Jubilarian 2022 - Sister Ida Robertine Berresheim

Sister Ida Robertine Berresheim, baptized Elizabeth Eugena, was born in St. Louis, Missouri. She entered the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet in 1946 and was received into the novitiate in 1947. She received a bachelor’s degree in English from Fontbonne College in St. Louis in 1960 and a master’s in English from St. Louis University in 1966.

Sister Ida spent her first 20 years of ministry in education, teaching on the primary and intermediate levels. In the 1950s, she taught at St. Mary Magdalene in St. Louis; St. Catherine of Sienna in Denver; St. Patrick’s in Sedalia, Missouri; St. Vincent de Paul in St. Louis; St. Phillip Neri in St. Louis; and at St. John’s in Green Bay.

In the 1960s, Sister Ida taught on the high school level at Little Flower in Chicago; St. Thomas Aquinas in Florissant, Missouri; and St. Anthony in St. Louis, where she also served as assistant principal.

Sister Ida began working at Fontbonne College in 1966 on the administrative staff. She became a faculty member in 1969.

From 1970 to 1982, she served her Sisters of St. Joseph community in a number of roles, including regional superior, provincial councilor, assistant province superior and assistant general superior.

Sister Ida began her ministry in the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet’s vice province of Peru in 1982, where she worked in pastoral ministry and served as the vice-province treasurer.

Returning to the states in 1990, she continued serving in leadership in the CSJ community as general superior of the congregation until 1994.

In 1994, Sister Ida began her long-time service to migrants at the border. Sister Ida ministered in El Paso, Texas, at Centro Mujeres de La Esperanz, serving as co-director, director, program presenter and grant writer. At the age of 75 she retired. She began volunteering at Annunication House doing clerical duties and is currently an active board member.

Sister Ida came out of retirement in 2011 and returned to St. Louis to serve as the assistant mission coordinator for the CSJ congregation.

Sister Ida continues her commitment to border ministry. In addition to her board work, she traveled to the border to help cloth and feed those in need.

Sister Ida says that retirement and advancing age have brought many gifts, especially educational opportunities which the community has generously enabled. “Time for and participation in spiritual direction, music, peace and justice, board work and other activities have also been among the great gifts of these later years,” she says.