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Angela Merici High School All Class Reunion  Sr. Louise Marie Willenbrink (right) greets an alum. The Chapel was filled for the Liturgy.  On Sunday, November 6, 2011 nearly 170 alums and former teachers of Angela Merici high School met at the Flaget Center for an all class reunion. Liturgy was presided by Fr. Roy Stiles and ended with everyone joining in to sing the alma mater. Brunch followed in the old gym that was decorated in Clover green and had multiple memorablia stations that included year books, a uniform and a prom dress. Sr. Rita Ann Wigginton, class of 1964 welcomed all the alums. Sr. Jean Anne Zappa, faculty member, introduced guest speaker, Dr. Cynthia Crabtree, Class of 1975, who shared some of her memories of AMHS. After the meal and short talks, everyone was invited to take tours of the building, chat with old classmates and have their class photos taken.  |
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Ursuline Academy Louisville Class of 1956 Reunion UA Louisville Class of 1956 gathered on October 2, 2011 at Brescia Hall for their 55th reunion.
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| 2011 Community Days - A Recap The 2011 Community Days Celebrations were held on July 27 and 28, 2011. Here you will find links to the photo galleries of the different events. |
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| End Torture Forever A public vigil was held on Wednesday, June 22, 2011 in support of ending torture. Several Ursuline Sisters participated in this event. Those in the group took turns reading pages from the book "The Blindfold's Eye," written by Sr. Dianna Ortiz, an Ursuline from Maple Mount, Kentucky.  |
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| Absolute Auction at Marian Hall LOUISVILLE, Ky (March 8, 2011) – The Ursuline Sisters of Louisville have contracted with Timberlake Auction Service to auction off the remaining items in Marian Hall, located at 3105 Lexington Road, 40206, on the Ursuline Campus. The absolute auction will take place on Saturday, March 26, beginning at 10 a.m. All items will be sold “as is” and must be paid in full on the day of the sale. Cash or check with proper ID is accepted. There is NO BUYER PREMIUM! There will be concessions and restrooms available as well as parking in lots in front of Marian Hall. Some of the items available for the absolute auction include but are not limited to: Antique furniture, office desks, seating, many side chairs, recliners, couches, power and hand tools, file cabinets, lamps, kitchen equipment, 3 compartment stainless sink, stainless kitchen work tables, reach-in freezer, Hobart floor mixer, mini refrigerators, 3 well steam table, plate warmer, housekeeping carts, framed artwork, wardrobes, glassware, scooters, player piano with many rolls, VCR’s, TV’s, wheel chair scale, patient lifts, medical chart racks, Christmas decorations, wheel chairs, office supplies, patio furniture, library shelving, chests of drawers, night stands, tv stands, over bed tables, modular reception desk, full size refrigerators, and many other items too numerous to mention. Timberlake Auction Service, LLC 1572 Old Jericho Rd, LaGrange KY 40031 (502) 222-0096 Auctioneers: Rickey Timberlake KY License # P1211 IN License # AU01046512 Auctionzip.com- Auctioneer ID # 17278 |
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| Celebrating the Feast of St. Angela On Thursday, January 27, 2011 Ursuline Sisters, Ursuline Associates, co-workers, and friends of the Ursuline Sisters gathered in the Motherhouse Chapel to celebrate the feast day of St. Angela Merici. They commemorated the event with a mass and a symbolic gathering of bread loaves, which were then distributed throughout Louisville to ministries the sisters are involved with. Afterwards was a celebratory dinner.  Above: Sister Martha Buser (front) and Sister Isabel Lehmenkuler (far right back) place bread loaves in baskets. The bread was given to ministries at which the sisters serve. See More Photos from the Event  |
