June 16, 2010

Religious sisters mark jubilee anniversaries

At an evening Mass May 16 in the Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, Archbishop Charles Chaput, O.F.M. Cap., recognized religious sisters marking jubilee anniversaries. Below are brief profiles of the women and their advice to those interested in consecrated life.

70 Years

Sister Ann Hays, O.S.F.
The first half of Marycrest Franciscan Sister Ann Hays’ religious life was spent teaching in elementary schools, mostly on Native American reservations, but also in Nebraska and Denver parish schools.  She also did religious education on a reservation.  During those years Sister Hays collected things needed for a mission in Mexico.  When the provincial of her order, the Sisters of St. Francis of Penance and Christian Charity, asked if she would like to become a missionary herself she responded with enthusiasm and spent the remainder of her working years in Mexico doing parish work.  She prepared children and adults for the sacraments, and also helped transport the sick to the nearest hospital. Her advice to someone interested in religious life: “Pray to God to know what he wants you to do.  Talk with someone able to give you good spiritual advice.  If God wants you to be in religious life he will give you what you need to live the life.”

60 Years

Sister Joanne Killey, O.S.F.
Marycrest Franciscan Sister Joanne Killey entered religious life as a licensed registered nurse and worked in nursing for the first 25 years after her first profession.  She has an RN license in California, Montana, North Dakota, Nebraska and Colorado.  She has worked in Sisters of St. Francis of Penance and Christian Charity hospitals in all these states except Colorado and served as director of the school of nursing in Minot, N.D.  Sister Killey said her most challenging nursing was working with the Otomi Indians in Mexico at a small clinic for outpatients with minor illnesses.  She also delivered babies when midwives had challenging cases.  By the time she left the clinic she had delivered more than 100 babies, most of them in rural cactus huts.  After the first 25 years of service in the medical profession she moved to her order’s house of prayer in Denver where she gave retreats and spiritual direction and was involved in the organization of the house of prayer ministry.  Following this she was appointed secretary/treasurer of the Sacred Heart Province and spent 16 years in this ministry.  For the last seven years she has worked in their administrative offices doing various jobs.  She is in charge of the archives and responsible for a weekly news brief for the province.  Her advice to those interested in consecrated life: “Come and see the door is always open—you are most welcome!”

Sister Ann Berberich, O.P.
Sister Ann Berberich was born in Covington, Ky., and is a member of the Dominican Sisters of the Sick Poor.  The community recently merged with other Dominicans and is now called the Dominican Sisters of Hope.  During these 60 years she has been stationed in New York, Detroit, Minneapolis, Nicaragua, Ohio and Colorado.  As a nurse practitioner her ministries have been to the needy and included public health nursing, terminal cancer care and establishing wellness clinics.  For many years, she did nursing in homes as part of the Dominican Home Health Agency for the needy.  She served as moderator of the Domincanettes, which were high school and college girls that accompanied the religious sisters in the homes of the needy to introduce them to the work of the community.  She has also done vocation ministry.
Her advice to those discerning their vocation: “Pray every day that you would come to know your vocation!”

50 Years

Sister Catherine Widger, S.L.
The first 12 years of Loretto Sister Catherine Widger’s consecrated life was spent teaching primary grades and children with learning disabilities at Blessed Sacrament School and All Souls School.  During those years she worked part-time with students who had developmental disabilities.  Since 1976 she has worked fulltime for the Archdiocese of Denver with the developmentally disabled.  In 1985 with two other people—Sister Sue Rogers and Father Larry Freeman—she opened a group home called The Bridge Community for eight adult women with developmental disabilities. She has lived at Bridge Home since it opened. Her advice to those interested in a religious vocation: “I would encourage them to have the courage, the faith and the joy to say ‘yes.’ Religious life is a beautiful way to live a life of unrestricted commitment to Christ and service to others surrounded by a loving, supportive community.”

Sister Benita Volk, C.P.P.S.
Precious Blood Sister Benita Volk has been an elementary teacher in Ohio and California.  In Denver, she taught at All Saints and Christ the King grade schools and at Central Catholic and Regis Jesuit high schools.  She has also been in congregational leadership in Dayton Ohio.  Currently she is at Regis Jesuit High School in the girls division. Her advice to those discerning religious life: “Seek help in discernment.  Visit several different types of communities.  Be open to the movement of the Spirit.  Examine your heart and motives honestly and pray!”

Sister Natalie McDonough, R.S.M.
Sister Natalie McDonough’s roots are in New England where she entered the Sisters of Mercy of New Hampshire.  The first eight years she taught Spanish and U.S. history to high school students in New Hampshire.  The next 20 years were devoted to parish ministry in religious education, sacramental preparation, liturgical ministries, RCIA and pastoral work.  In 1976 she answered the call to do ministry in the Southwest. She worked in parishes in Ranchos de Taos, N.M., and Lamar, Florence and Pueblo, Colo.  During a sabbatical year, she spent five months at the south rim of the Grand Canyon with a Christian ministry in the national parks.  From 1994 to the present she has worked in a health-care setting in medical records and the last 14 years she has been the manager of the Yaffe House, a hospital hospitality house for families that need to stay overnight while their loved ones are  patients at St. Anthony Central Hospital in Denver. Her advice for those discerning a religious vocation: “Seek out a spiritual director or vocations director to enter a process of discernment.  Read about the origins of various religious communities in order to understand where and what ministries they engage in today.  Then spend time with individuals or small groups of sisters to share reflections on the Gospels and how to be of service to the people of God.”

Sister Mary Kay Brannan, S.L.
For the first 11 years, Loretto Sister Mary Kay Brannan taught middle grades in St. Louis, Mo., and in Kentucky in four different schools.  She said each was a unique gift and learning experience—from a three-room, rural school house with outhouses, to teaching in the inner city, and then in wealthy suburbia.  She also spent time as a teaching principal in a blue-collar community.  She left teaching to follow a call to live at the motherhouse in a more contemplative lifestyle for four years, the last serving as director of the retreat center.   In rural New Mexico she worked as a pastoral assistant and religious educator in two parishes each having five to nine mission churches.  During that time she often counseled or sheltered victims of domestic violence.  That led to her working for 10 years in the Domestic Violence Center in Taos as a volunteer coordinator, crises counselor, legal advocate, shelter manager and finally director.  In 1994 she returned to Denver, the city where she grew up and first met the Sisters of Loretto.  She is certified as a spiritual director and continues to do that ministry as well as her work as a CNA for the elderly that she began as a young professed in the summers. She also works on the membership team for her religious community. Her advice: “’Come and see.’ … Religious life is a marvelous adventure and since it is our loving God calling you, you have nothing to fear but everything to gain.  If this is your vocation your life will be filled with joy and love.”

Sister Marilyn Skluzacek, O.P.
Dominican Sister Marilyn Skluzacek has been involved in education her entire religious life.  She has taught kindergarten through sixth grade in Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa, Nebraska and Colorado.  In the Denver Archdiocese, she has taught at Holy Trinity in Westminster and at St. Mary’s in Greeley.  She also served at St. Dominic’s in Denver. Currently she is the director of religious education at Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Denver. Her advice: “Give it a try; you won’t be sorry!”

25 Years

Marking 25 years of consecrated life this year are Sister Elizabeth Kim and Sister Lydia Lee, who both belong to the Sisters of St. Vincent de Paul.