Editors note: The staff of The Catholic Telegraph wishes to express our gratitude to the following men and women religious celebrating jubilees in 2013 for their steadfast faith and dedicated service to the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. 

Franciscan Sisters of the Poor 

70 Years

Sister Rose Carmel Berberich, a Dayton native, worked in social work at St. Raphael’s in Hamilton, St. Michael’s Convent in Steubenville and St. John’s Social Service Agency in Cincinnati. She graduated from Our Lady of Cincinnati College, directed the Aspirancy for 10 years, and spent 10 years at the Franciscan Terrace where she pioneered pet therapy.

Sister Marie Clement Edrich grew up in White Oak, a suburb of Cincinnati. She attended the Cincinnati College of Pharmacy, and became the chief pharmacist at St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in Dayton. In 1954, she went to Rome to study theology at Regina Mundi School of Theology, following which she returned to United States and taught theology to the young sisters in Cincinnati. In 1974, she was elected to and spent the next 11 years as a member of the General Council. Today she is still active as a member of the House of Peace on Compton Road in Cincinnati.

Sister Clarita Frericks has served as a radiology technician at various Franciscan Sisters of the Poor hospitals, including in Dayton. She has also served in pastoral ministry. She was a founding member of the Blue Angels, volunteers who sat with dying patients at Franciscan Terrace in Cincinnati.

Sister Mary David Mulroy, a native of Reading, became a nurse and worked in various hospitals of the congregation. In 1961, she helped open a mission in Brazil, she worked in a maternity hospital, day center for children, and various clinics. Since her return, she has worked as at St. Clare Convent as a volunteer in the congregation’s residence for the elderly.

60 Years

Sister Rita Therese Kruthaupt began her ministry at St. Henry Parish, where she taught grade school. She went to Brazil where she helped take care of the children in the Cursillo. When she returned to Cincinnati, she went to school again to become an occupational therapist.  Subsequently, she worked at Drake Hospital for 12 years. Today, she teaches adults church history and Bible Studies.

Sister Mary Louise Sahm was a social worker for 29 years, working in Michigan and Ohio. Then she changed careers and became an archivist, earning several certificates, most notably a certificate in archival studies from the National Archives in Washington, D.C. She served as the congregation’s archivist for 22 years, and today she assists the Franciscan Brothers with the arrangement of their historical documents. She also volunteers in research at the Cincinnati Museum Center.

Sister Mary Virginia Schreiner, a Cincinnati native, initially taught in the congregation’s aspirancy program. She was elected general secretary of the congregation, after which she returned to Cincinnati to help open Resurrection House of Prayer. She also served in Dayton at Schroeder Manor’s Alzheimer’s unit, and at Franciscan Terrace. She is currently working with the elderly sisters in the Magnificat Community at St. Clare Convent.

50 Years

Sister Christine Edwards ministered in social services at St. Elizabeth Hospital in Dayton and Providence Hospital in Cincinnati. She currently works at the Lighthouse Renewal Center and serves on the Council for Charismatic Renewal, including nine years as president. She continues to serve as chairperson of the council’s Religious Services Team for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati and the Diocese of Covington.

Sisters of St. Francis, Oldenburg, Ind.  

75 Years

Sister Irvin Marie Kreimer, a native of Cincinnati, ministered as a teacher at St. Aloysius, Saylor Park, St. Peter in Chillicothe, St. Peter in Hamilton, St. Anthony in Dayton, St. Catherine in Cincinnati, and Sacred Heart, Fairfield. She also served as teacher and principal in schools in Indiana, Illinois, and Missouri. In 1983, she returned to the motherhouse to manage the Office of Human Resources with lay co-workers and with sisters in pre-retirement.  Sister Irvin Marie retired from active service in 2000, and is currently a resident of St. Clare Hall, the healthcare facility for the Oldenburg Franciscan Sisters.

70 Years

Sister Carol Ann Angermeier ministered as teacher and principal at St. Clare and Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Cincinnati, and as teacher at St. James the Greater in White Oak. She also served as educator in parish schools in Indianapolis, North Vernon, Richmond, Oldenburg, and Aurora, Ind., and St. Louis and Portage de Sioux, Mo., to be followed by domestic service in southern Indiana. Currently retired and in residence at the Oldenburg motherhouse, she volunteers time and labor at Michaela Farm.

