Our 2021 Jubilarians
Congratulations to our 2021 Jubilarians. Click on any name below and it will take you to their individual stories.
75th Jubilarians
Sister Elaine R. Schneider
Sister M. Grace Rabideau
Sister Irene Yosick
60th Jubilarians
Sister Lois Prebil
Sister Ann Freiburg
Sister Martha Kienzler
Sister René Simonelic
40th Jubilarians
Irmã Jeronima Marques da Costa
Sister Peggy Quinn
Sister Barbara Kwiatkowski
Sister Dolores Zemont
Sister Margaret Guider
Sister Elaine R. Schneider
75th Jubilarian
Sister Elaine R. Schneider was born in Columbus, Ohio, to the late Marie (Reidelbach) and Charles Schneider. She attended St. Mary and St. Dominic’s grade schools and then attended St. Mary’s High School in Columbus. Soon afterwards, she left to join the Joliet Franciscan Sisters in Joliet, Illinois, where she received her BA in 1957, earned a certificate of study from the Franciscan Institute and received an MA in 1968, all at the College of St. Francis (now University of St. Francis).
In 1948 her first assignment was at Sacred Heart in the Englewood area of Chicago, Illinois, and for the next 23 years, she would continue to teach children in Catholic schools across Illinois, Ohio, and Alabama. From 1971-1976, Sister Elaine returned to the Motherhouse in Joliet and soon began teaching GED (General Educational Development) classes to adult students at Joliet Junior College. Sister Elaine loved this ministry, however, her heart remained in teaching children.
She moved to Phoenix, Arizona, where she began teaching 8th graders and subsequently served as Vice Principal. When she was nominated to receive the NCEA Miriam Joseph Farrell Award for distinguished Catholic elementary school teaching in 1981, one student wrote, “Sister Elaine is the best teacher I’ve had in ten years of schooling… she tries the hardest to get the most up to date teaching materials, she is the moderator for the Student Council, and has very good and original ideas that not only provide entertainment for the children, but also boosts school spirit. In closing, this recommendation for teacher of the year is only one way to say, ‘Thank You, Sister Elaine!’” Although she did not receive the award, she was truly loved and recognized in the eyes of many of her students and faculty members.
In 2000, she returned to Joliet, Illinois, to live at Our Lady of Angels Retirement Home (OLA). She devoted her time to the Congregation as a clerical assistant, a companion driver and Assistant Sacristan at OLA. Fully retired, she now lives in a ministry of presence.
Sister Grace Ann Rabideau
75th Jubilarian
Sister Grace Ann Rabideau is a member of the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Indians. She attended Holy Family School in Bayfield from first to tenth grade and graduated from Bayfield High School in May, 1945.
Inspired by the Joliet Franciscans during her formative years at Holy Family, she entered the convent and received the name of Sister M. Grace Ann. She attended the College of St. Francis (now the University of St. Francis) where she obtained a BA in Philosophy. Her first assignments were teaching first and second grades in both Illinois and Ohio.
In 1963, she was assigned to her home parish, Holy Family in Bayfield, where she taught grades fifth through eighth. She served as principal of the school from 1965-1971, and at the end of this term, she received a scholarship to attend the University of Minnesota where she earned an MA in Educational Administration. In 1972, she accepted a position as Counselor/Adviser to the American Indian Students at California State University in Northridge, California. While in Northridge, she began further studies and received an MA in Counseling and Guidance. After graduation in 1981, she moved to Montana where she served as a counselor for the St. Labre Indian School.
In 1984, Sister Grace Ann moved to Colorado where she worked in a program designed for the prevention of drug and alcohol abuse in American Indian youth. She then accepted a position at UCLA as an advisor to American Indian students while also serving as a board member and president of the American Indian Scholarship Committee of Southern California. After leaving UCLA in 1988, she worked as a counselor at Los Angeles Valley College in San Fernando Valley for a few years before returning to her hometown of Bayfield. Returning to Bayfield allowed Sister Grace Ann the opportunity to begin working for a federally funded program for women suffering from abuse on the Bad River Reservation in Odanah, Wisconsin.
