Meet our sisters
Enjoy our archive of stories from women who have said yes to religious life
While some of our sisters have moved on from the ministries they were engaged in when these were recorded, this page serves to give you an idea of our sisters' lives and steps along their ongoing commitments to vowed lives.
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Meet Sisters Sister Helen Elsbernd and Roseyln Heil
In addition to serving as FSPA’s Congregational Treasurer, Sister Helen now spends much of her time volunteering at The Salvation Army and The Exchange Furniture Bank in La Crosse. Starting and ending every day in prayer, Sister Helen lives out Eucharistic presence by extending her weekly adoration hours into her everyday life. She strives to “be aware of God’s love and presence in all of creation” and wants to “be a sign of God's loving presence to others.” In her free time, she enjoys sewing, reading, gardening and spending time with her family and friends. Having answered the spirit’s call to live a life of personal holiness dedicated to God, Sister Helen is “deeply grateful for the blessings and opportunities” she has had that are way beyond her “wildest imagination.”
Living over four and a half hours away from the rest of her community, Sister Roselyn connects with her fellow sisters through daily prayer via Zoom. Sister Roselyn explains that her personal prayer is enriched through this connection and that the sharing of their life experiences are also woven into their scripture sharing. When asked what it means to be a Catholic Sister in this time in Church history, Sister Roselyn expressed that "As a sister, I am empowered to stay with the Church. I am holding God's excessive mercy and love way above our need for mercy. I strive to actualize Christ's healing presence in tiny ways, believing that holding hands together, we hold a part of hope to transformation in a way only God knows."
Meet Sisters Sarah Hennessey and Laura Nettles
"I am in love with Christ, and I love to have my whole life centered on Christ. Being an FSPA helps me be more 'Sarah,'" explained Sister Sarah when asked why she became an FSPA. She lives out Eucharistic presence by "listening to others that are hurting, playing with a friend in joy and gazing at a sunset in awe." During her free time, she enjoys singing, taking long walks in nature and making some of the best popcorn around! Sister Sarah has been teaching about prayer for many years and states "My prayer practices help me be who I am meant to be. Gazing on Christ, I see Christ gazing on me."
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As St. Francis of Assisi explained in his response to St. Anthony of Padua's request to study and teach at a university, "I am pleased that you teach sacred theology [so long as it] does not extinguish the spirit of prayer and devotion [charism]." Sister Laura takes St. Francis' response to mean that education (both learning and teaching) should be used in service of others, particularly those who are marginalized. "This is how I have approached my own educational opportunities and how I taught my students when I was in the classroom," says Sister Laura. "Every day I have an opportunity to help people understand the Gospel vision of service to others, through our FSPA justice work and beyond."
Meet Sisters Kristin Peters and Michele Pettit
Sister Kristin enjoys being rooted in the FSPA community and connected to the lives of those she accompanies as both a friend and counselor. She values building relationships with marginalized people and communities within our society and is passionate about land justice. She desires to be in right relationship with the Earth community and fulfills this desire through acts of activism, solidarity and stewardship such as composting, gardening, reusing plastics and redistributing food and flowers that would otherwise be thrown away – all ways in which she responds to the cries of the Earth and the cries of the poor. Sister Kristin also lives out Eucharistic presence by practicing contemplation (art and journaling), communal prayer and building strong relationships with fellow members of her FSPA community.
When asked why she became an FSPA, Sister Michele explained that there were a variety of reasons. "First and foremost, I had a desire for a stronger relationship with God. Second, the sisters were very welcoming, and I admired their commitment to social justice and Gospel living. Third, I had a desire to be less self-centered, to be part of something bigger than myself, to participate in service activities I wouldn't participate in on my own and to live counterculturally. Fourth, I have an appreciation for the Franciscan emphasis on peace, love and care for the Earth. And fifth, I felt at home in the FSPA Adoration Chapel." For Sister Michele, life as a Catholic sister includes "being exposed to diverse forms of prayer including meditation, praying with nature, praying with art and music and spending time with God in the Adoration Chapel. One of my regular practices involves praying while I exercise. I also enjoy praying with my living community on a daily basis. As one of my housemates put it, 'We pray and play together.'"
Meet Sisters Kathy Roberg and Laurie Sullivan
When asked how she responds to the cries of the Earth and the cries of the poor, Sister Kathy explained that “they are both crying out in extreme pain, and if I am a life-giver, how can I close off my receptiveness?” Having obtained her reverence for Mother Earth from her peace- and justice-oriented father, she found a way to care for our planet while also caring for its most vulnerable inhabitants. In 2015, Sister Kathy began crocheting sleeping mats out of plastic shopping bags to give to those in need. Over the past eight years, she has made 327 mats that not only provide a moisture-resistant barrier to place beneath a sleeping bag or blanket but also help keep plastic bags out of the environment. Each mat is made from 350 bags and, once complete, is given to the homeless in Spokane. “To me, being a Catholic sister today calls me to be open to the voice of inner transformation and to be present to others who are lost in society. I hope I'm sharing an ounce of hope and purpose,” says Sister Kathy.
Sister Laurie's Michigan upbringing now places her in harmony with her love of God and the beauty of Wisconsin's Northwoods. When asked how she responds to the cries of the Earth and the cries of the poor in her ministry, she expressed, "My spirit and heart have always been drawn to the marginalized and the poor, and they have both taught me a lot. I live simply so that both the Earth and the poor may live. I am conscious of how my day-to-day choices affect both, and I always try to do no harm." For Sister Laurie, being a Catholic sister during this time in Church history means "being a voice, as well as a presence, to those on the margins, even those to whom the church itself may have overlooked or ignored. As Catholic sisters, we assist people in learning to discern and accept the will of a loving and merciful God. Relying on God, Mary and our founders, we seek to follow Jesus' footsteps."
Faith in motion
Motherhouse Road Trip podcast
Vocation stories from Sisters Katie Mitchell and Eileen McKenzie.