Sisters of St. Joseph in Transition
Re “Nuns’ Vow Is a Matter of Survival,” Oct. 10: While I do appreciate the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet in St. Louis, as one of the 490 sisters of St. Joseph in the Los Angeles Province, I question why The Times would choose to write about our sisters there, when you have the same order here in Los Angeles. As the largest order in the Los Angeles Archdiocese we celebrate our 350 years of ministry in education, health care and social work and face the challenge of how we are to meet the needs of tomorrow.
Like the rest of U.S. society, we are an aging community, but we also have deeply committed younger members. What is important to us is the vitality with which we live and the energy, love and compassion with which we are willing to reach out to our neighbors, especially to those most in need. We do have a responsibility to care for our retired members, but at the same time we feel a responsibility to keep a hospital going that is serving poor people and is insolvent, or a school in the inner city that lacks operational funds, or to help women and children in need of shelter or support. Our fund-raising and development efforts are to support all of these responsibilities.
SISTER ANNE McMULLEN
Los Angeles
* The Sisters of St. Joseph who minister in Los Angeles serve in diverse ministries: Mount St. Mary’s College, Daniel Freeman Hospitals, Good Shepherd Center Women’s Village and St. Joseph Center in Venice, to name a few. We are teachers, nurses, social workers, lawyers, judges, professors, child care workers, spiritual directors, counselors; these represent only some of our professions. In the West, our sisters continue to bring vitality and dedication to their ministries as they continue the mission of Jesus with a special emphasis on unity and reconciliation. We also continue to welcome new members into our community and look to a future of continuing service to God’s people.
SISTER KATHLEEN KELLY
Los Angeles
* As a Catholic and an alumna of Mount St. Mary’s College, I was sad to read that this order has struggled with financial difficulties and a dwindling membership. The number of nuns is decreasing in part because many potential sisters choose marriage instead. Perhaps it’s time to rethink the vow of celibacy to draw more women to sisterhood.
At Mount St. Mary’s, I saw the nuns who taught me as role models not because they were unmarried or living in poverty, but because they were strong, intelligent, generous women of integrity. If these wonderful women were allowed to marry, they could still give to those in need. Celibacy might be following Jesus’ example, but I don’t recall him investing in the stock market or sponsoring golf tournaments.
KAREN LINDELL
Sierra Madre