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The Sisters of St. Francis celebrated Jubilee on July 21 at Prince of Peace Catholic Church in Clinton. Sisters Mary Paul Hummer and Rosalie Noder celebrated anniversaries of their entry into the congregation 70 years ago. Sisters Kathleen Cleary, Judith McKenna, Dorothy Stolmeier, Shawn Kelley, and Paschal Hocum celebrated 60-year anniversaries. Click HERE to read excerpts from the homily by Bishop Thomas Zinkula of Davenport at the Jubilee Mass.

Sister Rosalie Noder grew up in McNabb, Illinois. She met the Sisters of St. Francis while attending Mount St. Clare Academy, noting that her math and religion teacher, Sister Bertha Zeiser, greatly influenced her decision to enter religious life. Sister Cortona Phelan, who would later serve as president (1968-1996) foretold leadership qualities she saw in Sister Noder, saying "Rosalie runs on an independent ticket,’” Sister Noder recalls her telling the other Sisters. Early in her ministry she taught primary and intermediate grades in schools in Iowa, California, and Illinois. In 1969 she organized and began a 14-year ministry at St. Francis de Paula parish in Chicago which provided a food pantry, clothing center, senior citizens club, and the first Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults classes. By taking a census of the parish, Sister Roasalie noticed that a great number of children attending public schools were not receiving religious education and coordinated a program that later expanded to six Chicago parishes. She worked in three additional parishes through the late 1980’s before she learned of a new epidemic on the horizon: AIDS. Compelled by the suffering of a friend, she began courses to assist people with AIDS. In 1991 she was named the Executive Director of AIDS Ministry of Illinois, in Joliet, but preferred her other roles there such as Outreach Services Coordinator, and Educator and Case Manager. She remained in AIDS ministry until December of 2002. After leaving AIDS ministry in 2002, she volunteered at Catholic Charities of Joliet, Illinois, in the Foster Grandparents program. In 2006 she returned to Clinton to live at The Canticle where she was the librarian and reading instructor to a L’Arche Clinton core member.

Looking back over the decades, Sister Rosalie said working with people with AIDS was the most rewarding of all her ministries. "I really felt I was doing God’s work when I was in close contact with people who were marginalized. They were having a really hard time and it wasn’t just the people who were gay - about one-third of the people I worked with were men who were gay, one-third were people experiencing drug problems, and one-third were women and children.” She received training in the Chicago area but little was known at the time about how the disease was contracted, how to treat it, and how to handle the stigma related to the epidemic. "When I went to work with people with AIDS, those around me did not know how people caught the deadly disease and they were afraid for me. I learned little things on my own, like washing clothes (in the same washing machine) with people with AIDS was not a way to get infected.”

Celebrating Sixty Years of Religious Life

Kathleen Cleary, OSF

Sister Kathleen Cleary is a Columbus, Ohio native who joined the congregation after graduating from Mount St. Clare Academy. She began the academy in her junior year, at the invitation of three great aunts who were Clinton Franciscans: Sisters Winefride, Regis, and Brendan Cleary. "I loved all the Sisters’ hospitality and kindness. I wanted to be a part of that,” she said. She attended Mount St. Clare College, continued her education at Creighton University during several summers, and completed her undergraduate studies at Marycrest College, Davenport, Iowa, where she received a Bachelor of Arts in elementary education. Later she completed a Master of Science Degree in Counseling and Psychology from California Baptist University, Riverside, California.

Sister Kathleen began her ministry as a first- and second-grade teacher at St. Mary’s School in Carrollton, Missouri, where she served from 1961-69. She was the director of Mount St. Clare Preschool for eight years in the 1970’s, and has since lived and ministered in California. Except for four years at St. Catherine of Alexandria School in Riverside, she has been serving at St. Margaret Mary School in Chino where she currently serves as librarian. Besides her role as librarian, Sister Kathleen held the positions of counselor and assistant principal for many of her years. "Coming to California to St. Margaret Mary School,” she said, was the highlight of her sixty years. "I love the people of the parish, the school families, and, most of all, the kids. Teaching the kids has been the joy of my life! I look forward to another year at St. Margaret Mary School. Every moment I get to work with the kids is precious to me.”

Judith McKenna, OSF

Sister Judith McKenna grew up in Chicago, Illinois, and met the Sisters of St. Francis as a student at St. Francis de Paula, a parochial school. After graduating from Aquinas Dominican High School, she entered the congregation of the Sisters of St. Francis. "In high school I went to the school of another community. I felt this call that I could be a Sister,” she recalled. In trying to decide which of the two religious communities to choose when both had inspired her, Sister Judy found the smaller-sized community appealed to her and that little things made all the difference. When a high school art project necessitated a phone call to her grade school teachers for a shamrock pattern, she was warmly greeted by Sister William McCue. In addition, she said, "When I went there to borrow the pattern, Sister William and others had the pattern and had cut out 400 shamrocks for me as well.”

