Sister Marietta Wethington: “I loved helping children develop a prayer life of their own.”

Karen participated in the spiritual direction training course recently completed at the conference and retreat center. Sister Marietta was a team member for that course. “During the spiritual direction training program, Sister Marietta prepared many of our morning and evening prayer experiences,” Karen recalls. “Quite often, Sister Marietta incorporated verses from Angela’s Rule, Counsels and Legacies into our prayers. Sister Marietta’s prayers drew all spiritual direction candidates and me more deeply into the spirituality of Saint Angela. This was a special gift for me as I long to grow closer to Angela and deepen my appreciation of the Ursuline charism.”

Sister Marietta and other paint the outside of the house being constructed by the missionaries from the Owensboro diocese. The house has 350 square feet, which is a large house by Jamaican standards. It will house a family of seven.

For a number of years the Diocese of Owensboro has been a sister diocese to the Diocese of Mandeville, Jamaica, twice a year sending volunteer workers with supplies to the poor, Caribbean island community. Sister Marietta had served on the local Mandeville committee since it was originally formed, but had never had the opportunity to make one of the trips to the island. Not until this spring. From May 8-15 Sister Marietta and a group of volunteers from the Owensboro diocese traveled to Mandeville, bringing the people much needed supplies, helping them build a simple home. “It was really special to make that trip,” says Sister Marietta. “We found a lot of poverty, a lot of violence, and high crime areas. But we also saw the beauty of the people there and the beauty of the land. It was delightful to look into the eyes of the young children and see such trust.”

After returning from Jamaica, Sister Jamaica received an email from Sister Connie Ostrander, OSB, the development director for the diocese of Mandeville.It read: Dear S. Marietta: I was so happy you came to Jamaica….you have a special way about you…and I know you left your loving spirit with many. I know it takes a while after a mission trip to get ONE with yourself and all that is here again….THANK YOU for blessing us by coming to be with us.

In Christ, Connie, OSB

What did Sister Marietta take with her to Mandeville and what did she leave behind? She answers, “I took with me a sense of caring and compassion, I hope. And I brought back a desire to be much more dependent on God, a desire to be more trusting, and a lot of wonderful memories of the beautiful people I met there.”

Are the volunteers making a difference in Mandeville? “Yes, I think we are,” says Sister Marietta.

In 2005, Sister Marietta celebrated her Golden Jubilee as an Ursuline Sister. This year marks her 51st year as an Ursuline. “It’s been a rich journey,” she proudly proclaims. “It’s where I can best answer the call I believe God gave me. It’s where I believe I can become the best person I can be.”

“And I can’t image myself anyplace else.”