A newsletter published by the Sisters of Notre Dame | Toledo Province | Spring 2012

At home on the SND campus! - page 5

High school ministry in Gainesville - page 3

Vol. 22, No. 4, Spring 2012

CrossRoads is published quarter-ly by the Partnership for Mission Office of the Sisters of Notre Dame, Toledo, Ohio. Its purpose is to create a sense of shared mission among members, family and friends.

The title CrossRoads refers to the crossing of paths of our congregation and our friends in the communities where we serve. The “cross” in CrossRoads has special significance in our congregation’s history.

Editorial BoardDenis EbleSr. Marilyn Marie EllerbrockSr. Mary Ralph GerdemanGeorge MezinkoSr. Mary Rosellyn TheisenSr. Jennifer Marie Zimmerman

EditorTeri Bockstahler

ContributorsSr. Marie Julie ReinekeSr. Mary Irene GerdemanChristopher Lee

Correspondence may be sent to:CrossRoadsSisters of Notre Dame3837 Secor RoadToledo, OH 43623Phone: 419-479-3093

email: tbockstahler@toledosnd.org

Visit us on the web:www.toledosnd.org

Our Mission:

Sisters of Notre Dame proclaim God’s goodness and provident care. As disciples of Jesus, we:Create community for missionNurture faith through educationStand in solidarity with those in need.

Dear Friends:

About the cover:

Sr. Mary Delores Gatliff

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Sr. Mary Ruth Boes and Tom Mercurio and other lay staff are kept busy year-round maintaining the 45-acre Sisters of Notre Dame campus in West Toledo. The sisters also have a 90-acre campus in Whitehouse, Ohio where the Lial Renewal Center and Lial Catholic School are located. See page 5.

Spring is a season of the rebirth of all creation and our Toledo campus is certainly in full bloom!Many Sisters of Notre Dame make our home at the Toledo Provincial Center (PC) and others reside in smaller convents scattered throughout Ohio and in numerous other states where we minister. We could not maintain this PC building and the 45 acre campus without the assistance of our lay employees. We are so grateful to them, partners walking with us, caring for our home as if it were their own home.Since our last issue I had the wonderful opportunity of traveling to Indonesia to meet with SND leaders from the 18 countries where Sisters of Notre Dame reside and minister. Our Indonesian sisters are ministering among the poor and oppressed in so many places, as well as in schools and hospitals. I was so impressed by their dedication and tireless service, and I left feeling of one heart with them. We truly share in the same mission wherever we are. Our ministry of education is alive all over the USA and this issue features our sisters in Gainesville, Florida. The young students in their charge grow intellectually, spiritually, and as persons moving toward independence. You make all our ministry efforts possible through your donations and support. We are grateful to you for your generosity and your willingness to share in our efforts to continue the mission of Jesus.

Sincerely,

Provincial Superior

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Sr. Marie Julie Reineke with her Theology class at St. Francis Catholic High School in Gainesville, FL. (photo by Christopher Lee)

Gainesville, Florida: SNDs nurturing the faith through education

Sr. Mary Irene with a student in her physics class. (photo by Christopher Lee)

Catholics in the Gainesville area had been wanting a Catholic high school for more than 30 years. When their wish came true, Sr. Marie Julie Reineke was there to join the first faculty of St. Francis Catholic High School in July, 2004.

According to Sr. Mary Dianne Rumschlag, the principal of Holy Rosary School in Jacksonville, “The new principal at St. Francis asked me ‘How can I get a Sister of Notre Dame for our new high school?’” Mr. Herrington was told to contact the Sisters of Notre Dame Provincial Superior at that time, Sr. Anne Mary Molyet.

“When Sr. Anne Mary asked me if I would be willing to go to Gainesville to be part of this new venture, I agreed,” said Sr. Marie Julie with enthusiasm! One parent who Sr. Marie Julie met when she was visiting St. Francis High Sschool for an interview was equally enthused to hear that a sister would be teaching the young adults. “This parent jumped up and down and said I was an answer to a prayer. A group of mothers had been meeting weekly to pray for the new high school, and asking God to send them a sister for their school,” Sr. Marie Julie explained.

