Spotlight

Sister Theodosia Lukiw has been a member of the Sisters of the Order of Saint Basil the Great, a Ukrainian Catholic religious order located in the outskirts of Philadelphia, for 73 years. SOAR! shared some of her story in a blog post a few years ago, and we decided to catch up with her. “Sister…

Sister Marie de Paul Carter professed her final vows as a Sister of St. Joseph of Buffalo in 1965. She describes herself as “a dedicated teacher among dedicated teachers.” Her ministry of special education to young children allowed her to play a significant role in their development. Her rich experience in education includes The St….

Sister Ruth Marie Soens was born Dolores Soens on July 9, 1937 in Kenosha, WI. She is the youngest of six children: three boys and three girls. One of the girls – Ruth Marie – died at age 5 of scarlet fever, before Dolores was born. In 1957, Dolores took her vows with the Sisters…

Sister Julia Costello, DMJ, of the Daughters of Mary and Joseph in Rancho Palos Verdes, California, recently shared a reflection on her life with SOAR! My life as a Daughter of Mary and Joseph began when I entered our Irish Novitiate on August 15, 1948. There were six in our group; now we are four….

Sister Rosemary Bertels, OSB, of the Benedictine Sisters of Mount St. Scholastica recently shared her story with SOAR! I grew up in a faith-filled home with good, faithful parents. I was born and baptized on Easter Sunday. Much later, I learned that the pastor told my father that I would become a nun. The Sisters’…

SOAR! recently had the wonderful opportunity to speak with Sister Grace about her years in religious life as a member of the Society Devoted to the Sacred Heart in California. Read the interview below. What attracted you to become a Sister? I was born and raised in Hong Kong, and I was baptized at about…

Sister Marian Bandille, a member of the Community of the Missionary Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate Conception, shares her story in her own words. Her community in Tenafly, New Jersey received a 2020 grant for $25,000 to replace windows.  

Sister Carla Hernandez, OSBM worked in education for more than sixty years before retiring. She possesses a unique perspective as a native of Central America who joined a Ukrainian Catholic monastic community, the Sisters of St. Basil the Great, near Philadelphia.

“SOAR! for me is my BIGGEST BLESSING.  God showed me again and again ‘TRUST ME’ throughout my 50-year disability challenge.”

Brother Charles Madden, OFM Conv. is a Conventual Franciscan Friar who has served with Marytown since 1968.