Left, Sisters of the Precious Blood Pat Gist, Karen Elliott, Amy Junk, Rita Rogier and Mary Lou Schmersal at the CCMT Urban All-American Celebration at the Pinnacle in Maumee on May 8; contributed photo. Right, the Communications Office celebrated with a cake for their 500 likes on Facebook; Michelle Bodine photo.
♦ Precious Blood Sisters living and ministering in the Toledo, Ohio, diocese attended the 23rd annual Urban All-American Celebration at the Pinnacle in Maumee on May 8. The event is a key fundraiser for the Central City Ministry of Toledo (CCMT), which benefits the students of CCMT campuses at Rosary Cathedral and Queen of Apostles in Toledo. Representing the Congregation at the event were Sisters Pat Gist, Karen Elliott, Amy Junk, Rita Rogier and Mary Lou Schmersal.
Central City Ministries is a unique collaborative endeavor to make a Catholic education possible for inner city families through the generous donations of time, talent, and treasure of countless persons and parishes throughout the area. These efforts provide hundreds of young people and their families the opportunity to be educated, thrive and grow in a Catholic faith community.
During the event, significant staff and support persons were recognized for outstanding contributions in the promotion and enhancement of Catholic education on two campuses: Queen of Apostles and Rosary Cathedral. An Achievement Award was given to two 2014 graduates who exhibit extraordinary achievement or academic, athletic and/or career success. They were chosen because each is a positive role model for today’s students, demonstrating integrity, high ideals and moral character. In addition, Mercy, a member of Catholic Health Partners, was awarded the Rev. Bernard J. Boff Service Award for their on-going support of the students, staff and teachers of Central City Ministries.
♦ Visitors to the community’s website have recently noticed a new look as the site has been re-designed to make it more streamlined and functional. The layout is similar to the previous site, but information has been updated and new features have been added.
On the home page, users will find a listing of recent news headlines about the community. Simply clicking on the headline will take visitors the news item. The vocations section was updated to better explain discernment to/and life as a woman religious/Sister of the Precious Blood. The new site also features drop-down section headings which enable users to hover the cursor over the tab to select the section that interests them. The new site is updated daily with prayers and photos.
♦ The community launched its first e-newsletter on July 25. The initial issue, which was sent to about 160 people, featured stories on the 2014 jubilarians. The e-newsletter will be e-mailed on a regular basis and include news stories and photos from the community. To receive the e-newsletter, e-mail Michelle Bodine at communications2@cppsadmin.org; please include your first and last name, and your e-mail address.
♦ Facebook has become an effective means of engaging people interested in the Sisters of the Precious Blood and the community’s Facebook page continues to grow. The site topped 500 fans in late July and content reaches more than 10,000 people each month. Check us out on Facebook and make sure to ‘like’ our page.