The staff of The Catholic Telegraph wishes to express our gratitude to the following women religious celebrating jubilees in 2015 for their steadfast faith and dedicated service to the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. The following were published in the December 2015 print edition of The Catholic Telegraph. Additional photos and bios will be published in January edition. View our previous listings for this year below.

Jubilarians Part 1 (2015)
Jubilarians Part 1 (2015)

Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur 

80Years

Sister Mary Alice Weber (formerly Sister Alice Therese) 

Sister Mary Alice served 40 years as a classroom teacher and principal at schools in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. They included St. Michael, Sts. Peter & Paul, Summit Country Day in Cincinnati; and Holy Family, Ascension and St. Helen in Dayton. She also served as primary and middle school teacher for 10 years in Columbus.  She then spent 18 years in pastoral ministry at St. Helen Parish in Dayton. She is currently serving in the ministry of prayer at Mount Notre Dame Health Center in Cincinnati.

70Years

Sister Ann Carolyn Blackburn (formerly Sister Ann Caroline) 

Sister Ann Carolyn was a classroom teacher and teacher assistant for28 years in schools and programs in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. They included Summit Country Day, Corryville Catholic, Children’s Hospital, Amber Park Montessori Center in Cincinnati, and the Headstart program in Hamilton. She spent an additional 30 years as a classroom teacher and aide in Chicago and Columbus. Sister Ann Carolyn is currently serving in the ministry of prayer at Mount Notre Dame Health Center in Cincinnati.

Sister Phyllis Dugan (formerly Mary Regina) 

Sister Phyllis spent 21 years as an elementary, middle, and high school teacher in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. She taught music appreciation, Latin, religion and English at Summit Country Day, St. James Wyoming and Mt. Notre Dame High School in Cincinnati, and at Julienne High School in Dayton. Sister Phyllis also served as principal and high school consultant in Chicago and assistant superintendent for secondary education in the Diocese of Cleveland. She then served eight years as director of pastoral service in the Diocese of Columbus. She currently serves in the ministry of community service at Mount Notre Dame Health Center in Cincinnati.

Sister Mary Margaret Fischer (formerly Catherine Joan) 

Sister Mary Margaret was a middle school teacher for 15 years at schools in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, including Cardinal Pacelli and St. James Wyoming in Cincinnati, and Holy Angels in Dayton.  She taught intermediate grades and was religious education coordinator in the Diocese of Columbus for 13 years. Sister Mary Margaret’s 21 years in pastoral ministry concluded with service at St. Catherine Parish in Cincinnati. She is currently serving in the ministry of community service at Mount Notre Dame Health Center in Cincinnati.

Sister Gwen Koza (formerly Sister Rose Julie) 

Sister Gwen was a middle school teacher for 18 years, 12 of which she spent in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati at schools including Mt. Notre Dame Academy, Sts. Peter & Paul, St. James Wyoming and Our Lady of the Sacred Heart in Cincinnati, and St. Mary in Hamilton. She went on to teach high school and college math for 32 years in Chicago, Columbus, Arizona and Florida, before serving for 14 years in pastoral ministry in Florida. She is currently engaged in the ministry of prayer at Mount Notre Dame Health Center in Cincinnati.

Sister Joanne Seiser (formerly Mary Gregory) 

Sister Joanne was an educator for 30 years, teaching music, English, Latin and religion at schools in Chicago, Columbus, and the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, including Mt. Notre Dame Academy, St. Augustine and Mt. Notre Dame High School in Cincinnati; and St. Stephen, Notre Dame High School and Badin High School in Hamilton. For the next 15 years, she served in lay ministry development and personnel administration before directing the Alliance for Work Education (AWE) Program at the Marriott in Dayton for seven years. Sister Joanne also served on the province leadership team for 12 years.  She is currently engaged in community service at Mount Notre Dame Health Center in Cincinnati.

Sister Margaret Usuka (formerly Ignatius) 

Sister Margaret spent 17 years teaching at schools in Chicago, Columbus, and in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, including St. George and Sts. Peter & Paul in Cincinnati, and St. Helen School in Dayton. She then was missioned to Kenya for 11 years, where she taught religion, math and art. Sister Margaret also served in pastoral ministry in Alaska for 11 years, directed the Blessed Kateri Center in Utah for six years, and served in Arizona for three years before serving as sacristan at the Mt. Notre Dame Health Center for 17 years. She is currently working in the ministry of community service at Mount Notre Dame Health Center in Cincinnati.

