2026 Jubilarians

It was at Holy Redeemer that she spent 32 years, first as a classroom teacher and later as a GEM (Getting Emotionally Motivated) tutor, helping students build skills, confidence and drive for learning. Upon her retirement, she received a letter from her former teaching partner who wrote, “You have modeled for many of us that the best thing to do with our lives is to use them in the service of other people.” Sister’s retirement also has been spent in serving others, her IHM community. Sister Jane Arthur is celebrating 80 years as a religious.

She found out she liked teaching, going first to Sacred Heart in Dearborn and then to Our Lady of Miracles in Gustine, Calif. She added a master’s degree in counseling and took that skill to Corpus Christi School, St. Philip Neri and John Carroll Schools in Oklahoma for 20 years. Sister then spent 20 years with St. Elizabeth Parish of Hungary in Pompano Beach, Florida, where the Archdiocese of Miami named her Teacher of the Year – St. Elizabeth for the 2005-2006 school year. As the parish prepared to celebrate her 50th Jubilee, the Broward County commissioners proclaimed May 21, 2006, as Sister Brigid Wade Appreciation Day. She has enjoyed sports since childhood and physical activity is still part of her day. She stays busy volunteering in multiple ways at the Motherhouse, including interacting with young students for Earth Day and for the Budding Naturalists program. Sister Brigid is celebrating 70 years as a religious.

She believed she was meant to be a nun and the IHM gave her the opportunity to do what she always wanted to do: to seek God. After several years of teaching, she began her ministry of study, research, writing, teaching and speaking. She did graduate study at the Catholic Institute in Paris and received a doctorate from the Gregorian Pontifical University in Rome, only the second woman to do so. There she began her study of the Gospel of John and how to use it to live a transformative life. In 1976, she became the first female, non-ordained member of the faculty of Jesuit School of Theology in Berkeley, Calif. Her work as a Johannine scholar in feminist consciousness, hermeneutics and spirituality put her on an international stage as a speaker and writer. In 2023, the Oblate School of Theology hosted a conference to honor her influence and legacy. She has earned numerous awards and the collection of her papers is housed at Santa Clara University. Sister Sandra is celebrating 70 years as a religious.

Math and music have been priorities in Sister’s ministry and life. She taught middle grades and high school for 12 years. In 1972 she began working for the Detroit Board of Education and stayed with the board for almost 40 years, teaching adult education, GED prep and human development. For most of that time she continued studying music and voice, as well as teaching music and leading music in parishes. For 10 years, she has been instrumental in the Fortunate Feline Adoption League in Detroit, addressing cat overpopulation and homelessness. Sister Kay Louise is celebrating 70 years as a religious.

She spent almost 20 years teaching in Michigan, Illinois and New Mexico and also was co-principal at Holy Redeemer High School in Detroit. In 1978 she shifted to what she calls her “encore ministry” – nursing – and enrolled in University of Detroit Mercy School of Nursing. That ministry has taken Sister Jean to amazingly diverse positions and places. She has worked at a migrant health clinic, a sheriff’s department, a psychiatric hospital, geriatric clinics, addiction treatment centers, emergency rooms and private duty home care. She lived and worked in Florida for 24 years before being pummeled in 2004 by both Hurricanes Frances and Jeanne. Tired of that, she moved to California where she experienced her first earthquake in 2006. She has traveled extensively through Europe and the Mediterranean. One particular joy was being able to live near both oceans, Atlantic and Pacific. She has written, “The community has given me many opportunities to be who I am.” Sister Jean is celebrating 70 years as a religious

She wrote later, “I always felt when they were teaching, they meant business.” She entered the congregation in 1955, taking the religious name Richardine. For 50 years she taught around Michigan, mostly primary grades. That time included 23 years at St. Dennis School in Royal Oak and 10 years at Holy Redeemer in Detroit. She spent a sabbatical year on a 100-day renewal retreat in Santa Fe and the rest of the year repairing homes in Florida. After retirement she volunteered for seven years with Compassionate Companions, an organization that visits residents in nursing homes and health care facilities. Sister June is celebrating 70 years as a religious.

Sister has said that after Vatican Council II she felt drawn to pastoral ministry. She served at Lansing Neighborhood Church, St. John, Albion and on the Northeast Pastoral Ministry Team in Saginaw before spending seven years in Puerto Rico. She worked years in pastoral care, hospital and parish ministries and served for 10 years at the congregation’s Prayer Barn/Visitation. Sister also was the pastoral services director for the Motherhouse for nine years. She is a board-certified hospital chaplain and a certified spiritual director. She also sings soprano in local concerts. Sister Judith is celebrating 70 years as a religious.

he taught middle grades around southeast Michigan for 46 years. Of those, 25 years were spent at St. Ambrose School/Academy, for which she was named one of “The Detroit News’ “Michiganians of the Year in 1989. In 2005, she was a co-founder, co-director and tutor at Epiphany Education Center, working to improve students’ skills in reading and math. At the same time, she has been an activist in social justice, fighting racism, nuclear weapons and violence. She has been arrested twice for civil disobedience and was tear-gassed and wounded at a rally in Palestine. Her most recent efforts involve working with Friends of Returning Citizens, a group that helps men and women leaving prison who desire change and success. Sister Alice is celebrating 70 years as a religious.

