Jubilarian 2021 - Sister Helen Flemington

Sister Helen Flemington was born in Kansas City, Missouri. She entered the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet in 1960 and was received into the novitiate in 1961 as Sister James Barbara. She earned a bachelor’s degree in French from Fontbonne College in 1966 and a master’s degree in French elementary education from Ohio State University in 1973.

Sister Helen taught in St. Louis, Missouri, at St. Matthew Grade School from 1965 to 1967 and at Immacolata Grade School from 1967 to 1974. For the next seven years, she served as principal in Chicago, Illinois, at Nativity of Our Lorde Grade School.

In 1981, Sister Helen transitioned into pastoral ministry. She was a pastoral minister and director of religious education at St. Leo the Great Parish in Ava, Missouri, until 1988. She then served at St. Therese Little Flower Parish in Kansas City as a pastoral associate (1988-95) and pastoral administrator (1995-2006).

Returning to elementary education, Sister Helen was principal for the next two years at St. Thomas More Grade School in Kansas City.

From 2008 to 2014, she served her CSJ community as a member of the Province Leadership Team. After a year-long sabbatical, Sister Helen returned to St. Therese Little Flower Parish and served as a pastoral minister (2015-2018).

Since 2018, Sister Helen has served her CSJ community as mission advisor for the Kansas City Regional Mission Advancement Office and has served on the Board of Directors at St. Joseph Medical Center and the Board of Trustees at Avila University.