Jubilarians - Medaille

Sister Sylvia was born in Red Lake County, Minnesota, entered the Congregation of St. Joseph in Crookston, Minnesota in 1939. She spent the next six years in religious formation and ministry at the Motherhouse in Bourg-en-Bresse, France, returning to Minnesota after World War II in 1946. Sister Sylvia’s ministries spanned 73 years and involved cooking, housekeeping and sacristan duties, working as a catechist, assisting the mentally handicapped and visiting and caring for the elderly in their homes. She has worked in France, Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota and Ontario, Canada. Shelives in Stillwater, Minnesota.

Sister Carolyn Brady, CSJ
(formerly Sister Irene Marie)
60 Years

Sister Carolyn, a native of Baton Rouge, entered the Congregation of St. Joseph in New Orleans in 1948. She graduated from Loyola University New Orleans with a B.S. in Education and from the University of Notre Dame with an M.S. in Mathematics. She taught in Catholic elementary schools in New Orleans and Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, and was principal of Our Lady of the Rosary in New Orleans for six years. She ministered for 22 years in administration at St. Joseph’s Academy in Baton Rouge and served terms as provincial and congregational treasurer for the Medaille Congregation. She has been involved in development efforts for the Congregation for the past sixteen years. She is a member of the People Program Board of Directors in New Orleans.

Currently, Sister Carolyn lives in Baton Rouge.

Sister Elaine Dufresne, CSJ
(formerly Sister Mary Edward)
60 Years

Sister Elaine, a native of Wisconsin, entered the Congregation of St. Joseph in Crookston, Minnesota in 1948. She holds a B.A. in Social Studies from the College of St. Catherine in St. Paul, Minnesota and certification for Pastoral Ministry from Seattle University and chaplaincy from the National Association of Catholic Chaplains. Her ministry career includes 17 years in Catholic elementary and high schools in Wisconsin and Minnesota and nine years in community leadership positions including six years as provincial coordinator. Sister Elaine worked in pastoral care at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Park Rapids, Minnesota for five years and at the Roger Maris Cancer Center in Fargo, North Dakota for six years. She has assisted in vocation ministry and pastoral care of the elderly during her retirement years. Sister Elaine lives in Woodbury, Minnesota.

Sister Joan Hartlaub, CSJ

(formerly Sister Marcella)

60 Years

Sister Joan, a native of Cincinnati, entered the Congregation of St. Joseph in New Orleans in 1950. She graduated from Our Lady of Cincinnati College with a B.S. in Education and has an M.S. in Theology from the University of Notre Dame. Sister Joan taught 15 years in Catholic elementary schools in the Cincinnati area and served ten years as campus minister at Sinclair College in Dayton, Ohio, and Auraria Campus in Denver, Colorado. She was Associate Director Campus Ministry for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. She was a member of the General Council of the Medaille Congregation for four years and ministered in guidance and development at McNicholas High School in Cincinnati.

Currently, she is living in Cincinnati where she is involved in volunteer ministry.

Sister Esther Hulin, CSJ
60 Years

Sister Esther, born in Rayne, Louisiana, entered the Congregation of St. Joseph in New Orleans in 1948. She graduated from Loyola University New Orleans with a B.S. in Education and earned a Masters in Education from Xavier University in Cincinnati and a Masters in Pastoral Studies from Loyola University Chicago. Sister Esther has ministered for 56 years in Catholic education, 55 of those years in Catholic elementary schools in Cincinnati and in New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Morgan City and Grand Coteau, Louisiana, and one year at O’Connell Catholic High School in Galveston, Texas. She was a school administrator for 25 years and for the last 20 years of her career was principal of St. Alphonsus School in Greenwell Springs, Louisiana.

Currently, she now resides in Baton Rouge.

Sister Christine Leuck, CSJ
60 Years

Sister Christine, born in Indiana, entered the Congregation of St. Joseph in New Orleans in 1950 and graduated with a B.S. in Education from Edgecliff College in Cincinnati. She taught in Catholic elementary schools in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and Cincinnati for 11½ years and taught art at McNicholas High School in Cincinnati for nine years. Sister Christine has been a pastoral minister, worked on staff at a Montessori School, and ministered to the elderly for ten years at Mercy Saint Theresa Center.

Currently, she is retired and resides at Mount Notre Dame in Cincinnati.

Sister Therese St. Pierre, CSJ
(formerly Sister Clement)
60 Years

Sister Therese was born in south Louisiana and entered the Congregation of St. Joseph in New Orleans in 1948. She received a B.S. in Elementary Education from Loyola University New Orleans. Sister Therese taught for 56 years in Catholic elementary schools in New Orleans and Baton Rouge and was an instructor for five years at Hope House in a federal housing project in New Orleans.

Currently, she resides in Baton Rouge.

Sister Shirley Tousigant, CSJ
(formerly Sister Elizabeth Marie)
60 Years

Sister Shirley, a native of Detroit, Michigan, entered the Congregation of St. Joseph in Crookston, Minnesota in 1948. She graduated from St. Catherine College in St. Paul, Minnesota, with a B.A. in Education. She taught in Catholic elementary schools in Minnesota and Wisconsin for 21 years. She then moved into parish ministry and served thirteen years as a Pastoral Assistant in parishes in North Dakota, Minnesota and Florida. She served as a reading specialist for seven years for the school system in Largo, Florida.

Currently, she is retired and lives in Oakdale, Minnesota.

Sister Anne Bergin, CSJ
(formerly Sister Rose Mary)
50 Years

Sister Anne, a native of Baton Rouge, entered the Congregation of St. Joseph in New Orleans in 1957. She is a graduate of St. Mary’s Dominican College in New Orleans, with a B.A. degree in social studies and a B.S. in Physical Therapy from the University of Texas in Galveston. She received training at the Hospice Institute in Great Britain. Sister Anne spent her first ten years teaching in Catholic elementary schools in New Orleans and in Cincinnati. She returned to school and practiced physical therapy for 28 years. Upon retiring she used her considerable talent to teach quilting which she continues to do for senior citizens enrolled in the People Program in New Orleans where she lives.