“Living the Franciscan Life means that I am able to live through the vows I made, which is a life of prayer and an opportunity to deepen and to strengthen my relationship with God. I want to help bring PEACE to the people I am in contact with through my interactions,” writes Sister Grace Ann.
While still living in Bayfield, she served as a lector and eucharistic minister at Holy Family Parish and as a lector for funerals at St. Francis Parish on the Red Cliff Reservation. Before the pandemic, Sister Grace Ann would join the Elders on the Red Cliff Reservation for meals and other community gatherings. “I am privileged to pray, listen and be able to exchange fellowship with them,” she said. “I strive to be hospitable and welcoming to all people in my surroundings and to be helpful wherever and whenever I am able.”
Sister Irene Yosick
75th Jubilarian
Sister Irene Yosick was born on December 11, 1929, to the late Lillian (Soldan) and Francis Joseph Yosick of Shelby, Ohio. Her brothers Paul Francis and Thomas Michael are living, while Robert L., John William, Kenneth Albert and Dennis Anthony are deceased. Her sisters, Joan Marie Courtney is living, while Patricia Alice Lysinger and Sister Martha Ann Yosick (who was also a member of the Joliet Franciscan Sisters) are now deceased. All were members of the Most Pure Heart of Mary Parish in Shelby. This parish was home to 102 different Joliet Franciscan Sisters from 1932-1990, and it is where Sister Irene met the Sisters.
Sister Irene came to the Joliet Franciscans after attending St. Mary’s Grade School in Shelby. She attended St. Francis Academy (now Joliet Catholic Academy), then went on to further studies at the College of St. Francis (now University of St. Francis), where she received a BA in Mathematics. She next attended the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana, and received an MA in Educational Administration. Throughout the years, she also received further certifications from University of Dayton, University of St. Francis – Steubenville, Diocese of Toledo, and Ohio University, all in the state of Ohio.
Sister Irene ministered in the educational field for over 40 years. “My early religious life was one of frequent moves and adjustments. I thoroughly enjoyed working for various people of God. I especially regarded working with the poor and needy, both a challenge and a blessing. I learned more from them than they learned from me,” writes Sister Irene. When her parents became ill and needed round the clock care, Sister Irene returned home and began a new ministry of care for her parents while also teaching at St. Mary’s School.
When her parents died, Sister Irene continued the ministry of home health care for the next 30 years. “This was a very inspiring and loving ministry for me,” writes Sister Irene. She also became involved in the Eucharistic ministry and communion services at the Parish, continued to serve the elderly and began visiting people in care centers and driving them for errands. In her spare time, she would crochet chemo hats for cancer patients, prayer shawls and dishcloths for the poor.
When asked what Franciscan religious life means to her, she writes: “A special call to be a Franciscan has been an undefinable blessing. I have further developed a great love for all of nature and for all of God’s children. Most regarded is Franciscan simplicity, humility, prayerfulness and a sincere love for our Creator and all His works.” She continues: “I am forever grateful to the Sisters of St. Francis for all the training, workshops and preparation for ministry. My life has been filled with ever-changing and challenging days…It has been most satisfying to care for our youth and for our beloved senior citizens. My life has been beautifully fulfilling!
Sister Irene currently lives at Our Lady of Angels Retirement Home in Joliet, Illinois, where she spends her time praying, reading, writing letters, working puzzles, and crocheting items to donate.
Sister Lois Prebil
60th Jubilarian
Sister Lois Ann Prebil was born to Margaret Klemencic and Anton J. Prebil (now deceased) in Chicago, Illinois. She has a brother Anthony (Sheri) Prebil and two sisters, Kathleen (the late, Tim Monahan) and Rose (Jim Kasarda). Her early education took place at St. Procopius Grade School and St. Francis de Sales High School both located in Chicago, Illinois.
