Archbishop Weisenburger thanks men and women religious marking significant anniversaries of consecrated life in 2025
DETROIT — Fifty-seven women and men religious across the Archdiocese of Detroit are celebrating jubilees this year, totaling 3,625 years of ministry.
In a special Mass and luncheon Sept. 6 at Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit, Archbishop Edward J. Weisenburger thanked and congratulated the religious jubilarians, reflecting on how one religious, Sr. Francis Rose Dinkel, CSA, his second-grade teacher, played an important supporting role in his life when his father was serving in the U.S. Army in Vietnam.
“It was an extremely stressful time, because we didn’t know if Dad was coming home or not,” Archbishop Weisenburger said. “He did, which is wonderful. But it was a very stressful year in that parish and school. And Sr. Francis Rose, this very sweet and wonderful sister, kind of put her arms around us and our mother through those painful years. So, I’m always very grateful when I see a religious.”
Sr. Frances Rose did turn up again in Archbishop Weisenburger’s life, he said, when he was serving as the rector of the cathedral in the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City, when a secretary informed him he had a phone call.
“I was in a meeting when one of my secretaries came into the meeting: ‘Monsignor, there is a nun on the phone for you named Sr. Francis Rose Dinkel,'” Archbishop Weisenburger said. “And I got up and ran down the hallway, like a second-grader again. Nothing can reduce us back to the second grade like a religious teacher.”
Archbishop Weisenburger congratulated the men and women religious for their years of ministry, saying they might never know how much of an impact they have had on the lives of the people to whom they ministered until the Last Judgement.
“Always remember that you are somebody’s ‘Sr. Frances Rose,’ and even if you didn’t hear the thanks, try to hear it through my voice,” Archbishop Weisenburger said. “Because we are so grateful, and the Church is universally grateful.”
The jubilee Mass and following lunch served as an opportunity for the religious from various communities to connect with one another — a special occasion, as many communities are growing older, said Sr. Mary Rebecca Koterba, RSM, delegate for consecrated life in the Archdiocese of Detroit.
“Any time religious women get together, it’s a great support, a great sense of celebration of the mystery of a vocation and of God’s goodness and graces to all of us,” Sr. Koterba told Detroit Catholic. “In this sense, we’re all the same no matter our community.”
Sr. Koterba reflected on her own 45 years of service with the Religious Sisters of Mercy.
“God has blessed me with a beautiful community, the Sisters of Mercy,” Sr. Koterba said. “I was blessed to be able to go on in education. I worked in health care for many years, and now I’m functioning in another role with the archdiocese. So in God’s goodness and mercy, everything has been blessed for me, and the fruits have been not only my own, but for others.”
Sr. Marcella Clancy, CSJ, of the Congregation of St. Joseph, celebrated 65 years with the community, mainly working in hospitals in Detroit before teaching nursing at Madonna College (University) in Livonia.
“I also did pastoral work in the latter part of my vocation, especially in terms of spiritual direction,” Sr. Clancy said. “I think my most fruitful work is tending toward people and helping them along in their own spiritual journey.”
The liturgy’s reading from the Gospel of St. John was Jesus’ teaching about the vine dresser pruning the vines in order for the vines to bear good fruit.
Archbishop Weisenburger said the religious life requires such pruning, allowing God to remove parts of one's habits and routines in order for one's vocation to produce good and plentiful fruit.
“No fruit tree ever said as the vine dresser approached it, ‘Oh good, he is here to cut off some part of us,’” Archbishop Weisenburger said. “But if He does so, it is so that our lives are more fruitful. I wonder how often, how many times in my life, the Lord was pruning me, and I was hesitant and didn’t want to go along with it. But it was the Lord pruning, so that something better can be done to build up His kingdom.”
Sr. Kate Pierce, IHM, who celebrated 70 years of religious life with the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, said the "fruits" produced in her vocation are the students and missionaries with whom she interacted throughout her ministry.
“When I was at St. Bede’s — back when it was 'Bede’s in the weeds,’ because it was on 12 Mile and Southfield, which was nothing at the time, this brand new school — I came into contact with so many students,” Sr. Pierce said. “Then I went out to Puerto Rico, working in the interior of the island for 14 years as a Catholic school principal, then worked in a public school, then went to New York to work with the Maryknoll missionaries.
“I like to think all of those interactions, with so many students, so many missions, brought much good fruit in my time.”
2025 Consecrated Life Jubilarians
80 Years
- Sr. M. Arlene Bennett, RSM*
- Sr. George Ellen Brannick, IHM
- Sr. Marie Clark, IHM
75 Years
- Sr. Mary of the Immaculate Conception Di Paulo, OP
- Sr. Regina Fanning, IHM
- Sr. Irene Gumbleton, IHM
- Sr. Virginia Skurski, SJ
70 Years
- Sr. Christine Dobrowolski, IHM
- Sr. Elizabeth Fleckenstein, IHM
- Sr. Yvonne Gellise, RSM
- Sr. Janet Hill, IHM
- Sr. Lois Jackson, IHM
- Sr. Marie Miller, IHM
- Sr. Genevieve Petrak, IHM
- Sr. Kathryn Pierce, IHM
- Sr. Mary Agnes Ryan, IHM
- Sr. Rita Rose Sieg, OP
- Sr. Anneliese Sinnott, OP
- Sr. Nancyann Turner, OP
- Sr. Julia Ann Weirick, IHM
- Sr. Mary Clare Yates, RSM
- Sr. Ann Ziemba, OP
65 Years
- Sr. Marianne Bennett, RSM
- Sr. Marcella Clancy, CSJ
- Sr. Rose Miriam Doerr, RSM
- Sr. Joyce Dropps, CSJ
- Sr. Mary Epple, RSM
- Sr. Rita Epple, RSM
- Sr. Sharon Hagen, DC
- Sr. Mary Ellen Howard, RSM
- Sr. Nancy Martin, CSJ
- Sr. Mary Michelz, RSM
- Sr. Geri Near, RSM
- Sr. Margaret Platte, RSM
- Sr. Linda Werthman, RSM
- Sr. Bonnie Woods, RSM
60 Years
- Sr. Elaine Aldridge, IHM
- Sr. Rita Birzer, OP
- Sr. Mary Ellen Brennan, RSM
- Rev. Patrick Brennan, CP
- Sr. Paula Cathcart, IHM
- Sr. Margaret Gearhart, IHM
- Sr. Maria Klosowski, RSM
- Sr. Teresita Lipar, OP
- Sr. Therese MacKinnon, DC
- Sr. Susan Mahalik, IHM
- Br. Richard Merling, OFM Cap.
- Sr. Anne Marie Murphy, IHM
- Sr. Mary of the Compassion Ross, OP
- Sr. Mary Frances Uicker, IHM
- Sr. Mildred Werner, CSJ
50 Years
- Sr. Maryfrances Barber, IHM
- Sr. Mary Catherine Dee, OP
- Mother Mary Therese Heithaus, OCD
25 Years
- Sr. Anna Maria Kwiatkowski, OP
- Sr. Mary John Vu, OP
- Fr. Tomasz Wilisowski, CSMA**
*Sr. M. Arlene Bennett, RSM, passed away Sept. 4. She would have celebrated her 80th jubilee on Sept. 8.
**Indicates anniversary of ordination
