I chose to weave together some suggested threads for this reflection, hoping to offer insight into my life, vocation, and ministries over my 70 years as a School Sister of St. Francis.
A recent conference titled “The End of the World: Crisis Responsibilities and Hope,” brought together theologians, historians, biologists, and others to reflect on how we all must come together to save the world. They proposed that one of the most serious dangers today is how often the world forgets about the common good. The common good cannot be decided by just a few people who ignore the needs of the poor and the well-being of our planet. Pope Francis wrote in his letter from the hospital, “Everyone and everything in the world is related and interconnected and can provide us with signs of hope.”
Family, Religious Motivation, and Education
I was born on Sunday, March 7, 1937, in the lovely city of Chicago to Margaret and Theodore Cunningham. I was their first and only child. They promised to love me until their deaths, and both were true to their word.
My parents were not married in the Catholic Church, which meant that my mother was denied the sacraments for many years. She was raised Catholic, and she immediately began to develop a strong Catholic spirit in me, even to the point of baptizing me, teaching me to pray, taking me to church, and observing all things Catholic. With the assistance of a Franciscan priest, she was able to return to the church and received all the proper sacraments.
This Franciscan priest was the one who introduced me to the School Sisters of St. Francis. He ministered on Chicago's South Side and knew our sisters from Holy Angels and their summer ministry in park programs. Eventually, he supported my mother and me in separating from my father, who sadly had become an alcoholic following his service in the army.
My high school years were deeply influenced by the growing movement of Catholic Action in our Church and a new understanding of spirituality. Encouraged by the Sinsinawa Dominican Sisters who taught me, I became involved in many student-led initiatives.
My mother’s ongoing encouragement deepened my understanding of the role of justice in our society. My mother will always be the initial source of my great interest in spirituality, openness to people of diverse cultures, and willingness to share what I had with others. She supported our family throughout my pre-convent days and was also the motivation for my lifelong advocacy for women affected by domestic violence. These interests and commitments guided me in my choice to join the School Sisters of St. Francis.
Throughout my years of service, I learned how to minister in our international congregation as Provincial in Chicago, and served in our Generalate as both vice president and president. I also spent many meaningful years in the World Mission Office for the Archdiocese of Milwaukee.
At 80 years old, I retired after three and a half years of service with Catholic Charities. To this day, I serve on boards dedicated to women’s needs and remain active with our congregation’s Justice and Peace Committee.