Sr. Marie Julie teaches Theology and has served as the director of campus ministry. In 2007, Sr. Mary Irene Gerdeman arrived and teaches Algebra I, Honors Algebra I, Honors Chemistry, Advanced Placement (AP) Chemistry and Honors Physics.

Sisters Marie Julie and Mary Irene report that the entire Gainesville community has embraced them with open arms. “The parishioners at Holy Faith let us know how important our presence is to them,” Sr. Marie Julie adds. The sisters are members of Holy Faith Parish and serve as lectors and Eucharistic Ministers. Even though they are not employed by the parish, Pastor John Phillips refers to them as “his sisters.”

continued on page 4

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Fr. John looked for a house near the parish to serve as a convent for some time. “My purpose for the convent was not only to provide a very nice place for the sisters to live, but to show that we are committed to their ministry and support our sisters. I am particularly committed to keep sisters at St. Francis High School and we have had a wonderful relationship with the Sisters of Notre Dame of the Toledo Province,“ said Fr. John.

The school parents also share their gratitude for having the sisters teach their children. “We are thrilled that our daughter was able to get to know Sr. Marie Julie and Sr. Mary Irene at St. Francis because they made the teachings of our faith more real to her and demonstrated to her the strength of our faith and how to be a Catholic woman in today’s world,” said Colleen Olexa, mother of a St. Francis High School graduate. “It’s a tribute to the sisters that our daughter still stays in touch with them, even though she in now in college, and that she is active in the Catholic Student Center at her big public university,” Olexa added.

“Sr. Irene was my favorite teacher throughout high school. She is very passionate about teaching and knowledgeable about the material she taught,” said Joshua Diblin, St. Francis graduate and freshman in chemical engineering at the University of Florida. Josh’s mother, Melissa Diblin added, ”As a parent, I really appreciate the high standard to which Sr. Irene holds her students. My children, Josh and Dorie have learned so much in her classes.”

Sr. Mary Irene with a student in chemistry class. (Photo by Christopher Lee)

Srs. Marie Julie and Mary Irene have both received the Teacher of the Year award in 2010 and in 2011, respectively. The award is given for excellence in teaching in the Catholic Schools of North Central Florida.

The sisters share in community with Sr. Marlene Payette, a Sister of St. Joseph of St. Augustine, FL. She ministers at Catholic Charities. One ministry the three of us share is working in our backyard vegetable garden. In our climate we have both a spring garden and a fall garden,” Sr. Marie Julie said.

Sisters of Notre Dame also minister in Jacksonville and Edgewater, FL.

‘My daughter has been brought up in the Catholic faith, but ever since she met and has been in Sr. Julie’s class she has experienced the true meaning of faith through her spiritual gift.”

- Liset Armas, St. Francis High School parent

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SND Lay employees - our partners in mission!

Robert Arquette, Human Resources 3 years

Teri Bockstahler, Communications 8 years

Cyndy Brookover, Finance 8 years

Juliana Campos, Health Care 16 years

Mary Domonkos, Housekeeping 4 years

Matthew Essex, Housekeeping 24 years

Vicki Grove, Receptionist 19 years

Susan Hollyday, Health Care 21 years

Bernie Keller, Health Care 21 years

Brent Manley, Maintenance (Lial) 6 years

Tom Mercurio, Maintenance 14 years

George Mezinko, Development 6 years

Sherri Mossing, Finance 10 years

Jerrie Reeder, Maintenance 11 years

Karen Rupert, Housekeeping 9 years

Lisa Scheider, Finance 2 years

Cindy Schuster, Development 13 years

Allen Schroeder, Finance 1 year

Barb Shabnow, Dietary 32 years

Lisa Stugarek, Activities 8 years

Gloria Toyer, Health Care 4 years

Keith Tremmel, Maintenance 32 years

Alan Turner, Facilities Maintenance 3 years

Rayna Underwood, Dietary 1 year

Guadalupe Villolovos 6 years

Sally Wolff, Dietary 2 years

Vicki Grove, Provincial Center (PC) receptionist is usually one of the first people you meet upon arrival at the PC, Monday through Friday.

