Gladys Inostrosa has been a neighbor to Casa Ursulina in Chillán, Chile, since 2000, but Ursuline Sister Mimi Ballard could never get her to take a class. Gladys (pictured above with Sister Mimi) was busy raising five grandchildren, despite an inability to read or write.

“She finally took a literacy class. It did something for her self-esteem,” Sister Mimi said. “She took our painting class, and when she sold one of her paintings, it made her so happy. She couldn’t believe someone would want to buy it.”

Gladys’ story is just one of the daily successes Sister Mimi gets to witness at Casa Ursulina, the ministry she began in 1997 to empower women in Chillán by teaching them crafting skills, and help build camaraderie, self-esteem and their spirituality.

“It’s been a good year. We’re getting younger people coming,” Sister Mimi said. “Some are grandchildren of the early women involved; others are neighbors. Of our original group, their children are retirement age, so they have more time.”

Sister Mimi is back in Kentucky for a few months, spending time at Maple Mount and with her siblings in Bardstown. She plans to return to Chile in time for the new year of classes to begin in March 2026. She is encouraged by the renewed interest in traditional crafts such as weaving and embroidery.

“When I first went to Chile, everything was wool sweaters and jackets,” Sister Mimi said. “It was all hand spun and for sale at the central market. That went out of style with imported goods. Now it’s back. It’s popular because it’s a lot warmer.”

Younger women are interested in spinning yarn and weaving because that is something their grandparents did, Sister Mimi said.

“It was a lost art for a while,” she said. “Which is a shame, because everyone in Chile raises sheep.”

“We have four different embroidery classes, featuring different styles,” Sister Mimi said. “It’s been a long time since embroidery has been a thing. Mostly younger women are interested in that.”

Young women from the tourist town of Quillon are still coming in large numbers for classes on Thursdays, something that began in 2024.

“They have such energy when they come,” Sister Mimi said. “We have three classes at a time, so they have a choice. Most choose textile recycling. People who sew always have leftover small pieces of fabric. This class teaches the women how to use it for crafts. They make some really neat stuff.”

Crafting has been in Sister Mimi’s blood since her mother taught her to knit.

“When I was a student at (Mount Saint Joseph) Academy, a classmate taught me to crochet,” she said. “When we began Casa Ursulina out of my house, we started with crochet, because you don’t need a lot of space.”

In 2006, Sister Mimi took a four-month sabbatical to the White Violet Center for Eco-Justice in St. Mary of the Woods, Ind. It’s a ministry of the Sisters of Providence that supports programs on organic agriculture and fiber education.

“They raise alpacas there, and I learned to weave and spin yarn,” Sister Mimi said. “That’s what I love the most. I still teach that, with some help.”

Next year Sister Mimi will celebrate 60 years as an Ursuline, with 47 of those years spent serving in South America. Earlier this decade, the Ursuline Sisters turned over the administration of Casa Ursulina to a local board. Sister Mimi has served as president of the board, but when her visit to Kentucky in 2024-25 lasted much longer than expected, she realized a Chilean should serve as the board president.

Without administrative duties at Casa Ursulina, Sister Mimi can spend more time one on one with people.

“It frees me to do what I like to do,” she said. “I visit people who are homebound or sick. Two other women go with me. We talk and pray with them, and see if they need help.”

In April 2025, Sister Martha Keller, assistant congregational leader, visited Casa Ursulina, which Sister Mimi described as “wonderful.”

“Before I left, the women told me to ask Sister Martha when she is coming back,” Sister Mimi said.

Each time Sister Mimi comes back to Kentucky, there is some concern in Chile that the day is coming when she will not return.

“I’m taking it one year at a time. I figure God will tell me when it’s time,” Sister Mimi said. “We’re working hard to make sure the mission doesn’t stop when I have to stop. We’ve added some younger women to the board, with some new ideas.”