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Young, Old
Hands Join to Create Unique Artwork
Stanley Park in Westfield
was alive with more than its famous roses on a recent
sunny day. The park was the setting of a unique
intergenerational art project involving children from the
Mont Marie Child Care Center, residents of the Mont Marie
Health Care Center and retired Sisters of St. Joseph of
Springfield.
The outing began
with a tour of the park’s extensive rose garden, which was
followed by the
creation of paintings inspired by nature in the park as
well as the lyrics of the song “What a Wonderful World.”
The seniors and the pre-schoolers paired up for the
painting project, led by retired art teacher Emma
Hayward.
The artwork will
help decorate the walls of the Mont Marie Senior
Residence, a HUD-funded senior housing facility slated to
open in September on the Mont Marie campus in Holyoke.
The event was
funded by donations from the Stop & Shop Supermarket
Company, King Ward Trailways and Chartpak.
Clementwood
Closes After Five Years of Spiritual Programs
The Clementwood Spiritual
Life Center in Rutland, Vermont closed June 30,
2008. During its five years of operation, the
non-profit organization, sponsored and staffed by the
Sisters of St. Joseph of Springfield, offered a variety of
monthly programs and special events to encourage spiritual
growth.
Co-directors Sr.
Pat Kane and Sr. Miriam Francis Predom founded the
interfaith center as a place for prayerful reflection,
healing, guidance and inspiration.
Sister
Marlene Mucha Honored by Amherst College
Sister of St. Joseph
Marlene Mucha, a teacher at Holyoke Catholic High School
in Granby, Mass., was honored with the Phebe and Zephaniah
Swift Moore Teaching Award at Amherst College May 25. Sr.
Marlene was one of three
recipients of the award which recognizes teachers and
counselors who have been important in the careers of
Amherst College students. The prizes are chosen by a
committee made up of seniors, faculty and staff from
nominations submitted by members of the Class of 2008.
In the words of
nominator Pawel Z. Binczyk, Sister Marlene may seem “stern
and unyielding at first, [but] it doesn’t take long for a
student to realize the façade, the ‘Marlene Show,’ as it
is called, exists only to push each and every student to
his or her potential.” One of her courses, in fact,
spawned in Binczyk his interest in English and creative
writing. “Sister Mucha is a rare and courageous teacher
whose gifts in the classroom are matched only by the care
and genuine love she extends to each one of her students,”
he wrote.
Ribbon
Cutting Marks New Entrance Opening
The Mont Marie Health
Care Center officially opened its new entrance May 13 with
a ribbon cutting ceremony attended by Most Rev. Timothy
McDonnell, State and local officials. The Center had
previously shared an entrance with the Sisters of St.
Joseph Motherhouse and offices.
The new entryway
provides direct access to the nursing facility.
Health Care Center Administrator, Sister Betsy Sullivan,
says the project is, in part, a response to feedback from
family members. "The new entrance will mean easier
access for the public, especially elders, " she said.
"It will also provide additional security for residents
and staff."
 The
eight-month long construction project included the
installation of a new elevator, a 36-space parking lot and
an updated phone system. The $900,000 project was
funded by donations, grants and loans.
Elms Student
Receives Sisters of St. Joseph Service Award
Elms College student Catherine
Avery has been named the recipient of this year’s Sisters
of St. Joseph Service Award. Avery, a senior Religious
Studies major, was selected because of her commitment to
the mission of the Sisters of St. Joseph. The 22-year old
from Turners Falls has been
 very
active with PeaceJam, serving as a mentor and volunteer
recruiter. She also serves on the Social Justice Series
Committee and tutors elementary school children in
Chicopee, in addition to several other activities.
Avery says she
is honored and thankful to have received the SSJ Service
Award, “The mission of the Sisters of St. Joseph and their
work is inspiring, and a great example to everyone,
especially women.”
The SSJ Service
Award was established in 2004 as a way of recognizing Elms
College students who exhibit “a spirit that echoes the
love of humanity and dedication to service.” Elms
College is a coeducational, Catholic, liberal arts college
in Chicopee, founded by the Sisters of St. Joseph in 1928.