Making this house a

home!The fragrance of freshly mowed grass fills the air and the buzz of the edger reaches your ears. The familiar sounds of your home yard work are the same at the Toledo Provincial Center (PC). Huge squirrels scamper across the drive, cars come and go, contributing to the sense that a big family resides here.

A visitor may even experience these comfortable reminders of home upon visiting the 45-acre SND campus. The 45-acre property is bordered to the east by Secor Road, northwest by Sylvania Avenue and south along I-475. Notre Dame Academy (NDA), Maria Early Learning Center, Mary Immaculate School and Elizabeth’s House (former SND music building) are also situated on this campus in the heart of west Toledo. (NDA maintains its portion of the campus).

It is the home to 54 sisters and the workplace for 26 individuals who help the sisters take care of the property and assist in numerous ways. “Our lay

Barb Shabnow mixes a cake for dessert.

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Alan Turner and Keith Tremmel in the SND maintenace shop.

employees are true partners in our mission. They share the spirit of Notre Dame,” said Sr. Mary Clarine Young, house co-coordinator for the PC. “The expertise our employees bring to us enables us to continue to do what we do!” she added.

“I oversee this property like I would take care of my own place. It’s home for the sisters so I only want the right person taking care of a job. . . someone who I would be comfortable using myself,” said Keith Tremmel, director of plant and grounds who has been an SND employee for 32 years. Maintaining the 102,000 sq. ft. Provincial Center and the surrounding grounds isn’t as simple as it used to be, according to Keith. “Now we use contractors for things we used to do ourselves because of regulations and restrictions,” he explained.

In the kitchen, Chef Sally Wolff says she tries to maintain the standards set by former Kitchen Director Sr. Mary DelRay for sanitation and cleanliness. “We have a suggestion box and try to honor requests, and ask sisters what they would like us to make. And at the same time we have to be responsible to our budget.

“If there are leftovers we cannot use, we pass it on to those who can. Srs. Mary Regeen and Mary Madelena are just two sisters who make sure the food is taken to a soup kitchen or to a family in need. It’s nice to be a part of that constant awareness to share,” said Sally.

Change is GoodThe population of the sisters who live at the PC has changed over the years, just as families change and have children who graduate, move out and up in the world!

continued from page 5

Sue Hollyday from the health care center says, “Working at the SND PC is like my second home, which is a priceless feeling in today’s work-world.”

“I think our roles in health care and as nurses have evolved. What used to be hands-on care has expanded to advocating for our older sisters and to teaching prevention and wellness to all,” said Bernie Keller, health care director. “And personally, this has been a great place to work because the sisters have been so accommodating. I wouldn’t have been able to take care of my children and my mother over the years if it wasn’t for this family atmosphere and understanding presence,” Bernie expressed.

Sr. Mary Raymund Johnson, house co-coordinator says that PC employees are dedicated to their work. “I can ask any employee to help with anything . . . they really have a sense of our needs and a willingness to step up to the task. We couldn’t take care of

everything without them,” she said. “And I must say that there is no one who knows how to clean a floor like Matt! He will stick with a job until it meets his standards and ours!” she added.

