"At times when I might have
been met with difficulties,
Providence suddenly placed
in my path people who could
help me.”

Leadership Council

The elected Leadership Council of the Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati includes (from left) Sister Lois Jean Goettke, SC, councilor; Sister Montiel Rosenthal, SC, councilor;, Sister Monica Gundler, SC, president; Sister Teresa Laengle, SC, councilor and Sister Barbara Hagedorn, SC, councilor. The four-year term of the elected governing body runs through June 30, 2027.

Government for the Sisters of Charity fosters fidelity to our covenant relationship with God and with one another in community. We call some of our members to a ministry of service to the Congregation and entrust them with major responsibility for its leadership.

We elect delegates to the General Chapter, the highest legislative body of the Congregation, which offers the direction necessary to challenge and strengthen the Congregation in its work. At the General Chapter we elect our President and her Council, who along with the Secretary and the Treasurer, constitute the Leadership Council.

In a climate of mutual trust we elect from among us Congregational leaders who exercise the authority of their office in a spirit of service and leadership. We call them to act on behalf of the Congregation and to integrate and direct the initiative of the members, individually and in small groups, to fulfill the General Chapter directives in the spirit of our mission statement.

President

Sister Monica Gundler, SC

A native of Hamilton, Ohio, Sister Monica Gundler entered the Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati in 1986. She first met the Community as a student at St. Mary’s School in Greenville, Ohio. Sister Monica has a bachelor’s degree in sociology from the College of Mount St. Joseph (Cincinnati, Ohio) and her master’s degree in social work from the University of Denver (Colorado). She began her years in ministry as a program specialist and social worker for Reading Youth Services in Reading, Ohio. From 1988-1989, she served as an education specialist for Catholic Social Services in Cincinnati. Moving West, Sister Monica served as youth minister at Divine Redeemer in Colorado Springs, Colorado. She then became the coordinator of youth evangelization for the Colorado Springs Diocese for one year before ministering in campus ministry at St. Mary’s High School, also in Colorado Springs. Sister Monica served as counselor at Loretto High School in El Paso, Texas, and as director of retreats for the University of Dayton Campus Ministry Department (Ohio) before returning to the College of Mount St. Joseph in 1998 as director of campus ministry for the next nine years. Since 2010, she lived and ministered at the House of Charity in New Orleans, Louisiana, an initiative of the Sisters of Charity Federation, and an intentional community committed to hospitality and living the Charity Charism by welcoming volunteers for prayer, community and service to the poor. In addition to her ministry in New Orleans, Sister Monica was elected executive councilor to the Sisters of Charity Leadership Team in 2019, serving a four-year term before being elected president of the congregation in April 2023.

Councilors

Sister Lois Jean Goettke, SC

Sister Lois Jean Goettke grew up on the west side of Cincinnati, Price Hill, attending St. Lawrence Grade School and Seton High School. She entered the Sisters of Charity in 1967. After graduating from the College of Mount St. Joseph with a Bachelor of Arts in Education, Sister Lois taught at various elementary schools: Little Flower, Mt. Airy; St. Bernadette in Westlake, Ohio; St. Boniface in Northside; and St. John the Baptist in Harrison, Ohio. Upon receiving her master’s degree in elementary administration from the University of Dayton, Sister Lois served as principal of Bishop Leibold in Dayton and then St. Brigid School in Xenia, both in Ohio. Returning to Cincinnati, she became the director of the Ministry Office for the Sisters of Charity, while working on and receiving certification in gerontology from the College of Mt. St. Joseph (now Mount St. Joseph University). Sister Lois Jean served two terms in Leadership, from 2007-2015, responsible for Ministry, Formation and overseeing various departments in the Motherhouse. After Leadership, she worked part-time as a pastoral associate for Holy Family Parish in Cincinnati for four years. Recently, Sister Lois has ministered as the Community’s Home Formator (Affiliate director) as well as event coordinator.

Sister Barbara Hagedorn, SC

A native of Cincinnati, Ohio, Sister Barbara Hagedorn has been a member of the Sisters of Charity since 1966. She holds a bachelor’s degree in English from the College of Mount St. Joseph (now Mount St. Joseph University) and a master’s degree in interdisciplinary studies from the University of Dayton (Ohio). Sister Barbara taught at Catholic Central in Cincinnati (1970-1975) and Carroll High School in Dayton (1975-1981) before taking on an administrative role as her Community’s Formation director (1981-1988). In 1988, Sister Barbara traveled West to Colorado Springs where she would stay for some years in various positions, including administrator (Julie Penrose Center), researcher and writer (St. Elizabeth Residence), and vice president of mission effectiveness (Penrose Hospital). She returned to Cincinnati when she was elected as a congregational councilor in 1995. She served on the council until 2003 when she was elected to two terms as the congregation’s president (2003-2011). More recently Sister Barbara coordinated client services and front desk volunteers at Good Samaritan Free Health Center in Price Hill (Cincinnati) and served on the boards for Good Samaritan Foundation, Catholic Health Initiatives and DePaul Cristo Rey High School. Currently she is on the board of CommonSpirit Health, based in Chicago, and Seton High School. Sister Barbara also serves on the ICCN Interim board and helped in the creation and development of this intercongregational collaborative novitiate located in Chicago.

Sister Teresa Marie Laengle, SC

Born in Springfield, Ohio, Sister Teresa Marie Laengle entered the Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati in 1961. She holds a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from the College of Mount St. Joseph (now Mount St. Joseph University) and a master’s degree in natural science from the University of South Dakota (Vermillion, South Dakota). Sister Teresa Marie began her 35-year education ministry at St. Leo in Detroit, Michigan, in 1966. From 1971-1976, she taught chemistry at Elizabeth Seton High School in South Holland, Illinois. Five years later, she was named assistant principal of the school, and from 1982 until 1987, she served as its principal. Between the years of 1988-1991, Sister Teresa was a lab analyst for the City of Springfield Wastewater Treatment Plant (Springfield, Ohio). She returned to education that same year, serving as a science teacher at Catholic Central High School (Springfield, Ohio) until 1992 when she became the assistant principal and later in 1996 as principal until 2004. For the last 13 years, Sister Teresa Marie has been the coordinator of the Ignatian Spirituality Project in Dayton, Ohio. Her ministry involves providing weekend retreats and days of reflection for those who are homeless and in recovery from addiction. She also provides spiritual direction to those who seek to grow in their spiritual life.

Sister Montiel Rosenthal, SC

A native of Cincinnati, Ohio, Sister Montiel Rosenthal entered the Sisters of Charity of Cincinnati in 1986. Sister received her bachelor’s degree in biology from Thomas More College in 1981, and the Doctor of Medicine from the University of Cincinnati in 1986. Sister Montiel served a residency in family practice at University Hospital in Cincinnati, and a fellowship at St. Elizabeth Medical Center in Covington, Kentucky. She ministered to the working poor of Elliott County, Kentucky, as a family practitioner (1991-1997) and as a missionary in Gyumri, Shirak, Armenia, caring for patients and working with physicians to improve the level of care given to patients, from 1997-2002. For the last 20 years, Sister has been a member of the core residency faculty for The Christ Hospital/University of Cincinnati Family Medicine Residency program. As Clinical Professor, she has taught and trained the next generation of Family Medicine physicians as well as medical school students from the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine and midwifery, physician assistant and nurse practitioner students who have clinical rotations in her office. For 20 years Sister Montiel has been studying and practicing Medical Acupuncture. She also provides care to employees and their family members of Belterra Racetrack, Cincinnati, through its free health-care clinic.