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New Associates
New Associate Joanne Pawlowski
Joanne Pawlowski became an associate on December 11 at the Chiara area community. Joanne is a former member who has continued her relationships with many of the sisters. Becoming an associate was for Joanne a formalizing of these relationships. She finds that her connection with the Chiara area community reminds her of the values of our Franciscan charism. At the meetings she attends, she finds an openness to accept one another’s beliefs. She is very involved in her parish and treasures being
Sandra Nowak became an associate at the Mutuality area community meeting in Milwaukee on March 6th. Sandra wanted to become an associate to “formalize” the relationship she has always felt with the School Sisters of St. Francis. She finds the sisters to be women of like-mind. “We share a kinship of spirit and the same ideals,” she said. Her desire is to continue to learn to live her life in the spirit of St. Francis and respond to the needs of the times. She has worked as a hospital medical technologist for 38 years. She is involved in her parish including as a Eucharistic minister, lector, and as a member of the parish festival committee. After hearing a presentation about their sister parish, La Sagrada Familia in the Dominican Republic, she decided to visit there as part of a Lenten experience. She has travelled there a second time and is planning on other trips. As part of her associate agreement Sandra will continue to support La Sagrada Familia in any way she can.
at the Acts 29 area community meeting in Milwaukee. Shirley has had many opportunities to work with School Sisters of St. Francis as a teacher at St. Mark School in Kenosha, Wisconsin. She later served as an administrator there. “In times of difficulty, we could always call upon the retired sisters at the convent to include the needs of our school in their prayer. They became our powerhouse of prayer,” she said. In retirement, Shirley has continued to meet sisters and associates and participate in events in Racine and at St. Joseph Convent in Milwaukee. “The sisters have made a big impact on my life as they serve others,” she said. Shirley hopes to support sisters in their ministries and will assist whenever possible at St. Joseph Catholic Academy in Kenosha.
Teresa Gorman became an associate on October 2, at the Our Lady of Peace area community meeting. Teresa has known the School Sisters of St. Francis for a long time and wanted to be part of a community with deep faith sharing and ministry to others. “The time of preparation to become an associate was a time of self discovery and reflection,” she said. Teresa is completing a college degree in education. In her associate agreement, Teresa states that she will use her talent as a teacher to model the love of Christ to her students. She is active in her parish by reading and singing at liturgies and by mentoring the youth group.
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