Sister Judy received a Bachelor of Music Education Degree at Viterbo College, LaCrosse, Wisconsin, a Master of Music Education Degree at Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois, and a Master of Arts in Pastoral Studies Degree at Aquinas Institute of Theology, St. Louis, Missouri. She served as a music teacher at Mount St. Clare Academy, Mount St. Clare College, and Mater Dei High School in Clinton; and at schools in Oak Lawn, Illinois, and Lexington, Nebraska. She was Campus Ministry Director and Coordinator of Seminary Formation at St. Ambrose College/University in Davenport, Iowa between 1985 and 1992. From 1994 to 2015 she served as Director of Worship at St. Nicholas Parish in O’Fallon, Illinois, where she organized four choirs – a youth choir and three adult choirs to meet the various needs of the parish. "Music has always been a way of life for me,” she said, adding, "that is how I learned to pray.”

Sister Judy is grateful for her experiences. Preparing Jesus Christ Superstar at Mount St. Clare Academy was memorable. "I wanted the lyrics ‘I don’t know how to love him’ and ‘What’s the buzz’ to resonate with those kids for the rest of their lives,” she recalled. She also liked her position at St. Ambrose College. "I got to be in the seminary with the others who argued over theology. I wanted to ask the students, ‘what do the documents say about how we can pray together?’” she said. She appreciated the two years at Aquinas, too, where she said she learned, "…what good liturgy could be.” Sister Judy moved to The Canticle last year and is a part of the liturgy committee there.

Dorothy Mae Stolmeier, OSF

Sister Dorothy Mae received a Bachelor of Science Degree in education at Viterbo College, LaCrosse, Wisconsin, and taught at St. Gerald School in Oak Lawn, Illinois, from 1961 to 1969; and at Our Lady of Good Counsel School, Fonda, Iowa, from 1969 to 1982. She served as librarian at St. Catherine Alexandria School Riverside California for three years, then returned to St. Gerald School as a tutor, a remedial teacher, and an office assistant. Sister Dorothy Mae retired to The Canticle in 2008. "I’m so blessed living here at The Canticle,” Sister Dorothy said. "I can be as busy as I want or I can have quiet time.” During her quiet time she prays for the issues of peace and nonviolence, immigration reform, victims of trafficking, and impoverished people, she said, adding, "In sixty years we came through a lot. The times are quite different from when we entered. I’m glad I grew up when I did.”

Shawn Kelly, OSF

Sister Shawn Kelley was born in Burlington, Iowa. She attended Grimes Elementary School in Burlington and graduated from Burlington High School. After graduation she obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in physical education from Iowa State Teachers College, Cedar Falls, Iowa and taught public school for seven years in Washington, Iowa. She later earned a Master of Arts Degree in Guidance and Counseling from San Diego State College, San Diego, California.

"It was very unusual,” she said of her entrance into religious life. "I didn’t know one Sister. The first time I was in a Catholic school I was teaching at St. Pat’s in Clinton during my novitiate year.” A convert to Catholicism, Sister Shawn had just begun taking instruction when she struck up a friendship with a woman in graduate school at the University of Iowa who was discerning with the Sisters of St. Francis. One year and several discussions later, the two friends were entering the Sisters of St. Francis, Clinton. "It was just something that was there,” she mused. "As it turned out, I took final vows and my friend did not.”

Sister Shawn spent most of her active ministry teaching in parochial schools staffed by the Sisters of St. Francis. She taught at St. Ann’s, Lexington, Nebraska; Mount St. Clare Academy and College, Clinton, Iowa; Sacred Heart, Clinton, Iowa; St. Justin the Martyr, St. Louis, Missouri; St. Kieran’s, El Cajon, California; St. Theresa’s, Palm Springs; and St. Catherine’s, Riverside, California. During her years as a teacher, she served as physical education instructor, guidance counselor, English instructor and upper grade home room teacher. She served as a council member for the Sisters of St. Francis from 1972-76.

"I liked teaching and I wouldn’t want to say one school I liked better than another. All were great places,” she recalls. After retiring from classroom teaching, Sister Shawn moved to Mount St. Clare Convent in 1996 and then to The Canticle in 1997. She assisted the Administrator of The Canticle for some years and also volunteered at the Discovery Center in Clinton. She continues to enjoy writing and sharing her love of reading in The Canticle book club and literature class.