Sister Lois earned a BA in Mathematics from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, then obtained her MA in Mathematics and a MSOD (Master of Science Degree in Organizational Development) from Loyola University in Chicago. She has taught at various schools in Ohio and has served as a principal at St. Francis Academy (JCA) in Joliet, Illinois, St. Mary Cathedral High School in Saginaw, Michigan, and at Regina High School in Iowa City, Iowa. In the early 1980’s she left teaching and began working as a Social Care and Organizational Consultant. In 2000, Sister Lois began working with the Archdiocese of Chicago Office of Racial Justice and helped devise and implement their Anti-Racism Strategic Plan. She was pivotal in establishing the Anti-Racism Committee and in 2016 she helped the Congregation pass their Corporate Stance on Racism. Today, Sister Lois continues to work as a consultant with an emphasis on Anti-Racism.
“I love being Franciscan! I love being a Joliet Franciscan! I believe Jesus’ mystical prayer in John 17 applies to us. We are one! And there are many expressions of what it means to be a Sister of St. Francis of Mary Immaculate. I’m grateful for the inspiration of many marvelous sisters and associates I know now and those of the past. Being a Franciscan woman started with my loving family and has deepened throughout my life. I’m full of gratitude for the people and the ministries that have been in my Franciscan journey! When I think of all who have been part of my life during these 60 years, may they be blessed; I know I’m blessed! WE ARE ONE!”
Sister Ann Freiburg
60th Jubilarian
Sr. Ann Freiburg is a native of Lombard, Illinois, the daughter of Richard and Pauline Freiburg and one of five children. One sister, Elizabeth Burke, lives in St. Peter, Minnesota; another, Mary Wolff, in Downers Grove, Illinois; her youngest sister, Marjorie Wiemels and husband Gene, in University Heights, Ohio. Her brother Michael and sister-in-law Angela live in Manhattan, New York.
Sister Ann attended Sacred Heart School in Lombard, Immaculate Conception High School in Elmhurst, and the College of St. Francis (USF), where she earned a B.A. degree. Further education included an M.A. in literature from the University of Illinois-Champaign and a certificate in Religious Formation from the Aquinas Institute of Theology in Dubuque, Iowa.
After college she taught in the Los Angeles school system for several years before joining the Franciscan Sisters in Joliet. Teaching assignments included Bishop Ready H.S. in Columbus, Ohio (English), St. Thomas Aquinas in Canton, OH (English and Choral work) and the College of St. Francis (now the University of St. Francis) in Joliet, IL (English). She also served as Director of Formation and Novice Director for her community, and Director of Adult Education at St. Walter Church in Roselle, Illinois. At the time of her mother’s death in 1989, she felt called to the ministry of hospice work. She served as Coordinator of Bereavement Services and Chaplain for twenty tears at C.N.S. Hospice in Dupage County, Illinois.
Sister Ann says, “My Franciscan life has meant the world to me. It has been the perfect milieu for my interest in nature and environmental concerns, inter-religious dialog, the integration of science and spirituality, and issues of death and dying. Even amid the complexity of our modern world, the threads of my life are converging into a deeper, more unified and simpler appreciation for the meaning of life and our human experience. I am reminded of what T.S. Elliot wrote in one of his poems:
We shall not cease from exploration
And the end of all of our exploration
Will be to arrive where we started
And know the place for the first time.
These words speak to the growth in consciousness over a life-time; an awakening to God and God’s intentions for us, and awareness of the wonder of relationship with all beings, and gratitude for the depth of truth, beauty, and goodness in our human experience.”
Sister Martha Kienzler
60th Jubilarian
Sister Martha Ann Kienzler was born in Springfield, Illinois, on July 29, 1936. She was one of four children born to the late Clementine G. (Burger) and George T. Kienzler. Her brother George and her sister, Mary Schafer, are deceased. Her sister, Dolores Pellman, lives in Springfield, Illinois.