Once out of classroom teaching, her interests took over. Over the next 30 years she set up a woodworking shop in the IHM art room and built or refinished small furniture pieces. She built and furnished doll houses that were raffled off to benefit the retirement fund. For 25 years she drove Sisters wherever they needed to go. Her computer is well used not just for communication but to create banners, cards, and genealogies. She tutored students in math and science, cantored in the Motherhouse choir, and she even was known to teach other Sisters line dancing. For her Golden Jubilee she wrote, “Celebrating 50 years of religious life is like fishing. There is time to reflect and time to cast your gifts out to those in need. My life has been doing just that… Praise God.” Sister James Marian is celebrating 75 years as a religious.

The resulting master’s degree was immediately followed by earning a Ph.D at the University of California at Berkeley. For the next 50 years, Sister Amata lived in a world of scholarship, teaching, speaking engagements around the country and internationally, writing for numerous publications as well as six years as chief financial officer at Marygrove College. Her major work has been in poverty, socially responsible investing, sustainability, health care needs, affordable housing, military spending, taxation and making financial choices in a Gospel context. She has said of her focus that if we want to change the world we have to understand it. Sister Amata is celebrating 75 years as a religious.

At that time, she was even the honoree of a Teacher Salute on WMAQ Radio. She taught every grade from first through high school and adult education. Sister Madonna also served the congregation on the Northwest Province Team. For three years she was an educational consultant with IBM, showing teachers how to use science software in the classroom. Upon retirement in 1998 she continued to be an active contributor, including volunteer chaplain, pastoral care auxiliary member and a worker in the St. Mary organic garden. Sister Madonna is celebrating 80 years as a religious.

She earned a master’s degree in school administration from DePaul University. She taught for almost 30 years, also serving as principal at two schools. Sister Patrice served the congregation as Southwest Province treasurer for six years, later training as an addictions counselor and chaplain and working 20 years at a drug treatment facility she helped open. She was no less busy after she “retired” to the Motherhouse, where she developed a certified program for therapy dogs to visit residents in health care. Her first trainee, Egypt, was an English cocker spaniel who loved people and also played goalie for soccer games. She also volunteered as a driver, camera operator and service office worker. Sister Patrice is celebrating 80 years as a religious.

She never taught in Michigan, instead going first to Minnetonka, Minn., to teach grades four through six for six years and served as principal at Immaculate Heart of Mary school for eight years. While there, she earned a master’s degree at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul.  From there she went to Dayton, Ohio for 21 years, serving as teacher or principal at several schools. In all, she spent 36 years in school settings. In 2012, she was elected to a position on the Leadership Council for the congregation and served six years as a mission councilor. She continues as an active volunteer. She has written in poetry form, “We can look around at all the reasons for saying NO, and yet, there is the YES, moving us from beginning to now and on into the unknown.”  Sister Mary Ann is celebrating 60 years as a religious.

She earned a master’s degree from Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C., and later received a Ph.D in systematic theology from the University of St. Michael’s College in Toronto. She has been on the faculty at several universities and St. John Seminary, including 13 years at Holy Cross College in Worcester, Mass. Since 2000, she has been at Boston College. Sister Mary Ann has written books and contributed chapters for others as well as writing for publications. She serves on academic committees, presents papers, lectures around the country and has received numerous awards and recognition for excellence. She also has served as president of the Catholic Theological Society of America. She has written, “Mentoring future theologians, particularly women, is a way to shape the Church of the future.” Sister Mary Ann is celebrating 60 years as a religious.

She taught in Michigan and Florida for 18 years, eight of those as co-director of St. Scholastica School Day Care Center in Detroit. She moved to Oklahoma in 1995 and served there as a principal and kindergarten teacher, a special care case manager, and a chaplain at Presbyterian Hospital and Mercy Health Center for 15 years. She has continued to serve in a variety of outreach and support ministries. She said in an interview, “I am so grateful for God’s blessings and I want to continue to discover his love through and with others.” Sister Mary Ann is celebrating 60 years as a religious.

Facing declining enrollment and an aging building, the decision was made to close the 62-year-old school after the 1979-1980 school year. As principal, Sister Lenore shepherded students, staff and challenges through the closure. She earned a master’s degree in educational leadership from Wayne State University and served as principal of Beahan Junior High School in Farmington, Mich., for 11 years. In 1992, she began a 31-year tenure as head of Marian High School in Bloomfield Hills, Mich. When she retired from Marian just three years ago, the board of directors created the Sr. Lenore Leadership Fund. She was also named the 2023 Ed Lauer Person of the Year, the highest award given by the Catholic High School League and Catholic Coaches Association; it recognizes leadership, dedication, and service in Catholic high school athletics. Sister Lenore is celebrating 60 years as a religious.