On March 11, Sr. Carol Lehmkuhl was one of 10 stand-out individuals to be honored with the 2018 Unsung Hero Award by the city of East St. Louis, IL. Sister Carol was recognized for her work at East Side Heart and Home Family Center, an organization that she founded and directs, which offers community support services to the neighborhood of Olivette Park. When Mayor Emeka Jackson-Hicks and City Hall announced that they were accepting nominations for the award, two staff members from the Family Center decided to nominate Sr. Carol.
In the fall of 1993, when Vincent Gray Alternative High School closed its doors in the Olivette Park neighborhood, Sr. Carol collaborated with area residents to determine the community’s needs and to create the Family Center. Under her leadership, the Family Center has remained actively engaged with and committed to the city and people of East St. Louis. For 25 years, the organization has funded the private education of dozens of children, empowered countless women and families to create positive changes in their lives, provided regular fellowship amongst senior citizens, and built 21 new, affordable homes in what is now called the Resurrection Park Neighborhood. The work done by Sr. Carol and the Family Center surely improves the quality of life of so many in East St. Louis, IL.
Staff from the Family Center and Resurrection Park residents attended the ceremony to cheer Sr. Carol on in receiving her award. We congratulate you, Sr. Carol! You are truly a Woman Making a Difference!
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Sr. Margaret Theresa Oettinger, Director of Spiritual Care at New York’s Hospital for Special Surgery, was honored with the Wholeness of Life Award on November 16, 2017 by the Health Care Chaplaincy Network in New York City. Wholeness of Life Honorees understand that no matter their specific faith tradition, or lack of it, and despite what religious affiliation a patient may or may not have, there is a spiritual element to medical care that is critical to the healing process. With over 50 years of experience in hospitals, schools, and parishes, Sr. Margaret is certified in Clinical Pastoral Education and Pastoral Care. Congratulations on this well-deserved recognition, Sr. Margaret Theresa!
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Sr. Mary Elizabeth Mooney, Principal of St. John Chrysostom School in the Bronx, NY, was honored for her 43 years of service to the parish by the NY Archdiocesan Committee of Our Lady of Divine Providence on November 9, 2017. The plaque she received reads “The love and dedication with which you served the people of God is second to none.”
St. John Chrysostom School has been dedicated to educating the children of the South Bronx for 104 years and the Dominican Sisters of Sparkill have staffed the school from its beginning. Congratulations, Sr. Mary Elizabeth!
