Harvard Education Press has announced the publication of Breakthrough Strategies: Classroom-Based Practices to Support New Majority College Students by Kathleen Ross, SNJM.
The publisher asked Sr. Kathleen to write the book after she produced some short videos designed to help faculty be more effective working with New Majority students – those who are first in their families to attend college and who are often from low-income families. Sr. Kathleen, a MacArthur fellow and president emerita of Heritage University, has devoted three decades to helping New Majority students get college degrees.
Wipf & Stock Publishers has released a new book by Sophia Park, SNJM titled Border-Crossing Spirituality: Transformation in the Borderland.
The book explores the spiritual importance of being “in-between,” and examines the various meanings of “in-betweenness” from different religious traditions. It emphasizes the value of radical hospitality, friendship and subjectivity.
A group of 15 Sisters, Associates, friends and neighbors gathered at St. Joseph Faculty House to mark its closure as a local SNJM house in Seattle. Its last residents have now moved to Spokane or other Seattle places or, in the case of Ann Cornelia Sullivan, SNJM, seen in the photo on the mantel, gone to heaven.
“We voiced many grateful memories of 41 years of occupancy, bringing much laughter, and shared bountiful appetizers and desserts,” said Linda Riggers, SNJM.
Judy Ryan, SNJM convened the group and led joyful conversation and prayers. A particular blessing was the knowledge that many household goods have been given to a Honduran refugee family.
At the Conference on the History of Women Religious (CHWR) in June, Susan M. Maloney, SNJM, PhD (Southern CA) presented two papers on her biographical research on Anita M. Caspary, IHM. The first paper dealt with the historical significance of Caspary’s life as the only woman in U.S. history to hold the positions of mother general of a Catholic order of Sisters and the founding president of an ecumenical community. The second presentation discussed the transitions in the spirituality of Caspary. Linda Fuselier, SNJM (South Bay), Fran Kearney, SNJM (San Francisco) and Rosemary Everett, SNJM (South Bay) also attended the four-day conference.
CHWR is a group of approximately 400 scholars and archivists from the fields of history, religious studies, women’s studies and sociology. International membership includes scholars from the U.S., Canada, Australia, England, Ireland, Italy, Denmark, Norway, Belgium, France, Japan and China. The group meets triennially to discuss new research in the field.
In conjunction with the conference, Santa Clara University opened a special exhibit featuring selections from the professional papers of keynote speaker Sandra Schneiders, IHM. Among Sandra’s resources were books written by Elizabeth Liebert, SNJM (East Bay) and Mary Boys, SNJM (Seattle).
Southern California Associates Densy and Greg Chandra were among four San Bernardino Diocese recipients of the Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice Cross Award, the highest honor bestowed upon laypersons by the Vatican. Greg and Densy are active in many parish and diocesan ministries including building and development, Asian-Pacific ministry and social concerns. Densy served as a national delegate to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Asian Pacific Ministry for more than 10 years. She is the coordinator of the Diocesan Migration Mass. The couple belongs to the Equestrian Order of the Knights and Ladies of the Holy Sepulcher, which provides for the needs of the Church in the Holy Land. They are also regional advocates for Catholic Relief Services.
Over 100 administrators and staff members of the Oakland Diocesan Chancery Office gathered for a luncheon on June 22 to honor and thank Barbara Bray, SNJM (East Bay) as she retires from her ministry as Superintendent of Schools. Bishop Emeritus John Cummins offered the invocation. Bishop Michael Barber and Assistant Superintendent Linda Basman spoke in glowing and grateful terms of Barbara’s gifts of servant leadership, her creation of a “community of schools” in the Diocese and her mission-driven and child-centered service during her 38 years of educational ministry in Oakland. She served as principal in two parish schools, assistant superintendent and superintendent.
