In Brief

Precious Blood Sisters were busy with a variety of events throughout the fall. In all that we do, we strive to continue to fulfill our mission to proclaim God’s love by being a life-giving, reconciling presence in our fractured world.

September — Sister Terry Maher offered two workshops to nursing staff within the Providence health system in California: “Pediatric Trauma and Health Care” and “OB and Trauma-informed Health Care.” Each workshop provided information on the grief process of trauma.

October — Citizens from throughout the state of Ohio gathered at the Statehouse to call for the death penalty to be abolished. Peace, Justice and Ecology Coordinator Jen Morin-Williamson attended on Oct. 4, and Sister Patty Kremer joined her for a second gathering on Oct. 11. The Congregation is a member of the organization Ohioans To Stop Executions.

October 2 — The Congregation’s Justice Committee sponsored a presentation at Salem Heights by Mandy Reed, founder of Dear Dinah, a nonprofit, faith-based outreach program for survivors of human trafficking in Dayton.

October 2 — Sisters helped students at Mother Brunner School celebrate the birthday of our foundress, Maria Anna Brunner. They delivered cupcakes to the classrooms and spoke about Mother Brunner’s life and vocation. “Mother Brunner” herself even made an appearance — represented by Sister Judy Niday.

October 4 — Sister Mary E. Wendeln and Jen Morin-Williamson attended the 2023 annual gathering of Ignite Peace (formerly the Intercommunity Justice and Peace Center). The event was held in Cincinnati and marked the organization’s first gathering under its new name.

October 6 —  A Mass and festive lunch were held at Salem Heights, our central house in Dayton, in celebration of Mother Brunner’s birthday. Our foundress was born Oct. 1, 1764, in the canton of Solothurn, Switzerland.

October 13 — Sisters Regina Albers, Patty Kremer and Mary E. Wendeln, along with Jen Morin-Williamson, attended the annual Su Casa gala in Cincinnati. The Congregation is a longtime supporter of Su Casa, which serves the Hispanic and Latino community in greater Cincinnati with case management, education services, family reunification and more.

October 15 — Sisters Mi-Kyoung Hwang and Pauline Siesegh attended a fundraiser for the Illinois Community for Displaced Immigrants, which provides essential goods and housing to asylum seekers, advocates for justice for immigrants and serves as a field education site for the ministry practicum at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago.

October 25 — A fall retreat for women, titled “A Walk in the Wilderness,” was held at Salem Heights. The planning team included Sisters Martha Bertke and Mary Lou Schmersal, as well as Sonnie Bernardi and Judy Carver, both members of St. Paul Church in Englewood.

November 7 — For the third year, inspired by CPPS Sisters who served as poll workers in the past, Sister Thelma Wurzelbacher volunteered as an election official.

November 8 — Sisters Paula Gero and Patty Kremer accompanied Vocation Ministry Coordinator Teri Iverson to St. Christopher School, where they spoke to 6th, 7th and 8th grade religion classes about vocations and shared their vocation stories.

November 9-11 — Sisters Ann Clark and Marla Gipson attended the Religious Formation Conference Congress in Chicago, where one of the seminar sessions, “From Welcome to Inclusion,” was presented by Sister Mūmbi Kīgūtha.

November 10 — The Congregation received the Trotwood Chamber of Commerce Large Business of the Year Award, along with commendations from Senator Sherrod Brown, Governor Mike DeWine, Montgomery County Treasurer John McManus, Trotwood City Mayor Mary McDonald and Trotwood Chamber of Commerce President Deborah Smith. Sisters Martha Bertke and Mary Garke accepted the award on behalf of the Congregation.

November 15 — Jen Morin-Williamson joined faith leaders from Dayton and the Miami Valley at the inaugural Unify Dayton Leaders’ Summit. The event drew over 100 attendees and provided a platform for prayer, networking and collaboration.