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Partnership for Mission IN HONOR OF:Theresa & William Buchholz Buck Services, Inc.John F. ColeMary Jane ColeGeraldine M. DavisThomas & Barbara HaudanRuth, Jack & Larry LongFernando & Linda HernandezShirley MeskerElizabeth ElwerGeorge RickerPatricia F. RickerSr. M. Agnes Rose TscherneEdward & Diane BugnerSr. Carol Mary BognerAgnes E. BognerSr. Carolyn Marie SchafferMr. & Mrs. John A. SchafferSr. M. Clarine YoungBrian & Carol UrbanksiSr. M. Clarone LuciusLeo & Donna SchmelzerSr. M. Claver PollaufJohn J. SpisakSr. Mary del Ray BognerAgnes E. BognerSr. M. Elayne BockeyPeggy Gerdeman RizorSr. Ethel Mary CampLois MollSr. M. Gail WrasmanPeggy Gerdeman RizorSr. M. Immaculee HeinlJerry & Katie Feck

Sr. Janet Marie SmithDenise M. McHueSr. M. Jean Francis BoesDennis & Shelley BoesSr. M. Joan FurlongEdward & Diane BugnerSr. Julia Marie HutchisonEdward & Diane BugnerSr. M. Laurann DietrichJulie & Claude FantCecilia LumbrezerSr. M. Louisa HeinlJerry & Katie FeckSr. M. Lucy SuterMr. & Mrs. Loral BrowningSr. M. Magdaleva CampLois MollSr. Marcia Marie DestatteBetty L. MyersSisters who have served at Leipsic St. Mary’s parishJohn & Jill Potthoff

IN MEMORY OF:Ronald ArharFay Provoznik-ArharLyle BarnumJoe, Kim & Andrea FaggionatoCharles F. BoesArline BoesMarie C. BoscoDom BoscoJohn Brown, Jr.Anna BrownJohn & Agnes Brown, Sr.Anna BrownMargaret BuehlerSue ShanahanEverett & Eleanor BuettnerVirginia A. Will

Dear Partners in Mission,

Welcome to the Spring issue of CrossRoads!

As this Easter season comes to a close and Pentecost approaches, it is a time the church celebrates the Holy Spirit dwelling in each of us.

If you would, please take just a few minutes of your time, right now, and think about how the Holy Spirit actually works to find a place in your heart. You will be amazed how easy these signs are to recognize. The Holy Spirit is manifested through your generosity, through the joy you feel each day, through the peace the Holy Spirit brings into your life, and through the courage you have, to do “whatever it takes” to get the job done. The Holy Spirit’s presence is your inspiration. It is that little nudge you feel to step up and help those who do not have the ability or the resources to survive life’s daily struggles.

Over the years, the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and your partnership has enabled the sisters to help young people develop a strong faith foundation they will use the rest of their lives. The sisters are also able to assist in parishes, and reach out to the poor, helping to spread God’s goodness.

As we enter the last 60 days of our administrative year, thank you again for all of your support. The sisters remain steadfast in their commitment to education throughout Northwest Ohio, the United States and Papua New Guinea.

As the Spirit manifests itself through you, your partnership with the Sisters of Notre Dame continues to enable the sisters to move forward in all ministries while proclaiming God’s goodness and provident care.

May the joy of the Spirit truly be yours! May your heart overflow with gratitude for the many blessings you receive.

Respectfully,

George MezinkoPartnership for Mission Director

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Joseph & William BuettnerDeb & Dennis SiefkerBill BugnerMarilyn BugnerFrank & Mary BugnerEdward & Diane BugnerRick BurkettChuck & Arlene LenhartEileen CalvelageBob & Marsha MuellerWilliam ChurchmanPatricia M. YoungHelen ClarkFrank WellmannMarianna ColeMary Jane ColeC. Patrick CousinoKevin & Cheryl CousinoMary Ann Moyer CroninJohn L. (Jack) CroninHelen & Steve DickmanPatricia HablitzelJohn M. DonofrioJohn A. DonofrioJulie A. DonovanJohn & Sharon DonovanDiane DorobekChuck & Arlene LenhartMarianne L. (Knapp) DucatElizabeth DucatPaul M. EvansLeah M. EvansBill FoosRuth FoosDonald GabrielRose Mary GabrielDon GoodwinNanette Schuett

