Ron Paul, a 42-year-old truck driver, is an RCIA candidate taking classes from Sister Rosanne.
“My wife, Lisa, and our two children have been attending Precious Blood for ten years or so,” says Paul, “and since Sister Rosanne has been there she has really been special to them. I got to know Sister Rosanne through Lisa and the kids. Their friendship with her has been a big influence on my becoming an RCIA candidate.” He continues, “Sister Rosanne makes the RCIA program easy to understand. It’s actually fun and enjoyable to be there because of her.”
Members of Sister Rosanne’s confirmation class at Precious Blood helped complete work on the newest Owensboro Habitat House. Class members pictured are, l. to r., Kristin Wimsatt, Matthew Evans, Morgan Rudy, Erica Pendleton, Benjamin Drury, Travis Fulkerson, and Rachel Lanham.
Scott Norris, a patrolman for the Owensboro Police Department, is an RCIA catechumen. “My wife Tammy and our five children are members at Precious Blood and I’ve always gone to Mass with them,” says Norris. “Through them I got to know Sister Rosanne and now I’m in her RCIA class. I think she’s wonderful. Her teaching style is wonderful. She gets everybody involved and interested in what’s going on.”
Sister Rosanne works closely with Renee Shultz, the First Penance Catechist for Precious Blood. Together they prepared the 2005 First Peanance class at the parish. A second grade teacher, Renee is religious Ed teacher and teacher of first sacraments at Precious Blood.
“She’s the best religious education teacher we’ve ever had here,” says Renee of Sister Rosanne. “She’s easy going. I’ve never seen her get upset with a child. Never! And if we ask for something she’s always got it there for us the next week.”
Renee says she’s not alone in this admiration for Sister Rosanne. “The kids really love her too,” she says. “They just run up to her. She is just really good with them. They are always on the edge of their seats waiting for the next thing she has to say.”
Sister Rosanne also finds time to volunteer. As 2005 came to an end, she joined with a group of high school students from the Precious Blood Confirmation class to help complete a Habitat for Humanity project in Owensboro.
Father Brad Whistle, pastor of Precious Blood parish, has known Sister Rosanne longer than anyone she is associated with today. “Sister Rosanne and I have been friends for over 25 years, before I was ordained a priest,” he revealed, “most people may not know that. When I was in school I would come home for the summer and work in the parishes, like Saint Paul’s in Princeton and Saint Charles in Bardwell, and Sister Rosanne was working there in their vacation bible schools. That’s where we first met.”
A quarter of a century later, Father Brad has Sister Rosanne as his assistant at Precious Blood.
“She brings an atmosphere of friendliness and professionalism to Precious Blood,” he says. “She is a very approachable person, not afraid to do anything you ask, from stuffing envelopes to visiting the sick, from working with funerals to working with kids.”