Sister Roberta Brich
The connection with the land and rural people has contributed to the sisters' distinguishing characteristics of simplicity and steadfastness in the face of major challenges.
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Sister Jude Fitzpatrick
Sr. Jude currently serves as director of administrative and special services for the Diocese of Des Moines.
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Sister Kathleen Hanley
Sr. Hanley was in music ministry in Montana. She enjoyed singing in the Billings Symphony Chorale and especially enjoyed volunteering as a "cuddler" in the neo natal intensive care unit at St. Vincent Healthcare. Sister Kathleen was dedicated to the ministry of prayer & witness.
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Sister Constance Pailliotet
The article has descriptions of special events held at the Agency and revealed how Sr. Connie had become part of families there. Of special significance were Connie’s efforts to enable students to know their Crow history and language. The bi-lingual program included aides and teachers who were fluent in Crow and could teach in that language and in English. In fact a former professor of Connie’s had linked her with a teacher from England who had a bi-lingual program for natives of Bangladesh. They had committed to sharing outcomes of their experiences.
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Sister Kathryn O'Meara
After teaching for several years Sr. Kathryn entered the health field. As an RN she worked in the medical nursing unit of St. Joseph Hospital, Ottumwa, IA, for several years before becoming a part of Project Hope, a land-based medical team that ministered in Tunis and Tunisia, Africa. She then entered the National Health Service Corps which let her minister as a family nurse practitioner to Native Americans through the Navajo Nation Health Foundation.
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Sister Claudellen Pentecost
Life in community is the best thing I've had. It fulfills a dream.
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Sister Rosalia Riedel
Sr. Rosalia received a BA in education from Marycrest College and received her Certified Nurses Aide training from Scott Community College in Bettendorf, Iowa. Her ministry of teaching found her in the Iowa cities of Centerville, Bettendorf, Albia, Des Moines, Oskaloosa and Ottumwa and in Lewistown, Montana and Rock Island, Illinois. She also was a program facilitator at the Center for Active Seniors (CASI) in Davenport.
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Sister Cecelia Vandeberg
Sr. Cecelia received a BA in music from Siena Heights College in Adrian, Michigan. Her ministry of teaching music and academics found her at schools in Montana including St. Mary (1941-59), St. Peter & Paul (1969-73), and Our Lady of Lourdes (1973-88) in Great Falls and St. Leo (1966-68) in Lewistown. She also taught music at St. Pius X in Rock Island, Illinois. From 1988 - 2012 Sr. Cecelia worked in hospital ministry in Great Falls, Montana.
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Sister Johnelle Howanach
Sr. Johnelle Howanach found herself, in 1988, the foster mother of a 6-year old Native American girl disabled from birth with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS). Although, told that the child was uneducable, Sr. Johnelle’s tutelage and love has allowed ‘Lissie” to grow into a confident young woman, founder of a Lissie's Luv Yums and national speaker on Fetal Alchohol Spectrum Disorder.
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Sister Marie Ven Horst
Sister Helene broke the Ph.D. glass ceiling at the University of iowa in the chemistry and physics departments with her degree in 1952. Sister returned to Marycrest where she endeared herself to hundreds of science students and, later, to weekend graduate students with her excellent teaching, sound advice, and sense of humor.
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Sister Corrine Foley
Sister was always gracious and patient. Her education ministry covered schools in four dioceses: Davenport, Des Moines, Great Falls/Billings and Phoenix. She taught in both elementary and high schools. She was at St. Anthony, Des Moines, three different times and always commented on how much she liked being there. In each case it was a group of imaginative students matched with an energetic teacher. During her last months at Bishop Drumm she would often have visits from former students. Politics and science were generally the topics of conversation.
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Sister Catherine Talarico
Sr. Catherine's ministries included teaching, a pastoral minister, and working with housing and mental health issues. Currently she lives in Des Moines where she volunteers for homeless veterans and women at Iowa Correctional Institution for Women as well as involvement with other justice issues.
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Sister JoAnne Talarico
Sr. JoAnne volunteered at the Homeless Veterans Stand Down each year. She was a passionate advocate for juvenile justice and received the Justice Reform Consortium Justice Award. She spent years visiting a woman at the Iowa Correctional Institution for Women in Mitchellville.
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Sister Mary Charlene Olear
She began her 46 years of teaching at St. Anthony School in Des Moines followed by Sacred Heart School in West Des Moines; St. Theresa, Des Moines; Our Lady of Lourdes, Bettendorf; St. Alphonsus, Davenport; St. Joseph, Great Falls, MT; St. Mary, Centerville, IA; All Saints in Stuart, IA; St. Louis the King, Phoenix, AZ; Gehlen High School, LeMars, IA; Colo Community Public School in Colo, IA; and West Marshall High School, State Center, IA. After she retired from teaching in 1992, she cared for various elderly friends in Marshalltown who needed a driver, someone to visit them, call them, or pick up their groceries. She also sent birthday cards to dozens of people and an annual Christmas letter to many more.
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Sister Elizabeth Anne Schneider
Psalm 102 “So my soul sings songs to you unceasingly.” She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in music in 1949 from Marycrest College, her Master of Arts degree in music in 1950 from the University of Kansas in Lawrence, and her PhD in higher education in 1970 from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. She continued music education at the University of Iowa, Michigan State University and the University of Minnesota. Psalm 102 “Oh my God I will thank you forever.” Sr. Elizabeth Anne’s ministry in music education took place in Davenport at St. Vincent as music teacher from 1953 – 1960 and at Marycrest College as a faculty member from 1953–1966.
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