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| Helping the Sick LOUISVILLE, Ky (January 18, 2011) – On Saturday, January 15, St. Joseph Catholic Church officially opened a free weekly Family Community Clinic. The clinic is housed in the church basement. The staff will provide basic health care services to individuals and families who do not have health insurance. The Ursuline Sisters of Louisville played a role in ensuring the Butchertown based clinic would open and would be able to help those in need. The sisters donated items still left at Marian Home to be used at the clinic. It was a donation that is a reminder of the Ursuline Sister Legacy across Louisville. That’s because the sisters have a history with St. Joseph. Sister Salesia Reitmeier responded to a Call for teachers in 1887 and sent several Ursuline Sisters to teach at the school. It was the third parish school the Ursuline Sisters staffed in Louisville. The sisters continued their ministries at the school for nearly 100 years. They left in 1981. Mayor Greg Fischer attended the opening of the clinic on January 15. Archbishop Joseph Kurtz was also there. He blessed the clinic, which is located at 1406 East Washington Street, just moments before the building was officially opened. “We are thankful for your support in providing supplies for our clinic,” wrote Elizabeth Paige, a member of the Board of Directors about the items donated by the Ursuline Sisters. “[Because of your donation] the clinic will provide health care for many who have no insurance.” |
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| 2010 Angeline Award LOUISVILLE, Ky (November 1, 2010) – Centro Latino, Arriba Ninos, pastoral care for seniors, fostering children in need, and working with the terminally ill and their families through Hosparus are just some of the ways Paula Fangman has been involved with helping the community throughout her lifetime. “Jesus said to do for others and to love your neighbors. Those words, that lesson are the most influential things in my life,”Fangman recently said. Her continued commitment to helping others through her love of God is why Fangman was chosen out of dozens of nominees to receive the Angeline Award for 2010 on Saturday, October 30. The award was presented to her by the Ursuline Sisters of Louisville during a special ceremony and Mass at the Ursuline Campus Motherhouse located at 3115 Lexington Road. The presentation was followed by a reception also at the Motherhouse. The award is given every two years to a woman who possesses the qualities of Saint Angela Merici, the foundress of the Ursuline Sisters. That Charism is a contemplative love of God resulting in the openness and eagerness to serve the needs of others. The recipient of the Angeline Award is found to address the needs and concerns of her time and displays Christian leadership by being actively involved with challenges that face women and families today, such as illiteracy, poverty, violence, abuse, prejudice and addiction.  2010 Angeline Award Winner Paula Fangman (center with flowers) poses with members of her church following the award ceremony. For more photos from the ceremony and reception, please click the below icon. “I admire St. Angela [Merici’s] way of teaching and serving others,” Fangman, who is a former Ursuline Sister and current Ursuline Associate, said after accepting the Angeline Award. “On my refrigerator, I have a prayer from her that says ‘to live in a contemplative love with an openness and eagerness to serve others.’ My prayer is to continue to do that.” Fangman has long demonstrated the Charism of St. Angela in her daily life. She and her husband, Tom Fangman, who passed away in 2002, fostered seven Vietnamese children through the foster care program under Catholic Charities. Paula Fangman has also spent many years volunteering for Hosparus working with the terminally ill and their families. She often sits with a family’s loved ones while family members do chores or run errands. She also has spent years giving her time to children involved in a program called Arriba Niņos through the Church of the Annunciation in Shelbyville, KY, where she is an active member. Arriba Niņos means “upward children.” Four churches in the area are currently partnering to tutor Hispanic students in 1st through 8th grades under the program. Fangman also participates in pastoral care at Amber Oaks a home/assisted living facility in Shelbyville; “Catholics at the Capitol” sponsored by the Catholic Conference of Kentucky; and Centro Latino, a group that provides assistance with food, clothing, education, and more to Hispanics and others in need in Shelbyville. In addition, Fangman sings for the Archdiocesan Mass of the Air which is taped in the Ursuline Motherhouse Chapel, and, in her own church, she sings in the choir, is a pianist, cantor and much more. When asked why she does so much for others in the community, she responded with humility and simply gave the credit to her family and the Ursuline Sisters. |
