Congratulations to our 2025 winners: Karen Cassidy (Angeline Award) and Missy Bartlett (St. Angela Merici: Pilgrim of Hope Award)

The Ursuline Sisters of Louisville presented their final Angeline Awards to two remarkable women during a special Mass on October 19, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. in the Motherhouse Chapel on the Ursuline campus.

Reflecting the exceptional quality of this year’s nominees and the historic significance of St. Angela Merici’s 500th anniversary pilgrimage during this Jubilee Year: Pilgrims of Hope, the Sisters honored both candidates with distinct awards.

Karen Cassidy, Sacred Heart Academy alumna and director of Hildegard House, received the traditional Angeline Award for her transformative work in compassionate end-of-life care. Additionally, the Sisters introduced a special “St. Angela Merici: Pilgrim of Hope” Award, which was presented to Mary “Missy” Bartlett, theology teacher at Sacred Heart Academy, for her invaluable contributions to Ursuline education and charism formation.

Karen Cassidy: Angeline Award Recipient

Karen Cassidy has dedicated her career to caring for society’s most vulnerable through her work in palliative and hospice care. As director of Hildegard House—Kentucky’s only compassionate care home—she provides dignified end-of-life care for those who might otherwise die alone.

Connected to the Ursuline community as the daughter of Al and Barbara Cassidy, niece of Sr. Noreen Emrich, and graduate of Sacred Heart Academy, Karen became deeply concerned about terminally ill patients discharged from hospitals with nowhere to receive hospice care.

Inspired by a 2014 pilgrimage to Germany where she learned about Hildegard of Bingen, Karen founded Hildegard House in the former St. Joseph Convent on Adams Street. Her work embodies her life motto: “I am a feather on the breath of God.”

Karen holds an MBA from Bellarmine University and an EdD in Leadership Education from Spalding University. She received the WLKY Bell Award for Community Service and Jefferson Award for Public Service in 2016.

Mary “Missy” Bartlett: St. Angela Merici Pilgrim of Hope Award Recipient

Mary “Missy” Bartlett has profoundly impacted Catholic education through her 40-year career in religious education. As a theology teacher and former department chair at Sacred Heart Academy, she has woven the Ursuline Charism throughout the school’s educational mission.

Missy expanded the senior-level Ursuline Charism course started by Pat Wathen, now required for all Sacred Heart Academy graduates, ensuring thousands of students graduate understanding St. Angela Merici’s teachings. Her research into Angela Merici and Ursuline history has become an essential resource shared with other educators.

As department chair, Missy built the theology curriculum around Vatican II Catechism while developing courses in spirituality and social justice. She supported retreat programs, service projects, and educational experiences that connected directly to students’ lives.

Missy holds a BA in Humanities with a concentration in Theology from Bellarmine College and an MA in Religious Studies from Providence College. Her teaching approach follows St. Angela Merici’s methods, focusing on “change of heart” that encourages personal growth while addressing real-world challenges.

About the Angeline Award

The Angeline Award was established in 1991 and named in honor of St. Angela Merici, founder of the Ursuline Order, recognized individuals who exemplified the Ursuline values of education, service, and spiritual growth. This final presentation marked the conclusion of this prestigious recognition program in this significant anniversary year.

The Ursuline Sisters of Louisville celebrated these two exceptional women who embody the spirit of St. Angela Merici through their dedicated service to others.

Past Recipients of the Angeline Award

2022: Carmen de la Cuba
Joy Green
2018: Dr. Cynthia Crabtree, Louisville
2016: Cory Lea Lockhart, Louisville
2014: Carolyn Neely, Cumberland, MD
2012: Patricia Ann Geier, Louisville
2010: Paula Fangman, Shelbyville, KY
2008: Mary Ann Kopp Hubbs, Louisville
2006: Mary Louise “Peasie” Fischer, Louisville†
2004: Shannon Lockhart, Guatemala City
2002: Mary Kwan, Houston, TX
2000: Jane Thibault, Louisville
1998: Maria Scharfenberger, Louisville
1996: Margo Thompson Borders, Louisville
1994: Barbara Emrich Cassidy, Louisville†
1992: Juanna Gil Sanchez, Callao, Peru†
1991: Donna McKinney Hanson, Spokane, WA†
†deceased