BVM sister celebrating diamond jubilee

Sister Charlotte Ann Esch, who taught in Montana, California, Nebraska and Hawaii, will celebrate 75 years of religious life next month.

Sister Charlotte Ann is one of seven diamond jubilarians in the Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The liturgy of thanksgiving will be said Sept. 12 at the religious order’s Mount Carmel Motherhouse Chapel in Dubuque, Iowa.

In the Diocese of Helena, Sister Charlotte Ann taught at St. Anthony School in Missoula from 1938-43 and at St. Joseph School in Butte from 1945-46.

She entered the BVM congregation on Sept. 8, 1935. She professed first vows on March 19, 1938, and final vows on Aug. 15, 1943. Sister Charlotte Ann was born in Winfield, Kan. To send a congratulatory message or to donate to the BVM congregation, visit the sisters’ website at www.bvmcong.org/whatsnew_jubs.cfm.

Sisters who served in Anaconda celebrate anniversaries

Two Sinsinawa Dominican sisters with Anaconda ties celebrated jubilees this summer in Wisconsin.

A Mass recognizing the 75th anniversary of Sister Victoire Beausoleil and five other Sinsinawa Dominicans who reached that milestone was on June 6 at Queen of the Rosary Chapel in Sinsinawa, Wis.

Sister Victoire’s home parish is St. Peter in Anaconda, and she taught at St. Peter School in 1968-69 and 1971-73. She was a dietary aide at Anaconda’s community hospital in 1973-74 and a psychiatric aide at Montana State Hospital in Warm Springs in 1974-75.

Sister Victoire’s ministries have included work in Illinois, California, Nebraska, South Dakota, Washington, Minnesota and Wisconsin. She lives at St. Dominic Villa in Sinsinawa.

Sister Joeann Daley, who taught at Anaconda Central High School and was active in the Montana arts scene, celebrated her 50-year jubilee last month.

Sister Joeann taught at Anaconda Central from 1969-1973, directed Anaconda’s Copper Village Museum and Art Center from 1971-1975 and was director of community arts for the Montana Arts Council from 1973-1979. Since 2000, she has been the artist in residence at Dominican High School in Whitefish Bay, Wis. Her work in schools included teaching in 1968-69 at St. Clara Academy in Sinsinawa.

Sister Joeann served the Sinsinawa Dominican Congregation as provincial councilor for the Western Province from 1988-92, and as cultural heritage director from 1988-97.

A Mass in recognition of Sister Joeann and 17 other golden jubilarians was on July 11 at Queen of the Rosary Chapel.

People who wish to honor Sister Victoire or Sister Joeann may do so via the Sinsinawa Dominicans' website at www.sinsinawa.org/jubilarians.htm.


Published in The Montana Catholic Online, Volume 26, No. 8, August 20, 2010.