Sister Corrine Ann Brown, formerly Sister Georganne, taught at St. Anthony in Dayton, St. Clement in St. Bernard, and Fenwick High School in Middletown. In Indiana, she taught at parish schools in Aurora, Indianapolis, Lawrenceburg, and Oldenburg. In 1982, she transitioned into parish ministry at St. Peter in Hamilton, and continued that ministry in parishes in Iowa and Wisconsin.  From 1993 to 2004, she ministered as chaplain/director of pastoral care at St. Vincent Medical Center in Florida, followed by an assignment as chaplain at Mercy Hospital, Mt. Airy, in Cincinnati, from 2004 to 2008. Sister Corrine Ann retired to the motherhouse in 2008.

Sister Patty Campbell, formerly Sister Suzanne, a native of Ohio, began her teaching career at St. Aloysius in Bridgetown, and later taught at Carroll High School in Dayton. In Indiana, she taught in Indianapolis at Holy Rosary and Scecina High School. After four years as a core member of the House of Resurrection in Cincinnati, Sister Patty began ministry as pastoral associate at St. Peter in Chillicothe. She continued as pastoral associate in Oklahoma and as parish life coordinator in Indiana. Currently in residence at the Oldenburg motherhouse, Sister Patty is a spiritual director, a massage therapist, and T’ai Chi Chih instructor.

60 Years 

Sister Bernadette Asbach, a native of Cincinnati, taught elementary grades at St. Peter in Hamilton and Our Lady of Mercy in Dayton. In Indiana, she taught in Enochsburg, Indianapolis, and Evansville. She was religious education coordinator at St. James and pastoral associate at St. Leo in Cincinnati. Sister Bernadette served as administrative assistant in the Family Life Office of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, as pastoral associate at St. Michael Parish and as a receptionist at St. Joseph Home in Cincinnati. For the past 11 years, she has served as associate director and receptionist in the Franciscan Office of Development, St. John the Baptist Province in Cincinnati.

Sister Norma Jean Hynes, formerly Sister Dolorose, began her ministry as elementary school teacher at St. John in Middletown.  In Indiana, she taught in Clinton, Beech Grove, and Indianapolis.  In 1980, she trained to serve on the nursing staff at the Oldenburg Motherhouse. Currently, Sister Norma Jean resides in Oldenburg and serves as a seamstress in the Sewing Room.

Sister Joan Luerman taught at St. Clement in St. Bernard, and St. Catharine in Cincinnati. Her teaching experience continued in Indianapolis and Bedford in Indiana, New Buffalo in Michigan, and St. Louis, Mo. After her experiences as teacher and principal, Sister Joan served as pastoral minister at St. Vincent de Paul in Bedford, Ind., for 22 years until her retirement to the Oldenburg motherhouse in 2010.

Sister Martine Mayborg, a native of St. Bernard, Ohio, taught at St. Bernard, Taylor’s Creek. In Indiana, she taught in Indianapolis and Charlestown. In 1960, Sister Martine was one of the initial four Oldenburg Franciscans who responded to a request to serve in Papua, New Guinea. At various mission stations in the Mendi Diocese, she served as teacher, headmistress, parish minister, literacy secretary and diocesan secretary. After 51 years of missionary service, Sister Martine returned to the Oldenburg motherhouse where she now remains active as assistant in the Sewing Room.

Sister Kathleen McShay taught at St. Mary in Middletown and at St. Bartholomew in Cincinnati, returning some years later as director of religious education and pastoral associate at St. Mary in Oxford. In the interim Sister Kathleen taught in parish schools in Evansville, Indianapolis, and Richmond in Indiana. In 1969, she transitioned into ministry as hospital chaplain at Community Hospital in Indianapolis, and Richmond Hospital in Richmond, Ind. As a Certified Nursing Assistant she provided home health care and hospice care in the Batesville area, southern Indiana.  Currently, Sister Kathleen is retired and resides in St. Clare Hall in Oldenburg.

