Impact Stories

SOAR! recently had an opportunity to interview Sister Jean Marie, OP, a Dominican Sister of Nashville. “I wanted to be a Sister since I was in first grade,” says Sister Jean Marie. “In fact, when I was in elementary school in the late 1950s, every little girl wanted to be a Sister.” While Sister Jean…

Sister Judith Frederick grew up with Sisters of Notre Dame in her school and parish in Fremont, OH, so when she heard the call, there was no question where she belonged. She entered Sisters of Notre Dame in Toledo, OH after high school. “I was familiar with the Sisters of Notre Dame and admired the…

Sister Bernadette Schafer’s oldest sister was a Sister of Notre Dame. With a 10-year age difference, however, Sister Bernadette says she didn’t know her very well. She was only three when her sister left for the convent. When Sister Bernadette was in the eighth grade, her teacher asked her if she wanted to be a…

Teacher, principal, campus minister and chaplain. Award-winning writer, photographer, organist and world traveler. All are part of Sister Mary Francis Gangloff’s experiences during her 67 years as a Sister of St. Francis of the Neumann Communities. “The kindness of my elementary and high school teachers inspired me. They were Sisters of St. Francis,” she says….

Sister Joachima Mystkowska is a Missionary Sister of St. Benedict in Huntington, NY (above).  She grew up in a family grounded in faith, prayer and action. “We would pray the Rosary together,” Sister Joachima said, “and my mother always showed us the importance of being helpful and caring for those who had less.”  She shared…

Sister Teresa McShane is a Daughter of Mary and Joseph in Rancho Palos Verdes, California. After completing her novitiate in Ireland and Belgium, she made her vows in 1956 and began her ministry in California, where she enjoyed many years as a teacher. A lover of mathematics, Sister Teresa taught at St. Bernard High School…

When Sister Nuala Briody, a Daughter of Mary and Joseph, professed her vows many years ago, she imagined her future unfolding under the warm sun of an African mission—sitting beneath a tree, surrounded by children, sharing stories about God. But as it often happens, God had other plans. Sister Nuala was instead called to serve…

Sister Catherine Sullivan’s life began in Co. Kerry, Ireland, as the oldest of nine children. Her story nearly ended early—at just three years old, she nearly died from sepsis. She believes her recovery, which followed her mother’s request for a Mass in Lourdes, was miraculous. Sister Catherine was educated at her local national school and…

Sister Barbara Piller, OSF, a member of the Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis in Oldenburg, IN, shares her story here.  I grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio. My siblings and I are all musicians, thanks to my father. I was educated by the Sisters of St. Francis through my elementary and secondary education….

Fr. Norbert Schappler, a member of the Benedictine Monks at Conception Abbey in Missouri, recently shared his story with SOAR!  This year, Fr. Norbert Schappler, OSB, celebrates his 98th birthday at Conception Abbey in northwest Missouri. Born in 1926 in Atchison, Kansas, he followed in the footsteps of his uncle, Abbot Stephen Schappler, when he…