Jubilarian 2022 - Sister Elizabeth Brown

Sister Elizabeth (Liz) was born in Utica, New York. She entered the Albany province of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet in 1961 and was received into the novitiate in 1962. She received a bachelor's and a master’s degree in education from the College of St. Rose in 1972.

In 1966, Sister Liz began teaching throughout the state of New York, and was principal at St. Patrick Middle School in Syracuse and later at W. Catholic Middle School in Endicott until 1977.

Sister Liz moved to St. Louis in 1977 and served at the Carondelet House of Prayer. She moved to Oklahoma in 1979, serving as a pastoral minister at Sacred Heart Parish in Muskogee and at St. Francis in Sallisaw until 1983. She became a member of the St. Louis province in 1984.

Sister Liz studied at the School of Applied Theology in Oakland, California, from 1983 until 1984, and then at Franciscan School of Theology in Berkeley, California, until 1985. She earned a master’s degree from the Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley.

Moving to Okolona, Mississippi, in 1985, Sister Liz served as both the pastoral administrator of St. Teresa's Parish and was one of the founding members of Excel, Inc. a community service organization. As executive director of Excel, Sister Liz has been instrumental in the growth of programs that include educational programs for school age students, adult literacy programs, senior services, senior apartments, a C.N.A. preparation program, and, most recently, a home for homeless women and children.

Sister Liz served her CSJ community on the province leadership team from 2008 to 2014. Today, she continues her service to the community in Okolona as the EXCEL, Inc. director.

Sister Liz says of her years as a sister, “It is possibility that keeps me going.”

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