Sister Martha attended Saints Peter and Paul Grade School and graduated from Ursuline Academy in Springfield. She attended Springfield Junior College and received an associate degree before entering the Congregation in 1959.
She came to Joliet and began studies at the College of St. Francis (now University of St. Francis) and earned a BA in Sociology/Philosophy and a MA in Theology. She also has a MSW from St Louis University School of Social Work in St. Louis, Missouri. Sister Martha has done post graduate work at Loyola University, Academy of Clinical Social Workers, as well as certificates in ministry to the bereaved, geriatrics for non-physicians, and hotline protocols, just to name a few.
Since the Congregation was a teaching one, Sister Martha’s first assignment was teaching 4th grade at the Cathedral of St. Raymond School in Joliet. After a couple years of teaching, she became a case worker at Catholic Charities in Toledo, Ohio, then returned to Joliet to minister at the Congregation’s Guardian Angel Home where she served in the department of Social Services from 1973-1975. She returned to Ohio to work as the Director of Social Services at the Defiance branch office of Toledo Catholic Charities until 1981 when she was appointed the Director of Initial Formation for the Congregation. When her term ended in 1984, she was assigned to Sacred Heart in Muskegon Heights, Michigan, as a pastoral minister and remained until 1989. She returned to Joliet to minister in the Department of Social Services at Our Lady of Angels Retirement Home and remained until 1996.
For the next 11 years she served as Pastoral Associate at Immaculate Conception Parish in Morris, Illinois. She retired to a senior Sister community in the Guardian Angel building and later moved to OLA. She served as sacristan for the OLA community until 2015. Sister Martha serves the OLA community wherever she is needed and continues to express God’s love to the most vulnerable. One of Sister Martha’s hobbies is to trace her family’s genealogy which spans over three generations.
When asked what Franciscan Life means to her, Sister Martha writes: “Franciscan Religious Life is for me a vowed commitment to live the Gospel Life in the spirit of Francis and Clare. It is living the Good News that God is love overflowing; that all creation is good, that Jesus Christ is the incarnation of that love which shows us how to return God’s love…Franciscan Religious Life projects the ‘reign of God’ as here and now through the sacramental life of the Church and service to one another.”
Sister René Simonelic
60th Jubilarian
Sister René Simonelic 60 Year Jubilarian Sister René Simonelic was one of two girls born to the late John and Alice Simonelic, in Chicago, Illinois. Her sister, Colette (Ted) Wysocki, lives in Tucson, Arizona.
Sister René attended Fordham University in New York where she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Education. She also has a certificate of Church music and liturgy from St. Joseph College in Indiana. She went on for further studies at Indiana State University and obtained a Master of Science degree in Music, majoring in voice and choral conducting. In 1990, Sister René completed a Master of Arts degree in Liturgical Studies from St. John’s University in Collegeville, Minnesota. She was recognized, in 2005, by the Kellogg School of Management as an Executive Scholar in Nonprofit Management.
Sister René taught music and religion at elementary and secondary schools throughout Illinois and Florida. She became chair of the Fine Arts Department at Resurrection H.S. in Chicago and from 1969-1978 was the director of music programs at the school. In the early 1990’s Sister René began working in the Office of Worship in a variety of parishes across Minnesota, Illinois and Arizona before becoming a Liturgical Consultant for the Diocese of Columbus, Ohio. In 2004, she was asked to become the Development Director for the Congregation.
In 2007, Sister René became the Director of General Programming for the Office of Divine Worship in Chicago, Illinois, where she remained until 2013. She then spent a year assisting in the Upper Room Crisis Hotline as Project Manager before accepting the position of Director of Liturgy and Music at Sacred Heart Church in Effingham, Illinois, until 2019. During that time, she was also a member of the Pastoral Council and the Fourth Synod of the Diocese of Springfield, Illinois. Sister René continues to be a Prophetic presence in the city of Effingham where she currently resides.
