The Archdiocese of Baltimore is commemorating 128 religious order priests, brothers and sisters celebrating milestone jubilees in 2020, 2021, 2022, a combined 7,550 years service to the Catholic Church.
The archdiocese honored the jubilarians with a Consecrated Life Mass celebrated by Archbishop William E. Lori and a jubilee recognition celebration March 26 at St. Agnes in Catonsville.
Recognition of jubilarians is usually held on an annual basis, but was postponed the last two years because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The two longest-serving jubilarians are Sister of St. Francis of Assisi Margaret Gardner and Daughter of Charity Sister Mary Clare Hughes, each marking 80 years of consecrated service.
“The religious life is (about) becoming a dear, dear friend of Jesus,” said Sister Mary Clare, one of the first directors of the National Shrine of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in Emmitsburg (2001-06).
A native of Baltimore, Sister Mary Clare grew up in St. Elizabeth of Hungary parish and elementary school in East Baltimore. She later attended Seton High School in Baltimore, where she found interest in becoming a Daughter of Charity.
Her fondest memories include visiting the Vatican for the canonization of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, the first American saint.
“I’m going up to (St.) Pope Paul VI and all I can think about is all he has done for the church, he fought so hard against abortion,” she noted. “When I got there, I looked at him and I forgot everything I was going to say.”
It was one of the most “humorous occasions” of her life, she said. He then walked over with Sister Mary Clare to a table displaying the American flag, bent down, patted the stripes and put his hand on the stars.
“He understood what drives the American people,” she noted. “He showed his affection for us that very day in the way he treated us.”
Sister Mary Clare has served as Provincial Councillor for the Southeast Province 1962-74, Visitatrix (Provincial) for the Southeast Province 1974-83, director of the National Shrine of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in Emmitsburg 2001-06 and retired to Villa Saint Michael Nursing Home in Emmitsburg.
Jesuit Father William “Bill” J. Watters, who celebrated his 70th jubilee, founded four Jesuit schools in Baltimore and one in Nigeria.
Those schools include St. Ignatius Loyola Academy in Baltimore (1993), Loyola Jesuit College in Abuja, Nigeria (1996), Cristo Rey Jesuit High School in Fells Point (2007) and The Loyola Early Learning Center in Baltimore (2017), which later change its name to The Loyola School in Baltimore (2021) to reflect its expanded mission.
“I was moved by St. Ignatius and the things the Jesuits were doing,” said Father Watters, remembering own Jesuit education.
The Jesuit priest is a witness to how religious studies and certain programs have a transformative impact on students. He said it makes students more aware of how to live the Gospel and share it with others. Among his biggest passions and challenges has been incorporating African American students into schools and helping them feel “completely accepted.”
Father Watters has served at Loyola Blakefield in Towson and pastor of St. Ignatius in downtown Baltimore. He currently serves as assisting priest at St. Ignatius.
Xaverian Brother William Ciganek celebrated his 50th jubilee Oct. 1, 2021.
Born and raised in East Baltimore, he attended the parish and elementary school of Sacred Heart of Mary in Graceland Park.
It was during his school years at Mount St. Joseph High School in Irvington that he realized he had a call to join the Xaverians.
His years of service include teaching at his alma mater and serving multiple roles including headmaster at Xavier High School in Middletown, Conn.
“What I enjoyed the most of those times was the large numbers of brothers in those schools and the community that we shared was great,” Brother William said. “We taught, prayed together, shared meals and had a lot of fun together.”
The biggest challenge in his religious life was when his parents got sick and he had to leave them to go to school.
“It was through their suffering that they supported my vocation,” he said.
Brother William also served the pastorate of Sacred Heart of Mary, Our Lady of Fatima and St. Rita in East Baltimore, and was involved in a food distribution ministry during the pandemic. He also assisted Bishop Denis J. Madden’s staff in the urban vicar’s office, working primarily with parishes in East Baltimore.
“I will do it all over again if I had another 50 years,” Brother William said.
