Ursuline sisters celebrate jubilees

Fifteen Ursuline Sisters of Mount St. Joseph are celebrating anniversaries of religious profession this year, including a dozen who served in the Archdiocese of Louisville.

Four sisters celebrating 70 years of religious life are:

Sister Naomi (Mary Benigna) Aull, a native of Knottsville, Ky., who taught at Holy Trinity School in Fredericktown; St. Charles School in Lebanon; and Holy Cross School in Loretto. In Louisville, she taught at St. Margaret Mary, Mother of Good Counsel, St. Ignatius Martyr and St. Leonard schools.
Beginning in 1977, she served in outreach ministry at St. Boniface Church, at St. Martin of Tours Church and at the Schuhmann Social Service Center.

Sister Emma Cecilia Busam, a native of Owensboro, taught at St. James School in Louisville and at Holy Cross School in Loretto. She taught in Kentucky schools for 38 years, including teaching art at Brescia College (now Brescia University). In 1983, she began serving as an archivist, first for the Ursuline community and then for the Diocese of Owensboro. She is now an archives consultant at Maple Mount and a volunteer/Eucharistic minister for Owensboro Health Regional Hospital.

 Sister Annalita Lancaster, a native of Flaherty, Ky., taught and was organist at St. Joseph School and parish, in Raywick; served as principal, teacher and organist at St. Bernard High School, Clementsville, and taught at St. James School in Louisville. Also in Louisville, she supervised the elementary schools in the Catholic School Office, from 1966 to 1969 and directed the St. Angela Education Center from 1969 to 1971. She was major superior of the Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph from 1972-80. Sister Annalita was director of admissions for Brescia College (now Brescia University) and also served as associate director of Mount Saint Joseph Conference and Retreat Center. She was a pastoral associate at St. Jude parish in Clinton and returned to Mount Saint Joseph in 1995 for administrative roles, including director of mission effectiveness. Since 2005, she has been an archives assistant.

Sister Marie Bosco Wathen, a native of Marion County, taught at St. Catherine School, New Haven; St. Bartholomew School, Buechel; Mother of Good Counsel School, Louisville, and also taught at schools in Owensboro. She was a professor of education at Brescia College (now Brescia University) from 1974-1997 and was their institutional research assistant from 1997-2005. Also during that time, she was co-director of the Ursuline Associate program for six years. She retired to the Motherhouse in 2005 and is an archives assistant.

Sisters celebrating six decades of religious life are:

 Sister Margaret Ann Aull, a native of St. Lawrence, was a teacher at St. Bartholomew School in Louisville. She also ministered in the Diocese of Owensboro. Since 2010, she has served as coordinator of pastoral care at Immaculate parish, Owensboro.

Sister Catherine Therese Barber, a native of Springfield, taught in Louisville at St. Columba, St. Leonard and St. Denis schools. She also taught at St. Francis School, St. Francis, Ky. She was principal of St. Christopher School in Radcliff from 1968 to 1970 and also served in the Diocese of Owensboro. Since 2008 she has served as an assistant in the community’s Mission Advancement office.

Sister Paul Marie Greenwell, a native of New Haven, was a teacher at St. Michael School in Fairfield. She also ministered in the Diocese of Owensboro and in St. Louis. Since 2008 she has been an assistant to the archivist at the Ursuline Motherhouse.

Sister Mary Gerald Payne, a native of Knottsville, taught at St. James School in Louisville where she also worked in the summer remedial reading program. She also taught at St. Denis School in Louisville and at St. Brigid School in Vine Grove, where she also worked in faith formation. Sister Payne also taught at Holy Cross School, Loretto and Flaherty School, Flaherty. She also served in the Diocese of Owensboro, in New Mexico and Missouri. Since 2003 she has ministered in transportation and as a craft maker at the Motherhouse.

Sister Mary Agnes VonderHaar, a native of Vine Grove, was principal at St. Ann School, Howardstown and was a teacher at St. Charles High School, Lebanon and at Trinity High School in Louisville. She also served in the Diocese of Owensboro. She currently serves in a ministry of presence at St. Mary of the Woods, McQuady, and St. Anthony parish, Axtel.

Sisters celebrating 50 year jubilees are:

Sister Patricia Rhoten, a native of Nebraska, taught at St. Martin School, Flaherty; St. Michael School, Fairfield; and a St. Francis of Assisi School, St. Francis. She taught elsewhere in Kentucky, Missouri, Nebraska and Louisiana. She was assistant to the president of Brescia College/University and served as the Motherhouse local community life coordinator from 1999-2005. Sister Rhoten now serves as an archives assistant at Mount Saint Joseph.

Sister Mary Lois Speaks, a native of Henderson, taught at St. Ignatius School, Louisville and was principal of St. Leonard School there from 1976 to 1979. She was parish coordinator for St. Columba parish and served as Charismatic Renewal Coordinator for the Louisville Archdiocese from 1982 to 1989. She was also in residency at St. Bernard Parish, Louisville. From 1997-2011, she ministered as a district instructional assistant at Marion County High School in Lebanon. She also served in the Diocese of Owensboro and in Nebraska. She now provides spiritual direction and outreach in the Raywick area.

Sister Mary Celine Weidenbenner, a native of Glennonville, Mo., was a teacher at Holy Cross School, Holy Cross and at Calvary School, Calvary. She has also served in the Diocese of Owensboro. Since 2007, she has been a teacher at Mary Carrico Memorial School, Knottsville.

Sister Jacinta Powers, a native of Curdsville, is celebrating 40 years of religious life. She taught at St. Augustine School, Lebanon and was an oncology nurse at Norton Hospital in Louisville. She has served in the Diocese of Owensboro, Nebraska, Chile and Jamaica. Sister Powers has been a nurse for the Church Health Center in Memphis, Tenn., since 2009.

Jubilee congratulations can be sent to 8001 Cummings Road, Maple Mount, Ky., 42356.