“I chose the Franciscan Way because it sounded so in tune with the ordinariness of life. It offered me the inspiration, support and example of wonderful sisters and brothers in what has become a profoundly life-changing journey of faith and commitment. My Joliet Franciscan path is filled with beauty to be recognized, hope to be shared, and songs to be sung. In this Jubilee year I celebrate the glimpses of beauty that have touched my heart and enabled my song,” said Sister René.
Her favorite Scripture passage is: “I will sing to the Lord all my life; I will sing to my God as long as I live.” (Psalm 104:33)
Irmã (Sister) Jeronima Marques da Costa
40th Jubilarian
Irmã (Sister) Jeronima Marques da Costa 40 Year Jubilarian Irmã (Sister) Jeronima Marques da Costa was born in Parauna, Goiás, Brazil. She is the daughter of Carmelita Marques da Silva and Eduardo Ventura da Costa, both deceased. She entered the Congregation in Brazil and professed her final vows in 1987.
Irmã Jeronima began ministering as a teacher at the Instituto San Damiano, the Congregation’s school in Brazil. She then began to minister at Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish and later ministered at Parque Antonio Parish, working with the youth of these parishes. In 1998, she became the Novice Director for the Brazilian Community, while also continuing to serve the parish of Parque Antonio. In 2001, she was elected as the First Regional Councilor in Brazil, a position she held again in 2009 and 2017.
One of her favorite spiritual quotes comes from Luke 5:4b, which states, Take the boat out in the deep water and lower your nets to catch some fish. “I enjoy everything I do,” added Irma Jeronima. “I have always been a teacher and I sincerely believe that a good education provides the students with what is necessary for their future.”
She went on to say, “Living as a Franciscan religious of Mary Immaculate these 40 years was always challenging for me. My reality was very different from the one I started to live in the large city centers, but with many opportunities for growth in all aspects—personal, spiritual, psychological. I had several very rich experiences of sharing life and gifts with the people of God, especially the less fortunate. I have the Congregation to thank for the opportunities I was given to deepen my experience with God, with others and with myself.”
Sister Peggy Quinn
40th Jubilarian
Margaret Mary (Peggy) Quinn is the third of four children born to Irene (Costello) and Joseph Quinn (now deceased) in St. Paul, Minnesota. She has two brothers, Patrick and Michael Quinn and a sister, Kathi Tennessen. Sister Peggy attended St. Pascal Babylon Grade School and Archbishop Murray Memorial High School (now Hill-Murray High School) in St. Paul. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the College of St. Catherine in St. Paul before entering the Congregation. She later studied at the University of Notre Dame where she earned a MA in Theology.
As a novice, Sister Peggy was assigned to Guardian Angel Home for her ministry experience. Then, from 1981- 2000, she was assigned to St. Francis Academy (now Joliet Catholic Academy) where she taught religion before becoming the campus minister at the high school. In 2000, she began serving as the campus minister at Holy Family High School in Broomfield, Colorado. During the Sisters’ General Chapter of 2008, she was elected to serve the Congregation as the Councilor for Franciscan Spirituality and again re-elected in 2012 for a second term serving in the same capacity. At the end of her second term in 2016, she was asked to serve as the Vocation Minister/Director for the Congregation and remains in this position to the present day. She also serves as the Justice Minister, as well as a Local Chapter Coordinator for the Sisters.
When asked about a special ministry during her religious life, Sister Peggy says: “A special collection of memories comes from experiences serving as Campus Minister both in Joliet and in Colorado through mini-Missionary trips with small groups of students, and from over 80 Kairos 4-day Retreats. During these mission trips, I enjoyed watching participants develop into a team, acting with care and respect for one another. They were able to share a new awareness of their faith, especially with people who have lives more difficult than their own. On Kairos retreats, I enjoyed being part of the growth in the students’ awareness of their own beauty, discovering the value and beauty in others and often having a deeper appreciation of their faith in a God who loves them. They experienced sharing at deeper levels, discovering what really gives their life meaning, asking tough questions in a safe place. And I got to be a part of it.”
