I grew up in Omaha, Nebraska in a “Catholic ghetto.” I was born in a Catholic hospital, went to Catholic schools, and everyone in the neighborhood was Catholic. I was the fourth of six children, and I frequently remind my siblings that I was the abused and neglected middle child!
I attended an experimental high school. There were no regular classes and there were no grades. The schedule would simply list the courses you were enrolled in, and at the end of the semester your either received credit or you did not. The students could complete the work at their own pace; when the work was finished you went on to the next course. I moved quickly and finished a semester early. I went on to receive degrees from the University of Saint Thomas, St. Louis University, and The Catholic Theological Union.
I once spent a night in the woods, by complete misfortune. While hiking a reserve, my two friends and I came to a fork in the trail. They wanted to circle back; I elected to take the longer loop. It wasn’t a problem because they offered to hitchhike home and leave me the car. However, my extended hike took longer than expected, and I got locked inside the park. There were no cell phones, so I slept under a tree. When my buddies figured out what had happened, they called my parents and told them I was staying at their house that night. Only later did my parents ask questions for which all of my evasive answers were futile.
While traveling in Cairo, Egypt, I had a ticket for one of the local commuter trains. The train pulled into the station, the doors opened, and I hopped on. I thought it curious that the train was very full, yet this particular train car was almost empty. At the next station, police officers entered the train and ordered me off. I didn’t realize that certain cars are reserved for women only. Only after being moved to several offices did they locate someone who could understand English and my error.
I’ve always felt called to advocate for students, and I’ve been fortunate to do so through many important organizations. I served on the President’s Council for the Cristo Rey Network of Schools and the Presbyteral Council for the Diocese of Paterson. I’ve also served on the Board of Trustees for Hales Franciscan High School as well as various committees and directorates for Holy Name Province. I’ve also served on about 30 visiting committees for Middle States/Central States/New England Association of College and Schools.
I’ve been engaged in high school education as a teacher and administrator. I thoroughly enjoyed my time in parish ministry. I also loved my retreat ministry both on the high school setting as well as full-time retreat ministry in New Hampshire.
Next to the classroom learning, travel has provided my greatest learning opportunities. Experiencing different cultures has opened up whole new worlds of awareness. I’ve traveled to South America, Central America, Mideast, and Europe. The most unique and challenging adventures were to Russia and China.
I’ve twice been asked to offer some educational experiences outside of the United States: once at The Franciscan Center in Tokyo, Japan and once at the Jesuit Seminary in Zimbabwe, Africa. I provided adult education for the parishioners at the Franciscan Center in Tokyo. The students in Zimbabwe were graduate students preparing for Ordination. I taught them the practicum on the celebration of the sacraments.
Following the call to action by Pope Francis, both Fr. Greg and I are expanding the friary garden. We now have six raised garden beds, and we’ll be planting more than 700 plants. Wish us luck in our grand experiment! We have our fingers crossed that our vegetables will grow and we will have a harvest. Stay tuned!
My latest hobby is baking bread. I’m now known as a “Bread Head.” I guess it is a compliment. One of my brothers was a bread baker and spoke of it with such enthusiasm that it was kind of contagious. He cautioned me about the baking because bread can be very touchy. Since we have a great kitchen in the friary, I thought it might be the perfect opportunity to at least try my hand at it. I bake what is called “artisan” bread. I get my own wheat berries and grind them to make my own flour for the bread.