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AAUW places flags to honor the stories of the Ursuline Sisters

As part of its efforts to highlight Women’s History Month, four members of the Owensboro American Association of University Women (AAUW) visited Mount Saint Joseph on a sunny afternoon on March 20, 2026. They placed small flags that read “Honoring Women’s Stories,” along with their AAUW logo, on several gravesites of Ursuline Sisters who they felt warranted extra appreciation. Sister Elaine Burke joined them to provide assistance in locating the graves.

The following Sisters were recognized in this way, due to their achievements regarding education, leadership, human rights and women’s rights:

Sister Emma Cecilia Busam

Sister Francesca Hazel

Sister Joan Marie Lechner

Sister Rose Marita O’Bryan

Sister Carolyn Marie O’Harrow

Sister Dianna Ortiz

Sister Anne Louise Ramold

Sister Fran Wilhelm

Mother Aloysius Willett

Left to right, Debbie McCoy, president of the Owensboro AAUW, Sagan Storm, Judy Adams, Aloma Dew and Sister Elaine Burke discuss which graves to place a flag honoring an Ursuline Sister.
Debbie McCoy places a flag near the headstone of Sister Carolyn Marie O’Harrow. A trained spiritual director, Sister Carolyn Marie opened a “House of Prayer” at Maple Mount.
Sister Fran Wilhelm’s grave receives a flag on her headstone. Sister Fran helped found Centro Latino to aid migrants and refugees in Owensboro.
Sagan Storm, Judy Adams, Debbie McCoy and Aloma Dew search for a Sister’s headstone. Dew serves as the AAUW historian.
Mother Aloysius Willett, the first Mother Superior for the Ursuline Sisters of Mount Saint Joseph – and a force in getting them established teaching in other schools – was honored with a flag on her headstone.
A flag was added to the decorated gravesite of Sister Dianna Ortiz. Sister Dianna survived a kidnapping in Guatemala and founded the Torture Abolition and Survivors Support Coalition (TASSC), which is still active today.
Debbie McCoy gets ready to put a flag near the headstone of Sister Joan Marie Lechner, who served as the first resident president of Brescia College (now University).
A flag was added alongside the gravesite of Sister Francesca Hazel, who founded the Contemporary Woman program at Brescia College (now University).
Sister Anne Louise Ramold, who received a flag on her headstone, served 24 years at Brescia College as chairwoman of the sociology department. She also founded the Ozanam club and served on boards focused on helping the poor.

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