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| Read Anything Good Lately? LOUISVILLE, Ky (October 13, 2010) – Read anything good lately? The Angela Merici Center for Spirituality, a ministry of the Ursuline Sisters of Louisville, is hosting a unique book club. The group will focus on books with a spiritual connection or meaning, choosing a new book every two months. The book for November and December’s meetings will be “The Faith Club” by Ranya Idliby, Suzanne Oliver, and Priscilla Warner. This book is by three women and mothers from different faiths, Islam, Christianity, and Judaism, who came together to make a picture book for their children explaining how their faiths were connected. Instead, they found a need to do so for each other and other adults. This book discusses concerns, stereotypes and misunderstandings among the faiths and finds what unites them. “The Faith Club” will be the subject of the Thursday, November 18, and Thursday, December 14 book clubs. There will be a morning and evening session on each date. Participants may choose to attend from 10am to Noon or 7pm to 9pm. The cost is just $25. However, no one will be turned away for the inability to pay. The book club will meet at Brescia Hall located at 3105 Lexington Road on the Ursuline Campus. For more information or to participate in one or more of these programs, contact the Director of the Angela Merici Center, Ginny Schaeffer, at (502) 896-3945 or gschaeffer@ursulineslou.org. No one will be turned away due to lack of funds. Monthly Program: I’m Not Religious… but I’m Spiritual The Center is also offering a monthly program entitled “I’m not Religious…but I’m Spiritual” at the Sonoma Coffee Café located at 3009 Poplar Level Road, Louisville, KY, 40213. This meeting helps those who are seeking life-giving spirituality but have struggled with institutional religion. Please join us on the first Monday of each month at the cafe from 6:30 to 7:50pm for a lively dialogue about spirituality and related topics. |
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| 2010 Ursuline Sisters' Card Party a Success! LOUISVILLE, Ky (September 25, 2010) - More than 300 people filled the Sacred Heart Gym on Saturday, September 25, to take part in the “Ursuline Sisters’ Card Party: A Day of Family Fun and Games.” The event featured hundreds of raffle prizes, a white elephant sale, concessions, and, for the first time, a children’s area. The Card Party is an opportunity for the community to give back to the sisters who have spent their lives in ministry working with the poor, providing spiritual guidance, educating children, and much more.  All proceeds from the Card Party are used for the care and needs of the senior Ursuline Sisters. Hundreds showed up to support the sisters by participating in the event, volunteering their time, or donating money or prizes to make the event possible. WAVE-TV personality Dawne Gee was on hand to call out the names of the raffle prize winners.  Volunteer Jim Hughes waits to call out the winning number at the cake wheel. The Card Party which has taken place over Thanksgiving weekend for the past decade was moved to September by the committee that oversees the event. This is a return to the roots of the card party. The first one was held on September 27, 1979, when it was still called the Marian Home Card Party. Since then, the event was moved around to different times of the year. Our thanks to all who attended, volunteered, and donated in an effort to make this event a success! |
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| 2010 Card Party: Hundreds of Gift Certificates and Prizes Up for Grabs LOUISVILLE, Ky (September 22, 2010) – The Ursuline Sisters’ Card Party will take place this Saturday, September 25, from 1 to 4 p.m.. The annual event raises money to provide for the care of the senior Ursuline Sisters. It will be held in the Sacred Heart Academy Gym located at 3175 Lexington Road, Louisville, KY, 40206. The price of admission is just $5 and includes coffee and dessert. Doors open at Noon. All media is welcome to attend and cover the event. The Card Party, which was named the “Best Fundraiser of the Year” by KAHSA and celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2009, will feature hundreds of prizes donated by local businesses and individuals, including gift cards and gift certificates from: Churchill Downs, Captain’s Quarters, Actors Theatre of Louisville, Derby Dinner Playhouse, Glassworks, Graeter's Ice Cream, Lazer Blaze, Marengo Cave, Newport Aquarium, Spinelli’s Pizzeria, R & R Limo, Rafferty’s, The Cheesecake Factory, Toast on Market, The Louisville Zoo, Z Salon and Spa, Za’s Pizza Pub, J. Harrods, Horseshoe Southern Indiana, Galt House, The Fishery, Irish Rover, In Bloom Again, Panera Bread, and many, many more. There will also be a cake wheel; a 50/50 cash pot; lunch items for sale; and a White Elephant. Each year hundreds of people come out for the event. Tables are provided so families and friends can bring games to play together while waiting to hear their name called for their choice of hundreds of prizes. To reserve a “prime spot” near the prize tables, call 896-3938 today!  Attendees enjoy games and listen for their name to be called at the 2009 Ursuline Sisters' Card Party. Click below the below icon to view more photos from last year's card party.  |
