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Follow Sylvania Franciscans as they blog about living their mission of joyful service to all people. Each week you can read a new entry from the personal journal of a Sister and how she applies Franciscan values to her ministry and the impact they have on the community where she lives. If you like what you read, comment back. We’re always looking for a good conversation.

Category: Sister Nancy Surma

Sister Nancy Surma

Spreading Franciscan Values One Employee At a Time

By. Sister Nancy Surma

On May 11, Sr. Gretchen Kunz , OSF, retired from St. Joseph Health System where she had served for over three decades.  Sr. Gretchen was President/CEO for 24 years and then became a senior development officer.  She was recognized by the hospital and the broader community for her dedication and vision which improved the health of persons in the Brazos Valley in the eastern part of Texas.  You can read more about her story at http://www.st-joseph.org/blog.cfm?id=612.

Sr. Gretchen is the Sister of St. Francis who most recently served as a CEO of a hospital.  The Sisters first became involved in health care in 1917.  Over the years, they managed or owned many hospitals in a variety of states.  At first, the CEO and Director of Nurses were all Sisters.   Gradually, lay persons took over leadership positions.   In 1984 the Sisters established what is now Sylvania Franciscan Health to be the formal expression of their sponsored ministry in health and human services.

So how do the Sisters of St. Francis ensure their values and mission are lived out today in Sylvania Franciscan Health?  There are a variety of ways that happens.  Here are just a few that focus on people.

•Hiring leaders who will support Catholic identity and be committed to what the Sisters stand for
•Fostering formation of these leaders in a deeper understanding of what ministry means
•Placing a Sister of St. Francis as a mission integration leader in each of our ministries to make visible our commitment
•Employing Sisters of St. Francis in other jobs so that the Sisters’ presence is still visible
•Appointing board members who also are committed to Catholic identity and our values
•Requiring that at each of the external board in the system have at least one Sister of St. Francis as a board member
•Bringing new board members and executive leaders to Sylvania each year for a two-day orientation program which focuses on the heritage of Catholic health care and the Sisters as well as understanding what Sylvania Franciscan Health is
•Orienting all new employees to our mission and values

Knowing that our lay partners in ministry are fully committed to what we Sisters hold dear is assurance that our desire to extend the healing ministry of Jesus will continue into the future.
Posted on Wednesday, May 30, 2012 By Administrator
In: [Miscellaneous], [Sister Nancy Surma] | No Comments »
Pages: Prev123456NextReturn Top
 

  1. Re: Never Too Late to Stand Up to Violence Against Women

    Patrick, your words are particularly poignant in this week following the rescue in Cleveland of thre

    --Sr. Sharon Derivan

  2. Re: Never Too Late to Stand Up to Violence Against Women

    The power of personal stories is amazing! But they're not easy experiences, Pat! Thanks for sharing

    --Sister Sharon Havelak

  3. Re: Living a Flawed Life

    Thanks, Nancy! I need to spend less effort on the Gospel "Be perfect" command and reflect more on Go

    --Sharon

  4. Re: Living a Flawed Life

    Well said, Sharon! Thank you for your reflection - Lent may go a little easier for me now!

    --Sr. Nancy F.

  5. Re: My Healthy Faith

    Thanks, Sharon. We never know if what we do helps anyone. I have decided to tell people how they h

    --Karen

Meet the Sylvania Franciscan bloggers. We invite you to join us helping the Christian community commit themselves to works that reverence human dignity, embrace the poor and marginalized, and respect the gift of all creation.


Sister Nancy Ferguson
Healthcare

Sister Nancy has been involved with various ministries from elementary teacher, vocation ministry, parish ministry and as a houseparent in a children’s home.  She was recently invited to be part of the Sylvania Franciscan sponsored healthcare ministry and is presently, the Director of Mission Integration at Trinity Health System in Steubenville, Ohio.

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Sister Pam Nosbusch
Hospital Chaplain

Sister Pam is native of Hopkinsville, Kentucky.  She is a Board Certified Chaplain with the National Association of Catholic Chaplains and currently ministers as a Chaplain at St. Thomas Hospital in Nashville, Tennessee. Previous ministries include Theater Arts and Music Education and as a Pastoral Associate in Catholic parishes.