Elms Students
Volunteer at Mont Marie
Several dozen students
from Elms College in Chicopee spent April 9th helping out
around Mont Marie as part of their annual Service Day. 
One group volunteered to visit residents and help with
activities in the Mont Marie Health Care Center. Another
group worked on landscaping around the grounds and laid
stone chips in the labyrinth. Other students helped out
in the Mont Marie Child Care Center and the Weston
Rehabilitation Center for Women. Many of the students
were members of the College’s sports teams and said they
“wanted to do something as a team to represent the Elms
and give back to the community.” Other groups of students
volunteered at other locations in the Springfield area.
Annual Sister
Patricia Kane Writing Award in Journalism
 The
College of St. Rose in Albany, New York has awarded its
first Annual Sister Patricia Kane Writing Award in
Journalism to student Dan Grskovic. The honor is awarded
to a Communications major or minor for an original piece
of print journalism or magazine writing produced for a
class in the Communications Department.
The
Communications Department was certified in 1981 under the
leadership of Sister of St. Joseph of Springfield Patricia
Kane who started teaching at the college in the 1970s.
Today, the program is one of the largest at the College,
with approximately 160 undergraduates and approximately 30
students in a Master of Arts Program in Public
Communications.
Citizen of
Year Award to Sister Maxyne Schneider
Sister Maxyne Schneider
says she was shocked to learn that she had been named
Citizen of the Year by the Greater Gardner Chamber of
Commerce March 21. Sr. Maxyne is executive
director of the
House of Peace and Education (HOPE) which
she and three other Sisters of St. Joseph of Springfield
founded in Gardner 12 years ago. HOPE programs focus on
women, children and families at risk, helping
them to counteract violence through education, mentoring,
leadership training and spiritual values.
The Chamber of
Commerce gives this award to a person who gives freely of
their time and energy and makes a significant contribution
to the welfare of the community.
Sisters of
St. Joseph Awarded $4.3 Million in HUD Funding
The Congregation of the Sisters
of St. Joseph of Springfield
has been awarded a $4.3
million Section 202 Capital Advance from the U.S.
Department of Housing and Urban Development for the
proposed St. Joseph’s Residence at Mont Marie in
Holyoke. The grant will
also provide a three-year rental subsidy of $438,000.
This is the second
time in three years that the Congregation has been awarded
HUD funding for a senior housing project.
The two-story
facility will include 30 one-bedroom low income apartments
for people over 62 years of
age with varying needs for
supportive services. The Sisters of St. Joseph,
co-sponsoring the project with Mercy Housing, designed the
facility to provide housing that prolongs independent
living as an alternative to long term care placement.
Sister Mary Quinn, President of the Sisters of St. Joseph
of Springfield, says the Congregation is
thrilled to receive another HUD grant. “St. Joseph’s
Residence will respond to our neighbors who are in need of
affordable housing as well as supportive services. This
project speaks to the heart of who we are as Sisters of
St. Joseph serving our “dear neighbors.”
All
apartments will be of senior-friendly design and a
percentage will also be handicapped accessible. The
building will include a community room with kitchen, a
computer/sitting room and a large courtyard for
recreation. The facility will sit on the east side of the
Mont Marie campus at 34 Lower Westfield Road, overlooking
the Connecticut River valley.
The
entire cost of the project will be determined following
additional engineering and design work. The Congregation
expects to seek additional funding from the Department of
Housing and Community Development and Mass Housing. The
target date for ground breaking is winter 2009.
St.
Joseph’s Residence
is Phase II of a multi-phase affordable housing campus.
The first phase, Mont Marie Senior Residence is
already under construction and is slated to open July
2008. That project, primarily funded by a $6.2 million
HUD grant, involves the renovation of an existing building
and includes 49 low income apartments for the elderly.
Both residences will be open to the public.
Additional information about applications for either
residence is available from Jill Keough, Director of
Operations, at 413-536-0853 ext. 280.
For more information contact:
Wendy Hammerle, Director of
Public Relations
Tel: (413) 536-0853 ext. 406
Fax: (413) 536-3517
Email:
whammerle@ssjspringfield.com
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