Sister Charlita Foxhoven

Our Sister Charlita Foxhoven was born into a family of faith on a farm near Earling, Iowa on September 26,1931, and baptized Bernice Marie the very next day. She shared life with her loving parents, Henry and Frances, and with five sisters and two brothers. Charlita said that she “learned quickly that the farm was a family project with all hands needed.” 

About her life on the farm, Charlita wrote, “From my parents I learned to love nature, the earth, the mystery of life in a seed; I learned to care for the earth…and…to make use of the earth’s resources. We also learned that all depended on God, for without rain and sun, there would be no crop. I also learned a sense of belonging and a sense of security.”

Charlita met the School Sisters of St. Francis when they taught her for 12 years. When she completed high school, she studied for a certificate in secretarial and bookkeeping services. While some people thought Charlita might be interested in joining the convent, she chose to work in Omaha and enjoy playing basketball and dating.  When she shared with one young man that she thought God was definitely calling her to religious life, he agreed to wait for her if it was not her vocation.  In the end, religious life was her call, and she has lived with us in community for 69 years.

In late 1958, during her second year of novitiate, Charlita was asked to immediately begin work in the Business office of the congregation as a bookkeeper. One of the sisters working in the Business office was involved in a car accident and needed to be hospitalized for months. Charlita took her place.

In 1969, Charlita was asked to become the Treasurer of the congregation and to become a full participant in major changes of financial and structural models in our congregation. She undertook the establishment of the Sisters Retirement Fund, the Health Care Fund, and Centralized Banking, and also the merger of hospitals and renovations at our Motherhouse.

Along with treasurers of other religious orders in the United States, she advocated that Congress pass a law that would allow religious with the vow of poverty to enter the Social Security Program. Once the law was passed in 1972, Charlita and our financial staff undertook the massive work of enrolling the sisters in the United Staes in the program. In the past 40-plus years, sisters’ participation in the Social Security program has enabled the province to meet the health care needs of hundreds of sisters.

In succeeding years, Charlita served on the General Leadership Council of the congregation and worked with financial structures in each of our provinces in the United States, Latin America, India, and Europe. She also served on national boards and the boards of our sponsored institutions in the United States. She often said that her work and visits with our sisters in all countries were rich intercultural experiences that gave her new energy and hope for our future.

Sister Charlita retired as Treasurer in July 2003, but stayed on to assist the new Treasurer. It is significant to acknowledge that Sister Charlita spent her religious life serving in international finance; no other member has this singular distinction. That is a remarkable and unique legacy. Dedicating her life to international finance within our congregation is a rare and specialized form of ministry. It highlights both her distinct professional talents and her deep commitment to managing the global stewardship of our community.

About her “autumn years,” Charlita wrote in 2007: “It is now a process of letting go and still staying involved.  There is more time for prayer and reflection. There is the opportunity to get back to nature and my roots in cultivating the earth and spending time in my vegetable and flower garden; time to can and freeze vegetables, to bake bread and to cook; time to sit and watch the sun set.”

She continued, “The basic stance of my life now is gratitude. I have learned much over the years from all the people who have touched my life. I, as a person, have been created through all these people and my gifts have been developed through my work in community. Our work is holy and we have been co-creators with God in God’s divine plan for each of us.”

Our sister Charlita expressed her appreciation for “the many blessings and graces” God had given her in her life—her family, her community, and her friends who walked with her on her journey.  Quoting Dag Hammarskjold, our sister Charlita’s last words to us and ours to her are: “For all that has been, thanks. For all that will be: Yes.”

Charlita, you have been a blessing to us. We bid you farewell, until we meet again.