Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent DePaul (DC)
25th Entrance
Sister Sharon Horace
Birth name: Sharon Lynn
Birth place: St. Louis
Entrance: July 29, 1996
Education: Associate of arts and education, Florissant Valley Jr. College, St. Louis, 1991
Bachelor’s in fine arts, Fontbonne College, St. Louis, 1996
Master’s in pastoral studies, Loyola Institute for Ministry, New Orleans, Louisiana, 2002
Master’s in resilient and sustainable communities, Prescott College, Arizona, 2021
Service in the archdiocese: Residential technician, Marygrove, Florissant, 2002-04
Service outside the archdiocese: Education and art center coordinator, St. John the Baptist Community Center, New Orleans, 1998-2002
Missionary, Port Au Prince, Haiti, 2004
Director of social services and mission development, St. Elizabeth Health Center, Gould, Arkansas, 2004-06
Coordinator of youth and mission activities, Proyecto Juan Diego, Brownsville, Texas, 2006-11
Missionary, Chepnyal, Kenya 2012-13
Director of St. Vincent de Paul Center for Youth and Young Adults, Philadelphia, 2014-2020
Coordinator for mission integration and coordinator for climate resilience and sustainability, Proyecto Juan Diego, Harlingen and Brownsville, Texas, 2020-present
About Sister Sharon Horace: It has been a joy to be able to do what I love over the last 25 years, from teaching art to kids and older adults in New Orleans to starting home gardens with families in Brownsville, Texas, who are growing tomatoes for the first time. One of my favorite things in my work is Vacation Bible School (VBS) or ‘Summer Camp’ with kids. I look forward to it all year long. It doesn’t matter what my role is in the camp. I manage to have as much fun as the kids do. It is not hard to see the face of Christ in those I am with God is present in the daily-ness of my life no matter where I am or what my current job title is. I look forward to the years to come and hope to help people learn more about living more sustainably on our planet and caring for God’s creation.
Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent DePaul (DC)
70th Entrance
Sister Catherine Kline
Birth name: Mary Rose Catherine
Birth place: Perryville
Entrance: Sept. 26, 1951
Education: Bachelor’s in English, Marillac College, St. Louis 1961
Master’s in early childhood education, Saint Louis University, St. Louis 1974
Service in the archdiocese: Teacher, St. Patrick School, St. Louis, 1952-56
Teacher, St. Matthias School, St. Louis, 1960-71
Teacher, St. Vincent Grade School, Perryville, 1971-74
Volunteer, Parkwood Residence, Maryland Heights, 2013
Volunteer, Ladies of Charity Thrift Store, St. Louis, 2015-19
Ministry of prayer, The Sarah Community, Bridgeton, 2015-19
Ministry of prayer, Evansville, Indiana, 2019-present
Service outside the archdiocese: Pastoral ministry in South Dakota and in Tainan, Taiwan, 1976-2002
English teacher, Chongqing, China 2002-06
Pastoral ministry, Hotel Dieu, Los Angeles 2006
Pastoral ministry, Meals on Wheels/Food Bank, Santa Barbara, California, 2008-10
Volunteer, St. Vincent Center for Children and Families, United Caring Services and St. Vincent de Paul Pantry, Evansville, Indiana, 2014-15
About Sister Catherine Kline: My experiences have taken me far and wide across the globe, making me grateful for a glimpse of God’s people and creation. My life now in the ministry of prayer, I am awaiting God’s call to enjoy peace in God’s holy presence. As I celebrate my 70th jubilee, I say with the psalmist “I will praise you Lord, with all my heart!
Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent DePaul (DC)
70th Entrance
Sister Marillac Grabinski
Birth name: Mildred Elizabeth
Birth place: St. Louis
Entrance: Sept. 26, 1951
Education: Bachelor’s in History, Marillac College, St. Louis 1963
Service in the archdiocese: Teacher, St. Boniface Primary School, Perryville, 1952-56
Teacher, St. Catherine Laboure School, St. Louis, 1960
Ministry of prayer, The Sarah Community, Bridgeton, 2019-present
Service outside the archdiocese: Elementary teacher in Alabama, Utah and Illinois
Docent, Shrine of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, Emmitsburg, Maryland
Parish visitor, social services worker and elderly outreach worker in Illinois, Indianapolis and Alabama
Community outreach worker, St. Christine Christian Services, Detroit, 2001-13
Community outreach worker, Providence Pavilion, Southfield, Michigan, 2002-13
About Sister Marillac Grabinski: After graduating from the parish school and Good Counsel High School in Chicago, I decided to work for a living. I took a job at Sears Roebuck in the Our Lady of Sorrows neighborhood, where some of us would go each Friday for the novena. There was a notice inviting women to look into a vocation by visiting Marillac House, just down the street from the church. I went and met Sister Bertrand, a Daughter of Charity, who showed me around Marillac House. I had no idea the sisters did so much for the poor in the neighborhood, and I decided to stay. After praying and working with the Daughters of Charity, I asked to join. It has been a wonderful 70 years, and I am grateful to God and my sisters in community, as well as to those I have been so very blessed and humbled to serve.
Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent DePaul (DC)
70th Entrance
Sister Mary Ann Szydlowski
Birth place: St. Louis
Entrance: March 6, 1951
Education: Bachelor’s in nursing, Saint Louis University, St. Louis 1958
Master’s in long-term care administration, North State University, Denton, Texas 1977
Service in the archdiocese: Director of nursing services, St. Anne Home, St. Louis 1968-74
Teacher-instructor, DePaul Hospital School of Nursing, St. Louis, 1975
Consultant retirement coordinator, Marillac Provincial House, St. Louis, 1979-80
Senior sisters’ assistant, The Sarah Community, Bridgeton, 1998-2007
Parish minister for the elderly and spiritual moderator for Ladies of Charity, Bridgeton, 2013-17
Food pantry volunteer, Holy Spirit Parish, Maryland Heights, 2011-17
Ministry of prayer, The Sarah Community, Bridgeton, 2013-present
Service outside the archdiocese: Medical-surgical nurse and nurse supervisor in Illinois, Texas, Louisiana
Nursing home administrator in Minnesota, South Dakota and Nebraska
Nurse for refugees in Bangkok, Thailand
Assisted patients at Balombo Hospital in Angola
Taught remedial and special needs classes at Catholic High School, assisted at the prison helping prisoners earn their diplomas and get jobs upon their release, and provided services for the elderly, Cook Islands in the Pacific Ocean
Local community superior in Texas
Served on the Board of Directors in Louisiana and Texas
About Sister Mary Ann Szydlowski: Sister Mary Ann is very grateful for her large Catholic family, with whom she keeps in touch. A dedicated nurse and “people person,” she feels blessed by all the opportunities to serve that she has been given – whether it was in ministering to her senior sisters at home or while on mission in Thailand, Africa and the South Pacific. Each mission was accepted with gratefulness, enthusiasm and joy. She continues to pray and serve her God, to pray and care for her sisters in community, and to pray and recall with love those she has served throughout her 70 years as a Daughter of Charity.
Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent DePaul (DC)
75th Entrance
Sister Loretto Gettemeier
Birth name: Mary Ann
Birth place: Florissant
Entrance: Dec. 2, 1946
Education: Bachelor’s in education, Fontbonne College, St. Louis, 1954
Master’s in counseling and guidance, University of San Francisco, California, 1970
Certification in spiritual direction, Washington Theological Union, Washington, D.C., 1988
Service in the archdiocese: Vice president of mission, DePaul Health Center, Bridgeton
Provincial councilor and assistant
Special projects service, Marillac Provincial House, St. Louis
HandS ministry, Holy Spirit Parish, Maryland Heights
Room at the Inn
Local community superior, Parkwood Residence, Maryland Heights
Local community superior, The Sarah Community, Bridgeton
Board member in the St. Louis area of St. Jane Catholic Community Services, North County Partnership, Father’s Support Center, Loaves and Fishes, English Tutoring Project, Daughters of Charity Foundation of St. Louis and LCWR InterCommunity, Ecological Commission
Currently serving in a ministry of prayer, The Sarah Community, Bridgeton
Service outside the archdiocese: Primary and elementary teacher, Louisiana and Texas
High school and universities teacher, Wakayama, Japan, 1956-68
Guidance counselor, Ascension Catholic High School, Donaldsonville, Louisiana
Guidance counselor, Cardinal Stritch High School, Keokuk, Iowa
About Sister Loretto Gettemeier: I am grateful to God for the blessings God has gifted me with during these 75 years. I have had the joy of returning God’s people. I find God especially in the beauty of creation but am deeply concerned about the future of our planet. I urge our Church and our legislators to promote Laudato Si’. Now in the ministry of prayer, I ask for the gift of ecological conversion for all as together we co-create a new world with our Creator.
