East Associated Ministries, better known as SEAM. To read the full story on Sister Rose Ann and Sister Georgine's ministries, click here.



*Raising Awareness* For three days in June, the Ursuline Sisters and others in the Louisville community came together in an effort to raise awareness about the effects of torture on individuals, communities and nations. The events organized in Kentucky were done in conjunction with vigils held in Washington, D.C., as part of Mount St. Joseph Ursuline Sister Dianna Ortiz’s efforts to bring an end to the practice. 2009 marked 20 years since she suffered torture in Guatemala. Over the last two decades, she has worked through the Torture Abolition and Survivors’ Support Coalition (TASSC), a group she founded to help survivors and prevent others from having to endure these horrific practices. Candles symbolize the countries still using torture today To read the full story on this event, click here.



Serving Those in Need Throughout the year, Ursuline Sisters help serve the needy at Open Hand Kitchen, which is located in the St. Vincent de Paul Community Center in Louisville. On Thursday, June 11, five Sisters put on aprons and hair nets to “man” the food line. Sisters Katherine Corbett, Julia Davis, Jo Ann Jansing, Rita Dressman, and Dolorita Lutsie were all smiles as men and women lined up for dinner. Sister Jo Ann Jansing serves dinner at Open Hand Kitchen “The prayer volunteers are asked to say just before serving the meal brings tears to my eyes,” said Sister Jo Ann Jansing, who was among those serving on June 11, 2009 (the sisters continue in 2010 to serve several times a year). “It talks about respect and compassion and allowing the person you’re helping to forgive you for the need he or she is experiencing.” To read the full story of this ministry click here.



Sister Dolorita Lutsie	*St. Anthony School, Clarksville, Indiana*
	From Mississippi to Maryland to Kentucky, Sister Dolorita has taught Christian Living at every grade level from third to 12th. “I just had the feeling that this is what I was supposed to do,” she said while sitting at a small table used by the children at St. Anthony School in Clarksville, Indiana. It’s the only Catholic elementary school in Clarksville, which means it’s something special. To read the full story about Sister Dolorita’s ministry, click here



Teaching to be the Best	Sister Loretta Krajewski felt drawn to religious life and the Ursuline community after graduating from Kearney State College (Nebraska). "I always wanted to become a teacher, and I admired the Ursulines." Although the classroom is very different now than it was when she first began teaching twenty-five years ago, Sister Loretta still loves teaching. "Saint Angela said, 'Go with the times,'" and so she has. She generously shared with her students at SS. Simon & Jude in Louisville, Kentucky, before becoming principal at St. Luke School in Ogallala, Nebraska. "Being even a small part of their lives and helping them become the best they can be - this is what gets me up in the morning." Congratulations to Sister Loretta who was awarded the Catholic Education Foundation's teacher award for "Excellence in Teaching."