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| Community Days: Missioning Ceremony LOUISVILLE, Ky (July 28, 2010) - The Ursuline Leadership held the annual Missioning ceremony for all Ursuline Sisters, co-workers, and associates at 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, July 28. During the ceremony they invited each group to share ideas and words of what it means to “let the spirit,” “be the prescence,” and “live the vision” of God’s deep love to them. The sisters, co-workers, and associates used words such as “strength,” “yes,” “trust in God,” heartfelt compassion,” “service to others” and many more.  President Lynn Jarrell then shared a reflection on each idea and connection to God and others, asking all in attendance to “be the spirit” by “giving it energy and inspiration;” “ be the presence” by “being physically and mentally fully in the moment” when interacting with another; and “live the vision” by “focusing and refocusing your vision while believing the choice for your life’s journey” is as God intended. Following Sister Lynn’s reflection each group, sisters, co-workers, and associates, were asked to come forward and receive their missioning card fo the next year. A separate missioning ceremony was held for the sisters at Mercy Sacred Heart Village the day before (Tuesday, July 27) in the MSHV chapel so that those who could not attend the Motherhouse ceremony could also celebrate. |
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| Community Days: Jubilarian Celebration LOUISVILLE, Ky (July 28, 2010) - The 18 Ursuline Sisters celebrating their jubilees were celebrated during two special ceremonies. The largest of the two was held in the Motherhouse Chapel on the morning of Wednesday, July 28. Nearly 200 Ursuline Sisters, associates, co-workers, family and friends were there as the 18 sisters (pictured below) were celebrated for their 1,145 years of combined service to God and others. A Jubilee celebration was also held at Mercy Sacred Heart Village in June for those Jubilarians who were unable to attend the Motherhouse celebration. Below are this year's Jubilarian classes. To view photos from the celebration, please scroll down.  |
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| Community Days: Ursuline Associates Celebrate 30 Years LOUISVILLE, Ky (July 27, 2010) - Current and soon-to-be Ursuline Associates gathered at the Ursuline Motherhouse located at 3115 Lexington Road in Louisville, KY, on the evening of Tuesday, July 27. The group, joined by family and friends, had dinner together before heading to the chapel for a special ceremony. More than a dozen Ursuline Associates renewed their covenants with their companions by their side. Following the renewal, five women joined the Ursuline Call by signing their first covenants before a crowd of about 150 people. The new Ursuline Associates are Loretta Aberli, Terese Bennet, Regina Leitner, Audrey Truax, and Mary Patricia Turner. All five were welcomed into the Call with a round of applause and many hugs.  Five new Ursuline Associates sign their first covenants for the Associate Call. To see more photos from the ceremony, please click "view photos" below.  This ceremony had special significance because the Associate Call celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2010. The Ursuline Friends, a program for mentally challenged adults who want to celebrate their love of God, marked its 12 year anniversary. Sister Sarah Stauble, director of the Associate Call;' Sister Lynn Jarrell, President of the Ursuline Sisters; and Sister Rita Dressman, a member of Leadership, each offered words of reflection on the spiritual story each Ursuline Associate and companion share with each other. Following the ceremony, the crowd came together again for a small reception in celebration of those who signed new covenants or renewed their covenants and of the 30th anniversary of the Associate Call. |