In sharing her thoughts on living the Franciscan Religious Life, Sister Peggy shares: “Living a Franciscan Religious Life means for me to bring those very words to life. In response to God’s call ‘Living’ involves making the choice every day to find the meaning in every happening and every encounter. ‘Franciscan living’ helps me focus on Gospel values especially those modeled by Francis and Clare…peace, non-violence, joy, humility, compassion, care for each other and Earth as brother and sister. Living a religious life is commitment to a vowed life of public witness and community style of life thinking of the common good, growing in communication and responsibility to and with one another, for the sake of the Gospel mission.”
Sister Peggy enjoys music and reading as well as games, puzzles and travel. Wherever she travels she enjoys experiencing the diversity and the richness surrounding us.
Sister Barbara Kwiatkowski
40th Jubilarian
Born in Toledo, Ohio, Sister Barbara Kwiatkowski was the oldest child of Joan (Bialorucki) and Delvin Kwiatkowski, both now deceased. Her sisters are Susan Shible and Kathy McVicker, both live in Ohio. She entered the Congregation from St. Charles Parish in Toledo.
Sister Barb attended grade school at St. Anthony Grade school then transferred to St. Charles in Toledo. She graduated from St. Ursula Academy and attended the University of Toledo before joining the Congregation. She earned a BA from the College of St. Francis (now University of St. Francis) in Joliet, Illinois, and obtained a MA in Educational Administration from Dominican University in River Forest, Illinois.
Sister Barb spent 25 years working in secondary education at various high schools in the Chicagoland area. She has held various positions namely, Theology Teacher, Dean of Students, Assistant Principal and Campus Minister. She spent time in Brazil and speaks Portuguese. In 2005, Sister Barbara became the Vocation Minister for the Congregation, a position she held until 2011. She returned to Campus Ministry and remained at Joliet Catholic Academy until her election to the Governing Board as a Councilor in 2016.
“I met the Sisters of St. Francis who were working and living at Immaculate Conception Parish in Toledo in the mid 1970s. Their generous and dedicated service to the people in the parish really made an impression on me. Their service was not a service only of convenience. They were available and responded to the needs of the people of the parish at all times and in all places. I felt called to a life of deeper service because of their example. Being a person of service and living a life of integrity has only grown stronger in me over the past 40 plus years.
Sister Dolores Zemont
40th Jubilarian
Sr. Dolores Julia Zemont was born in Chicago, Illinois, to Julia (Janik) and Theodore Zemont, both deceased. She had one brother, Ronald Zemont, who is also deceased. Sister Dolores attended St. Joseph Grade School and St. Procopius High School, both in the Pilsen area of Chicago, Illinois. She earned a BA in English from the University of Illinois in Chicago, an MSA in Business Administration from the University of Notre Dame and an MPS in Pastoral Studies from Loyola University in Chicago.
After high school, she worked in the private sector for 13 years, finished college and only then joined the Congregation after some years of searching. Once becoming a Joliet Franciscan and professing her final vows, she spent the next 18 years as Director of Campus Ministry at the University of St. Francis. This was followed by another 13 years as a Pastoral Associate at St. Mary Parish in Mokena, Illinois, before being elected President of the Congregation, a position she has held since June 2012. Sister Dolores states: “These two longterm ministries were extraordinary experiences that I still carry deep in my heart. Both ministries helped me to grow in my understanding of the fullness of ministry and each, in a different way, helped to form my understanding of church and what it means to be a woman religious. In reality, they both helped to form me as a woman religious.
“As a lay woman, it took many years for me to find my way, or in reality, to hear and feel the “Hound of Heaven” who “followed after me.” You might say that I was like a ship without a rudder. But miraculously as I finally walked up the Motherhouse stairs, I felt deep inside that this was my call. I knew that I was to journey with all the women who had already said their “yes,” Joliet Franciscan Sisters whose lives have called me to more, who have nurtured my love for Francis and Clare, and have drawn me deeper into the reality of God’s love. Whenever we gather for Mass, I feel compelled to watch our Sisters going up to receive the Lord. Each time, I see our diversity of lifestyle, age and dress, recall the variety of opinions and viewpoints, and I am filled with the knowledge that we indeed are one; all trying our best, each in our way, to walk in the footprints of Jesus, united in the spirit of Mother Alfred, Francis and Clare. It is always a moving time for me. Each time, I feel united in spirit with the women with whom I walk and realize that alone, I cannot be who I am called to be. With my Sisters, their challenge, love, support and witness, I can.”
