Three religious sisters serving in the Diocese of Helena celebrated 140 years of service to the Church and the diocese on Aug. 22.

Bishop George Leo Thomas joined them at St. Mary Catholic Community in Helena for midday prayer, lunch and reflections from Sisters Patricia Canty, SCL; Clarann Weinert, SC; and Joy Duff, SCL.

Sister Canty related a conversation she had with her mother many years ago about teachers, and how they would tell her who made religious sisters. After graduating from high school, she and a friend decided to become sisters.

“I pray that I can continue for a while,” said the Sister of Charity of Leavenworth, Kan.

Sister Weinert, a full professor at Montana State University in Bozeman, has been a Sister of Charity of Cincinnati for 50 years. She said that she had a consistent call to religious life, and always wanted to be a nurse.

She sensed changes in the Church, and “the spirit started blowing around,” she added.

Eventually, she became a triple-care nurse, and returned to school to learn more about her profession. She earned a master’s degree in nursing at Oregon State University and a doctorate at the University of Washington in Seattle.

She has been at MSU since 1982. Her work has included placing computers in the homes of some rural Montanans who have chronic illnesses, are far from medical care and participate in online support groups that are part of a research project.

“I am blessed to be a Sister of Charity of Cincinnati,” she said.

Sister Joy Duff, a California native, has been an SCL for 40 years. She was a nurse before entering religious life. She said that in training, she became aware of “caring for Christ as we care for patients.”

Sister Duff said that she worked at St. John’s Hospital in Santa Monica, Calif., for about eight years after entering religious life. She also took classes.

She retired two years ago after serving as a chaplain at St. James Healthcare in Butte.


Published in The Montana Catholic Online, Volume 25, No. 9, Sept. 18, 2009.