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| Community Days: Loud Lunch LOUISVILLE, Ky (July 27, 2010) – For the Ursuline Sisters of Louisville, a “Loud Lunch” is a nod to the history and tradition of the sisters. Years ago, the sisters were silent for most or much of the day. A “Loud Lunch” was a time the sisters came together for a snack or lunch and visited with one another.  In that tradition, the Ursuline Sisters and several Ursuline Associates came together at Mercy Sacred Heart Village (MSHV) on the afternoon of Tuesday, July 27. They enjoyed cookies and punch while enjoying lots of conversation and even more laughs. Loud Lunch was followed by a smaller version of the sister’s annual missioning ceremony in the MSHV chapel. This cermeony was provided for those who could not attend the larger ceremony at the Motherhous to be held on Wednesday, July 28. |
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| Community Days Begin: A Historic Event LOUISVILLE, Ky (Sunday, July 25) - Louisville’s rich history came alive special event on Sunday, July 25. The Ursuline Sisters of Louisville will officially dedicated a historic marker at the site of their original motherhouse located at the intersection of Shelby Street and Chestnut Street. The dedication was followed by a reception at St. Martin Parish Hall. More than 200 people attended including past UA-Louisville alumnae, the Ursuline Sisters, Ursuline Associates, other Ursuline alums as well as family and friends. In 1858, Sister Salesia Reitmeier arrived in Kentucky from Straubing, Bavaria, with two other sisters and established the motherhouse. More than 1,000 Ursuline Sisters of Louisville have since made major contributions to education, especially for women, in Kentucky, across our nation, and in Peru, South America. These contributions include opening dozens of schools such as Sacred Heart Academy; Ursuline College, which joined with Bellarmine University; and Angela Merici High School. It was from the original motherhouse that the Ursuline Sisters also established their first school, Ursuline Academy. It opened on the site in 1859, just one year after Sister Salesia’s arrival. More than 7,000 young women graduated from the academy, taking with them the values and spirit of UA. The academy closed in 1972 and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. During 2008, the Ursuline Sisters of Louisville celebrated their 150th anniversary. As part of these celebrations efforts began to have an historic marker placed at Shelby and Chestnut Streets. It has taken two years to complete this process. Please join with us as we celebrate the history of the Ursuline Sisters which is truly interwoven with the history of Louisville.  A group of Ursuline Sisters unveil the historic marker on the corner of Chestnut and Shelby Streets  |
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| Historical Event: 150-Plus Years in the Making LOUISVILLE, Ky (July 12, 2010) – The Ursuline Sisters of Louisville invite the public and media to attend a special event on Sunday, July 25, at 4 p.m. The sisters will officially dedicate a historic marker at the site of the Ursuline Sisters’ original motherhouse located at the intersection of Shelby Street and Chestnut Street. The dedication will be followed by a reception at St. Martin Parish Hall located at 833 East Gray Street. Alums, associates, and others connected to the Ursuline Community are welcome and invited to attend the reception in celebration of this special day. In 1858, Sister Salesia Reitmeier arrived in Kentucky from Straubing, Bavaria, with two other sisters and established the motherhouse. More than 1,000 Ursuline Sisters of Louisville have since made major contributions to education, especially for women, in Kentucky, across our nation, and in Peru, South America. These contributions include opening dozens of schools such as Sacred Heart Academy; Ursuline College, which joined with Bellarmine University; and Angela Merici High School.  The original Motherhouse located at the corner of Shelby and Chestnut Streets Local news agency reports on plans for the event. Click here to read the article It was from the original motherhouse that the Ursuline Sisters also established their first school, Ursuline Academy. It opened on the site in 1859, just one year after Sister Salesia’s arrival. More than 7,000 young women graduated from the academy, taking with them the values and spirit of UA. The academy closed in 1972 and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. During 2008, the Ursuline Sisters of Louisville celebrated their 150th anniversary. As part of these celebrations efforts began to have an historic marker placed at Shelby and Chestnut Streets. It has taken two years to complete this process. Please join with us as we celebrate the history of the Ursuline Sisters which is truly interwoven with the history of Louisville. Follow the Ursuline Sisters on Facebook Follow the Ursuline Sisters on Twitter |
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