- February 5, 2021 Association
Tell us a bit about yourself.
I am an associate from Green Bay, Wisconsin. I made my commitment in March of 2015 and am a member of the Group 1 Associate Community. I love it. I've been married to my husband, Mark, for 38 years. We have three daughters and two grandchildren.
How did you come to know the CSJs?
I’ve known Sister Judy Miller for several years as she is my spiritual director through the Norbertine Abbey’s Center for Spirituality. Though, I didn’t know she was a CSJ until I attended a Come and See event at the Abbey that she hosted with several other religious orders to talk about their lay associations. During the event, a CSJ associate gave a talk. He was in tears as he said he’d never been a part of something that was so inclusive, so welcoming, so non-judgmental. I knew then that this was the program for me.
What is your previous work experience?
Since the 1990s, I’ve been doing something intentional for the church. For the past five years, I was the pastoral care ministry coordinator of the Diocese of Green Bay. I worked with our 157 parishes for initial and ongoing training and support services for all the ministry leadership in the parishes. Prior to that, I was a pastoral associate and a primary and secondary teacher. I also teach a college course on pastoral care skills for people who are in our ministry formation program for the diocese. I have a bachelor's degree in elementary education and a master's in theological studies with a focus in pastoral ministry.
Why did you apply to be the director of association?
I'd been a bit restless and was ready for a change. Then, the diocese shifted its focus and eliminated my position. When the job description for this position came out and it said "possibility of not being located in St. Louis," I thought, okay. It's everything I've experienced and love doing. It felt like it was made for me. I'm grateful for the organization removing that geographic boundary for employment. It's a real sign of forward thinking and how the world communicates now.
What skills do you bring to this role?
I’m very eager to learn new things and put them into practice. I’m super collaborative. I’m always in awe of what other people come up with that I never could. I’m creative in many ways. I am able to see lots of different possibilities in situations. And I really like meeting people.
How do you envision running the office from Green Bay?
The majority of my work is by telephone and Zoom. I'm coming up with ways to reach out and connect with sisters and associates. I'm studying documents, sitting in on meetings and making recommendations. I love to travel. When I am able to again, my goal is to spend a week in St. Louis quarterly. I want to travel to each of the other areas in our province to get to know them and see what they're doing. I'd also like to come down for special events. We're human beings and we are made to connect with one another and that's important to me. I will do what it takes.
What do you most look forward to?
I look forward to learning more about the organization itself and how the other provinces do what they do, along with meeting more sisters and people in the other provinces. I can't wait to come to the motherhouse. I also look forward to learning how I can support this time of transition because they're asking a lot of big questions about the future.
When not working, what do you enjoy doing?
When I'm not working, I enjoy spending time with my family. I like to go on nature walks, and my husband and I like to bicycle. I love anything music. I play piano and sing. I am also an avid reader. I've always got three to four books going at once. And, as I mentioned, I love to travel.
How can people best reach you?
You can contact me at [email protected] or 314-349-6155. I'd love for anyone to call, even if it's just to get to know one another.