Joseph GreenwellBrian & Carol UrbanksiGilbert HesselingMargaret HesselingDonald & Lucille HoelzleAnna BrownJohn JoldrichsenMary Ann JoldrichsenDolores KimballGeraldine SzkatulskiThomas J. KirkRae M. KirkLisa M. KlemanBill & Barb KroegerPatrick KohlerMary E. KohlerDonald J. KoontzErnestine Koehn KoontzCarl KrambMatt J. FoxMarilyn KuhnRichard KuhnBruce & Madelyn TribleJerry KulwickiGeraldine SzkatulskiJanice D. KundertKenneth C. KundertKevin A. KundertKenneth C. KundertIrene KuszGerry CotteyMary Ann CulpertPatricia M. DanfordThe Hunt FamilyJoanne KatafiasDavid & Robin KraemerTom & Cathy KrallSr. Joan KeryenbuhlSue LyonsRosemary MatuszewksiEdward MicinskiEugene MicinskiMr. & Mrs. Leonard S. MicinskiStanley Micinski

Stephen MicinskiVirginia O’NeillGeraldine SzkatulskiBetty LauerEugene HickeyPatricia F. RickerKathy LepleyLeo & Donna SchmelzerMary C. LiebRobert A. LiebJane LonswayConnie CurlisGene & Fayanne OchsMary C. PirolliJohn A. PocsBarbara ReinhartMary J. SnyderCoralynn LootensCarol KirkbrideRomano, Luigi & Carlo LualdiT. Giudici & FamilyTeresa MarinelliRomilio J. MarinelliVirginia MeyersPatricia F. RickerAlice MikolajczykFernando & Linda HernandezJohn & Veronica MillerPaul & Dorothy SchafferGeorge Millie, Jr.Anna BrownGeorge & Ella Millie, Sr.Anna BrownEllen MittendorfDick MittendorfShirley Haynes MorrisonDavid & Muriel HaynesWeston MullinTeri BockstahlerRichard D. MyersBetty L. Myers

Anita O’LearyKathy CurrentMartin & Verlyn OkenkaMary FurlongAlvin OstinPatricia F. RickerPaul & Robert PetrickShirley PetrickJohn & Irene PocsJohn A. PocsDelores PollaufDanny & Margie Knopp & sonsDorothy QuaintanceDavid & Mary Ann YoungCarl & Martha SchafferPaul & Dorothy SchafferBetty Shultz SendelbachNanette SchuettDick ShultzNanette SchuettPete & Ruth SlomaPete & Peg SchalkLouise StehleFrederick G. WestermanRita StieberPaul & Carol StieberThomas SutterJoan M. SutterDorothy SwaryRita KaufmanTheodore TroskiPatricia M. YoungMary Beth TrotterEdna Mae Doss” Trotter”Milton & Lucille TrubeySusan BahlEldore & Rita UrbanskiBrian & Carol Urbanksi

Ellen Agnes UlrichKen & Lois BlankemeyerSarah ValdryCarol KirkbrideLois M. WagnerLarry & Carolyn HallWalter WalshSr. M. Brigid KellyAnnette WegesinLucille Van OssHelen WilhelmFernando & Linda HernandezJanet WilhelmRoger D. WilhelmJerry WillVirginia A. WillSr. M. Agnes LinkAnn PfliegerSr. M. Alexia KochanskiRichard F. MichalakSr. M. Annunciata SutterJoan M. SutterSr. M. Canisia GradelDan & Pam MarionSr. M. Carola BillatMerle & Martha AhrensDick & Fran AndersonThe Balzer-Lockhart FamilyJoanne C. BraunAnnette ChurchyaLucie Heinl-LukasikPat KreinbrinkVirgil & Margaret NieseJane Howe O’SheaMarge Gibbons & Mary PirolliCharles & Jeanne ReckerOttie & Rita SchroederThomas R. WagenerSr. M. Cyprian KemperJanet DiabConnie HoeningEd & Alma Kemper

We honor and remember. . .

Thank you!The honorariums and memorials are listed for donations to the Sisters of Notre Dame

received from January 1, 2012, through March 31, 2012. Please notify the CrossRoads

office at 419-479-3093 should you find an error of omission or spelling.

