This collection of oral histories was recorded as part of the SisterStory project, which was launched by St. Catherine’s University in Minneapolis, MN in 2014. St. Catherine’s is one of Fontbonne’s sister schools, also founded by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet. The project was part of the ongoing National Catholic Sisters’ Week (NCSW) campaign that seeks to increase awareness of Catholic sisters and demystify religious life.
The student-led project allowed Fontbonne students and members of the CSJ community to meet one-on-one over the course of many months, encouraging them to build relationships as they explored the questions of experience, vocation, identity, and impact that characterize the final interviews preserved here.
The SisterStory project was established as part of the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation’s Catholic Sisters Initiative, which launched a five-year strategy in February 2013 to support the work Catholic sisters were doing around the globe. The original SisterStory website (sisterstory.org) documented the cultural and geographical diversity of the NCSW narrative and provided a place to share the sisters’ stories collected by students at partner colleges and universities like Fontbonne. The site included an online archive of the oral histories with related photos and blog posts, but is no longer live.
More information about the Hilton Foundation’s support of Catholic Sisters is available here: https://www.hiltonfoundation.org/programs/catholic-sisters
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Interview with Ida Berresheim
Sister Ida Berresheim talks about compassion, immigration, Fontbonne history, the value of community, and the opportunities that come with mission and ministry.
Collection: SisterStory
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Interview with Loretta Costa
Sister Loretta Costa talks about opportunity and choice, compassion and courage, and teaching and personal ministry (and Flannery O'Connor).
Collection: SisterStory
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Interview with Marianne Keena
Sister Marianne Keena talks about friendship and family, asking questions, living in community, and some of the challenges faced by women in religious life.
Collection: SisterStory
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Interview with Nancy Marsh
Sister Nancy Marsh talks about her nursing work in the AIDS ministry, oncology, hospice care, and later with the women at St. Louis' Mary Ryder Home. She reflects on the charism of the CSJ's, the influence of the community at Fontbonne, the differences between orders, the meaning of her vows, and the blessings (and challenges) of a living a life in community and oriented toward God.
Collection: SisterStory
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Interview with Kate Regan
Sister Kate Regan talks about the expansion of Civil rights and the women's movement in the 60’s, leaving the habit behind, and her service as a residential pastor to a community in need.
Collection: SisterStory
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Interview with Jean Paul Selissen
Sister Jean Paul Selissen discusses the Second Vatican Council, the discernment process, and her personal ministry as a sister.
Collection: SisterStory
