• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Catholic Review

Catholic Review

Inspiring the Archdiocese of Baltimore

Menu
  • Home
  • News
        • Local News
        • World News
        • Vatican News
        • Obituaries
        • Featured Video
        • En Español
        • Sports News
        • Official Clergy Assignments
        • Schools News
  • Commentary
        • Contributors
          • Question Corner
          • George Weigel
          • Effie Caldarola
          • John Garvey
          • Father Ed Dougherty, M.M.
          • Guest Commentary
        • CR Columnists
          • Archbishop William E. Lori
          • Rita Buettner
          • Christopher Gunty
          • George Matysek Jr.
          • Father Joseph Breighner
          • Father Collin Poston
          • Robyn Barberry
          • Hanael Bianchi
          • Amen Columns
  • Entertainment
        • Events
        • Movie & Television Reviews
        • Arts & Culture
        • Books
        • Recipes
  • About Us
        • Contact Us
        • Our History
        • Meet Our Staff
        • Photos to own
        • Books/CDs/Prayer Cards
        • CR Media platforms
        • Electronic Edition
  • Advertising
  • Shop
        • Purchase Photos
        • Books/CDs/Prayer Cards
  • CR Radio
  • News Tips
  • Subscribe
Norma Weber Cetnar Hart, 88, holds Leah Ballor, three months, at Leah’s baptism Jan. 20 at St. Joseph in Sykesville, where she was the newest family member to wear a gown made from Norma’s first Communion dress. (Courtesy Beverly Cetnar Hart)

Sykesville family carries on tradition

February 9, 2019
By Emily Rosenthal Alster
Filed Under: #IamCatholic, Feature, Local News, News

At a Jan. 20 baptism at St. Joseph in Sykesville, all family members who have worn a family heirloom baptismal gown gathered for a photo, from left Kristen Ballor Keiser with Laura Keiser, Timothy Ballor holding Cole Ballor, Norma Weber Cetnar Hart, Beverly Cetnar Ballor holding Leah Ballor, Emma Ballor, Mark Ballor and Carol Cetnar Partington. (Courtesy Beverly Cetnar Ballor)

SYKESVILLE – When three-month-old Leah Therese Ballor was baptized at St. Joseph Catholic Community in Sykesville Jan. 20, she continued a family tradition by wearing a gown that has roots with an aunt who was a Daughter of Charity who had served in China in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Sister Catherine Buschman was born as Dorathea Thumel shortly after the Civil War, and grew up on Charles Street in Baltimore. Shortly after she was married to Charles Buschman, he took ill, never recovered and was buried on their first anniversary. The experience in nursing led her to join the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul in Emmitsburg in 1892.

According to family lore, she developed an interest in caring for babies in China. The U.S. Daughters of Charity did not serve there at that time, so just a few years after joining the order, she transferred to the Province of France – where she learned both French and Chinese – which allowed her become a missionary to Shanghai, where she served in a hospital.

According to her biography written by a niece, Sister Catherine was the first American Daughter of Charity to serve on mission in China.

(She had originally taken the religious name Blanche when joining the Daughters of Charity, but as it was a common French name, was told to pick a new one. According to archival records from the Daughters of Charity, her spiritual director in China was the nephew of now-St. Catherine Labouré. At his suggestion, she took that name.)

Sister Catherine never returned to the United States, but kept in touch with her family through letters. One mailing included fabric made in China – fine white material detailed with delicate embroidered flowers.

Beverly Cetnar Ballor holds her granddaughter, Leah Ballor, at the latter’s baptism Jan. 20 at St. Joseph in Sykesville. The gown was made from fabric sent by an aunt who was a Daughter of Charity serving in China around the turn of the century. (Courtesy Beverly Cetnar Ballor)

The fabric made its way to Aloys Weber, Sister Catherine’s nephew. From it, his wife, Irma, crafted a first Communion dress for their daughter, Norma. Now 88, Norma Weber Cetnar Hart remembers wearing the dress May 8, 1938, at St. Catherine in Detroit.