Sister Eleanor Berstein, CSJ
(formerly Sister Caritas)
50 Years

Sister Eleanor, a native of New Orleans, entered the Congregation of St. Joseph in New Orleans in 1957. She is a graduate of St. Mary’s Dominican College in New Orleans, with a B.A. degree in English, an M.A. in English from LSU, and two Masters degrees from the University of Notre Dame, one in Theology and a second in Liturgical Studies. Sister Eleanor began her ministry years as a high school teacher at St. Joseph Academy and St. Joseph’s Junior College in New Orleans. She was Director of Religious Education at a parish in Baton Rouge for nine years, Director of Liturgy in a parish in a New Orleans suburb for one year, and Director of Liturgy and RCIA at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Lake Charles, Louisiana for three years. For 17 years, Sister Eleanor was Director of the Center for Pastoral Liturgy at the University of Notre Dame. She served on the leadership team of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Medaille from 2002 through 2007.

Currently, she is on the staff of the Magnificat Center for Unity and Reconciliation in Wichita, Kansas.

Sister Dianne Fanguy, CSJ
(formerly Sister Kostka)
50 Years

Sister Dianne, a native of Baton Rouge, entered the Congregation of St. Joseph in New Orleans in 1957. She is a graduate of St. Mary’s Dominican College in New Orleans, with a B.S. degree in Math/Secondary Education and an M.A. in Theology from the University of Notre Dame. She pursued further study in Christian Spirituality at Creighton University and has done intensive study in Spanish in preparation for her mission work in Central and South America. Sister Dianne has participated in numerous and varied workshops and program to further equip her for ministry in Guatemala, Bolivia and in Nicaragua where she has served the people since 1994 at Cantera: Ciudad Sandino near Managua.

Sister Judith Keehnen, CSJ
(formerly Sister Joan Elizabeth)
50 Years

Sister Judith, born in Detroit MI, entered the Congregation of St. Joseph in New Orleans in 1959. She holds a B.S. in Education, an M.A. in Industrial Arts Education and an Educational Specialist degree from Kent State University and an M.A. in Public History from Wright State University. Her teaching ministry included 15 years of woodworking at McNicholas High School in Cincinnati, three years teaching technology at Northern Michigan University, and ten years teaching computer drafting in the engineering department at the University of Dayton. She has served as a museum specialist at the Smithsonian Museum of American History in Washington, D.C., education and exhibit director at the National Aviation Hall of Fame in Dayton OH, and supervisor and registrar assistant at the Cincinnati Museum Center.

Currently, she is living in Cincinnati and doing archival work for the Congregation.

Sister Ruth Kettman, CSJ
(formerly Sister Joseph Eugene)
50 Years

Sister Ruth is a native of Cincinnati and entered the Congregation in New Orleans in 1959. She graduated from Thomas More College with an A.B. in Sociology and an M.A. in Theology from the University of Notre Dame. Her ministry experience includes teaching and administration at McNicholas High School in Cincinnati and campus ministry at St. George Parish and the University of Cincinnati. She served as a member of the Theology Department at Xavier University in Cincinnati and Director of the Justice and Peace Office of the Diocese of Covington, Kentucky.

Currently, she is the Director of Mount Notre Dame Spirituality Center in Cincinnati.

Sister Ann Meridier, CSJ
(formerly Sister Mary of Lourdes)
50 Years

Sister Anne, a native of New Orleans, entered the Congregation of St. Joseph in New Orleans in 1957. She is a graduate of St. Mary’s Dominican College in New Orleans, with a B.S. degree in Math and an M.Ed. in Biology from North Carolina State University. She earned further certification in Administration and Supervision from Tulane University in New Orleans. Her first two years of ministry were in New Orleans as an elementary and high school teacher at St. Frances Cabrini and St. Joseph Academy. She continued teaching at St. Joseph’s for 14 years, serving as principal four of those years. She has served as Formation Director, administrator and coordinator at St. Joseph Convent in New Orleans and a member of the congregational leadership team of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Medaille from 2002 through 2007.

Currently, she is coordinator of the Congregation of St. Joseph Residence in Baton Rouge and a member of the People Program Board of Directors in New Orleans.

Sister Helen Prejean, CSJ
(formerly Sister Louis Augustine)
50 Years

Sister Helen, a native of Baton Rouge, entered the Congregation of St. Joseph in New Orleans in 1957. She is a graduate of St. Mary’s Dominican College in New Orleans, with a B.A. degree in English and an M.A. in Religious Education from St. Paul’s University in Ottawa, Canada. She began as an elementary school teacher at St. Frances Cabrini in New Orleans where she was director of Parish Religious Education for seven years. Sister Helen was Formation Director for the Sisters of St. Joseph of Medaille for seven years and lived and worked at Hope House in a federal housing project in New Orleans for three years. She began work in death penalty ministry in 1984, has participated in numerous conferences on the death penalty and has continued writing, speaking and serving as spiritual advisor to death row inmates for the past 26 years. She is the author of Dead Man Walking, which has been acclaimed throughout the world and made into a feature film. Her second book is The Death of Innocents: An Eyewitness Account of Wrongful Executions. Sister Helen has received many honorary degrees including an Honorary Doctorate of Law from the University of Glasgow, Scotland and numerous awards including the Laetare Medal from the University of Notre Dame, the Champion of Liberty Award from the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, a Guggenheim Fellowship, and the Distinguished Service Award from the National Council of Catholic Women.