Maple Mount Ursulines mark jubilees

Record Staff Report

OSU-MSJ-Logo-2016Eighteen Ursuline Sisters of Mount St. Joseph, based in Maple Mount, Ky., in the Diocese of Owensboro, are celebrating major anniversaries of religious life this year.

Among them are nine jubilarians who have served in the Archdiocese of Louisville. They may be congratulated by writing to Mount Saint Joseph, 8001 Cummings Road, Maple Mount, Ky., 42356.

The jubilarians who served here in the archdiocese are:

75 years

Sister Rose Marie Craycroft (formerly Sister Mary Clarence), a native of New Haven, Ky., is celebrating 75 years. She spent 39 years in education, serving in Kentucky, Missouri and Nebraska. In Louisville, she taught at St. Columba School from 1945-52, St. Bartholomew School from 1952-55 and was a teacher and librarian at St. Denis School from 1969-73.

She was a bookkeeper and secretary at St. Christopher Church Radcliff, Ky., from 1983-88. She is now retired at the Motherhouse.

Sister Marie Julie Fecher, a native of Dayton, Ohio, is celebrating 75 years. She ministered as a music instructor for almost 50 years. For 18 of those years, from 1976-94, she was a member of the music faculty at Brescia College (now University) in Owensboro. 

In the Archdiocese of Louisville, she served as a music instructor and organist at St. Edward School from 1944-52; St. Bartholomew School from 1964-68; St. Columba from 1968-76; St. Catherine School, New Haven, Ky., from 1952-54 and 1959-64 and St. Francis School, St. Francis, Ky., from 1954-55.

She is now retired at the Motherhouse.

70 years

Sister Joseph Angela Boone, a native of New Haven, Ky., is celebrating 70 years. She served as an educator, administrator and diocesan chancellor during her ministry.

In the Archdiocese of Louisville, she taught at St. Denis from 1951-59. She also taught in Owensboro, and served as a math professor at Brescia College.

From 1970-89, she was treasurer and business administrator for the Ursuline Sisters. She was chancellor and director of administration for the Diocese of Owensboro from 1989 to 2011).

She lives at the Motherhouse, where she is the daily annalist and an information receptionist.

Sister Francis Mary (Fran) Wilhelm, a native of Waterflow, N.M., is celebrating 70 years.

She served in New Mexico, California and in South America. In the Archdiocese of Louisville, she was a music teacher at St. Catherine in New Haven from 1964-66.

She was also the first director of the Ursuline Associate program from 1983-92 and served in Ursuline leadership. In 1993, she founded Centro Latino in Stanley, Ky., which she directed from 1993-2000. Centro Latino moved to Owensboro in 2000 and she  continues to direct the ministry.

60 years

Sister Lois Lindle (formerly Sister Lawrence Marie), a Louisville native, is celebrating 60 years.

She served as a teacher for 44 years in the Diocese of Owensboro, the Archdiocese of Louisville and in New Mexico.

In the archdiocese, she  taught at St. Francis of Assisi School, Loretto, Ky., from 1962-63; St. Margaret Mary School from 1959-62; St. Columba from 1969-75; St. Denis from 1975-80; St. Bernard School 1980-88; and St. Lawrence School from 1988-2003.

She served on the Catholic Pastoral Care Team at Baptist East Hospital in Louisville 2004-2005. From 2005-2009, she was local community life coordinator at Maple Mount. Since 2009 she has served the sisters at Maple Mount offering transportation.

Sister Grace Simpson (formerly Sister Jean Michael), a native of Fairfield, Ky., is celebrating 60 years.

She taught at St. Columba from 1959-63 and served as as principal there from 1976-82. She also served at St. Ignatius School as a teacher from 1963-68 and at St. Catherine, New Haven, as as a principal and teacher from 1968-76.

In 1984 she began serving the poor as a caseworker for 30 years at the Sister Visitor Center from 1984-2014. Now she volunteers at St. John Center, which serves homeless men.

50 years

Sister Maureen O’Neill (formerly Sister Charles Maureen), a native of Louisville, is celebrating 50 years.

She served as an educator — as a teacher and principal — for 35 years in Kentucky and Nebraska.

In the Archdiocese of Louisville, she taught at Most Blessed Sacrament School from 1991-2005 and at St. Nicholas Academy from 2005-06.

Since 2006 she has served as a caseworker for families at the Sister Visitor Center.

Sister Judith Nell Riney, a native of Owensboro, is celebrating 50 years.

In the Archdiocese of Louisville, she taught at St. James School from 1971-73. In 1980, she became librarian at Brescia College and since 1984 she has served as director of library sciences at the Father Leonard Alvey Library at Brescia University.

In 2016 she began a six-year term as an elected member of the Ursuline Council.

Sister Suzanne Sims,  a native of Owensboro, is celebrating 50 years.

In the Archdiocese of Louisville, she was a teacher at St. Bernard School from 1971-75.

She has also served as a professor at Brescia College; president of Springfield (Ill.) College; and was twice elected to leadership positions with the Ursuline Sisters. She was the first director of Mission Advancement for the Ursuline Sisters from 2000-2008.

Since January 2017, she has served as director of faith formation at a parish in Owensboro.

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