Sister Jean Marie Abbott, CSJ

(S. Eugene Therese)

A humble, warm, loving, risk-taker

On November 8, 1943, Eugene and Margaret (Williams) Abbott of St. Louis welcomed a daughter, Jean Marie, the fourth of nine children eventually born to them.

Jean’s elementary education was provided by the Sisters of St. Joseph at Our Lady of the Presentation. Her secondary schooling was at Rosati-Kain High School, staffed by both the Sisters of St. Joseph and the School Sisters of Notre Dame. Jean laughingly said she was “predestined” to be a Sister of St. Joseph because her father, raised at St. Joseph Home, loved them. She entered the community on September 15, 1961, receiving the habit and name Sister Eugene Therese on August 6, 1962. Though she found formation restrictive, S. Jean loved the atmosphere of reading and learning with others. After Fontbonne College conferred her bachelor's degree in elementary education (1966), she began teaching primary education at St. Catherine of Siena in Denver, Colorado. Returning to St. Louis, she taught primary at Our Lady of Lourdes (1968) and then junior high at Compton Heights School (1969).

Leaving the classroom, but not St. Louis, S. Jean began ministering as a social worker at Saint Henry/Immaculate Conception Parish in 1975. Seven years later, in 1982, Saint Louis University awarded her a master’s degree in social studies and community organization. St. Cronin Parish in St. Louis, hired her as a parish social worker (1982).

Then, her ministry took a radical turn. When our country became involved in Nicaragua, S. Jean judged our actions as harsh and felt a deep need for involvement in some way. Conversations about those abuses with Angie O’Gorman, recently returned from Nicaragua, led to a lifelong friendship and motivated S. Jean to join a group called Witness for Peace. Soon, she was doing social work in Jalapa, Nicaragua, with a group of concerned people who hoped their presence would slow the violence—or at least provide witnesses to tell the world about the plight of the people (1984). After taking a brief time of transition in June of 1985, S. Jean ministered in Guatemala City, Guatemala.

Returning to St. Louis in 1986, she served people in sanctuary at the Central American Workers Sanctuary. Then, in 1991, S. Jean ministered as a therapist at the Center for Psychological Growth and as counselor at Haven of Grace Shelter. Beginning in 1997, she served as a trauma therapist at Provident Counseling. In 2008, recognizing that refugees needed time and help to recover from trauma, she was instrumental in founding and becoming the clinical director for the Center for Survivors of Torture & War Trauma. Stepping down in 2013, S. Jean became a private counselor there. In thanks to funding provided by a Hilton Grant and CSJ ministry grants, S. Jean also traveled to Uganda, Africa, to help train counselors and work with individuals.

Memories:

The needs of the other person came ahead of what she had planned ... in Gulu, the people suffering from the trauma of war had the greatest love and respect for her. — Sister Patricia Murphy

There was not one ounce of ‘power’ seeking honor or recognition in her. To be in her presence was to soak in the Spirit of God and to be at peace. —Sister Rose McLarney

Often refugees at the Center for Survivors of Torture and War Crimes [sic]seemed to have been 'stripped of their sense of self and self-worth.' Jean had an amazing ability to see their goodness and worth and reflect it back to them.— Associate Gerry Rauch

Reflecting on her life, Jean said,

I’m extremely—and I can’t say it deeply enough—that I am grateful to the CSJs. I never felt alone when I was wandering around in Central America. I never felt alone when I was going into the villages in Uganda. I never felt alone. I always felt a part of the CSJs. And I have always felt their love, your love.

By Sister Helen Oates