In SympathyThomas Bihn - brother of Sr Mary

Jeanette Bihn

Sr. Rowena Lucius, SGM - sister of Sr. Mary Clarone Lucius

Harold Schafer - brother of Sr Bernadette Mary and deceased Sr Mary

Eleonore Schafer

Charles Iott - brother of Sr. Lavonne Marie and deceased Sr. Mary Dorothee Iott

Mary Mathias - mother of Sr. Mary Nadine Mathias

Diane Dorobek - sister of Sr. Mary Pat Dorobek

Irene Kusz - mother of Sr. Susan Maria Kusz

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Frank & Gretchen KemperJean NienhausAnna Wyss-ZillesSr. M. Gregory WeltinRobert L. & Joanne KoehlSr. M. Janese GradelDan & Pam MarionSr. M. Johnita ElwerTheresa BeckerDiane ElwerPatricia SchwellerSr. M. Lenarda SchafferMr. & Mrs. John A. SchafferSr. M. Marciana HalbisenJack & Mary MayleSr. Marilyn Kay BorerRon & Mary Lou BlaserMargy & Bill Borer

Mary Ann CerviFred & Anna ElchertJulie & Claude FantMatt J. FoxDorothy A. GilligAlbert Borer FamilyJoseph & Rosanna HohmanGerald & Sandra LaFontainRichard & Alice LaFontaineMary LykensAnne MarquisMarjorie E. Meier & childrenKathy M. MillerAngie MuzzoLisa & Bill PiaseckiMary C. PirolliCharles & Jeanne ReckerCheryl & David RomanJames & Ann RussellEileen & Vic SchuermanSue Shanahan

St. Mary’s Church ChoirHerm & Jane Vande KerkhoffMary C. WalczakBrenda WeimerskirchFrancis & Jane (Leichty) WurmMr. & Mrs. James ZeyenSr. M. Susanne WenningerCatherine Stocklin FamilyEd & Grace WestrickDorothy WodrichSr. Theresa Mary HickeyEdward & Diane BugnerDeceased 1941 NDA classmatesJane O’SheaFamily membersErnestine Koehn Koontz

Missionaries for a Time -Diane O’Connor is headed for the Philippines and is the first person to participate in the new Missionaries for a Time experience offered by the Toledo Province. The new venture enables volunteers to live in community and focus on the four cornerstones of spirituality, service, simple living, and community.

Diane is a mother of three and grandmother of seven (soon to be eight). “I have envisioned myself as a missionary since I was a little girl. I’ve always wanted to minister to the poor. I even applied as a volunteer for SS Hope (missionary ship) after high school, and then I got married and had my family,” Diane explained.

Her missionary dream might have been postponed by 40 years, but the desire remained. She has been

a home health aide since 1987 and is ready to spend a year in Guimaras and Iloilo, Philippines with SNDs from Indonesia. She also became an

SND associate in the fall of 2011, sponsored by Sr. Linda Maria Pelagio, SND, who is from the Philippines.

“Sr. Linda Maria Pelagio has had an influence on me for the last 20 years. I met her when I volunteered to take a blind man to a meeting and after that I became a volunteer for the blind doing all kinds of things! Sr. Linda Maria is a great role model,” Diane said.

A domestic Missionary for a Time experience is also offered

Diane O’Connor

through the SNDs in Toledo, Ohio. For more information about the international or domestic experience, contact Sr. Mary Joselyn Weeman at jweeman@toledosnd.org.

What’s New?

Justice Peace and Integrity of Creation - Congregational superior, Sr. Mary Kristin Battles, recently appointed Sr. Mary Patricia Dorobek from the Toledo Province as the first full-time congregational Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation (JPIC) Coordinator.

Sr. Mary Pat’s role will include keeping the Congregation informed about current JPIC issues, finding ways to connect local JPIC works and projects across the broader congregation and stimulating action and advocacy at all levels. Sister will also be working very closely with Sr. Mary Jo Toll, our congregational representative at the United Nations. Sr. Mary Pat will be moving to Rome this summer to begin her responsibilities.