Sister Margaret (Meg) Guider
40th Jubilarian
Sister Margaret Eletta (Meg) Guider was born in Chicago, Illinois. She is one of two daughters born to her parents Eletta (Chiappetta) and Thomas Francis Guider. They, along with her younger sister, Mariann Therese Guider, are now deceased. As a child, Sister Meg attended the parish grade schools of St. Margaret of Scotland (K-6) and St. Pascal (7-8) in Chicago. During her adolescent years, as an aspirant at St. Francis Prep, she attended St. Francis Academy (now Joliet Catholic Academy) for grades 9-11 before transferring to Alvernia High School in Chicago for her senior year.
Upon graduation from high school, she attended the University of Illinois-Chicago and obtained a B.A. in Elementary Education and Special Education followed by a M.Ed. in Special Education. While working for the Missions Office of the Archdiocese of Chicago and serving as a chaplain at the Juvenile Detention Center, she obtained an M.A. degree in Theology from the Catholic Theological Union. She then went on to receive a Th.D. from the Divinity School of Harvard University (Cambridge, Massachusetts), and an S.T.L. in Systematic Theology from the Weston Jesuit School of Theology (Cambridge, Massachusetts). Her educational background also included studies at the Centro de Formaςão Intercultuaral in Rio de Janiero, Brazil, as well as the Franciscan Institute of St. Bonaventure University.
When asked what her special memory in ministry is, Sister Meg said: “One of my fondest memories in ministry takes me back to my time as a Joliet Franciscan associate in Santa Helena de Goiás, Brazil. As a lay missioner, a new world, a new language and countless new relationships introduced me to new ways of being and seeing – a new vision of Church, of mission, and of discipleship. Though I returned from Brazil after four years, a part of my heart has remained for the past forty-three. Today, I am now in my thirty-third year of teaching theology to aspiring priests, religious and lay women and men from around the world (including Brazil!), I trace my passion for theology, ministry and the world church to my years in Santa Helena where my adult journey as a Franciscan and a missionary disciple began.”
Sister Meg noted that: “Living religious life as a Franciscan Sister carries with it the privilege of being a part of the worldwide Franciscan Family. It means following in the footsteps of Francis and Clare and their early companions. It means living the Gospel way of life and embracing a preferential option for the poor, the vulnerable, the excluded and those on the margins, those who are considered to be of little worth. It means caring for Creation and entering into the Mystery of Incarnate Presence – the Mystery of God-with-Us. Every day, it means discovering another aspect of what it means to be sister and to live with a heart broken open. It means being a witness to the joy of the Gospel in a world longing for hope, justice, mercy, healing and compassion.”
When asked if she had hobbies, or a personal interest, Sister Meg said: “For many years, my interests have focused on the World Church and Global Catholicism. Amidst countless challenges, I Jubilarians 2021 never cease to be amazed by the resiliency and creativity of the People of God on every continent. It has been a blessing for me to have the privilege of learning from my students and colleagues, many of whom come from contexts outside of the United States. As one of my beloved colleagues used to say: ‘If you love what you do, you will never work a day in your life.’ How true this has been for me. Though I have never been devoted to a particular hobby, I do love foreign films – perhaps because they help me to better understand and experience the power of film to inform and transform our consciousness, deepen our commitments and stretch our horizons.”
Sister Meg is presently the Chair of the Ecclesiastical Faculty and an Associate Professor of Missiology at Boston College School of Theology and Ministry, Brighton, Massachusetts.