November 15 — Sisters Maryann Bremke, Jeanette Buehler, Mary Garke, Nancy Kinross, Judy Kroeger and Margo Young, along with Salem Heights Administrator Sheena McCormick, attended Homefull’s 35th anniversary celebration in Dayton. Homefull was founded in 1988 by Sister Dorothy Kammerer.

November 16 — The Friends in Solidarity (FiS) Education Committee and FiS President Sister Mūmbi Kīgūtha hosted the webinar “Hope Away from Home in South Sudan.” FiS is an initiative of U.S. Catholic men and women religious in support of religious working in South Sudan and beyond. The webinar can be viewed on YouTube at @FriendsinSolidarity.

November 16 — The Congregation’s Justice Committee sponsored a presentation at Salem Heights by Amy Cornelius of Sidewalk Soldiers, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing hope, help and healing to individuals who have experienced sex trafficking and those at risk.

November 23 — Dayton Cooks, a culinary program at Grace United Methodist Church, provided a Thanksgiving meal to the homeless in downtown Dayton. Several Salem Heights Sisters volunteered their time by wrapping up blondie brownies that were distributed with the turkey dinners. It took several days to cut and wrap 3,150 brownies!

December 4 — Sister Mary E. Wendeln served as a panelist during a presentation at the University of Dayton addressing the situation in Israel and Palestine. The event was sponsored by UD’s Human Rights Center, Muslim Student Association and Campus Ministry.

December 13 and January 10 — Teri Iverson and Jen Morin-Williamson visited St. Christopher School in Vandalia. Jen taught 6th, 7th and 8th grade classes about Laudato Si and Laudate Deum in order to lay the groundwork for environmentally focused science fair projects that can be entered in our Precious Planet Award competition.

January — Homefull sent a heartfelt thank-you for the 508 caps and 97 scarves donated by the Congregation this winter. All the caps and scarves were hand-knitted by Sisters Regina Albers, Beverly Bodnar, Maryann Bremke, Pat Gist, Arlene Hirsch, Jane Francis Hoffman, Eva Roehrich, Anna Maria Sanders, Mary Lou Schmersal, Ceil Taphorn and Mary E. Wendeln.

January 30 — The Congregation’s Justice Committee sponsored a presentation at Salem Heights by Mike Schulz, executive director of Mission of Mary Cooperative, which transforms vacant land plots into vegetable gardens in Dayton’s inner east neighborhoods.

Top, Mandy Reed from Dear Dinah speaks to the Sisters in Grace Hall; Jen Morin-Williamson photo. Second, Sister Judy dressed as Mother Brunner; Teri Iverson photo. Third, Sister Mary E. and Sequoia Bowers-Griffin during the Ignite Peace gathering; Jen Morin-Williamson photo. Fourth, Sisters Regina, Mary E. and Patty with Jen at the Su Casa gala; fifth, Sisters Pauline and Mi-Kyoung with Salvador Cerna Mendoza at ICD; sixth, Sister Thelma volunteers as a poll worker; contributed photos. Seventh, Sister Patty speaks to students at St. Christopher School; Teri Iverson photo. Eighth, Sister Michelle Woodruff, ASC, Sisters Ann and Marla and Sister Thi Mai, ASC at RFC; contributed photo. Ninth, Chamber President Deborah Smith, Sister Martha, Executive Director Marie Battle and Sister Mary; Charles Wheeler photo. Tenth, Jen (far right) with members of Unify Dayton; contributed photo. Eleventh, screenshot of “Hope Away from Home in South Sudan.” Eleventh, Sidewalk Soldiers speak with the Sisters in Grace Hall; Jen Morin-Williamson photo. Twelfth, clockwise from left, Sisters Deb Huss, Beverly Bodnar, Mary Lou Schmersal, Pat Gist and Eva Roehrich; thirteenth, Sister Mary E. (bottom left) at UD; contributed photos. Fourteenth, Jen (far left) with students at St. Christopher School; Teri Iverson photo. Fifteenth, caps and scarves created by the Sisters and donated to Homefull; contributed photo.


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