One of the wonderful by-products of our project has been the presence of Sisters on our campus for various campus-related events, classes, and activities.

April 11, 2007: Catholic Sisters: Advocates and Activists for Change

Roman Catholic Sisters have been and continue to be pioneers, activists, and advocates. They have responded to numerous issues and challenges calling for social justice, peace, and meeting the needs of society throughout history. As part of their current witness, Sisters were invited to campus on April 11, 2007 to share the stores of three of their congregations, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Baden, the Vincentian Sisters of Charity, and the Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill. They presented information on how activism has changed from the early years of the founding of their communities to the present day.

While the contributions of the Sisters are often associated with their early primary ministries in schools and hospitals, their work now extends to prisons, women’s shelters, peace camps, poor neighborhoods, and other social service agencies. They have organized their missions around programs such as People Against the Trafficking of Humans (PATH), the Rendu Project, which responds to the needs of the poor, and Sisters Place, which helps families toward self-sufficiency.

The following photo is of representatives of Catholic Sisters who are part of the Tri-Diocesan Sisters Leadership Conference, sponsors of numerous advocacy and activist programs.

October 11, 2006: Sister Louise Presents to Sigma Theta Tau

On April 11th of 2006, Sr. Louise Grundish, SC, was invited to share the healthcare history of the Sisters with the members of Lambda Tau, the University’s Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau, an international nursing honorary society. This was another excellent opportunity to spread the word about the work of the Sisters…past and present.

March 1, 2005: Sisters are Part of SRU’s Annual “Women-in-History” Month

In addition to local, regional, and national coverage, our project took center stage on March 1, 2005 at our annual Women-in-History Month. This annual event, sponsored by our Women’s Studies Program, who are strongly support our project.

Pictured left to right are: Sisters Marguerite Coyne, CSJ (Sisters of St. Joseph/Baden), Anne Koll, VSC (Vincentian Sisters of Charity), and Louise Grundish, SC (Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill). These Sisters presented an outstanding program featuring highlights of the works of their communities in healthcare over the years. The program was also attended by students, faculty, and staff of the University. This was an excellent opportunity for everyone to meet some of the Sisters involved in our project and hear first-hand some of their stories. Our students, faculty, and staff were fascinated by the Sisters’ presentation!

Also pictured to the right with Sisters Marguerite, Anne, and Louise, are Sisters Rhoda Kay Glunk, VSC (second from the left) and Sister Francesca Lumpp, CSJ (third from the left). While they were not part of the presentation, their participation in the day’s events added to the quality of the day’s events which were showcased through an mini-exhibit in our library. They, along with Sisters Marguerite and Louise have been involved with our project since its initial planning phase.

In addition to these events, Sisters have been to a number of the Social Science classes to share with students their experience of living in community and what it means to be a Catholic Sister in today’s world. They have greatly enhanced our programs and activities.