In attendance at a recent associates meeting in Louisville were, left to right, Sister Amanda Rose Mahoney, OSU, Associate Penny Burns, Sister Marietta, Associate Pauline Goebel (Sister Marietta’s sister), Sister Frances Miriam Spalding, OSU, and Associate Lorraine Luken.
Sister Marietta came home to Maple Mount in 1980 as director of activities for the senior sisters for one year and then coordinator of the motherhouse for three years. She was elected to the Mount Saint Joseph Leadership Team in 1984 and served two four-year terms. “The best part of these years was getting to know the sisters,” says Sister Marietta. “In her Prologue to the Counsels, Angela told us to have them all engraved in your heart. That’s what happened for me during my time at the motherhouse and in leadership.”
In 1992 she spent a one-year sabbatical at Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington, and then continued her ministry as a pastoral associate at Holy Spirit Church in Jamestown, Kentucky, on Lake Cumberland, in the Southern Kentucky Missions region of the Archdiocese of Louisville. She spent seven years there, becoming active in the local ministerial association, Hospice, and Habitat for Humanity. It was one of her favorite ministries. “What really stretched me there was getting to know members of the various denominations in the area and working closely with the ministerial association and the other outreach organizations,” recalls Sister Marietta. “I helped establish a food pantry there, served on the board of the food pantry, was a board member of Habitat, and was chair for the Family Nurture Committee.”
Sister Marietta places a lifetime commitment pin on associate Edna Marnell of Herferd, Texas, during ceremonies at the Mount.
It was back home again in 2000 when she became Director of Postulants and moved into the Formation House on Saint Ann Street in Owensboro. Also in 2000, she was elected to a third term on the Leadership Team and served for four years.
In 2004 she was named co-director of Ursuline Partnerships along with Marian Bennett. Both are members of the Mission Advancement Team under the direction of Sister Suzanne Sims.
Says Sister Suzanne, “Sister Marietta’s own 50-plus years as an Ursuline Sister of Mount Saint Joseph, and her own deep spirituality rooted in Saint Angela, are a rare combination! Her passion for ministry reflects the contemplative dimension of the Gospel of Jesus found in Saint Angela. She demonstrates this by developing prayer settings and opportunities for others, doing spiritual direction and forming others for that ministry, and giving retreats and workshops on spirituality. She is a great gift to the community, our Mission Advancement Team, and to our active partnerships in mission.”
Sister Marietta visits with Associate Wanda Gibson of Henderson.
Co-director Marian Bennett says Sister Marietta plays a key role in the partnerships program. “She is an invaluable part in this program. We have made great progress in the two years we have been co-directors. Her long experience in spiritual formation and direction brings an irreplaceable depth to our work with both associates and alumnae and enables both of us to maximize our efforts.” She adds that the co-directors have a good working relationship. “She is nothing short of a joy to work with. Although my involvement with the Ursuline sisters spans over 40 years, she and I had never met before we began this journey. I know now God had a hand in putting us together in this office, because we complement each other’s strengths and abilities so well. She’s fun to be with; she’s full of patience and encouragement.”