Sister Mary Schmidlin, formerly Sister Victoria, taught at Our Lady of Mercy in Dayton and St. Aloysius in Bridgetown. She also served as teacher in Aurora and Princeton in Indiana, as religious education director and pastoral associate in Roseville, Flint, Waterford, Livonia, Grosse Pointe Farms, and Sterling Heights in Michigan. Currently, she serves as a staff associate at Riverside Chapel Funeral Home in Waterford, Mich.

Sister Sue Ann Vallo, formerly Sister Bonita, a native of Dayton, taught at St. Peter in Hamilton, Sacred Heart in Fairfield, Our Lady of Mercy in Dayton, and St. Gabriel in Cincinnati. She served at Good Shepherd and St. George in Cincinnati as a religious education teacher and campus minister. She also ministered in Batesville, New Albany, and Greensburg in Indiana, as a director of religious education in Roseville, Mich., and as nurse assistant in Oldenburg. Currently, she is a receptionist at Franciscan Media Center, St. Anthony Messenger, in Cincinnati.

Sister Therese Wente taught at St. Bonaventure in Cincinnati.  She also taught in Greensburg and Batesville in Indiana, in Kansas City, Kansas, and St. Louis, Mo. She served for 13 years as a librarian at Marian University. After a sabbatical to study Spanish and Hispanic culture, Sister Therese ministered as pastoral associate and teacher of ESL in Chicago, El Paso, and Indianapolis. Her volunteer service in retirement is teaching ESL and working with the Hispanic community in the Oldenburg-Batesville area in Indiana.

50 Years 

Sister Jan Kroeger, a native of Cincinnati, taught at St. Anthony in Dayton, Sacred Heart, Fairfield, and St. James in Cincinnati.  She served as director of education at St. Joseph Orphanage, and as a guidance counselor at McNicholas High School. She also taught at schools in Indiana, served as a guidance counselor in Kentucky and at Oldenburg Academy in Indiana. Since 2002, Sister Jan has served as assisted living coordinator with the Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati.

Sister Jacquelyn McCracken, formerly Sister Ancilla, taught at St. Catharine in Cincinnati. She taught several years in Indiana before changing her focus to work as director of communication for the Sisters of St. Francis, then in an advocacy role in organizations, including: Council on Domestic Abuse, Indiana Coalition against Domestic Violence, and Breaking Free, Inc. She was executive director of IUPUI/IN Campus Compact, service learning program director at Cathedral High School, and is currently program associate for Indiana Network for Higher Education Ministries in Indianapolis.

Sister Elaine Merkel, formerly Sister Jolene, a native of Cincinnati, ministered as a teacher, director of religious education, and pastoral associate at various parishes in Indiana, in Beech Grove, Richmond, Aurora, Osgood, and Dover. In 2003, she began service as a hospital chaplain, first at Mercy Western Hills Hospital, and in 2011, at Mother Margaret Hall, Mount St. Joseph, Ohio, where she serves currently. In 2008, she earned National Chaplain Certification for NACC. She was awarded the National Caregivers Award in 2009.

Sister Diane Mersch, formerly Sister Mercita, a native of Cincinnati, taught at Ritter High School and Oldenburg Academy in Indiana before her transfer to Fenwick High School in Middletown, and later to Badin High School with residence at Corpus Christi Parish in Cincinnati. In 1987, she made a career change into social work. Following study at Ohio State University in Columbus, she worked in Kentucky and in Cincinnati as a social worker. Since 1997, she has served as a social worker at St. Lawrence School in Price Hill.

Sister Carol Royston, a native of Cincinnati, earned a bachelor’s degree at Marian University, Indianapolis, and master’s degree in educational leadership at Miami University, Oxford. She taught at Corpus Christi and St. Pius in Cincinnati during the 1970s. From 1979 to 2011, Sister Carol served as teacher and principal at St. Anthony in Streator, Ill. Currently, she serves as parish minister of Care to homebound and those in nursing homes.

This listing originally appeared in the November 2013 print edition of The Catholic Telegraph.