In Memoriam Reflections

S. Carita Kemble “S. Carita was one of the wonderful teachers in my life as a student at Shrine High School, Royal Oak, Mich. She was always interested, gentle and quietly firm. While I don’t remember the subject she taught, I remember she always tried to bring out the best in us. In my life in the community, she was always loving, affirming and grateful any time I could stop and visit for a few minutes. To me, she felt like my ‘godmother!’” – S. Noreen Ellison “S. Carita was a dear and generous lady who had a great love for the poor. I lived with her in one of the first experimental living groups we formed back in the late 1960s at St. Rose, and she always called me ‘Trinka.’ She had a quick smile and an infectious chuckle. She enjoyed it whenever I stopped by with my dog, Sunshine. Remember her dramatic reading of some of the proclamations developed at Chapters in the 1970s and 1980s?” – S. Katrinka Gunn “I graduated from Mount St. Joseph Academy in 1942 so sometime during the previous years, I was in a play S. Carita was directing. Whenever I'd see her at the Mount, in fact just a couple of years ago, she always reminded me of the one line I had to say in the play. She was quite a trip. What a delight she must be to all in heaven.” – Associate Elaine Temming “Many Shrine High School Sisters of Charity had S. Carita in English class or were in one of her many operettas that she directed with S. Moira Tobin. I was fortunate to be in one each of my four years at Shrine. What fun they were and everyone always looked forward to rehearsals and then the excitement of opening night. I always played the comedic singer in the operettas and I had a perfect role model as S. Carita could play any part in the play with ease and great drama. I feel assured that she is already preparing for her ‘next gig’ and the Lord will be smiling.” – S. Marianne Van Vurst

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S. Florence Brotzge “I have much gratitude for S. Florence’s help to Bethany Shelter Services. In our early beginnings we didn’t have many finances to help families to move into their new homes. To make financial matters worse, Hamilton County stopped the emergency services to low-income families and individuals. Ecumenical churches and religious communities became our only financial help for our guests to move into their new homes. She was a Lady of Charity in Saint Vincent DePaul Society at St. Peter in Chains Cathedral in Cincinnati. She truly was a daughter of Elizabeth and Vincent. She loved our least brothers and sisters and certainly lived Jesus’ mandate to welcome the homeless and did whatever was needed to give hope to our guests. There are many former guests at Bethany who were grateful to S. Florence and St. Vincent de Paul Society. I know Elizabeth, Vincent and Sister’s loved ones welcomed her with open arms in Heaven. S. Florence was truly a gracious woman.” – S. Mary Grafe

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S. Martha Farlow “A good number of us who entered in the early 1950s remember S. Martha as our physical education teacher in the room that is now the Emmaus Room. S. Martha had perfect posture, an immaculately groomed habit and veil, and polished oxfords that sported pretty high heels. We teased her to death and she always kept her cool – quite a feminine model. I so appreciated knowing her in later years, as well.” – S. Rose Marie Hewitt “I met S. Martha when I first began visiting the Sisters in Mother Margaret Hall in 2004. She was a person of keen intellect and wit who was not afraid to speak her truth. Although she had little physical vision left, she had a unique vision of reality and introduced me to some spiritual friends I hadn’t met before, including Andrew Harvey.” – Associate Margaret Cushing “S. Martha was such a welcome change when, as postulants, she led us in physical education activities. It was a fun time for me.” – S. Laetitia Slusser

 

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