News and Events: Sister Rita Theresa

Sister Rita Theresa was not one of the founding members of our community, but she was a much loved addition to our family.  She transferred from another community and became a Sister of St. Joseph the Worker in mind and heart.

Sister Rita Theresa helping in the kitchen of Taylor Manor.

She was born in Pennsylvania in 1925, the only daughter of Dorsey Boyts and Mary Sweeny.  Sister's mother died when she was young and her father was unable to care for her and her two brothers.  So the children grew up in an orphanage.  Her father kept in touch with the children during their time there.  But Sister Rita Theresa said later in life that she used to dream of leaving the orphanage whenever she heard the sound of a train.

After leaving the orphanage, she went to school at Bellfield Trade School. When she completed her studies she worked at various jobs including a laundry service and a restaurant. She entered the Daughters of St. Rita and came to Kentucky with the community.  When she completed her religious training, she worked at Marydale Retreat Center and later at Taylor Manor Nursing Home.  She went back to school and obtained a nursing degree.

Sister Rita Theresa with Edena Krekeler and Besty Skindmore.

The Sisters of St. Joseph the Worker took over operating Taylor Manor in 1976 when the Daughters of St. Rita could no longer staff the nursing home.  Sister Rita Theresa opted to stay at Taylor Manor and join the Sisters of St. Joseph the Worker.  She transferred her vows in 1978.  She helped out where ever she could, working as a nurse, helping in the kitchen and working as the sacristan of the chapel.

She had a talent for making ceramics.  A benefactor gave her a kiln and she spend her free time making beautiful ceramic gifts for our benefactors.  She was also known for making home made fruit cake. Often she was called to go to our Motherhouse in Walton to help out with cooking for retreat and special celebrations.

She developed cancer in 1995.  She retired and became a resident of the nursing home she loved and called home.  She passed away in 1996 at the age of 71.

News and Events: Foundress Day.

This week the Sisters celebrate Foundress day.  It was nine years ago that our foundress, Mother Ellen Curran, passed into her eternal reward.  You probably have noticed the sometimes I post quotes from Mother Ellen on the community facebook page.

Mother Ellen was a prodigious letter writer.  In the days before social media, she kept in touch with her family, the sisters in the community, priests and friends.  Her letters range from deep spiritual thoughts to sharing news about her family.

Mother Ellen was totally convinced that God had called the Sisters of St. Joseph the Worker into being.  And she was equally convinced that He had called them to Northern Kentucky. In a letter written in 1975 she wrote, “I am daily more positive that God had us come to Northern Kentucky for a reason and He will see to its fulfillment in His good time. It may be more for His glory and my sanctification not to live to see it to fruition”

  She had no doubt about God's love and protection for her and the sisters.  Even in the times when there seemed to be difficulties and crisis.  Reading her letters taught me that she was a woman of deep faith.

We can learn and grow in our faith and trust in God by trying to follow Mother Ellen's lead.  She was always thankful to God for everything that happened.  In her letters she writes that she may not see God's purpose in the events that were happening around her.  But she also trusted that those events, whether easy to deal with nor not, were from the loving hand of her Divine Spouse.   She wrote in a letter to a priest who was a long time friend, “There are many things in this life that we will never understand, but, if with God’s grace we bear crosses lovingly, we will always be the better for it.”

Eternal rest grant unto Mother Ellen, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon her.  May her soul and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.

Doing Everything with Love

I am always doing something unique and fun for my students during music class.  What I do is not important, but how much love I put into every little action of my day is of great importance!  Think of the Little Way of St. Therese of the Child Jesus.

News and Events: Weather

Christmas is over, the New Year has begun and the children are back in school.  And it's winter!  How is the weather where you live? I have to admit that l like the snow.  I like going out and playing in it.  Sister Patricia Jean likes to take walks in the early morning snow before anyone else has gotten out.  She says that she is able to hear the quiet.  It is a time of prayer and reflection for her.  I know snow can be a bother at times but it can also be a time to give thanks to God.

A winter scene from a few years ago.

There are many times and places when we can turn our minds to God and reflect on His goodness.  Instead of getting mad at someone's crazy driving, we can pray that they reach their destination in safety.  You can pray for the person in line at the grocery store while you are waiting.  You can thank God for the beautiful sunset or sunrise.  And yes, you can even thanks God for the snow.

We can have two different attitudes in life.  One attitude is to look at all the things that are not going our way and grumble about it.  The other is to look at all the good in people and rejoice at the many hidden blessings in our lives.  Yes, there are tough times in our lives.  Yes, the snow can pile up and the wind blows and we can find ourselves getting colder and colder.  Those are the times the we need to spend more time with God.  We need to draw nearer to Him and to ask for His help.  He is ready and willing to help because He loves us so much.

So whatever the weather is in your area, give thanks to God.  Keep a postivie attitude while you wait for the flowers to bloom in spring.

News and Events: Happy New YEAR!

Happy New Year!  What is your New Year's resolution? Do you make a New Year's resolution?  I have to admit that I don't.  I save my resolutions for our annual retreat in the summer.  Then I try to make a resolution that will bring me closer to God.  Making resolutions to lose weight or to get more organized or to stay in contact with family and friends are great things to do.  But looking back I realized that the resolutions I made on New Years were always focusing on the outside and not on improving the 'inner' person.  And of course I am like everyone else, I never kept them up through the year. So now I make retreat resolutions dealing with my spiritual life.  Because if I'm building myself spiritually, the graces to deal with the physical will be there. So Happy New Year.  Good luck with your resolutions.  I wish you all the blessings of the New Year for you and your loved ones.

Don't forger we are in SEEK2017.  We are looking forward to a great week meeting new friends, listening to inspiring confernce talks and of course praying with everyone.  If you are in the area, come by and meet us.