January 2012
Neighbor Helping Neighbor
Sister Edith Gonzalez began her ministry at Mercy Hospital, Miami, in 1995 as Directress of the Pastoral Care Department. In 2002 she was asked to serve as Vice President of Mission Integration. Upon the sale of Mercy Hospital to Hospital Corporation of America (HCA), Sister Edith’s role included maintaining the Catholic identity within Mercy. Presently, the campus includes two hospitals: Mercy Hospital, now a campus of Plantation General Hospital, and Sister Emmanuel Hospital, a long-term acute care hospital named for a member of the Sisters of St. Joseph. Since the sale of the Mercy and Sister Emmanuel hospitals, Sister Edith has continued to serve in the leadership role as Vice President of Mission Integration.
Both hospitals continue to provide pastoral care services and share the legacy of the Sisters of St. Joseph of St. Augustine, Florida. By educating the workforce about the Catholic tradition and the focus on ‘neighbor helping neighbor’, the Sisters continue to influence the services provided and the lives touched. In addition to continuing to operate the two Miami-Dade County hospitals as Catholic facilities, Plantation General Hospital (PGH) in Broward County now also follows the Catholic Religious and Ethical Directives. In addition, the Sisters remain involved in the community via the Mercy Foundation and the San Juan Bosco Clinic serving the poor. You can view a special video of the legacy and tradition of Sister Emmanuel Hospital on YouTube.
A New Voice: On the Phone and In the Classroom
Sister Josepha Butterfield has moved into the governance office as secretary. You will hear her lovely voice now when you call the office. She has begun her new ministry with openness and a willingness to accept new responsibilities. Sister Ann Raymond Wood has moved from her position as secretary and is now at St. James School, North Miami, assisting Haitian students learn English as they continue to overcome the trauma of the Haiti earthquakes.
Bienvenue, Chers Voisins! (Welcome, Dear Neighbor)
When Sister Rita Baum began her 3-year term at the SSJ International Center in LePuy, France, she was given time to study French, read the history of the Sisters and of the city, and tour the local area. Sister is in community with two other Sisters of St. Joseph. To live what they tell the guests, their relationship is at the heart of community; they share their hearts regularly and 2-3 times a year have facilitation with another Sister who comes for two days of meetings.
The International Center is bustling with activity during the warmer months of the year, presenting programs (usually in two languages) and welcoming other guests who plan their own itinerary. Much of the team’s work is domestic: housekeeping and meals help to create a welcoming environment. The Sisters know that each guest or their Congregation have invested generously in providing for this once-in-a-lifetime visit. In response, the team members spend time with each guest, making the visit more than the usual vacation or retreat. They aim at creating a lasting memory of being surrounded by the C/SSJ history and of touching the internationality of the Sisters, seeing that we are all “one.”
Each member of the team is prepared to do heritage tours of LePuy, Lyon and surrounding areas. As the Sisters guide the guests, they themselves are inspired in realizing they walk the same stone streets and visit the same historic churches where the early Sisters and Father Pierre Medaille worked and worshiped.
One Project at a Time…
After 25 years and over 35 church projects, the current recession has caused Sister Barbara Cekosh to be very involved in many of the projects at the Motherhouse. When Sister Jane took office, work was already underway to replace the front porch on the Villa Flora. Windows were installed on the west face of the Motherhouse shortly after the Villa porch. Since that time, another thirty projects have been completed on the properties. Some were as simple as replacing the kitchenette cabinets in the two community rooms, and others as complex as modernizing the elevator. Collaborating with the Mission Advancement and Maintenance department, as well as the coordinators of the Motherhouse, Lourdes Convent, Villa Flora-Brown Hall, Diocesan/SSJ Archives, and the Father Miguel O’Reilly House Museum, a list of needed improvements and repairs is submitted each month for approval. A progress report is also submitted each month.“This has been a great opportunity to re-connect with many of the people I worked with on so many other projects in the St. Augustine area. It has been enriching working with them again and finding creative solutions to some of our critical renovation projects,” said Sister Barbara. One of the most dramatic projects this year has been the renovation of the New Beach House.
While Sister will continue to work with faith communities to design and build churches, this time of service to the community has provided an opportunity to face new challenges and learn some new skills as well as reacquaint her with many of the projects she has worked on in the past and the buildings she knows so intimately.
Sisters of St. Joseph Former Members Gathering
The Former Member Gathering Committee met on December 26. The members include Anne Hughes Warren (S. Rose Catherine), Mary Ann Hulihan (S. Mary Denise), S. Thomas Joseph McGoldrick, S. Josepha Butterfield, S. Florence Bryan (S. Loretta Joseph) and S. Jane Stoecker (S. Albert Joseph). The Former Member Gathering has been scheduled for Sunday, April 29, 2012, 10:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. at the Motherhouse in St. Augustine, Florida. All Sisters and former SSJ’s are invited! We continue to gather information on former members in order to invite them and keep them updated. Please share any information you may have on former members with Anne Warren 
