religious Archives - Page 15 of 15

Former Director of Education dies

Posted on January 17, 2019 by Bob Reddy

Staff Report – Florida Catholic

1/17/19

Sister Roberta Schmidt, CSJ, former Diocese of Venice Director of Education, died Jan. 2, 2019 at the de Greef Hospice House in St. Louis. Mo. She was 90.

Sister Roberta Schmidt, Sister of St. Joseph of Carondelet in St. Louis, Mo. Diocese of Venice Director of Education from 1993 to 2008. She died Jan. 2, 2019 in St. Louis.

Sister Roberta, a Sister of St. Joseph of Carondelet in St. Louis, Mo., had a 56-year career in education and taught at all levels of Catholic education from elementary school through college and lived her life as a committed witness to the social teachings of the Church and the role of education and formation. She worked in the Diocese of Venice as Director of Education from 1993 through 2008. Perhaps she is best known for her participation in two Civil Rights Marches in the 1960s and for her commitment to social justice issues.

This humble woman said as she neared her 2008 retirement: “It is all about doing the mission of Jesus, which is, living Gospel values, respecting the dignity of people, forming relationships, being a witness to the social teachings of the Church.”

Born in Kansas City, Mo., in 1928, Sister Robert entered the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet on Sept. 15, 1949, and was received into the novitiate as Sister Ernest Maria on March 19, 1950. She earned a bachelor’s degree from the College of Teresa (now Avila University), and her master’s degree and doctorate from St. Louis University. Prior to coming to the Diocese of Venice, Sister Roberta served in the Archdiocese of Atlanta as Secretary of Education. Previously, she held administrative positions in higher education in the Archdioceses of San Antonio and St. Louis as well as the Diocese of Birmingham. She also taught elementary, secondary and collegiate levels in the archdiocese of St. Louis.

In March 1965, she and two others from her religious order travelled to Selma, Ala., to join hundreds of protesters who responded to a direct appeal to clergy from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and were seeking voting rights for African-Americans in the South. To voice their support the trio joined in marches from Brown Chapel to the courthouse for several days. The sisters were the subject of a Civil Rights documentary and in 2015 the religious women received honorary Doctorates of Human Letters from Avila University (formerly known as the College of St. Teresa), Sister Roberta’s Alma Mater, for their contributions at Selma and to the global community.

“Our role was one of witness,” Sister Roberta said in 2015, the 50^th Anniversary of the March. “I was so pleased that they decided to include women as part of that group.”

Under the guidance of Sister Roberta, the Diocese added the Institute for Pastoral Studies and Formation, which offers advanced degrees in theology; St. Mary’s Academy in Sarasota for students with learning disabilities; expanded adult faith formation programs; and St. Catherine Catholic School, the first Catholic School in the Eastern Deanery.

Following her 2008 retirement, Sister Roberta lived peacefully in Venice before moving to St. Louis in 2017 to live at the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet motherhouse.

A Memorial Mass will be held Friday, Jan. 11 at 10:30 a.m. at Nazareth Living Center, 2 Nazareth Lane, St. Louis, MO 63129.

Spiritual enrichment + fun and games

Posted on June 22, 2018 by Bob Reddy

Staff Report

It was more than fun and games at the St. Michael Parish summer camps for boys and girls in Wauchula. During back-to-back weeks in early June, young boys, and then young girls, converged on the Parish grounds and participated in eight hours of daily spiritual enrichment mixed in with fun and outdoor games.

Each summer, the Parish Religious Education team organizes the camps for the boys (June 4-8) and the girls (June 11-15). The camps are for children from first through sixth grade and offer a chance for the Parish staff to keep connected with the young people when regular religious education programs are closed for the summer.

The children described the week in the simplest of terms: “Fun!” “Awesome!” “Great!” “Perfect!” Beautiful!” “Terrific!” If the smiles and excitement for each day were not enough, the impact of the camp was the lively participation of everyone in each of the activities throughout each week.

The theme for the camps this year was “Obedience!” At daily Mass, Parish Administrator Father Timothy van Zee, Institute of the Incarnate Word, stressed the importance of obedience, trying to explain the concept on a level the young children could clearly understand.

“The best reason is because Jesus gave us that example. We need to be like Jesus if we want to be happy and if we want to get to heaven,” said Father van Zee. “Even when you are asked to do something you don’t want to do; it is better to obey. If you do that, you become a better person, more like Jesus.”

Each camp day had a serious religious and spiritual element, including prayer and an examination of conscience. The early part of the schedule included a talk about the Holy Mass with a presentation covering different aspects of full, active and conscious participation in the Mass. This encompassed the proper way to use a holy water font when entering the Church; the need to genuflect facing the tabernacle and the altar; and a review of the prayers and music.

A key component of the preparation was a daily reinforcement of how to behave when going forward for Holy Communion. For the youngest children, this meant crossing their arms indicating they were not of age to receive the Eucharist and bowing their head to be blessed by Father van Zee. For older children, it was a reminder to respond clearly when the Holy Eucharist is presented to them.

Following Mass, there were additional prayers lead by a religious sister and then they were free to head to a breakfast of pancakes, fruit, milk and juice.

Other parts of the day included some fun and games as well as productive team-building exercises. Small teams competed in the various activities throughout the week with an emphasis on support and teamwork. Points were accumulated for various token prizes.

This was important in helping the young boys and girls realize that they can accomplish much more with the help of others than if they tried to do the same thing alone. Because it is the summer, many of the outdoor activities included water, providing some of the funnier moments of the week.

In the afternoons, different activities included learning about the life of different saints, presentations on the stage in the Parish Hall, and more indoor games. The girls also had the opportunity to bake. Days concluded with snack time, singing and then a recitation of the Holy Rosary. Each week also included a field trip to the Tampa Bay area where they went to indoor amusement facilities.

