New Ministry Fosters Continued Relationships Between Sisters and Saint Joseph Academy

The Sisters of the Congregation of St. Joseph who live in Cleveland have a long and intertwined history with their next-door neighbors, Saint Joseph Academy (SJA), an all girls’ Catholic high school located on Rocky River Drive on Cleveland’s west side. The Academy, which was founded by the sisters in 1890, is one of three Catholic high schools currently sponsored by the Congregation, but the only one in Cleveland.

Throughout the more than 100 years of the Academy’s existence, many CSJ sisters have served as principals, teachers, staff, and on the Board (currently four sisters sit on the SJA Board). However at this point in their shared history, there are no sisters on the faculty or staff at the Academy. This fact was not lost on Sister Joyce Joecken, CSJ, who decided not to let the valuable connection between the sisters and school be lost.

Sister Joyce Joecken announces
the new "Prayer and Presence"
ministry at the recent Founders
Day Mass at the Academy.

Sister Joyce, who serves as the Chairperson of the Mission Effectiveness Committee of the SJA Board, and Mary Zavoda, St. Joseph Hall Service Coordinator for the sisters living in Cleveland, had an idea that would bring sisters together with SJA students, parents, faculty and staff. They met with SJA President Mary Ann Corrigan-Davis and Principal Audrey Menard to discuss, and “Prayer and Presence”, a new cooperative ministry between the sisters and Saint Joseph Academy, was born.

“We saw that we needed a new way of connecting sisters with SJA students, faculty, staff, and parents,” said Sister Joyce. “Without sisters at the Academy, those relationships are diminished, and we all felt that was too valuable to let slip away.”

St. Joseph Hall Service Coordinator Mary Zavoda agrees. “The mission of this ministry has long been on my mind as I work with Sisters and SJA students,” she said. “I have had SJA students join us for many events over the years, but I am hopeful that the ‘Prayer and Presence’ program will strengthen that bond. Only a driveway separates these two incredible resources.”

To get the program started, Sister Joyce and Mary enlisted the help of 14 sisters, whom they are calling “Sister Friends”. They are Sisters Pat Burke, Antoinette Campanella, Kathleen Carey, Virginia Coldren, Theresine Cregan, Pat Finn, Marion Hauck, Madeline Lammermeier, Karen Lyons, Judy McGuire, Jane Ockuly, Alice Rooney, Juanita Shealey, and Agnes Schreiber. Two sisters are paired with the class moderators of each of the four grade levels (9-12), two are paired with student’s parents, and the remaining four sisters are paired with the adult SJA community that includes faculty and staff.

“The program’s focus is on providing opportunities for shared experiences between sisters and the SJA community,” said Sister Joyce. “This could mean inviting sisters to speak to a class or group, or to other events at the Academy such as school open houses, retreats, liturgies or prayer services. It could also be something much more basic such as sharing a meal together, trading greeting cards and emails, or just praying for one another.”

In addition to the program’s fourteen Sister Friends, Sister Thelma Gerhardt, CSJ, is also on the SJA campus each week and is available to talk with students, faculty and staff. She recently spoke to students at their annual Career Day on November 4 about religious life as a possibility, and how sisters respond, as they always have, to the unmet needs of the world today.

From left, CSJ Sisters Thelma Gerhardt,
Marietta Starrie, Margaret Schuler, and Joan
Lang at the Founders Day Mass at SJA.

The Saint Joseph Academy community is also excited about the new program and the opportunities it offers for interaction with Sisters. “Being an Academy graduate, I know firsthand the value of being with the sisters during these formative high school years,” said Academy President Mary Ann Corrigan-Davis. “Bringing the sisters and students together in everyday situations will help both groups cherish each other in new ways. For the SJA parents and the adult community, we see this expanded ministry as a special blessing.”

Fittingly, the program’s theme chosen for the 2009/2010 school year is ‘Reaching Out’. “The Congregation has heard a lot about the wonderful young women at the Academy,” said Sister Joyce, “and this is a way for us to get to know them personally and to deepen our relationships with the entire Academy community.”