 

60 Years

Sister Christina Bartsch (formerly Christopher Marie) 

Sister Christina was a classroom teacher for 14 years at schools in Columbus, Phoenix and the Archdiocese of Cincinnati including St. George, St. Michael and Our Lady of the Sacred Heart in Cincinnati; St. Veronica in Hamilton; and Holy Family in Dayton. She served the next 38 years as consultant and director of religious education in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati at parishes including Holy Family Dayton, St. Joseph Springfield, St. Joseph Wapakoneta and St. Luke the Evangelist Beavercreek. She is currently in the ministry of community service at Mount Notre Dame Health Center in Cincinnati.

Sister Margaret Campbell (formerly St. Francis) 

Sister Margaret taught at St. Michael and Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Schools in Cincinnati for four years before heading to Arizona to serve as teacher, principal and pastoral minister for the past 50 years. She is currently a pastoral minister at St. Matthew Parish in Phoenix.

Sister Mary Ellen Carinato (formerly Mary Matthew)

Sister Mary Ellen started teaching in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, serving for 11 years at St. George, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart and Summit Country Day in Cincinnati, and Holy Angels in Dayton. For the next 20 years, she taught and directed religious education at schools in Phoenix, Columbus and Chicago. Sister Mary Ellen returned to Cincinnati and taught eight years at St. Francis de Sales in Lebanon, and directed the accelerated reading program at Corryville Catholic for 12 years. She is currently the librarian and accelerated reading coordinator at Corryville Catholic in Cincinnati.

Sister Lea Cozzini (formerly Agnes Cornelia)

Sister Lea taught nine years in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati at St. Joseph and St. Mary in Hamilton and Our Lady of the Sacred Heart in Cincinnati. For the past 48 years, she has taught middle school grades in Chicago. She currently teaches at St. Robert Bellarmine School in Chicago.

Sister Anne Flanagan (formerly Peter Marie)

Sister Anne taught middle school grades for 11 years in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati at St. Richard Chichester, Cardinal Pacelli and Sts. Peter & Paul in Cincinnati; and Immaculate Conception and Holy Angels in Dayton. For the next 21 years, she taught math at Notre Dame High School in Chicago before serving as community moderator at Mt. Notre Dame convent for six years and assistant to the director at the West End Emergency Center in Cincinnati for seven years. Currently, she provides spiritual direction and retreats, which she has done for the past 14 years.

Sister Lois Ann Meyer

Sister Lois Ann spent 29 years as a teacher, principal and assistant superintendent in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati at St. Susanna and Summit Country Day in Cincinnati; Immaculate Conception, St. Helen and the Diocesan Office in Dayton; and Catholic Central Community School and Queen of Peace in Hamilton. She went on to serve 15 years as superintendent of Schools and superintendent of Catholic education in the Raleigh, N.C. and Lafayette, Ind. dioceses. Sister Lois Ann is currently serving as the coordinator of Associates for the province.

Sister Marie Shields

Sister Marie was a primary and middle school teacher at schools in Columbus and the Archdiocese of Cincinnati for 14 years, including St. Paul and St. James Wyoming in Cincinnati and St. Mary in Hamilton. She served as religious education director for 15 years and pastoral assistant for 43 years in Columbus. Sister Marie currently serves as pastoral assistant at St. Matthias Parish in Columbus.

Sister Judy Tensing (formerly Albert Mary) 

Sister Judy was a teacher and principal for 20 years at schools in Chicago, Columbus and the Archdiocese of Cincinnati including St. Veronica in Hamilton, St. James and Holy Angels in Dayton and St. George in Cincinnati. She then spent five years in pastoral ministry at St. Joseph Parish in Cincinnati before becoming director of the West End Center/Power Inspires Progress in Cincinnati for 26 years and director of Notre Dame AmeriCorps program in Cincinnati for 10 years. Sister Judy currently serves as catering director at Power Inspires Progress, financial director at the West End Emergency Center and consultant to Notre Dame AmeriCorps.

Sister Frances Ellen Ulrich 

Sister Frances Ellen was a teacher and principal for 28 years at schools in Chicago, Arizona and the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, including Holy Angels and St. Helen in Dayton, and Sts. Peter & Paul and St. James Wyoming in Cincinnati.  She went into clinical pastoral education and was chaplain at the Hospice of Bluegrass for 14 years.  Sister Frances Ellen is currently serving in the ministry of community service at Mount Notre Dame Health Center in Cincinnati.

Sister Carol Wetli 

Sister Carol was a middle school and high school teacher for 16 years in Toledo and the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, including Mt. Notre Dame High School in Cincinnati. She spent seven years in campus ministry in Chicago before going to Zaire (now Congo) for two years to teach English and religion. When she returned, she spent eight years as a pastoral associate in Chicago, before returning to Africa to serve for 23 years in Nigeria as novice director, assistant treasurer and provincial team member. Sister Carol is currently serving in Nigeria as development director and teacher of novices and postulants.

