Jubilarians - Medaille

Sister Jane Louise Arbour, CSJ

70 Years

Sister Jane Louise was born to Julia Bahlinger and Sidney Arbour in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and given the name Julie Mae. The family included five girls and three boys. After graduation from St. Joseph’s Academy in Baton Rouge, Sister Jane Louise entered the novitiate in New Orleans, professing first vows in 1943. She holds a bachelor’s degree in education from Loyola New Orleans, a masters in Library Science from LSU in Baton Rouge and an M.A. in theology from the University of Notre Dame. She taught her first four years in elementary schools at St. Ann and Our Lady of the Rosary in New Orleans. She taught English and Religion for fifteen years at the secondary level at the academies in New Roads, New Orleans and Baton Rouge. In 1962 she broke new ground when she was invited to serve as campus minister at the LSU Newman Center in Baton Rouge, a position she held for three years. Sister Jane Louise then served for six years in community service at the provincial house in New Orleans in various capacities as Junior College Librarian, local superior and provincial secretary. In 1971 she began serving in parish education at St. Thomas More Parish in Baton Rouge from which she retired after 25 years as pastoral associate. Sister Jane resides at the CSJ Center in Baton Rouge.

“My CSJ vocation has been very precious to me.”

– Sister Jane Louise

Sister Beth Lieux, CSJ
(Sister Magdalen)

60 Years

Sister Beth was born in New Roads, Louisiana to F. Azema Lorio and Joseph Bertrand Lieux whose family included eleven children. Sister Beth began her earliest years in elementary school with the Sisters of St. Joseph and continued through high school under their guidance. Two of her aunts, her mother’s sisters, were CSJ’s. After two years of novitiate in New Orleans Sister Beth professed first vows in 1953 and began teaching at St. Ann Parochial School in New Orleans. She completed R.N. training and earned an R.N. diploma in 1961 from Loyola University School of Nursing and Mercy Hospital in New Orleans where she finished as class valedictorian. Her hospital nursing career spanned seventeen years during which time she ministered at Terrebonne General Hospital in Houma, Louisiana, Sisters of St. Joseph Hospital and Pointe Coupee General Hospital in New Roads and Earl K. Long Hospital in Baton Rouge. She spent one year as administrator and two years as Infirmary R.N. Coordinator of St. Joseph Provincial House in New Orleans. She ministered as a nurse at the Algiers-Fisher Housing Development Clinic on the New Orleans west bank for two years and nineteen years as staff nurse at Loyola University New Orleans Student Health Center. She retired to Baton Rouge for six years and moved to Wichita in 2012 where she is faithful to the ministry of prayer.

Sister Beth’s sister, Bertrand Lieux CSJ, also lives at Marian Hall in Wichita. One other sister, Magda L. Bonnette, lives in New Roads and four brothers and their wives live in the New Roads or Baton Rouge area – Ted, Edward, Ralph, and John Lieux. Her deceased siblings are Frances Dabadie, Lucille “Cile” Roy, Joseph Bert and Charles Lieux.

“My life as a Sister of St. Joseph means love of God and service to neighbor. I am filled with gratitude to God for all His many blessings.”

– Sister Beth

Sister William Matthews, CSJ

60 Years

Sister William was born Billie Elizabeth in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, the second child of Stella Melancon and William Matthews. Mr. Matthews’ death at a very early age left his wife with two very young children to raise, Billie and her sister Mary Lillian. Billie attended Sacred Heart Elementary and St. Joseph’s Academy in Baton Rouge, both staffed by the CSJ’s. She entered the novitiate in New Orleans right after high school in 1951 and earned a B.S. in Education from Loyola New Orleans. Sister William served nineteen years in Catholic education beginning as a teacher at Sacred Heart School in Grand Coteau, Louisiana followed by teaching at St. Rita School in Harahan, Louisiana and Sacred Heart School in Baton Rouge. She was also assistant principal at Sacred Heart School in Morgan City, Louisiana and St. Rita School in Harahan, Louisiana and principal at Sacred Heart Baton Rouge and St. Frances Cabrini in New Orleans.

After a year’s sabbatical in at Mount. St. Joseph, Ohio, Sister William spent a year as receptionist/bookkeeper at the Sisters of St. Joseph Clinic in Chauvin, Louisiana, three years as Administrative Assistant for St. Joseph Development in New Orleans and ten years as Director of Development. After semi-retiring in 1996 she contributed community service and was Assistant Coordinator of the Sisters’ retirement community in New Orleans. She retired to Baton Rouge for one year after Hurricane Katrina and moved to Marian Hall in Wichita where she lives now and is involved in prayer ministry.

