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Sister
Stories
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Hope
in Our Community – Saint Louis Zoo
Education has always been the ministry
of Loretto Sister Sharon Kassing. Thousands of students
have been an important part of her life in her 30 years
as an elementary school science/art teacher. She was
an active member of the parishes in which she taught
and a welcome guest in the homes of the families of
her students. Those students still drop by to see her
and often even bring their own children. Most recently,
Sister Sharon’s educational work has been in the
informal arena, working in the education department
of the nationally recognized Saint Louis Zoo, where
she is responsible for teacher programs. These programs,
she said, are often developed and delivered in collaboration
with other like-minded cultural institutions that recognize
the strength and effectiveness of such joint efforts.
Teachers seem to appreciate them as well, Sister Sharon
noted. She added, “My work at the zoo also allows
me to promote conservation of animals and their habitats
and generally to encourage responsible citizenship in
the global community through ethical behavior toward
all creation.”
photo by Bill Stover, Washington University
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Hope
in Our Community – Festschrift
When great scholars retire from full-time
work in higher education, colleagues present them
with a book of essays written in their honor. The
book is called a festschrift and usually focuses on
the significant themes that marked the work of the
scholar/teacher. Sister Carolyn Osiek, RSCJ, has just
been given a festschrift called Finding A Woman’s
Place: Essays in Honor of Carolyn Osiek, published
by fellow educators who worked with her at Catholic
Theological Union in Chicago and at Brite Divinity
School in Texas. As a Religious of the Sacred Heart,
Sister Carolyn says that throughout her 35 years of
college and university teaching, she has simply been
following the educational mission of the congregation’s
founder, St. Madeleine Sophie Barat. She said: “It
is my hope that these years of teaching and leading
travel study programs on the Bible will encourage
future pastors, teachers, and missionaries who have
been with me to proclaim the love of God that they
have experienced. In this way, our world will be renewed.”
A continually expanding story of hope is yet to be
written by the multitudes of students from diverse
cultures and educational backgrounds who have been
touched by the teachings of Sister Carolyn.
To see a bit more about the book: http://wipfandstock.com/
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Hope
in Our Community – Woman’s Place
She’s terrified. Desperate.
Alone. She never knows what will cause the violence
to erupt again—only that she never seems to be
able to prevent or escape it. She may be your neighbor,
your coworker, your own sister. Woman’s Place
in Maplewood offers a safe haven for women suffering
domestic abuse. Sister Irma Kennebeck, FSM, and the
staff provide a secure, nonjudgmental place for women
to go, for counseling, for support, for a listening
ear or just a place to sit quietly in safety. Woman’s
Place can help women in crisis find the resources they
need to escape the deadly cycle of domestic violence.
If you or someone you know suffers from such abuse,
contact Woman’s Place, (314) 645-4848 to find
out how to get help. Or drop in at 7372 Marietta Avenue
in Maplewood. They care.
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