Rest in peace . . .

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Sr. Mary Carola Billat, died at the age of 88 on February 29, 2012. She grew up in East Toledo and attended St. Louis School where she first knew the Sisters of Notre Dame. As a child she learned piano and later mastered the cello and organ. In later years she would serve as organist and choir director in many of the parishes where she

taught. She received a bachelor’s degree from Mary Manse College and a master’s degree from Ball State University.She attended Notre Dame Academy and became an Aspirant during her junior year. She first professed vows in 1943 and spent 49 years in education, teaching grades three through eight. For ten years she served as principal and administrator of three Toledo diocesan schools. Sr. Mary Carola served at Christ the King, Gesu, St. James and St. Michael schools in Toledo; St. Paul

and St. Mary schools, Norwalk; St. Joseph School, Maumee, St. Mary School in Leipsic; St. Augustine School, Napoleon; Immaculate Conception School, Bellevue; St. Michael Ridge, Defiance; Sacred Heart School Fremont; St. Mary School, Sandusky; St. Wendelin, Fostoria; Immaculate Conception, Port Clinton, and St. Jude School, Fort Wayne, Indiana.She was principal at St. Michael, Sacred Heart and St. Michael Ridge schools. Sr. Mary Carola kept a class record of every class she had.She was known for her love of junior high students and wrote, “I loved all my students, but junior high students were my delight. They need someone to love and support them and help give them a positive self-image.” A former student recalled a simple sign that hung on the wall of Sister’s classroom that read “Everything that happens in this classroom will be a positive experience.” He noted that she could turn what seemed like failure into something constructive, leaving her students with a feeling that with consistent effort they could succeed. Sr. Mary Carola’s personality was marked by warmth, optimism, humor and wit and genuine kindness. May she enjoy eternal life.=

Sr. Mary Cyprian Kemper died on February 16, 2012, at the age of 96. She was a member of the SND community for 73 years and spent her lifetime caring for others.Sister Cyprian’s religious life with the Sisters of Notre Dame was devoted to domestic service at parishes throughout the Diocese of Toledo. She assisted in cooking, cleaning, laundry, sewing, and anything else involving homemaking. She attended grade school and began high school in Fort Recovery, Ohio, but had to drop out to help earn money for her family during the Great Depression. She worked in the kitchen at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary, near Cincinnati. After the seminary reduced their staff and she lost her job, she helped take care of the sick and provided family care. She helped out a motherless family for a year before entering the Sisters of Notre Dame in 1936.

Sister Cyprian professed her final vows on Aug. 16, 1939. Among the Toledo-area parishes where she provided care were Gesu, St. Mary, and St. Louis as well as Notre Dame Academy. In northwest Ohio she served at St. Joseph, Crestline; St. Joseph, Monroeville; Sacred Heart, Bethlehem; St. John, Delphos; St. Wendelin, Fostoria; St. Joseph, Fremont; St. Paul, Norwalk, and St. Mary, Sandusky. She assisted in the kitchen at Lial Convent in Whitehouse from 1983 to 2003 and was skilled in sewing. Sister Cyprian enjoyed quilting and loved to make aprons and

potholders.=

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. . .enjoy eternal life Sr. Mary Susanne Wenninger died at the age of 98 on March 23, 2012. She celebrated her 75th Jubilee in 2009.She endeared herself to all with her curiosity and spirit of independence. She attended St. Mary’s Elementary School and Notre Dame Academy before she entered the Sisters of Notre Dame in 1931.

Sr. Mary Susanne received her BA from DeSales College in Toledo and spent 53 years as a teacher in Toledo Diocesan schools which included: St. Joseph, Fremont; St. Mary and St. Paul in Norwalk; St. Mary, Leipsic; St. Joseph, Maumee; St. Wendelin, Fostoria; St. John, Delphos; Immaculate Conception, Bellevue; St. Augustine, Napoleon; and St. James, Sacred Heart, Gesu, St. Louis, St. Ann, and St. Michael in Toledo.