Each week culminated in a celebration for the parents with presentations from each team. The girls also served fresh baked pizza.

The camps were organized by Sister Maria Gema de Jesus Ruiz, a Servant of the Lord and the Virgin of Matará, Director of Religious Education at St. Michael Parish. However, they would not have been possible without the support of the other religious women at the Parish and the hard work by the entire Parish community, including the parent and teen volunteers. Among those volunteers were several Diocesan seminarians who helped with the boys, and an extra religious sister from Washington, D.C., who assisted with the girls.

Retiring Mooney President leaves lasting legacy

Posted on May 8, 2018 by Bob Reddy

By Karen Christie – Special to the Florida Catholic

After 39 years of compassion, loyalty, and devotion to Cardinal Mooney Catholic High School, Sister Mary Lucia Haas, Sister of Notre Dame, the school’s President, will be retiring at the end of the 2017-2018 school year. I had the pleasure to talk to Sister Lucia about this important time in her life, and asked what comes to her mind when she thinks about retirement. Laughing slightly, she replied with a question of her own: “What can I still do?” Her hope is to continue to help others around her.

Sister Mary Jucia Hass, Sister of Notre Dame, sits in front of a statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary on the campus of Cardinal Mooney Catholic High School in Sarasota where she is retiring as School President and has worked a combined 39 years.

Sister Lucia grew up in the small town of North Ridgeville, Ohio, the youngest of eight children and later attended Erieview Catholic High School. After graduation Sister went to Notre Dame College in South Euclid, Ohio. Both were all-girls schools run by the Sisters of Notre Dame. She later attended the College of William and Mary in Virginia, where she received her Master’s degree.

Since her favorite subjects were science and math, Sister Lucia originally intended to major in chemistry. The science program at Notre Dame College focused on students who intended to teach at the high school level. Sister found chemistry interesting, but she wasn’t planning to go into the teaching field at that time.

Always a morning person, while in college she began attending 6:30 a.m. Mass every day with the religious sisters. As a sophomore in high school, she was approached by one of the sisters about possibly considering the religious life, but at that time her goals were centered more upon her scholastic work. Once in college, however, she felt the need to answer the calling that God wanted her to join the religious life by becoming a nun. The more she went to Mass, the more she realized that this was what she was meant to do.

Upon graduating from college, Sister Lucia received her first assignment, or “mission” as it is referred to by her religious order. She was first ordered to St. Peter’s Catholic High School in downtown Cleveland, where she taught from 1963 to 1967. From 1967 to 1976, she was sent to Notre Dame High School in Middleburg, Va.

It was in 1976 that she first was assigned to Cardinal Mooney Catholic High School in Sarasota. During her first three years, she taught science, theology, and math, before being promoted to become the principal, a position she held for six years.

As is common for religious, she was moved again and in 1986 she was assigned as the new principal at Lorraine Catholic High School in Ohio. Her final move came in 1989 when she returned to Cardinal Mooney for good, eventually earning the title of President.

Sister Mary Lucia Hass, Sister of Notre Dame, is seen with Bishop Frank J. Dewane during her 50th anniversary jubilee in 2012 at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Retreat Center in Venice.

“When I think of her contributions I think of the difference just one person can make,” said Father Matthew Grady, Cardinal Mooney Chaplain. “In a word, I would say Sister’s ministry is an example of: commitment.”

Sister Lucia notes that her first memory of Cardinal Mooney was of the palm trees and how the air was so dry. The school environment, though, was very similar to where she grew up in Ohio.

When asked about notable experiences, Sister replied that she found the duties concerned with building new facilities on campus to be the most challenging of the experiences in her career. Describing her most rewarding times at Cardinal Mooney, Sister Lucia reflected on how many graduates have come back to visit the school during one of their college breaks, and how appreciative they were to have had the opportunity to go to a high school that prepared them for college, and life thereafter.

Outside of work, it may surprise people to know that Sister Lucia likes to golf and fish, although fishing is more of a fond childhood memory of time spent with her siblings. One of the things she hopes to do when she retires is to become proficient in the use of technological devices, including her iPad and iPhone.

In addition, Sister Lucia has a friend who volunteers at the Cosgrove Center, located in North Ridgeville, Ohio, which is dedicated to helping the homeless. Sister herself can no longer drive, but she hopes to be able to go with her friend a few times a week to provide her services and help feed and clothe the homeless. Ironically, the center for the homeless is located in what used to be her alma mater, Erieview Catholic High School. At the Cosgrove Center, Sister wants to continue to fulfill God’s calling by being kind and helpful to others just as they have been to her. “I started where I’ll be ending up,” Sister says thoughtfully.

When asked what she feels is her strongest quality, she can always manage to look and act cheerful even when she may feel frustrated or upset on the inside. She is so thankful to have been in great health for many years.

Her motto, or philosophy in life is simple and sweet: “God is good!”

Sister Lucia has been such a valuable asset to Cardinal Mooney Catholic High School. It is easy to see that during both the challenging and rewarding times, she has always remained positive. More importantly, throughout her Mooney career, Sister reflected how her dedication and faithfulness ensured that the school provides a positive example for student’s lives by living her own philosophy each day.

As Sarah Gates, a Cardinal Mooney Theology teacher and former Mooney student puts it, “Sister Lucia’s commitment to God shines through in the work she has done at Cardinal Mooney and in the community of Sarasota.”

Father Grady, calls Sister Lucia “a fellow worker in the Lord’s vineyard who never counted the hours, but was delighted by every moment she spent with us.”

Congratulations Sister Lucia upon your retirement. Thank you for your years of service. May the Grace of God go with you as you begin the next chapter in your life.