Continuing to Serve: S. Carol Leveque
By Katie Drinkuth, Communications summer intern
S. Carol Leveque leads a Scripture group in Mother Margaret Hall nursing facility, a volunteer ministry she enjoys immensely.
“Our mission as Sisters is to reach out to others in any way we can,” says Sister of Charity of Cincinnati Carol Leveque. “That is what St. Elizabeth Seton [Sisters of Charity founder] did and we are called to give our lives in service.”
S. Carol says her volunteering is an extension of her previous ministries. She served as pastoral coordinator for small parishes in rural Indiana and Kentucky communities that didn’t have priests for more than 10 years. Overseeing the liturgies was particularly enjoyable for her. S. Carol then became pastoral associate at St. Anthony Church in Cincinnati’s Madisonville, a parish she fell in love with and continues to serve in retirement.
After retiring five years ago, S. Carol says, “I transferred my skills to volunteering.” She started volunteering in the pastoral care office of Mother Margaret Hall, the Sisters of Charity nursing facility at Mount St. Joseph. In her role, S. Carol helps with preparing liturgies and holds Communion services when a priest is unavailable for Mass. She also enjoys visiting her Sisters who live in the nursing facility, where she keeps them company by talking and praying with them. This ministry has influenced S. Carol’s daily prayers tremendously.
In addition to her time spent at Mother Margaret Hall, once a week on Thursday evenings, S. Carol leads a Scripture group where about 20 Sisters read Scripture together and share their insights. This group is her favorite aspect of her volunteer ministries because she loves to listen to their thoughts and use their gifts. Along with leading the group, S. Carol enjoys planning meaningful retreats for the Sisters of Mother Margaret Hall who can no longer go on regular annual retreats. The biannual retreats include talks twice a day, liturgies, and faith sharing activities. S. Carol is proud that she is able to provide her Sisters with this opportunity that is designed to fit their current needs.
At St. Anthony parish, S. Carol is a Eucharistic minister and on the parish’s Peace and Justice Committee. In the winter, she enjoys volunteering at the St. Vincent De Paul (Cincinnati) gift and coat distributions, where giving to the underprivileged is a blessing. She says, “Volunteering forces me to think about not just myself but others. In thinking about others, I am using the gifts God has given me.”