50 Years

 Sister Linda Soucek 

Sister Linda was a middle school teacher and administrator for 17 years in Chicago.  After completing her dissertation in psychology, and for the past 21 years, she has provided counseling/therapy services. Sister Linda is currently in private practice as a clinical psychologist in Louisville and a part-time member of the province leadership team.

Sisters of Mercy 

75Years

Sister Mary Ruth Boudot

Sister Ruth was born in Cincinnati and has spent most of her life there. She taught for 40 years, mainly in the middle grades, at schools in Cleveland, Springfield and Urbana, Nashville, and Jamaica. For a number of years, she served as a patient representative in Mercy nursing homes and hospitals. From 1987-2005, Sister Ruth was involved in pastoral service in jails, where she conducted non-denominational prayer services on Sundays. For a long time, Sister Ruth participated in a charismatic prayer group and attended prayer conferences.

70 Years

Sister Beatrice Marie Baumgartner

A Cincinnati native, Sister Bea was a primary-grade teacher in Cincinnati and Piqua. The last place she taught was at Mercy Montessori. She then spent two years at the Sienna nursing home in Dayton. From 1984-1988, she worked as a nurse’s aide at McAuley Convent in Cincinnati, and she also worked for five years in the convent’s Braille library. After retirement, she was involved in service to people living in poverty.

Sister Mary Donata Ovelgonne

Sister Donata taught in the middle grades before ministering for about 10 years as a librarian and office worker at several schools in Cincinnati. From 1975-1988 she also was involved in community service at Lake St. Joseph—the sisters and her family all know that involved mowing the many acres there. After retiring to St. Bernardine Home in Fremont, she returned to gardening. She now lives at McAuley Convent in Cincinnati.

60 Years

Sister Mary Brenda Brady

Sister Brenda became connected with the Sisters of Mercy at Mother of Mercy High School. After she entered the community, she earned degrees at Edgecliff College and Xavier University. Sister Brenda taught at St. Mary, Urbana, Our Lady of the Rosary, St. Ignatius, and McAuley High School, and she was principal of St. Mary, Piqua, and St. Mary, Springfield. For 10 years, she coordinated programs at Peaslee Neighborhood Center. She spent three years ministering in Jamaica. She also taught GED classes and worked with Power Inspires Progress nonprofit training program in Cincinnati.

Sister Mary Naomi Buniff

Sister Naomi first met the sisters at St. Margaret of Cortona School. Several years later, her family moved to Texas, where she lived until her senior year of high school. She attended Mother of Mercy in Cincinnati for that final year, then entered the Sisters of Mercy. She taught in the archdiocese at Our Lady of Lourdes, St. Ignatius, St. Cecelia and St. Patrick’s, London. She also ministered in education, pastoral care and pastoral ministry in Tennessee, Kentucky and Jamaica. She has been active in the Blue Army, Right to Life and the charismatic movement.

Sister Elaine Mary Charters

Born in Springfield, Sister Elaine Mary attended Our Lady of Cincinnati College and Mercy Hospital School of Medical Technology. Later she earned a doctorate in biology from The Catholic University. She taught at Edgecliff College and Xavier University and, after her retirement from education, she served as the archivist for the Sisters of Mercy, Cincinnati Province.

Sister Mary Brigid Danaher

Born in St. Mary’s, Sister Brigid connected with the Sisters of Mercy through Our Lady of the Pines in Fremont. She graduated from Edgecliff College, taught elementary school, and earned a master’s degree from Aquinas College. Sister Brigid ministered as a parish director of religious education and later taught medical ethics at Mercy School of Nursing in Toledo. She continued to minister in healthcare in the areas of mission, ethics and pastoral care. She also served in pastoral care at the Hamilton/Fairfield hospitals.

Sister Mary Carmen Hrametz

Sister Carmen earned a bachelor of science in nursing from the College of Mount St. Joseph and a master’s of education from Xavier University. In the archdiocese, she ministered at Our Lady of Mercy Hospital, Coldwater, and Mercy Medical Center, Springfield. For 25 years she was the hairdresser at McAuley Convent, where she now lives.

Sister Ann Mary Lay

Born in Cincinnati, Sister Ann Mary attended Our Lady of Cincinnati College. Her ministry in education included years at Queen of Martyrs, Our Lady of the Rosary, Ascension, Cleveland, Our Lady of Lourdes, and Mercy Montessori. Sister Ann Mary served as principal at St. Margaret of Cortona and St. Cecelia schools. For a number of years she was a pastoral associate and cared for the elderly at Our Lady of Lourdes. Currently, she is involved in vocation work.