Email Priscila González de Doran at pdoran@CatholicReview.org
The honorees are:
80 Years
Sister Margaret Gardner, OSF (Wisconsin)
Sister Mary Clare Hughes, DC
75 Years
Sister Eileen Davis, DC
Sister Mary John Lindner, DC
Sister Natalie McCubbin, DC
Sister Alice Okie, MHSH
Sister Beth Anne Herrmann, OSF
Sister Catherine Morrissey, OSF
Sister Virginie Fish, OSP
Sister Mary Lorraine George, OSP
Sister M. Brenda Motte, OSP
Sister Mary Veronica de los Santos, OSP
Sister Mary Virginia Brien, SSND
Sister Noreen Smith, OSP
Father James N. Gelson, SJ
Father William C. McFadden, SJ
Father James A. O’Brien, SJ
Father John W. O’Malley, SJ
Father George B. Wilson, SJ
70 Years
Sister Joan Angermaier, DC
Sister Rosalie Brocato, DC
Sister Maria Gnerro, DC
Sister Elizabeth Ann Lingg, DC
Sister Mary Pavonarius, DC
Sister Felicia Mazzola, DC
Sister Alice Marie Smith, DC
Sister Madeline Gallagher, MHSH
Sister Jane Geiger, MHSH
Sister Dolores Glick, MHSH
Sister Marian McNally, MHSH
Sister Carrie Schindler, MHSH
Sister Mary Lou Herrmann, OSF
Sister Angela Perrizo, OSF
Sister Cecilia Reilly, OSF
Sister Barbara English, SNDdeN
Sister Kathleen Haughey, SNDdeN
Sister Mary Frances Angermaier, SSND
Sister Elizabeth ORR SSND
Father John R. Donohue, SJ
Father Thomas P. McDonnell, SJ
Father Ladilas Orsy, SJ
Father James F. Salmon, SJ
Father William J. Watters, SJ
65 Years
Sister Nancy Barshick, MHSH
Sister Natalie DeLuca, MHSH
Sister Kathleen Lehner, MHSH
Sister Irena Olkowska, SSMI
Father David Colella, OSST
Father Robert E. Hamm, SJ
Father Thomas S. Kretz, SJ
Father Liborio J. LaMartina, SJ
Father John J. Madden, SJ
Father Thomas E. Roach, SJ
Father T. Howland Sanks, SJ
Father Robert Yankevitch, SJ
60 Years
Sister Patricia Beyrau, DC
Sister Mary Kevin Callahan, DC
Sister Patricia Endres, DC
Sister Janes Graves, DC
Sister Rose Marie Henschke, DC
Sister Judith Parkin, DC
Sister Sharon Richardt, DC
Sister Maria Luz Ortiz, MHSH
Sister Martha Pavelsky, MHSH
Sister Patricia Nightingale, OSF
Sister Annette Beecham, OSP
Sister Maria Soledad Gutiérrez, OSP
Sister Ricardo Maddox, OSP
Sister Crescentia Proctor, OSP
Sister Josella de los Rios, OSP
Sister M. Claudina Sanz, OSP
Sister M. Gabriel Walker, OSP
Sister Kathleen O’Brien, SNDdeN
Sister Marjorie Gallagher, SNDdeN
Sister Rose Gustatus, SSND
Sister Karolina Michalska, SSMI
Father Hilary Brzostowski, OFM, Conv.
Father Joachim Giermek, OFM, Conv.
BrotherEd Handy, OFM, Conv.
Father Fred Cwiekowski, PSS
BrotherPaul F. Cawthorne, SJ
Father Lloyd D. George, SJ
Father Joseph J. Hayden, SJ
Father George S. Williams, SJ
Sister Marie Antoinette du St. Espirit
50 Years
Sister Maria Jose Rodrigues da Silva, CMS
Sister Cynthia Fox, DC
Sister Gloria Gilman, DC
Sister Margaret Mary Scally, DC
Sister Margaret Ann Wooden, DC
Sister Denise Lyon, IHM
Sister M. James Brian (JB) Schammel, SSND
Sister Maryroberta Revering, LSJ
Sister Miriam Elizabeth Cusack, OSFS
Sister M. Julia Apolonio, OSP
Sister Carol Carne, SSMI
Father Vincent Gluc, OFM, Conv.
Father Donald Grzymski, OFM, Conv.
Father James McCurry, OFM, Conv.
BrotherDouglas McMillian, OFM, Conv.
BrotherBrian Newbigging, OFM, Conv.
Father Robert Twele, OFM, Conv.
Father Michael Ciccone, OP
Father Reginald Whitt, OP
Father Gerard Lynch, OSST
Father Francis P. Gillespie, SJ
Father Thomas M. McCoog, SJ
Father Joseph S. Rossi, SJ
Sister Patricia Maxa, SSND
40 Years
Sister Loretta Cornell, MHSH
Sister Gwynette Proctor, SNDdeN
Sister Mary Johnson, SNDdeN
Sister Rosalia M, Federici, SSND
Sister Madeline Keller, SSND
Father Michael Heine, OFM, Conv.
Father Thomas Lavin, OFM, Conv.
Father Jose Narlaly, OSST
Father Victor Scocco, OSST
Father William J. Sullivan, OSST
Father Charles J. Borges, SJ
Father Bruce A. Steggert, SJ
25 Years
Sister Tiberh Zerezghi Hagos, CMS
Sister Rosemary Esseff, OP
Sister Luz del Alba Echavarria, OSP
Sister Aracelly Salazar, OSP
Father Grzegorz Wierzowiecki, OFM, Conv.
Father Kelly Michelo, SJ
Sister Mary John de la Croix, LSP
Note: This story was updated at 4:30 p.m. on April 29, 2022 to correct the religious order of Sister of St. Francis of Assisi Margaret Gardner. Sister Margaret began religious life 80 years ago as a member of the Franciscan Sisters of Baltimore, becoming a Sister of St. Francis of Assisi in 2001 when her order merged with the Sisters of St. Francis of Assisi in Wisconsin.
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