Sr. Mary Susanne reached out to her sisters who lived in distant states or countries sending them letters and packages from home. She had a special place in her heart for the PNG mission where her sister, Sr. Mary Virginia, and her niece, Sr. Mary de Porres, spent many years in missionary service.Sr Mary Susanne was always learning and was an avid reader. At age 93 she went on a sabbatical designed for sisters seventy years or older. Every summer Sr. Mary Susanne ministered in the Health Care Center (HCC) during her vacation weeks, helping with the care of the sick and the elderly. When she retired from teaching in 1987, she found a new full-time ministry in the HCC which she continued for nine years. She later lived at Lial Convent in Whitehouse, OH, and loved visiting the nursing home in that area. When she returned to the Provincial Center in 2007, she became a nurse aide in the HCC providing service to those in need. She is survived by her natural sister, Sr. Mary Virginia, SND; and nieces Sr. Mary Magdalen Westrick and Mary dePorres Westrick. =

Sr. Mary Edward Ann Hoffman peacefully entered into eternal rest on Monday, April 30, 2012, after 63 years of religious life. Throughout her life she enthusiastically shared her creative and artistic talents as well as a spirit of adventure instilled in her by her family. She was born on August 11, 1931, and she spent her early years on the family farm in Millersville, Ohio.She attended St. Mary School in Millersville and Notre Dame Academy in Toledo before she entered the Sisters of Notre Dame in 1949. Sr. Mary Edward Ann received her B.A. and M.A. from Mary Manse College in Toledo. She ministered in the following Toledo Diocesan schools as teacher for 40 years and a principal for 18 years: St. Augustine, Napoleon; St. Joseph, Fremont; St. Wendelin, Fostoria; St. John, Delphos, and St. Ann, St. Michael, St. James, Christ the King, Holy Rosary, and Gesu in Toledo as well as Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, in Carmel, Indiana.

Her love of farming and appreciation of the land prepared her for participation in rural life ministry. She was active on the Ohio Catholic Rural Life Committee, Diocesan Rural Life Advisory Board, and Ohio Grassroots Town and Country Commission. She was an articulate advocate for rural life issues. Sr. Mary Edward Ann enjoyed planning, writing and decorating for the events in her convent home, and her unique talents were wonderfully displayed at FamilyFest. She

had her own booth which included a large number of artificial flower arrangements, crafts, and living plants. =

Thank you for your support of the Sisters of Notre Dame!You and your intentions are in our prayers.

Non-profit org.

U.S. PostagePAID

Toledo, Ohio

Permit No. 741

3837 Secor RoadToledo, OH 43623

EMPOWERED BY GRACE

Srs. Linda Maria Pelagio, Jan Marie Lonsway and Mary Jo Szpila in the backyard of Hope Home in Oregon, Ohio.

Path to Life, Inc. recently announced that three Sisters of Notre Dame are staffing Hope Home, a maternity home in Oregon, Ohio, with the capacity for five pregnant women, 18 years and older. Women live at the five-bedroom home until the birth of their child. The home’s three-year license was recently approved by the Ohio Department of Health.

Sisters Mary Jo Szpila, Jan Marie Lonsway and Linda Maria Pelagio will live next door to Hope Home and manage the home’s upkeep, help the young women establish short-term and long-term goals, raise program funds and recruit volunteers.

“We have a need for enthusiastic and capable volunteers to assist the staff in providing

24/7accompaniment to the women. Volunteers may consider working at Hope Home in pairs and primarily will provide supportive presence to and companionship with the residents,” said Sr. Mary Jo Szpila, director.

“Some volunteers are needed to provide transportation to and from doctor appointments and classes if they are enrolled in school. Volunteers who can oversee activities such as crafts and sewing, or help with tutoring would be great to have too,” Sr. Linda Maria added.

Interested volunteers should contact Sr. Linda Maria at 419-913-8331 or lpelagio@toledosnd.org.

Hope Home