Her mother reworked the dress into a baptism gown for Norma’s children, who also grew up in Michigan.

One of them, Beverly Ballor, moved to Maryland in 1973. Her children, Kristen and Timothy, were baptized in the gown at Church of the Crucifixion in Glen Burnie in the early 1980s.

All of Norma’s descendants have donned the baptismal gown. That includes three children, six grandchildren and now five great-grandchildren with the January baptism of Leah.

“It’s really a thrilling thing,” Norma said.

That most recent baptism was held at her home parish, St. Joseph in Sykesville, where the faithful include her daughter, Beverly; as well as Beverly’s children and grandchildren, four generations in all.

Beverly is the “keeper of the gown,” as well as a copy of Sister Catherine’s biography, “Celestial Honeymoon,” written by Norma’s aunt, Elizabeth Weber.

“It was quite a remarkable life she had,” Beverly said. “She was extremely well-loved in China.”

It has been more than 80 years since Norma first wore the dress, but the fabric and stitching are holding up well.

“There’s definitely a few more babies who can wear this,” Beverly said.

 

Email Emily Rosenthal at erosenthal@CatholicReview.org

Print Print

Primary Sidebar

Emily Rosenthal Alster

Emily Rosenthal Alster, a former staff writer for the Catholic Review, is a contributing writer. She is a lifelong resident of Maryland and a parishioner of St. John in Westminster.

Emily is a graduate of Delone Catholic High School in McSherrystown, Pa. She holds a bachelor's degree in business communication from Stevenson University.

View all posts from this author

For the latest news delivered twice a week via email or text message, sign up to receive our free enewsletter.

| MOST POPULAR |

  • Pathfinders: Five Archdiocese of Baltimore women who made history
  • RADIO INTERVIEW: Dining with the Saints
  • Fire guts historic Catholic school in parish connected to St. John Neumann
  • Sister Elizabeth Ellen Kane, O.S.F., dies at 81
  • Legendary communist-era priest, Father Blachnicki, was murdered, Polish authorities confirm

| Latest Local News |

Catholic Charities’ William J. McCarthy Jr. named Loyola’s Business Leader of the Year

Sister Joan Cooper, O.S.F., dies at 94

Pathfinders: Five Archdiocese of Baltimore women who made history

| Latest World News |

Avoid polarizing debate, promote healthy scientific discussion, pope says

CRS, USAID help Ethiopia ‘at a time of great need’ amid devastating drought

A ‘nation of immigrants’ should identify with migrants’ plight and human dignity, says Boston cardinal

| Catholic Review Radio |

CatholicReview · Catholic Review Radio

Footer

Our Vision

Real Life. Real Faith. 

Catholic Review Media communicates the Gospel and its impact on people’s lives in the Archdiocese of Baltimore and beyond.

Our Mission

Catholic Review Media provides intergenerational communications that inform, teach, inspire and engage Catholics and all of good will in the mission of Christ through diverse forms of media.

Contact

Catholic Review
320 Cathedral Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
443-524-3150
mail@CatholicReview.org

 

Social Media

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Recent

  • Avoid polarizing debate, promote healthy scientific discussion, pope says
  • CRS, USAID help Ethiopia ‘at a time of great need’ amid devastating drought
  • A ‘nation of immigrants’ should identify with migrants’ plight and human dignity, says Boston cardinal
  • An invitation from God
  • Vatican envoy warns UN General Assembly racism mutating and ‘reemerging’ globally
  • ‘We all need to do more’: House hearing demands action over Nicaragua regime’s anti-Catholic persecution
  • Notre Dame Cathedral reopening date announced as reconstruction on its famous spire wraps up in eastern France
  • AI and the meaning of life: Tech industry turns to religious leaders
  • Movie Review: ‘John Wick: Chapter 4, a festival of fatality’

Search

Membership

Catholic Press Association of the United States and Canada

Maryland-Delaware-DC Press Association

The Associated Church Press

© 2023 CATHOLIC REVIEW MEDIA, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED