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The following is the homily given by Father Bob Ray at the Mass of the Resurrection for Sister Martha Buser, OSU, on November 28, 2023. First of all, Martha told me a couple of years ago, “When I die, tell them I’m happy.” From Martha’s lips to our ears, “She’s happy!” Martha believed the end result of living in Christ, is genuine and lasting happiness. The readings Martha chose for [...]

Sister Martha Buser, OSU, wrote this reflection on November 9, 2023. It was her last blog post she wrote before her death on November 18, 2023. She is now in the arms of her loving God, looking to new horizons. What can I do? People often ask that question. Maybe it's because it's an important question and maybe it's because it has so many answers, you can get tired of [...]

The following reflection is by Bonnie Chester, Ursuline Associate. Do you see me? These words might very well have been the ones that came to the mind of the victim in the parable of the Good Samaritan. This story is the gospel for Monday in the 27th week of ordinary time. Luke is the only evangelist to pen this story. He writes this narrative when Jesus  responds to a question [...]

The following is a reflection by Sister Martha Buser, OSU Noah is a two-year-old.  He is my  great-great-nephew, and he has a lot of wisdom, as apparently some children do. They express it in wonderful ways and are most often oblivious to what they know, until later, when they find out what they said. I was reflecting about something that he said some time ago. Noah enjoyed and still enjoys not [...]

The following is the reflection given by Sister Barbara Bir, OSU, at the funeral Mass for Sister Anne Mary Lochner, OSU on September 30, 2023. Micah 6: 8,9  2 Timothy 1: 1-7 John 4:4-41 You… You…You…We…have been told what is good and what God requires of you…of us.  Did you hear it? DO justice. LOVE goodness. WALK humbly with God. Micah, the prophet, was telling the people what religion is. [...]

The following is a reflection at Sr. Anne Mary Lochner’s Vigil Service given by Sr. Rita Ann Wigginton, OSU The Song we listened to was Daughter of God by Sarah Hart. The first reading was taken from the Last Counsel of St. Angela Merici to her daughters. The Gospel was Matthew 5:1-12 Sr. Anne Mary is a daughter of God, along with all of the women sung about in the [...]

By Bonnie Chester, Associate And The Oscar For Best Supporting Role Goes To… If you think about this title as you read the gospels and journey with Jesus during the last three years of His life, this award will have to go to Peter. I always think of him as Jesus’s “side kick.” The website bible.knowing-jesus.com counts 67 appearances of Peter in the gospels. John, the apostle, is called the [...]

Sister Martha Buser, OSU, age 92, who had falls at home in March and June that resulted in a broken cheek in March, a broken hip in June, and a lengthy recovery, recently reflected on how this injury, along with her loss of eyesight due to severe glaucoma and the effects of the fall, has affected her in her relationship with God and others.  In reflecting on my life experience, [...]

The following is a reflection given by Sr. Jean Anne Zappa, OSU, at a Mass for the Ursuline Sisters of Louisville on September 11, 2023, in the Ursuline Motherhouse Chapel. As we pray about peace on this 9/11 day, we most likely remember where we were when we heard the horrible news on September 11, 2001, 22 years ago and the many feelings we had that day and many days [...]

The following is a reflection given by Sister Janet M. Peterworth, OSU, and Kevin Karl at St. William Church in Louisville, Kentucky on September 3, 2023. Janet Peterworth: Remember Tevya in Fiddler on the Roof?  Remember how he argues with God? “Dear God,” he says, “was that necessary? Did you have to make him lame just before the Sabbath? That wasn't nice. It's enough you pick on me. Bless me [...]

The following is the reflection that Sister Jean Anne Zappa, OSU, gave at the funeral Mass of Sister Judith Rice, OSU, on August 10, 2023. I do not know how many of you knew that Judy did not like things to last too long—a meeting, a lecture, a homily, obviously not even her funeral liturgy. She chose short readings. I also don’t know if you knew Judy was directionally challenged. [...]

The following is a reflection by Ursuline Associate Bonnie Chester: The LORD said to Joshua, "Today I will begin to exalt you in the sight of all Israel, that they may know I am with you, as I was with Moses. Now command the priests carrying the ark of the covenant to come to a halt in the Jordan when you reach the edge of the waters." So Joshua said [...]

The following is a reflection given by Sister Sue Scharfenberger, OSU, at the Jubilee Mass on July 28, 2023, in the Ursuline Motherhouse. Deuteronomy 6:3-9;  Philippians 4:4-9; John 15:1-17. I have pondered these readings more times than I can count. On the one hand, they are so familiar. On the other, they are entirely new, bringing forth in me new images and memories, and challenges. The other, border crossings, women [...]

The following is a reflection that Ursuline President Jean Anne Zappa, OSU, gave at the missioning of Ursuline Sisters of Louisville, coworkers and Associates on Friday, July 28, 2023: When I was teaching high school, there was a section in the textbook on grace describing sanctifying, actual and sacramental grace. The students were trying to make some applications of grace to their own lives. So, when it was test time, [...]

Take Off Your Shoes By Ursuline Associate Bonnie Chester A couple of days ago, this question was posed by someone on social media: “When you get to Heaven, whom would you search for first?” Believe it or not, who came to my mind was Moses. You might think that was a strange answer compared to whom you would seek out. I credit Moses with getting the show on the road, [...]

The following is a reflection written by Sister Janet M. Peterworth, OSU, for Sunday, July 2, 2023: 68 years ago today, I was a bride. I wore a beautiful bridal dress with a long, flowing lacy veil. I was so nervous about what this was all going to mean for my future, but I walked up that aisle with my head held high. However, underneath all that bridal attire I [...]

The following is a reflection by Associate Bonnie Chester: “From terrible sinner to saint, from persecutor to persuasive preacher, Paul gives us all hope: no matter what kind of life we have lived, we can change. Indeed, we can be welcomed back into the fold,”1 a quote I read a few years ago on his and St. Peter’s feast day, June 29. When we first meet Saul in the Acts of [...]

The following is a reflection by Associate Bonnie Chester. Could I interest you into sitting down with your Bible, opening it to the Gospel of John and slowly, prayerfully, begin reading Chapter 17. There are numerous times that Jesus’ prayer to God, His Father, are recorded in the Gospels. The words that are probably the most familiar are those He says on the cross: “Father forgive them, for they know [...]

Sister Janet Peterworth has written a beautiful reflection for the Feast of the Ascension: “Men of Galilee, why are you standing here looking up to the sky?” Here they are again! These two men dressed in white asking obvious questions. We first met them in the tomb in Luke's account of the resurrection. Their question? "Why do you seek the living among the dead?" The question implies that the followers [...]

By Bonnie Chester, Ursuline Associate “Be still and know that I am God.” These biblical words from Psalm 46 have become an oft-repeated phrase. I have seen it on bumper stickers, posters and even coffee mugs! When you read it, you immediately think of becoming quiet before God in prayer, don’t you? Slowing down from the busy pace of your life, maybe picking up your Bible, or in my case, [...]

By Sister Rosella McCormick, OSU As I sit down to write this perspective, Derby week in Louisville is getting into full swing—balloons and boat races; fancy hats and the latest “hot and not so hot” fashions; mint juleps and chow wagons; famous faces and fine horses; and of course, WIN, PLACE, and SHOW bets. Most of us will enjoy watching THE Kentucky Derby. Recently, I was reminded of the Derby [...]

An Easter Reflection by Bonnie Chester, Ursuline Associate If you believe in the old adage “Seeing is Believing,” well, in the Bible, immediately after the Resurrection, there are inspiring stories of exactly this saying. The gospel writer, John, devotes two entire chapters to the events following Jesus' rising from the tomb. In total there are four episodes in chapter 20 where sight was needed to result in belief. The first [...]

“Let Him easter in us, be a dayspring to the dimness of us, be a crimson-cresseted east.” ― Gerard Manley Hopkins Gerard M. Hopkins’  lovely phrase presents a poignant challenge each spring. Yes, it is spring—that time of year when all the world turns into love; buds hurry to blossom; jonquils and dandelions dot the landscape; baby calves and colts are frisky in newly green meadows; and the birds go spastic. Richer [...]

A Good Friday Reflection by Sister Janet M. Peterworth, OSU: They did not think it was going to end this way. The women did not dream they would be standing at the foot of a cross. But death is women’s work. Blood is women’s mark. While the other Evangelists mention women at a distance, it is John alone who notes that the women—Mary, his mother; her sister, Mary the wife [...]

The following is a reflection for Palm Sunday by Sister Janet M. Peterworth, OSU:  A couple of years ago, I made a weekend retreat with John Dear, former Jesuit and longtime peace activist. He was discussing nonviolent demonstrations and their value in the struggle for justice. What Fr. Dear said fits well with Palm Sunday and so I share. Picture this. A large crowd of the people of Jerusalem were [...]

The following is a reflection given by Sister Janet M. Peterworth, OSU, at St. William Church, Louisville, Kentucky on March 5, 2023 Did you know that transfiguration is a core class and subject taught in year two at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry? Did you know that this class teaches the art of changing the form and appearance of an object or person? Did you know that transfiguration is [...]

The following is the reflection that Sr. Janet M. Peterworth gave at the funeral Mass of Sr. Mary Lee Hansen on February 8, 2023. Our readings today are so Mary Lee. She mixed and matched, spliced and patched the scripture pieces until she had exactly what she wanted us to hear on this occasion. “Be so full of God that you shine like the full moon, open up your petals [...]

Ursuline President Sister Jean Anne Zappa, OSU, gave the following reflection at the Mass celebrating the feast of St. Angela Merici on January 27, 2023. Sirach 2: 7-13; Colossians 3: 12-17; Matthew 5:13- 16 One word that seems to connect all three of the readings today is perseverance. In the first reading, we hear of the God of compassion who is in the midst of ambiguity and uncertainty in human [...]

By Kathy Williams Ursuline Associate and Director of Communications for the Ursuline Sisters of Louisville Right in the middle of Advent, we find two feast days devoted to Mary—the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception on December 8, which celebrates Mary being born without sin, and the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe on December 12. On the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, we celebrate Mary’s “yes” to God—confused as she [...]

By Sister Barbara Bir, OSU Our present world can seem like the end of time that Matthew tells us about.  “So it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. Two men will be out in the field; one will be taken, and one will be left. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken, and one will be left. Therefore, stay awake! For [...]

I think Advent is perhaps the most underrated season of the liturgical year. It seems that try as we might, Advent with its soft whispers is drowned out by the hustle and bustle of Christmas. Advent with its muted colors of purple and dark blue is overcome with Christmas and its bright colors of red and green. Lent comes in with a bang, with its populist holy day of Ash [...]

When will it end? How will it end? So far this year, there have been 606 mass shootings in our country. There has not been a single week in 2022 without at least four mass shootings in the United States. 67 Americans, including children, died during mass shootings this year. This does not count the number of victims injured, often permanently, the family members left to grieve forever or the [...]

The following was a reflection given by Sister Carol Curtis, OSU, at a Mass held in the Motherhouse Chapel on November 1, 2022, All Saints Day with Ursuline Sisters, staff and Sacred Heart Schools administrative staff in attendance. It was the last event for the chapel until the summer of 2023, due to the chapel being closed temporarily for repairs and painting. Our gathering today is itself a convergence of [...]

The following is the reflection given by Sister Sue Scharfenberger, OSU, at the Mass on October 23, to celebrate the Angeline Award given to Joy Green of Cumberland, Maryland, and Carmen de la Cuba Laurel of Callao, Peru.  I would like to share a story. Very possibly you will recall it from some years back. But it bears repeating today. Once upon a time in a very remote unfriendly village [...]

The following is a reflection given by Sister Janet M. Peterworth, OSU, at St. William Church in Louisville, Kentucky, on November 2, for All Souls Day. “We die the first time when the last breath leaves our bodies. We die a second time when the last person speaks our name.” —The Lost Book of Friends by Lisa Wingate There is something haunting about that thought, isn’t there. And so here [...]

By Sister Agnes Coveney, OSU Two weeks ago, I saw a photo with a three-year old boy hard at work, mowing the lawn with a play lawnmower. He is turned to face the photographer and it is as if he is saying: Can’t you see, I’m busy! I understand from early childhood experts, my Ursuline Sisters, that children’s play is learning. It’s probably true to say that for children most [...]

Sister Janet M. Peterworth shares a reflection  in Global Sisters Report on ministering to and counseling victims of the recent flooding in eastern Kentucky, and looking back on her doing the same in Tug Valley in Mingo County, West Virginia after a 1977 500-year flood. "Victims of disasters need to tell their stories. They need to express their feelings to someone who will listen." On April 2, 1977, a so-called [...]

“It is I who bring both death and life,” our loving God reminds us in Deuteronomy 32, but still five states (Texas, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Georgia) have executions scheduled from August to December of 2022. This is the bad news. But the good news is that we have many dedicated people working diligently to bring an end to the death penalty, as those of Catholic Mobilizing Network (CMN) [...]

The following is a reflection given by President Jean Anne Zappa, OSU, at the annual Missioning service held on August 5, 2022 in the Motherhouse Chapel. Sisters, Associates and staff were invited to attend. The theme of this year's missioning is "Walk In Faith." “Walk in faith”— is that a command or an invitation? In the readings today, Isaiah is more of an invitation and Romans is more of a [...]

Sister Rita Ann Wigginton, OSU, reflects on her experiences in Peru thirty-five years ago, describing carrying Jesus in the Eucharist to those on the margins in Peru with her fellow Ursuline Sisters. She notes that Peruvian priest Gustavo Gutierrez, OP, was present at a funeral liturgy she attended in Lima. One of the key post-Vatican II leaders in liberation theology, Gutiérrez’s foundational text, Teología de la liberación, perspectivas (1971), reached [...]

The following is a reflection given by Sr. Janet M. Peterworth at St. William Church in Louisville, Kentucky on July 3, 2022. “And the Lord said, go. And I said who me? And he said, yes, you. And I said, but I am not ready yet And there is company coming, and I can't leave the kids, And you know there's no one to take my place. And he said, [...]

The following was published by Global Sisters Report in a series by guest writers who are Catholic sisters, called The Life. This excerpt was written by Sister Sue Scharfenberger, OSU. An educator, she ministered in rural Mississippi and for the last 42 years has been with the people in the coastal region and the Central Sierra of Peru. Her ministry has been with circles and communities of women around issues of empowerment, nonviolence [...]

By Sister Agnes Coveney, OSU The following is a reflection given by Sister Agnes Coveney, OSU, at Mass on June 2, 2022 in the Motherhouse Chapel on the Ursuline Campus. Here we are on our journey in the 7th week of Easter, between the celebrations of Jesus’ Ascension and his sending of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost. There is something to the times we are living in now, that makes [...]

The following is a reflection written by Sister Janet M. Peterworth, OSU, for the third Sunday of Easter, May 1, 2022. “It is something within us that doesn’t let us sleep,that doesn’t let us rest,that won’t stop poundingdeep inside. . . No, brother,it is not the noise in the streetswhich does not let us sleep. . . Join us in this vigiland you will know what it is to dream!Then [...]

By Ginny Schaeffer, director of the Angela Merici Center for Spirituality …love one another as I love you.Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you.I have told you these things so that my joy mightbe in you and your joy might be wholly mature. John 15:12, 14:27, 15:11 Jesus was not blind or stupid. Unlike the religious leaders he once busted for not being able to read [...]

Tandem, an organization founded by twins Arianna and Lorenzo Martinelli of Louisville, matches and facilitates interaction between seniors and high schoolers. They are currently developing an app, Tandem, that will have its third release in April. They state that their mission is to create a safe and accessible environment for high schoolers to benefit from seniors’ mentorship while seniors stay connected with the younger generation. Several Ursuline Sisters of Louisville [...]

By Sister Ruth Ann Haunz, OSU In a Face Time visit with my niece, she shared her frustration with her 3-year-old daughter, Ellie. “She doesn’t listen,” she exclaimed. In response to her dad’s attempt to talk to her about her aversion to listening to her parents, she declared that her batteries were dead! She just could not hear. In further conversation, she admitted that her imaginary batteries were turned off. [...]

By Sister Janet M. Peterworth, OSU   Fourth Sunday of Lent “Could we start again, please?” You may recognize this line as a title of a song in the rock opera, Jesus Christ Superstar. Mary Magdalene and Peter want to start over with Jesus and His mission. They were both having second thoughts. It had gone too far for them. They were not sure anymore. I suggest that the title [...]

Sister Sue Scharfenberger, OSU, left, holding gate door for students returning to in-person classes at Saint Angela Merici School in Callo, Peru, March 7, 2022.     On March 7, Saint Angela Merici School in Callao, Peru, reopened to in-person learning after TWO YEARS of being closed due to the pandemic. The Ursuline Sisters of Louisville founded St. Angela Merici School in 1965, which currently serves students preK-high school. Sister [...]

By Ginny Schaeffer, director of the Angela Merici Center for Spirituality What if we view this desert time of Lent as not just a time to reflect or to lament or to confess or to fast, but a time where we learn to be free. Megan Westra Two years ago, we lived through a different kind of Lent. In order to keep ourselves and each other safe from a virus [...]

By Sr. Agnes Coveney, OSU By this time in Lent, Mardi Gras and Ash Wednesday are past. We are settling into the pattern of Lent—the Scripture readings, the spareness of this liturgical season, and the Lenten practices that we all do our best to adopt in these weeks. I remember a friend who worked with me when I was a newly vowed Ursuline Sister. My friend asked, since I was [...]

By Ginny Schaeffer, director of the Angela Merici Center for Spirituality   You are my beloved. —Mark 1:11 We spend most of Advent preparing for Christmas – decorating, buying gifts, baking, wrapping gifts. We spend most of Holy Week preparing for Easter – shopping, coloring eggs, baking. All of this for just one day. Granted, these are the two great feast days of the Church and should be celebrated with [...]

  We ask you to join us in praying for the people of Ukraine and the people of Russia. If you do not pray, then please join us in sending thoughts for peace, reconciliation and healing. Lover of us all, Our hearts are so heavy and breaking with the news that Russia has invaded Ukraine. We come to you as your children praying for our brothers and sisters, holding them [...]

by Junno Arocho Esteves, Catholic News Service   Although scientists have made great strides in the field of medicine, genuine care and listening to those who suffer must always be at the forefront of any therapy, Pope Francis said. “Patients are always more important than their diseases, and for this reason, no therapeutic approach can disregard listening to the patient, his or her history, anxieties and fears,” the pope wrote in his message for the 2022 World Day [...]

By Kathy Williams, Ursuline Associate and director of communications for the Ursuline Sisters of Louisville Our Lady of Guadalupe by Jen Norton, used with permission   Right in the middle of Advent, we find two feast days devoted to Mary—the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception on December 8, which celebrates Mary being born without sin, and the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe on December 12. With the Immaculate Conception, [...]

By Sister Janet M. Peterworth, OSU   When I wrote this reflection, I was looking out the window of my hotel in New York City at the Freedom Tower. It is the one that was built on the same grounds where the Twin Towers stood. It is indeed an awesome structure. I suppose it is a tribute to what we human beings can do with our 21st century engineering and [...]

By Sister Janet M. Peterworth, OSU This article was first published in Global Sisters Report on December 3, 2020 Cemetery where Maryknoll Sisters Ita Ford and Maura Clarke are buried in El Salvador, pictured in 2015 (Janet M. Peterworth) My thoughts today come from Isaiah (58:1-9a) on the kind of fast that our God wants. I was musing about this in the context of my trip to El Salvador in [...]

By Sister Jean Anne Zappa, OSU, president of the Ursuline Sisters of Louisville   Waiting seems to be the hardest thing to do for many of us—waiting in doctors’ offices, at the drive-thru at the bank or fast-food place. Then, there is waiting for that package you ordered or waiting for when you could get the COVID vaccine or booster. Today begins a different kind of waiting—a waiting at Advent [...]

By Ginny Schaeffer, director of the Angela Merici Center for Spirituality, a ministry of the Ursuline Sisters of Louisville     Gratitude turns what we have into enough. —Anonymous It seems that we are living under a whole new threat this season. At this time last year, we were struggling to get the pandemic under control, too many families were mourning the loss of loved ones and difficult decisions were [...]

The following is a reflection given by Sister Janet M. Peterworth, OSU, on Sunday, October 31, 2021 at St. William Church in Louisville, Kentucky.   “Why do I hear, but do not understand? If you hear, but are having trouble understanding, take advantage of the complimentary demonstrations offered  this week. Call Acute Hearing Center to schedule your no-obligation appointment.” When I saw this ad in the Courier-Journal, I thought of [...]

By Ginny Schaeffer, Director of the Angela Merici Center for Spirituality, a ministry of the Ursuline Sisters of Louisville   It’s that time of year, one that I look forward to and then dread its passing. The cooler temperatures are a reprieve from summer’s oven. Skies deepen in their blue with less humidity. Trees change their colors as they prepare for winter’s slumber. What a wonderful season; but it can [...]

Friends of Sister Brendan Conlon at her memorial service in Kermit, West Virginia on September 24, 2021 By Sister Janet Peterworth, OSU They gathered one by one, carrying chairs and heavy, but grateful hearts, as they gathered to remember their friend, mentor, and associate, Sr. Brendan Conlon. The people of Kermit, West Virginia, in Mingo County, could not let her pass without saying what they wanted to say to pay [...]

The following is a reflection given by President Jean Anne Zappa, OSU, at the annual Missioning ceremony held in the Motherhouse Chapel on Sunday, August 29, 2021. The theme for this year's missioning is "Live in Joyful Hope/Vive Con Gozosa Esperanza."   I hope she will be ok. I hope he is not upset with me. I hope it is alright. I hope Jean Anne doesn’t t talk too long. [...]

The following is a reflection that Sister Sue Scharfenberger, OSU, gave at the Jubilee Mass on Sunday, August 29, 2021 in the Motherhouse Chapel, celebrating the 2020 and the 2021 jubilarians.   Who of us was not in awe of that young girl with the yellow coat and red hat who stood before the country, before President Biden and Vice President Harris and recited The Hill We Climb.  Since then, [...]

By Sister Janet M. Peterworth, OSU Do you remember? I remember. Do you know where you were? I know exactly where I was. Can you recall your feelings? I can. I am not talking about the day you made your first vows or the day you got married or your first day on a new job or ministry. No, I am talking about Sept 11, 2001. I am talking about [...]

At the sight of them, his heart broke open [with compassion]…—Mark 6: 34 As the tragic events of yesterday begin to settle into your heart, take a moment to ponder what yesterday must have been like for all the families of the service men and women who are currently stationed in Kabul. Use the gift of your imagination to put yourself in their shoes. Get a sense of their worry, [...]

Artwork by Jen Norton, used with permission. The following is a reflection given by Sister Janet M. Peterworth at the funeral Mass for Sister Mary Brendan Conlon on July 26, 2021. Many years ago, our congregational leaders asked all of the Ursuline Sisters to plan their funerals and wakes. So being the good Sisters that we were, Brendan and I sat down one night in our living room (somewhere among [...]

The following is a reflection given by Sister Jean Anne Zappa, OSU, at the funeral Mass of Sister Dolorita Lutsie, OSU on July 21, 2021. Did you know that the Appalachian Mountain range starts in Canada and ends in Alabama? And of course, the two most beautiful places it runs through are Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Mountains are majestic, and beautiful, and they can also be dangerous and daunting. They [...]

The following is a reflection given by Sister Jean Anne Zappa, OSU, at the Mass on June 10, 2021 in the Motherhouse chapel to celebrate the lives of Sisters Lorraine Maginot, Isabel Lehmenkuler, Jane Stuckenborg, Bernadine Nash and Jamesetta Defelice, who all passed away during May and June, 2020.   My great nephew Zachary was born in February during Covid and a snowstorm. Life broke through. When he came home [...]

The following is a reflection given by Sister Janet M. Peterworth, OSU at Saint William Church in Louisville on Sunday, June 13, 2021.   I live in the Chatsworth Apartments just off Frankfort Avenue and Ewing in Louisville. Frequently, as I am waiting for traffic lights to change, I see men and women who are partially sighted or completely blind walking along Frankfort Avenue, or crossing that street, using either [...]

The following is the reflection written by Sister Sue Scharfenberger, OSU, for the funeral Mass of Sister Raymunda Orth, OSU.   “It is the time you have wasted for your rose that makes your rose so important.” The wisdom of The Little Prince opens for us an understanding of time. And of relationships. The scripture today tells us there is time for everything. But neither the scripture nor the Little [...]

By Ginny Schaeffer, Director of the Angela Merici Center for Spirituality   Pentecost – What a fantastical story! There’s a mighty, rushing wind that is localized in one building in Jerusalem where tongues of fire just happen to hover over the heads of those “praying and waiting” in one room of that building. Jews from sixteen countries miraculously hear the story of God’s wonderous works and revelation through Jesus Christ [...]

By Sister Janet Peterworth, OSU   “Men of Galilee, why are you standing here looking up to the sky?” Here they are again! These two men dressed in white asking obvious questions. We first met them in the tomb in Luke's account of the resurrection. Their question? "Why do you seek the living among the dead?" The question implies that the followers of Jesus are looking in the wrong place. [...]

The pilgrims! The following is a reflection from Ursuline Sisters Yuli Oncihuay, Kathy Neely: Louisville and Carol Reamer: Toledo, Ohio, from their month-long mission in El Paso, Texas with the Casa del Refugiado of Annunciation House.   Three of us Ursuline Sisters (Yuli Oncihuay, Kathy Neely: Louisville and Carol Reamer: Toledo, Ohio) traveled together on April 29th to begin volunteering in the Casa del Refugiado of Annunciation House (founded in [...]

She holds life within herShe breathes, she sings, she criesYet I use her and step on herAs if she were already dead. Forgive me, God, for moving so far away from EarthFor eating food from packagesDrinking water from cansConsuming and discarding too muchAnd giving back too little. Forgive me, God, for forgetting that I am a guest in her houseFor not cleaning up after myselfNot minding the sacrifice of her [...]

Three Marys: Crucifixion by Dawn Williams BoydUsed with permission. https://www.dawnwilliamsboyd.com/   By Sister Janet M. Peterworth, OSU They did not think it was going to end this way. The women did not dream they would be standing at the foot of a cross. But death is women’s work. Blood is women’s mark. While the other Evangelists mention women at a distance, it is John alone who notes that the women [...]

Black Madonna by Katherine Skaggs, used with permission.www.katherineskaggs.com By Lisa Steiner, Associate and Social Concerns Liaison Today I pray to the Black Madonna, the mother of all creation. I pray that she will care for all the children of Earth, especially those who look like her. I pray that she can rescue our brothers and sisters who struggle against racism all over the world. And I pray especially that she [...]

Thank you to Nic Phillips for the use of his artwork. Please see link below for his new book, Breaking Chains:www.avaloniabooks.com/product-page/breaking-chains By Lisa Steiner, Associate and Social Concerns Liaison On this International Day of Remembrance of Victims of the Slave Trade, I reflect on the Black Madonna in Sue Monk Kidd’s novel, The Secret Life of Bees. Every country must confront its sins, and the dehumanizing injustice of slavery is [...]

By Sister Martha Buser, OSU Here we are, almost through Lent, and many of us are still asking ourselves or others, “What can I do for Lent? What can I give up? Should I give up candy? Watching TV? What other thing can I give up that would be a penance for me?” I realized that this year, due to the pandemic, we don’t have anything we can give up [...]

By Sister Sue Scharfenberger, OSU Did you have that experience on Ash Wednesday on February 17? They said Lent was beginning. To me, it felt more like a prolonging of what we had been living for a year now. Prayer, penance, almsgiving. Nothing new, really. I struggled to find meaning in this “new” season of Lent. I think I felt fortunate not to have to receive ashes. (Ash Wednesday is [...]

Joan DiLeonardo Leotta attended Ursuline Academy in Pittsburgh from grades one through eight. This is her story of how Sister Mary Anne Murkowsky, OSU, encouraged her to become a writer, beginning in the 6th grade with the school newspaper. Sister Mary Anne Murkowsky, OSU, taught at Ursuline Academy from 1936-1962. She died on September 25, 1990. Joan did become a writer and also performs stories on stage—often these are tales [...]

"NT030.Jesus Cleanses the temple" by pcstratman is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 The following is a reflection given by Sister Janet M. Peterworth, OSU, at St. William Church in Louisville on Sunday, March 7, 2021. OK, folks, listen up. There is a new sheriff in town! And this sheriff is no namby-pamby. This sheriff means business. He is upset with what is going around town. He means to clean it up! He means to [...]

The following is a reflection by Sister Janet M. Peterworth, OSU on the readings for Sunday, February 7, 2021. Seems to me that all the main characters in this past Sunday’s readings on February 7th are a bit testy. Job is really in a bad mood. Hasn’t been sleeping, sees life as drudgery, and thinks he will never see happiness again. He is definitely crabby. Along with Alexander, in the [...]

By Sister Sue Scharenberger, OSU Fairly certain that I was not alone in my “angst” since the elections in November, I began looking for support for my concerns for our country and what would come with January 20th and the inauguration of a “new era”, I thought. Then came January 6th. I felt frozen in fright! “Can’t be,” I thought. Again, knowing I could not be alone in what I [...]

By Sister Janet Marie Peterworth, OSU Epiphany is God’s day for show and tell. Really, it’s true—it’s God’s day for show and tell and it is our day—at least it was my day for recognition. Just as surely as Matthew needed to write this story of the Magi for his early Jewish/Christian community, I needed to hear it again. This time, as I reflected, I tried not to hear it [...]

By Sister Sue Scharfenberger, OSU Advent Reflections from Peru Probably every year they appear in Advent. But this time I noticed them more, or I paid better attention. I refer to the number of times the biblical texts invite us to go up to a high mountain, a holy mountain (Isaiah 11:9), where sadness and mourning will be taken away (Isaiah 25:7), and from where justice and peace will flow [...]

By Sister Janet M. Peterworth, OSU Mountains moved--slashed, gashed. Valleys smoothed--smashed, smothered. O mountains, I have seen water as blood Pouring from your side, And mud like pus oozing from your wounds. O valleys, I have felt you shift Under your heavy load And heard you gasp and groan as though for life. It is Progress, they prate; Progress is the name. It opens the way in for golden arches, [...]

The following is a reflection given by Sister Clara Fehringer at Historic Saint Paul Catholic Church in Lexington, Kentucky, at Mass on December 7, 2020, the second Sunday of Advent. “Comfort, give comfort to my people says the Lord.” This statement from the Prophet Isaiah gives us blessed assurance as we navigate through this pandemic that God is on our side—what a comfort! We look around us and see so [...]

Maryknoll Sister Maura Clarke, Jean Donovan, Ursuline Sister Dorothy Kazel and Maryknoll Sister Ita Ford By Sister Janet M. Peterworth, OSU My musings today come from Isaiah (58:1-9a) on the kind of fast that our God wants. I was musing about this in the context of my trip to El Salvador in 2015. The background of that trip started many years ago. A brutal civil war was raging in that [...]

The following is a reflection written by Sister Janet M. Peterworth, OSU, for the Feast of Christ the King, 2018. If Jesus were a politician what would His signature policies be? Apparently he would favor the poor, after all, He called them blessed. No doubt He would be concerned about the homeless. He did say,” birds have nests and foxes have dens, but I have nowhere to lay my head.” [...]

By Cory Lockhart The original title of this essay was "Domination, Dismissal, and Dehumanization." I decided that might feel too intimidating for an essay title, but I'm still going to share a few reflections on these things. We live in a culture of domination, dismissal, and dehumanization. Regardless of our religion, political or ideological leanings, race, age, or other qualities, most of us fall into these patterns at some point or [...]

By President Jean Anne Zappa, OSU Today as I sit at my desk and ponder two significant days in the church year of All Saints and All Souls, I noticed the desk. It is the same desk I sat on the other side of 50 years ago when I was being interviewed by Sister Adelaide for first vows in 1970. It is the very same desk where Sisters Mary Lavinia, [...]

Icon by Theophanes the Greek (14th c. Russia). By Sister Carol Curtis, OSU (formerly Mother John Baptist, prioress of the Discalced Carmelites of Louisville) Five years ago, August 6, 2015, on the Feast of the Transfiguration, our Carmelite community closed the doors of our Monastery. The icon of the Transfiguration still hung in the nuns’ choir as we crossed the cloister threshold onto an uncharted path. The liturgical calendar places this [...]

The following is a reflection written by Sister Janet M. Peterworth for the Gospel of Matthew: 20:1-16A on Sunday, September 21, 2020, the Parable of the Vineyard.   The "Kindom" of God is like a landowner who had a vineyard in central California. She needed workers for her vineyard because the fires (caused by climate change) were getting closer to her property. So, she went out at 6:00 a.m. and [...]

By Sister Carol Curtis, OSU Pax et Bonum – Peace and Good. This Franciscan blessing expresses at once both praise for God’s goodness in creation and a prayer for God’s peace in all the earth.  The beauty of Desenzano, Angela’s birthplace, manifests this goodness, with heaven’s peace reflected in serene Lake Garda.  From her early years, the harmony of her natural surroundings and the warmth of her family circle seem [...]

The Ursuline Sisters of Louisville's mission statement proclaims in part: “Our mission…cutting across socio-economic, racial and national boundaries, assists [all] to live more fully and develop a personal relationship with God.” At our Chapter in August, 2020, we renewed our commitment to work for peace and justice for all. In consonance with this statement, we offer the following reflection by Reverend Ron Bell, a Black United Methodist Minister and lead [...]

Photo of participant in Black Catholics for Justice Peace March, August 15, 2020, Louisville, Kentucky By Lori Hadorn-Disselkamp, Ursuline Associate and Retreat Director at Sacred Heart Academy, Louisville, Kentucky Maybe if Jesus were here on earth he would start the chant of Black Lives Matter with the protestors, release the immigrants from detention centers, free those enslaved in the system of mass incarceration, destroy all guns, talk to the homeless, [...]

The following is a reflection written By Sister Janet M. Peterworth, OSU, on August 6, 2020, the 75th anniversary of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which is also the Feast of the Transfiguration of Our Lord. It is the 75th anniversary of the dropping of the atomic bomb. I was nine years old when it happened. I do not remember every detail, but I remember that we were just [...]

By Sister Janet M. Peterworth, OSU As I write this, I am sitting on the balcony of my apartment. It is peaceful here, even pastoral. But my soul is not peaceful. My heart is breaking! Breaking over all the things going on in our country and city and community. My heart breaks for the loss of four of our sisters. My heart breaks because we cannot celebrate their lives as [...]

By Sister Carol Curtis, OSU After the Feast of the Ascension remain together in prayer with as much strength of spirit as possible until Pentecost, the day of the sending of the Holy Spirit, beseeching that great promise made by Jesus Christ to his well-disposed people. [Rule 4:15-16] Attending together the sending of the Holy Spirit, Angela gathers the Company, strong in prayer, at the source of its charism. We [...]

The following is a reflection given by Sister Janet M. Peterworth, OSU, on the Feast of the Ascension in 2011. “Men of Galilee, why are you standing here looking up to the sky?” Here they are again. These two men dressed in white asking obvious questions. We first met them in the tomb in Luke's account of the resurrection with their question, "Why do you seek the living among the [...]

The Canticle of the Creatures by Franciscan Sister Mariella Erdmann   Laudato Si' Week 2020 To You, alone, Most High, do they belong. No mortal lips are worthy to pronounce Your name. Be praised, my Lord, through all Your creatures,especially through my lord Brother Sun,who brings the day; and You give light through him.And he is beautiful and radiant in all his splendor!Of You, Most High, he bears the likeness. [...]

Reflection by Sister Janet M. Peterworth, OSU, on the Sixth Sunday of Easter, May 17, 2020St. William Church, Louisville When I was in 6th grade many years ago, I had a teacher who made us memorize poetry. I remember part of this one: Little Orphant Annie's come to our house to stay,An' wash the cups an' saucers up, an' brush the crumbs away,An' shoo the chickens off the porch, an' [...]

By Ginny Schaeffer, Director of the Angela Merici Center for SpiritualityLet us be of one heart and will as we join believers of all religions imploring God to help humanity to overcome the coronavirus pandemic.  Pray as you can. Fast as you can. Perform an act of charity as you can.  If you do not pray then send forth thoughts of love, compassion, hope, healing and comfort. https://youtu.be/Z8JhiYqzjgU A Prayer [...]

By Ginny Schaeffer, Director of the Angela Merici Center for Spirituality Spring has been in all its glory these last few weeks. As I have gone for my daily walks, I have relished how brilliantly white the Dogwood blooms have been and, when it has not been raining, how blue the skies are. Tulips and azaleas have shown off in their coats of many colors and jonquils have stood straight [...]

By Laurel Wilson, Archivist for the Ursuline Sisters of Louisville   “Schools in the city were closed. Even church services were banned. No public gatherings of any kind were allowed.” [1] No, this is not a description of the current conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic. This is what life was like in October 1918 during the influenza pandemic. It was during this crisis more than 100 years ago that 15 [...]

By Ginny Schaeffer, Director of the Angela Merci Center for Spirituality It is the second week of the great Easter feast and we still proclaim, “Christ is risen! Alleluia! Alleluia!” We have heard the stories of the risen Christ showing himself to Mary Magdalene and the two travelers to Emmaus and how he made his way through locked doors to reassure and bless his fearful disciples. It is still Easter [...]

By Lisa Steiner, Coordinator of Social Concerns for the Ursuline Sisters of Louisville and Ursuline Associate   April 22, 2020 Today is the 50th anniversary of Earth Day. I do not remember the first Earth Day even though I was 10 years old at the time. However, our school celebrated Arbor Day each year, and so I do recall the spring that every student received an evergreen sapling to plant. [...]

The following is a reflection given by Sister Janet M. Peterworth on April 12, 2020, Easter Sunday Mass via Zoom to Saint William Parish in Louisville, Kentucky. It wasn’t natural…a woman going out early in the morning without a man while it was dark. It wasn’t natural for a woman to be walking in this darkness in a cemetery toward a tomb. It wasn’t natural to see a large stone [...]

Sister Judy Rice, OSU, submitted these lyrics by Leonard Cohen for reflection: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wRYjtvIYK0 The birds they sangAt the break of dayStart againI heard them sayDon't dwell on whatHas passed awayOr what is yet to beYeah the wars they willBe fought againThe holy doveShe will be caught againBought and soldAnd bought againThe dove is never free Ring the bells (ring the bells) that still can ringForget your perfect offeringThere is a [...]

By Ginny Schaeffer, Director of the Angela Merici Center for Spirituality First it was toilet paper swooped off the shelves by the cart-full. Shortly after that, other food items became hard to find. Despite the assurances of government officials and food supply spokespeople, panic had gripped the hearts and minds of a population preparing for a siege. Anxiety, fear and panic do not let go easily, especially when they are [...]

By Donna Ashworth History will remember when the world stoppedAnd the flights stayed on the ground.And the cars parked in the street.And the trains didn’t run. History will remember when the schools closedAnd the children stayed indoorsAnd the medical staff walked towards the fireAnd they didn’t run. History will remember when the people sangOn their balconies, in isolationBut so very much togetherIn courage and song. History will remember when the [...]

By Sister Mary Lee Hansen, OSU I am sitting in chapel trying to keep focused on Christ. My thoughts wonder and wander. For some unknown reason I put my hand out in front of me. Stretch one of your hands out in front of you. Turn it upward. Yes, there are probably some crooked fingers and a number of lines of life in the palm no doubt. I ask myself: [...]

By Sister Jean Anne Zappa, OSU The governor has asked us to light a green light for all the Kentucky citizens who have died from the Coronavirus as a sign of grief for the deceased as well as a sign of hope and compassion. The mystery of grace and our Christian faith enables us to cope with deep feelings of fear, pain and grief. Our faith does not provide a [...]

Look instead for what God can do. -John 9: 4 (The Message) Watch what God does, and then you do it… -Ephesians 5: 1 (The Message)   By Ginny Schaeffer, Director of the Angela Merici Center, a ministry of the Ursuline Sisters of Louisville Some would say that God is doing nothing but allowing one more plague to run rampant around the globe killing hundreds-of-thousands, if not millions. This is [...]

by Sister Mary Brendan Conlon, OSU I have always been a saver, not a hoarder, but a saver of things that may be useful to me or someone else in future. My friends have kidded me that it was because I was a Depression baby. There may be something to that. My mother was frugal and hated waste—"take what you can eat and eat what you take” —and my father [...]

Károly Ferenczy: Sermon on the Mountain, Hungarian National Gallery Collection The following is a reflection given by Sister Janet M. Peterworth, OSU, at St. William Church in Louisville, Kentucky on Sunday, February 16, 2020 What are we going to choose? Are we going to choose fire or water? Life or death? Are we going to pretend that we know what God has in store for us or are we going [...]

By Sister Sue Scharfenberger, OSU I remember growing up where neighborhoods were places where people knew each other. The older children of the neighborhood watched out for you when you crossed the street. Baseball and sometimes football were played in the back yard with makeshift bases and goals. “Neighbor” had a special ring to it. There was a connection. We took homemade cookies to the new “neighbors who moved in [...]

The following is a reflection that Sister Mary Jo Gramig, OSU, gave to the Sacred Heart Model School students on January 27, 2020, at their Mass celebrating the feast day of Saint Angela Merici. Sacred Heart Model School is a coeducational Catholic school for children from Kindergarten through Eighth grade and is sponsored by the Ursuline Sisters of Louisville.   I thank Father Burke for asking me to say a [...]

By Sister Ruth Ann Haunz, OSU   It’s Christmas, and I love the season. I want to write about “Joy to the World” and “Deck the Halls” and “Silent Night;” however, I am blocked! I want to experience the joy, decorate not only the halls but every room, and encounter the peace of silent nights. Joy to the world—I look at the news and I hear national leaders calling others [...]

By Sister Carol Curtis, OSU O Virgin above virgins high thine, Expectation’s joy is nigh:The Word of God made flesh in thee: Behold! Divine the Mystery!Rejoice! Rejoice! Immanuel shall come to thee, O Israel!   Advent is a maternal season, a time of hidden gestation. Some devotees christen their new calendar by penciling in the coming year’s Advent retreat: the winter cold and long nights seem to deepen their sense [...]

By Sister Sue Scharfenberger, OSU   It’s been many years ago that during the first week of Advent I wrote an Advent song. We used it in our liturgies, and the words were something like:  Waiting, waiting, we are waiting for your coming Lord, O come Lord Jesus come. And while the song comes back to me at this time of year it no longer speaks to me of what [...]

The following is a reflection given by Sister Janet M. Peterworth, OSU, on Sunday, November 17, 2019 at a Mass celebrating the 50th anniversary for Sacred Heart School for the Arts in Louisville, Kentucky on the Ursuline Campus.   So much for the good news of Our Lord Jesus Christ! Here is some more good news. “The Amazon is burning, storms are raging, islands are drowning, Jakarta is sinking, aquifers [...]

Image https://voice.ons.org/ The following blog post is a reflection that Sister Jean Anne Zappa gave at our Mass of Remembrance on Sunday, November 10, 2019. 32nd Sunday Ordinary TimeMaccabees 7:1-2,9-14; II Thessalonians 2;16-3:5; Luke 20: 27-28 Last year, on October 27, I was in Pittsburgh visiting my family. That morning we just found out that a mass shooting was taking place in real time at a Jewish synagogue while three [...]

This is the ninth and last in a series of blog posts written by Elizabeth Williams, the daughter of Kathy Williams, Director of Communications for the Ursuline Sisters of Louisville. Elizabeth provides a fresh and witty travelogue of their trip to Peru September 29–October 13 2019. Posted by lizzyonthemoveOctober 13, 2019 Well, the day has finally come that we had to return back to the U S of A. We [...]

This is the eighth in a series of blog posts written by Elizabeth Williams, the daughter of Kathy Williams, director of communications for the Ursuline Sisters of Louisville. Elizabeth provides a fresh and witty travelogue of their trip to Peru September 29–October 13 2019. Posted bylizzyonthemoveOctober 11, 2019Posted inUncategorized Ok, I am finally getting around to writing about our Tuesday holiday adventure…3 days later. Please forgive me. There was no [...]

This is the seventh in a series of blog posts written by Elizabeth Williams, the daughter of Kathy Williams, director of communications for the Ursuline Sisters of Louisville. Elizabeth provides a fresh and witty travelogue of their trip to Peru September 29–October 13 2019. Posted bylizzyonthemoveOctober 11, 2019Posted inUncategorized Today was another adventurous day. We went to see some Inca ruins that are older than Manchu Picchu!! The name: Huaca [...]

This is the sixth in a series of blog posts written by Elizabeth Williams, the daughter of Kathy Williams, director of communications for the Ursuline Sisters of Louisville. Elizabeth provides a fresh and witty travelogue of their trip to Peru September 29–October 13 2019. Lizzy in Peru Posted bylizzyonthemoveOctober 10, 2019Posted inUncategorized Oh. My. Goodness. What a couple of wonderful days we have had the past two days. I’m soooo [...]

This is the fifth in a series of blog posts written by Elizabeth Williams, the daughter of Kathy Williams, director of communications for the Ursuline Sisters of Louisville. Elizabeth provides a fresh and witty travelogue of their trip to Peru September 29–October 13 2019.  Posted bylizzyonthemoveOctober 9, 2019Posted inUncategorized Yesterday, we returned from the mountains. Can I just say how very sad I am to have left that beautiful place. [...]

This is the fourth in a series of blog posts written by Elizabeth Williams, the daughter of Kathy Williams, director of communications for the Ursuline Sisters of Louisville. Elizabeth provides a fresh and witty travelogue of their trip to Peru September 29–October 13 2019.    A Day Full of Adventure Posted bylizzyonthemoveOctober 3, 2019Posted inUncategorized We woke up to a cute note from Sue at the kitchen table. Well, we didn’t [...]

Posted bylizzyonthemoveOctober 2, 2019Posted inUncategorized This is the third in a series of blog posts written by Elizabeth Williams, the daughter of Kathy Williams, director of communications for the Ursuline Sisters of Louisville. Elizabeth provides a fresh and witty travelogue of their trip to Peru September 29–October 13 2019.  Hola mis amigos. Where do I even begin? Today seemed like a long day. But, an amazing day!! I absolutely loved [...]

Posted by lizzyonthemoveOctober 1, 2019 Posted inUncategorized This is the second in a series of blog posts written by Elizabeth Williams, the daughter of Kathy Williams, director of communications for the Ursuline Sisters of Louisville. Elizabeth provides a fresh and witty travelogue of their trip to Peru September 29–October 13 2019. Hola! The first day in Peru was wonderful and everything I hoped for. If you remember last, I said [...]

The following is a reflection given by Associate Lisa Steiner at a Creation Mass on September 23, 2019 in the Motherhouse Chapel. Lisa also serves as the Coordinator for Social Concerns for the Ursuline Sisters of Louisville.   We hear from today’s readings that God loved us into being. We were created in the likeness of God and called by the Holy Spirit to be in communion with God. We [...]

Catholic leaders and advocates protest the Trump administration's handling of detained immigrant children during a "Catholic Day of Action for Immigrant Children" July 18, in the Russell Senate Office Building in Washington. (CNS/Tyler Orsburn) By Sister Jean Anne Zappa, OSUDuring this past Labor day holiday weekend when our country was focused on the beginning of college football season, and watching a hurricane in the Atlantic, the president of our country [...]

Schoolchildren at El Colegio de Santa Angela Merici School with their fish art project on plastic Sister Carol Curtis is in Peru for six weeks, staying with our Ursuline Sisters of Louisville there who minister in Callao and San Miguel, Peru. She recounts some of her experiences in this blog entry: I am at the midpoint of my six-week stay in Peru. I had been forewarned about the reversed seasons [...]

The following is a reflection Sister Janet M. Peterworth, Ursuline Sisters of Louisville President, gave at the missioning ceremony for the Ursuline Sisters and Associates on July 21, 2019. She refers to Lydia from the Acts of the Apostles, who is depicted in this image by Mary Lou Sleevi. A pig and a chicken were walking down the road. As they passed a church, they notice that a potluck charity [...]

The Motherhouse is undergoing a renovation to add a new, handicapped accessible front entrance. The construction workers, supervisors, Ursuline Sisters and staff gathered on June 21, the summer solstice, for a blessing by Sister Janet M. Peterworth, president of the Ursuline Sisters of Louisville.   O God, please bless this building project that we begin today. It will provide a home for Sacred Heart Schools and the Ursuline Sisters. Let [...]

This reflection is reprinted with permission from the editor of The Laurel, a publication of the Sacred Heart Schools. How appropriate it is that the Jean Frazier Leadership Institute at Sacred Heart Schools on the Ursuline Campus in Louisville will foster future leaders. Leadership is in our genes, so to speak. Our Sacred Heart Schools’ ancestors were leaders. There are the many Ursuline Sisters who founded, formed, led and encouraged education. [...]

Sr. Janet M. Peterworth, OSU Reflection on the Third Sunday of Easter: When I was a teenager and my mother and I would get into tussles over something, she would usually say, “It is not what you said, young lady, it is how you said it.”  I thought about that line as I reflected on today’s readings because they are all about speaking, aren’t they? Peter and the others spoke [...]

by Kathleen R. Neely, OSU After receiving the invitation to the Interfaith Root Causes Pilgrimage to Honduras, March 18–25, 2019, I felt called to participate. The Leadership of my community—the Ursuline Sisters of Louisville, fortunately affirmed my request. I became one of 75 delegates to walk for a week in solidarity with our sisters and brothers of this beautiful, but challenged, Central American country. The pilgrimage was organized [...]

By Sister Jean Anne Zappa, OSU I saw a short video recently about a blind man sitting on the sidewalk with a tin cup and a sign that said, “I am blind, help me.” Needless to say, many people walked right on by him; a few put money in the cup. Then a woman stopped, took out a pen and wrote on the man’ sign. Shortly after she walked on. [...]

By Sister Martha Buser OSU Dear Mother, sister and friend, Angela Merici, Your feast day was January 27 and I failed to write then. But here I am now, a tardy daughter, to thank you and to wish you a happy feast day First, I am grateful to you for giving us a way of life. Slowly we realize you never founded an order of nuns nor wanted us to [...]