LAURELS Ursuline Sisters of the Central Province Summer 2020 Inside Message from the provincial • New leadership missioned • Adapting during the pandemic • Following in Angela’s footsteps • Perspective on racism • Jubilarians 2 New Ursuline Leadership Team Missioned he Ursuline Sisters of the she has served the Central Province missioned a Central Province T new leadership team with in leadership as a a prayer service on June 9 at local prioress and the Ursulines’ provincial offices in on the provincial St. Louis. Serving for the next five years council. She are Sister Elisa Ryan, provincial; Sister returns to ministry Jean Hopman, councilor; and Sister in the province Peggy Moore, councilor. after 10 years as a Sister Elisa is a graduate of Ursuline theology teacher Academy in St. Louis. Her Ursuline at Ursuline ministry has included high school Academy in education, as a teacher and principal. She St. Louis. previously served in leadership for the Sister Jean Ursulines, first in the Central Province grew up in San and then on their international leadership Francisco and team in Rome. Most recently, she has entered the Serving on the Ursulines’ 2020-25 leadership team are, from left, Sister Jean Hopman, councilor; Sister Peggy Moore, councilor; been vocation director for the Ursulines Ursulines of and Sister Elisa Ryan, provincial. of the United States provinces. the Western Sister Peggy is a graduate of Ursuline Province in Santa Rosa, California. to the Central Province. She served as Academy, Springfield, Illinois. She has Fluent in Spanish, she ministered with co-director of vocation ministry for the served as a high school science, math and the Spanish-speaking population in United States Provinces until she was theology teacher as well as in high school various settings for 20 years. She later called to full-time province leadership campus ministry. In addition to teaching, was missioned to Chicago and transferred in 2017. Parades have never been more At left, Sister Mary Troy greets a parade of well-wishers on her birthday as students, popular than during this pandemic! co-workers and alumnae of Ursuline Academy in Dallas feted her with a drive-through celebration. Helping her gather balloons, flowers and other birthday offerings is Sister Glenda Bourgeous. At right, Sister Ginger Cirone holds a sign for Sister Carla Dolce at a parade for residents of Our Lady of Wisdom in New Orleans. 3 A Message from the Provincial y mother was born in of worldwide St. Louis in the summer catastrophe, I am M of 1918, to parents already strengthened by the blessed with three small children. By belief that they are fall of that year, the Spanish flu raged with us. Each one around the country. Stories say the remained hopeful mayor of St. Louis at the time and a when the road German-born doctor imposed measures ahead was not at on the city that saved it, even though all clear. the chaos of World War I continued. Likewise, on I’ve always loved my grandparents, this side of eternity, but I have felt closer to them these past where planet earth six months than ever before. Yes, they keeps turning in have long since passed from this life. time, as our new But I converse with them every day Ursuline Central now, asking them to pray that we will Province Provincial come through the present pandemic Team moves into the mission entrusted We, in heaven and on earth, are one just as they survived the flu crisis. to us, we are encouraged by the support body in Christ. And we do not ever I have felt the courage and faith and connection of many. Blessed with stand alone. of these dear grandparents of mine, superb colleagues in province service, an and I know their presence. Others on Ursuline community that is truly global, the opposite side of the “thin veil” and active collaborators and friends, we that separates us from those in eternity want to keep widening our circles. The Elisa Ryan, osu are also very near: family and friends, spirit and legacy of St. Angela Merici will Provincial Ursuline Sisters, important Saints and continue only if we can fully engage the Ursulines of the Central Province everyday saints. As one newly called to wisdom, energy and help of all who carry leadership of the Ursulines in a time this Ursuline story with us. hank you to all of our generous donors. Your faith and support fill our hearts, and we are T grateful for your presence on our journey. 