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Patrick Mills
Associate
Spiritual Enrichment

Pat is a husband and father living in Sylvania, Ohio. He has worked many years for Owens Corning in Toledo and elsewhere. He leads programs there for recruiting and developing talent early in their career, primarily for engineering and operations. As Pat and his family moved around the country, he has been blessed to fellowship in Cursillo, Christ Renews His Parish, bible studies and liturgical music ministry. He presently serves on the Sisters of St. Francis of Sylvania Associate Advisory Board, Chairs the Associate Spiritual Enrichment Committee and is a member of the Expansion Committee for Feed Lucas County Children. Pat is a pilgrim on the journey.

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Sister Lois Anne Palkert
Health and Human Services

Sister Lois Anne has had the opportunity to serve in a variety of ministries, initially as a teacher in Detroit and Toledo.  She transferred her teaching skills into formation ministry in Sylvania, then to Lourdes College where she was Director of the Lifelong Learning.  She then moved into parish ministry and served as a Director of Faith Formation and as a Pastoral Associate in two rural parishes in Minnesota.    From education she transferred to healthcare ministry and currently serves as the Director of Mission Services at St Joseph Regional Health Center in Bryan, Texas.

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Sister Julie Myers
Religious Vocations

Sister Julie’s initial path of living and learning about life and God began in a family of seven brothers and two sisters; her parents just celebrated their 55th wedding anniversary.  Currently, Sister Julie serves as the Vocation Minister for the Sylvania Franciscans, and as a Physical Therapist Assistant for Mercy St. Vincent Medical Center.  Professed for 24 years as a Sister of St. Francis, she lives in community with three other Sisters, and for her they serve as beautiful mentors of the importance for balance in community living, prayer, and ministry.

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Sister Nancy Surma
Health and Human Services

Sister Nancy is a native of Detroit and was taught in grade school by the Sylvania Franciscans. Her early years were spent teaching and administering at the junior high and high school level. Life took a turn, as it so often does, and she served as administrator in four different Catholic colleges and universities, earning a doctorate in higher education administration along the way. She currently works for Sylvania Franciscan Health, the Sisters’ sponsored health and human service ministry, in the world of mission integration. Sr. Nancy lives with three other Sisters in a house that is filled with laughter and love.

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Sister Karen Zielinski
Health and Spirituality 

Sister Karen J. Zielinski, OSF was director of communications for the Sisters of St. Francis of Sylvania, OH from 1991 to 2008.  She is now director of Canticle Studio, a creative office of products which focus on spirituality and health.  She lectures on chronic disease and coping strategies and has lived with multiple sclerosis (MS) since 1975.  She lectures on the spirituality of disability, women's prayer, and topics of wholeness. Most recently, Sister Karen authored Hope and Help for Living With Illness a book on dealing with sickness and disability. The book is available on Amazon.

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Sister Ann Carmen Barone
Education

As Vice President for Mission and Ministry, Sister Ann Carmen Barone is responsible for developing consciousness of the Franciscan mission and for ensuring its implementation and integration into the community of Lourdes. Sister Ann Carmen also supports the other Vice Presidents and the President in their mission-related activities.

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Sister Nancy Linenkugel
Health and Human Services

Sister Nancy Linenkugel has served in healthcare administration, education and leadership for the Sylvania Franciscans.  She is an accomplished cello player and a member of the Washington D.C.-based Medical Music Group, made up of doctors, nurses and medical professionals from around the country.  Sister Nancy is currently the chair of the department of health service administration and director of the graduate program in health services administration at Xavier University in Cincinnati.  She has served on the Sylvania Franciscan Leadership Team, was president of Chatfield College in Cincinnati, president and CEO of the Providence Health System and Providence Hospital in Sandusky, Ohio, and vice president of St. John Medical Center in Steubenville, Ohio.  

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Sister Sharon Havelak
Justice and Peace

Sister Sharon is an artist, educator and long-time peace activist, who currently oversees All Good Things, a store/gallery/gift shop featuring art by the Sisters, handmade soaps and lotions, and Fair Trade products.* She also serves as the coordinator of the Sylvania Franciscan’s Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation efforts, and teaches art history at Lourdes University. She keeps her creative juices flowing by painting on silk scarves.
* All Good Things gallery is located in our Sylvania Franciscan Village and many of the items are sold on our website.

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