“I am most grateful to God for my 6o years as a Sister of St. Joseph. My vocation was known to me from the time I was in 4th grade and I am so happy and filled with gratitude that I responded to God’s call after high school.”

– Sister William

Sister Mary Smith, CSJ
(Sister Timothy)

60 Years

Sister Mary was born in in New Roads, Louisiana, to Josephine Irnonnie and Joseph Guarino. She was educated by the Sisters of St. Joseph through high school in New Roads and entered the novitiate in New Orleans, professing first vows in 1953. She held a B.S. in Education from Loyola University New Orleans and was a gifted primary teacher in various Catholic schools for 26 years - at Sacred Heart and St. Thomas More schools in Baton Rouge, St. Pius X, St. Ann, St. Joseph Pre-School and St. Frances Cabrini in New Orleans. She earned Montessori Certification and taught one year at the New Orleans Montessori Pre-School and eighteen years at St. Joseph Montessori School in New Orleans. Retiring from teaching in 1999 she engaged in community service in New Orleans and Baton Rouge, moving to Joseph Hall in Wichita in 2007 where she now resides.

“I am very grateful to God for my vocation as a Sister of St. Joseph. These 60 years have been filled with many blessings.”

– Sister Mary

Sister Joan Laplace, CSJ
(Sister Mary Paul)

50 Years

Sister Joan was born in Almirante, Panama, the first of four children of Leo Paul and Julia Foye Laplace. She was introduced to the Sisters from her earliest school years at Our Lady of the Rosary and St. Joseph Academy in New Orleans. After her freshman year at Loyola University New Orleans, Sister Joan entered the novitiate in New Orleans, professing first vows in 1963. She earned a B.S. in Secondary Education in English and French at Loyola University New Orleans and began teaching at St. Joseph’s Academy in Baton Rouge. In 1968 she earned an M.Ed. in Counseling and Administration at Louisiana State University. After serving in the SJA counseling department she became principal in 1968-69, a position she held for eleven years. She ministered at St. Joseph Academy in New Orleans 1979-80, the year before the school was transferred to the Archdiocese of New Orleans becoming known as Redeemer High School. She returned to SJA in Baton Rouge as a counselor and to begin a development program. Following a sixteen month renewal program in St. Louis, Sister Joan worked closely with the Brothers of the Sacred Heart and their colleagues on the development team at Brother Martin High School in New Orleans from 1991 to 2006. Since then she has served in the Advancement Office at SJA in Baton Rouge. Sister Joan enjoys a close relationship with her family including her sister Peggy Fernandez and her husband Phil, her brother Paul and his wife Mary and her younger brother John.

"Being called to the Sisters of St. Joseph has been an amazing grace in my life. I always felt the love and support of my family for my vocation and the goodness and care of the sisters for me throughout elementary and high school. God is good!"

-– Sister Joan

Sister Sharon Marie McCauley, CSJ
(Sister Assumpta)

50 Years

Sister Sharon was born in Fort Worth Texas, the daughter of the late Florence Remack and Jerry MCauley, Sr. and sister of the late Dorothy McCauley Ballinger and Jerry McCauley, Jr. She was taught by the CSJ’s at St. Rose Elementary School and graduated from St. Joseph Academy in New Orleans in 1960. She entered the novitiate in New Orleans, professed first vows in 1963 and earned a B.A. in Elementary Education at St. Mary’s Dominican College in New Orleans. She taught in parochial schools for fourteen years including Sacred Heart in Morgan City, Louisiana and Our Lady of the Rosary, St. Pius X and St. Rose de Lima, all in New Orleans. She served three years in parish ministry in the Archdiocese of New Orleans at St. Rose Social Apostolate and at Our Lady of Divine Providence. Sister Sharon then worked six years in admissions at Southern Baptist Hospital and gave nine years of community service at the Mirabeau Convent. Moving from New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, she retired toBaton Rouge for two years and then moved to Wichita where she continues to reside and devote herself to prayer.

“I am grateful to be a Sister of St. Joseph living our charism with humility, joy, and service. God has blessed me so much during these fifty years.”

– Sister Sharon