During a July 17 ceremony, the new Ursuline Leadership Council reads St. Angela’s words that “we regard ourselves as ministers and servants, knowing that we have more need to serve, than you have to be served by us.” From left are Sr. Ann McGrew, OSU, councilor; Sr. Monica Seaton, OSU, councilor; Sr. Martha Keller, OSU, assistant congregational leader; and Sr. Sharon Sullivan, OSU, congregational leader. COURTESY OF DAN HECKEL

BY DAN HECKEL, SPECIAL TO THE WESTERN KENTUCKY CATHOLIC

The Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph installed their new Leadership Council on July 17, 2022, mixing a combination of veteran leaders with some fresher voices.

Sr. Sharon Sullivan, OSU, is serving as congregational leader, six years after she left the same office, where she served from 2010-16. The native Texan becomes only the second sister in the community’s history to be elected to nonconsecutive terms as leader, and the first in 85 years.

Sr. Sharon is celebrating her 40th year as an Ursuline Sister this year, with most of her time in ministry serving at Brescia College/University in Owensboro. She completed her tenure at Brescia, where she was a special education professor and coordinator of the special education and middle school programs.

Sr. Martha Keller, OSU, was elected as assistant congregational leader. She is a native of Whitesville and is serving in her 46th year as an Ursuline. Sr. Martha has served as a teacher, parish minister and director of vocation ministry. From 2012 until her election, she served as a pastoral associate at St. Jerome Parish, in Fancy Farm. She was instrumental in leading relief efforts for people in Mayfield following the deadly Dec. 10, 2021, tornado that devastated the town.

Sr. Monica Seaton, OSU, was elected as first councilor. Sr. Monica is a native of Owensboro, where she attended St. Stephen Cathedral as her home parish. She is the community’s youngest sister, serving in her 20th year. Sr. Monica served as a teacher, and since 2016 has been the director of vocation ministry for the Ursulines. She will continue in that role while on the Council.

The Ursuline Sisters install their new Leadership Council during a ceremony in the Motherhouse Chapel on July 17. In this picture, Bishop William F. Medley, the celebrant for the day, (second from left), is joined by Fr. Ray Goetz, chaplain at the Mount, in offering his blessing to the new Council. COURTESY OF DAN HECKEL

Sr. Ann McGrew, OSU, was elected as the second councilor. The Grayson County native previously served as a councilor from 2004-2010. Now in her 57th year as an Ursuline, Sr. Ann brings a wide variety of ministry experience to her role. She has been a teacher, parish minister and secretary to the Council. She was also director of novices and of the temporary professed, and she served in the ministry formation program at Brescia. She is a spiritual director and a founding member of the Spiritual Direction Training Program at Maple Mount. She was director of the Mount Saint Joseph Conference and Retreat Center from 2010-16. She will continue to serve as Motherhouse treasurer while on the Council.

The sisters will serve four-year terms. The outgoing Council – Srs. Amelia Stenger, Pat Lynch, Pam Mueller and Judith Nell Riney –were not eligible for re-election.

The Ursuline Sisters have served in Daviess County since 1874, and as an independent community with their Motherhouse in Maple Mount since 1912. The Ursuline Sisters serve in Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, Kansas, Missouri, Louisiana and Chile, South America.

Dan Heckel serves as the director of mission advancement/communications for the Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph in Maple Mount, Ky.