4 In Remembrance “I am more alive now than Sister Mary Patrice Sister Rosemary Meiman Clifford Feb. 4, 1929 – when I was with you.” Sept. 2, 1935 – July 11, 2019 —St. Angela Merici March 29, 2020 Professed 1949 Professed 1956 We remember with gratitude the lives of Sister Celeste Cour Sister Mary Margaret our sisters who have passed into eternal life Jan. 11, 1924 – Prenger since February 2019. Feb. 24, 2020 March 11, 1923 – Sister Mary Peter Professed 1947 April 9, 2019 Bachand Professed 1945 Nov. 2, 1925 – March 24, 2020 Sister Mary Ann Luth Sister Ann Smith Professed 1956 May 28, 1920 – Oct. 5, 1927 – June 28, 2020 July 31, 2019 Sister Barbara Becnel Professed 1943 Professed 1949 Oct. 23, 1937 – May 3, 2019 Professed 1958 Sister Marie McCloskey Sister Wilma Wittman Feb. 17, 1914 – May 2, 1924 – Oct. 4, 2019 March 3, 2019 Professed 1941 Professed 1945 You can ready the sisters’ obituaries at www.osucentral.org. The Ursuline Sisters are among the Catholic Sisters of St. Louis who have partnered with the Incarnate Word Foundation to stand up for racial justice with a billboard campaign in the St. Louis metropolitan area. The billboard is being featured throughout the metro area for two months. The Incarnate Word Foundation is a ministry of the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word. 5 My Perspective Pauline Lorch, OSU hen I grew up in St. my judgments, my way of seeing, my Mary’s, Missouri, Black way of listening. I need humble, focusing W people were not allowed corrective lenses to see more clearly the “They look but do not within the city (a town of less than a power that racism has, and empathic see, they listen but do thousand) limits. Black Catholics, many hearing aids to hear the voices raised in not understand.” of whom had been catechized by Mother pain and frustration, desperation even, Isadore Ripperger, osu, worshipped trying to help Americans understand that Matthew 13:13 in the three back, left-hand pews of racism not only affects Black Americans Immaculate Conception Church. Despite but all Americans. this blatant racism, my parents acted out There have been other times when of a different set of values. there was hope that racism would My earliest sense be, could be addressed in a just and of neighbor was Miss comprehensive manner. Think of the Madora, a Black woman hopes of Reconstruction following the who lived “up the hill Civil War with the radical retrenchment and across the road” from of rights and respect which followed, the us. Aunt Madora was Civil Rights movement of the 1960s with my friend and protector its inherent compromises. But is this now during the rough and the moment in history when we will truly tumble of early childhood. face the power that racism has on our Dad’s good friend and society? I hope, I pray that this time we co-worker, Henry Cole, will truly perceive the depth of racism in a Black man, died in a our minds, our hearts and our policies house fire while Dad and be willing to address and change had to be forcibly held our country and ourselves. I, we, have a “I need humble, focusing by firemen to keep him from trying to long way to travel. There is hope in the save Mr. Cole. In his later years, Dad possibility of a new America even in the corrective lenses to see threatened to resign from the Knights face of so much rhetoric to the contrary. more clearly the power of Columbus when a well-respected In the conclusion to his book Christ in that racism has, and William Coffman was about to be Crisis, Jim Wallis includes some practices empathic hearing aids blackballed (how ironic) simply because which all of us could embrace when we of the color of his skin. I am grateful for mourn our inability to join the marchers to hear the voices raised my parents’ example, but for many years for social justice. in pain and frustration, I had no idea of the extent of the racism • We need to start each day with desperation even, trying in which I and they were complicit. a “yes” to our faith and to our Only time and graced opportunities; own personal and public integrity. to help Americans many friends and companions who were We need to say yes to engaged understand that racism also struggling to understand the origins citizenship, civil discourse, service not only affects Black and consequences of a thoroughly racist, to what is right and courageous unjust justice system; the reality of white resistance to what is wrong. Americans but all privilege; the myth of Black inferiority, • We need to have the courage to say Americans.” particularly intellectual inferiority; and “no” when that is required and to the magnitude of targeted housing made whatever requires it. law by Congress, have brought me to • The opposite of fear is trust, and begin to realize that I am racist and that when fear is the political energy of a I must re-form my attitudes, my choices, nation, we need to rebuild the trust.