Sisters from Georgia Celebrate Anniversary of Joining St. Louis Province

Georgia Sisters 2022 Grp raising glasses for toast
Sisters Jeanne Urschel, Carol Patron, Pauline Oetgen and Anna Bridget Kearns raise their glasses in celebration of the eight sisters who'd entered the community from the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, Georgia Province, who joined the St. Louis province in 1961. Not pictured: Sisters Sarah McMahon, Angela Abood, Laura Ann Grady and Rebecca Eichhorn.

By Sister Lisa Lazio

On September 1, 1961, the Georgia province sisters officially joined the St. Louis province. Among these sisters were Sisters Sarah McMahon, Angela Abood, Pauline Oetgen, Laura Ann Grady, Rebecca Eichhorn, Anna Bridget Kearns, Carol Patron and Jeanne Urschel.

In September, an anniversary celebration was held for these eight sisters who had entered the community from the Georgia province.

Sister Carol opened the celebration with a prayer of gratitude for all the men and women who had paved the way for their vocations. Sister Pauline prepared a written history that she presented to each sister. Sister Lisa Lazio did an ink drawing of Mount St. Joseph* for them as well. The wall was decorated with photos of each of the sisters in the traditional habit.

As we gathered together, they laughed and remembered stories that they have not forgotten over all these years. There was a bond that clearly held them together. As they told stories, each added a piece while someone else seemed to catch her breath. The whole group began to sing the Mount St. Joseph school song, but one by one quieted down as they could no longer remember the lyrics.

It was amazing to witness how much these women mean to one another and to recognize what these Sisters of St. Joseph meant to Georgia as well.

Special thanks to Sisters Mary Margaret Lazio and Maureen Freeman for putting the food together, and to Sister Nancy Marsh for taking photos.

*Mount St. Joseph

Mount St. Joseph was originally St. Joseph Academy, started in Washington, Georgia, in 1876. On November 12, 1912, the school was destroyed by fire, which brought about a move to Augusta, and the name was changed to Mount St. Joseph Academy. In 1916, Mount St. Joseph Academy was established at the Chateau Le Vert in Augusta, where it remained (with additional buildings being added) until 1960 when the Academy closed its doors. The residence of the sisters in Augusta, which was adjacent to the school, was also known as Mount St. Joseph Convent.