Left, Tom Bensman and Sister Marita Beumer read a list of homicide victims at the annual memorial prayer service for homicide victims; Mary Knapke photo. Second, Sister Linda Pleiman and Father Ken Pleiman at the St. Patrick’s Day celebration in McCartyville; third, Sisters Judy Niday, Regina Albers, Ceil Taphorn, Joan DeChristpher, Pat Will and candidate Mi-Kyoung Hwang at Mercy Manor; contributed photos. Right, John Buehler, Nancy Wilson, Brian Donchez, Michelle Bodine and Mark Reno at the annual service awards ceremony; Mary Knapke photo.
Precious Blood Sisters have been busy with a variety of recent events. 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.
March 9 — The annual memorial prayer service for homicide victims was held at Salem Heights in memory of people killed in Dayton and Trotwood over the past year. This annual service brings together those who support the vigils which are held on Saturdays throughout the year where homicides have occurred. This year, 45 people were remembered, ranging in age from 17 to 75. About 30 people attended, including Precious Blood Sisters, area church leaders and vigil attendees and supporters, as well as Montgomery County Sheriff Rob Streck. Pastor Jennifer Scarr of the Trotwood Church of the Brethren offered a reflection.
March 16 — Thirteen priests and religious from the McCartyville and St. Patrick, Ohio, area were invited to serve as grand marshals for the 35th annual St. Patrick’s Day celebration in McCartyville. Among the marshals were Precious Blood Sisters Jean René Hoying, Ann Catherine Lehmkuhl and Linda Pleiman, as well as Precious Blood Missionaries Vince Hoying and Ken Pleiman.
March 16 — The Sisters of the Precious Blood received the Sister Jean Foppe, RSM, Visionary Award from Mercy Manor in honor of our longtime support of the organization. Precious Blood Sister Ceil Taphorn accepted the award on behalf of the Congregation at the organization’s 27th Annual Founders Day Luncheon. Mercy Manor is a social services organization in Dayton that provides women with alcohol and drug addiction recovery assistance.
March 25-27 — Several Sisters attended the convocation in St. Louis, Racism Through the Prism of Social Justice, sponsored by the Justice Conference of Women Religious. Speakers from Pax Christi USA and the Catholic lobby group Network gave some of the presentations.
April 3 — The Sisters of the Precious Blood recognized employees at the annual service awards ceremony with a special luncheon at Salem Heights. Employees celebrating milestone anniversaries of service are Nancy Wilson, senior accountant, 30 years; Michelle Bodine, communications coordinator, 10 years; John Buehler, musician, 10 years; Brian Donchez, maintenance, 10 years; Mark Reno, kitchen staff, five years.
Top, Sisters attend the Good Friday Walk. Top row, Sister Jeanette Buehler and Alice Schoettelkotte; bottom row, Colleen Kammer, Sisters Judy Niday, Rosemary Goubeaux, Ceil Taphorn, Paula Gero, Madonna Ratermann, candidate Mi-Kyoung Hwang, Sisters Joyce Kahle, Patty Kremer and Marita Beumer; contributed photo. Second, Sister Mumbi Kigutha and Father Robert Schreiter, CPPS. contributed photo. Third, Sister Ceil Taphorn attended Legislative Advocacy Day; Colleen Kammer photo. Fourth, Cleansing of the Square; Sister Judy Niday photo.
April 19 — Good Friday walk for justice, Dayton. Eleven Sisters were among the approximately 75 people who walked through the streets of downtown Dayton on Good Friday. The group stopped and prayed at 14 symbolic stations of the cross that call attention to modern day injustices.
April 30 — Prayer service for Creation. Twenty-eight Sisters participated in this prayer service at Salem Heights chapel.
May 4 — “Unpacking Racial Power and Privilege.” Several Sisters attended this workshop which used Tim Wise’s documentary White Like Me, at Corpus Christi Parish in Dayton. The gathering was organized by the Weavers of Justice anti-racism task force, part of the Dayton Catholic Social Action office.
May 21 — One Sister and a staff member represented the Congregation at the Archdiocese of Cincinnati’s Ohio Legislative Advocacy Day in Columbus. They met with the senator and representative for Salem Heights and heard other legislators speak. The event was sponsored by the Archdiocese and the Catholic Conference of Ohio.
May 23 — Congratulations to Sister Mumbi Kigutha! She graduated from Catholic Theological Union, Chicago, with a Certificate in Pastoral Studies and a Master of Arts in Justice Ministry. The graduation ceremony was held at KAM Isaiah Israel Synagogue in Chicago. Her academic adviser was Robert Schreiter, CPPS.
May 23-26 — Several Sisters and Precious Blood priests attended peaceful events organized in response to the May 25 Ku Klux Klan rally in Dayton. They included: Presentation by Dr. Bill Trollinger from the University of Dayton on the Klan’s history in Dayton; Eucharistic Adoration led by the Missionaries of the Precious Blood at St. Joseph Church; An Afternoon of Love, Unity and Inclusion at McIntosh Park; and Cleansing of the Square, a ritual cleansing where the KKK rally took place.
June 24-July 1 — Sisters gathered at Bergamo Center for their quadrennial Assembly, which sets directives for the next four years and elects a new leadership team. The Assembly was live-streamed at Salem Heights for those who could not be present in person.