- June 9, 2021 Association
Get to know Emily, of Augusta, Georgia, who celebrates her 25th jubilee as a CSJ Associate.
How does it feel to be celebrating 25 years as an associate?
It is hard for me to believe it’s been 25 years. The perception of time really does change with age.
Why did you decide to become an associate?
When I first learned about the associate program, there were no associates in the part of Georgia where I lived. After asking questions about what it meant to be an associate, I knew that I already had the commitment and that I might as well go ahead and make it official. I enjoyed the year of study and sponsorship as I grew in my understanding of the charism and various ministries of the CSJs.
When did you make your initial and ongoing commitments?
1993 and 1996
How did you come to know the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet?
I grew up with a Baptist minister father who served his congregation for over 50 years. It was only after I left home for college that I realized not all religious leaders preached about love and caring for others and of doing good works the way my dad did. I had a difficult time finding a spiritual home that “fit” with who I was and who I wanted to become until I met the CSJs.
In 1980, Sister Rose McLarney hired me as an occupational therapist in home health care at St. Joseph Hospital (SJH) in Augusta. When I walked into that hospital, I knew there was something special about the place and the community that sponsored it. Several years later, I converted to Catholicism.
Over the 19 years I spent at SJH, I met many other kindred spirits in the sisters who worked there, and I developed lifelong friendships along the way. I often think about the sisters I had the privilege to know and learn from including Sisters Linda Lully, Charlotte Smith, Elizabeth Ney, Anselma Matte, Rita Hess, Aurelia McDonald, Agnes Joseph Lanyon, Rose Margaret Schweers, Kathleen Mitchell, Mary Helen Best, Loretta Costa, and Mary Carmel Najjar … and still appreciate the ongoing support and friendship of Sisters Rose McLarney, Carole Walton, Francis Rita [Voivedich], Clara Vincent [Slatinsky], Laura Ann Grady, Marion Renkens and Mary Louise Basler.
What is it about the CSJs, their mission, and their charism that you love so much?
For many years, I lived and worked for the ministry of the CSJs at St. Joseph Hospital and thought I would spend my life in that capacity. I loved the way staff, patients, and especially the sisters really cared about the mission and ministry of that hospital. I learned what it truly meant to be a servant leader as I was gifted with many opportunities to grow in my professional career and in my spiritual development. We were all devastated when the hospital was sold and no longer sponsored by the CSJs.
Over the years, I’ve learned that the brick-and-mortar facility that was SJH was a special and holy place, but the ministry of the CSJs and the mission of “continuing the work of Christ through healthcare” is truly continuing as the “ministers” of the CSJ charism have been scattered out in the community through other jobs and careers, of which I am one. Loving the dear neighbor is a part of my current business as we strive to care for patients and families within a mission and ministry influenced by so many of the sisters who have been a part of my spiritual development.
What is your ministry work?
My work for the past 20 years has been in pediatric occupational therapy. I have a private practice with a few very special people helping me including Sister Carole Walton, who is the glue that holds the practice together. My practice is a blend of outpatient care, home-based care and telehealth. We see children with a variety of disabilities including autism, Down syndrome, chromosomal anomalies, cerebral palsy and many neurological issues.
As other therapists and I see patients, S. Carole counsels and converses with parents who are sometimes struggling as much or more than the children. When children finish a therapy session, they visit S. Carole for a special blessing.
One group of children we work with are from an Irish Traveler community. The children in that community do not have a local play space. We are currently working with families to develop an area for typical and atypical children to play together within their own community.
Are you involved in any other work/volunteer work?
I am working on my doctorate in occupational therapy at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, so my volunteer time is limited. I serve on the SC telehealth task force for pediatrics and have worked with patient families to develop a network for collaboration, support, and exchange/gifting of equipment and supplies for children. We are in the process of developing an outdoor therapy space/sensory garden in memory of S. Charlotte Smith, who was a member of our local CSJ group and a prayer partner for the children and families we serve for many years.
How do you live out the CSJ charism in your daily life and work?
I try to make decisions on how to best serve the patients and families I see and the people I work with based on the mission and ministry of the CSJs. It seems that being an associate is so much of who I am that I cannot really separate how I live out the charism and how I live. It is just so intertwined that it is who I am.
What associate community are you a part of?
I am a part of the Friends of St. Joseph group that spans across Augusta, Georgia, and North Augusta, South Carolina. Sisters Charlotte and Carole put together our current group and our Facebook group includes many of the former employees of SJH as we continue to stay in touch with each other and give support and prayer when needed.
Our CSJ group had many lovely gatherings with S. Charlotte before her death just before the COVID pandemic. We have recently started to meet again in person and had a lovely celebration for my 25th jubilee with our local associates. Our group is led by S. Carole who is the remaining sister in this part of Georgia and South Carolina.
What are your hobbies?
Before the pandemic, traveling was my favorite thing to do when not working. As more people are vaccinated and traveling is safer, it will again be on my agenda. Currently, I am spending time caring for family farms in South Georgia and learning about growing timber.