Jubilarian 2021 - Sister Christine Massman

Sister Christine Massman was born in Meta, Missouri. She entered the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet in 1945 and was received into the novitiate in 1946 as Sister Mary Joanna. She earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Fontbonne College in 1961, a master’s degree as a reading specialist from Cardinal Stritch College in 1968 and a master’s degree in religious education from Loyola University in Chicago in 1986.

Sister Christine’s ministry began in education, teaching at various schools for nearly 30 years.

Her first assignments in elementary education were in St. Louis in 1948 at St. Margaret of Scotland, followed by All Saints in the 1950s. She then taught at St. Cecilia in Peoria, Illinois, in the early 1960s. Sister Christine’s next assignment brought her to St. Bede the Venerable in Chicago, where she taught from 1963 to 1977.

Sister Christine transitioned into religious education. Returning to St. Louis, she briefly served as the religious education coordinator at St. Gregory in St. Ann. For the next 13 years, she was the religious education director at St. John Bosco Parish (1978-91).

For the next 20 years of ministry, she served in a variety of roles. In 1993, she was a secretary for the Development Office of the Salvation Army. From 2000 to 2004, she served as a part-time secretary at St. Catherin Laboure School.

After completing training in spiritual direction, Sister Christine served as a spiritual director from 2004 to 2012 in the Bridges Retreat Program of the Spiritual Exercise of St. Ignatius of Loyola.

Since 2012, Sister Christine has resided at Nazareth Living Center in St. Louis, where she continues to carry out her ministry of prayer and presence.