Sister Delouise grew up in a close and loving family with her parents, and three siblings, two sisters and one brother in Cincinnati, Ohio. The family was very involved in their Church and the importance of education and doing their best was instilled in their everyday lives. Sister Delouise continues with these values.
While growing up, Sister Delouise remembers happy summers playing in the woods behind her house, going berry-picking and enjoying the freedom of being outdoors. She also treasured the trips they took to West Virginia, her mother’s childhood home, and driving through the mountains to see relatives. The theme of nature continues today for Sister Delouise. She finds nature as a way of lifting herself up to God. She still enjoys walking in the woods and being out in the natural world. And at this time of year, she enjoys the abundance of little wildflowers blooming everywhere, the variety of bird songs filling the air, and the radiant sunlight. These all make her feel like an “Easter” person, connected with all that is beautiful and good.
Sister Delouise taught as a full-time classroom instructor for 47 years. She spent 13 years at Our Lady of Victory School and 34 years at St. Veronica School, both in Cincinnati. She currently serves as Campus Minister at St. Veronica School. This role allows her to be of service in a variety of ways to students and staff, including team-teaching with some faculty members. As she reflects on her past teaching experiences, she has many great memories of the students’ efforts and successes. She especially remembers serving as Mission Moderator for both schools and encouraging students to assist mission territories with all kids of creative activities. With her many years of teaching, she feels blessed to now be teaching the children of her former students. She says it’s a delight to see the trust that her former students (now parents) continue to put in the school and teachers which they themselves had years ago!
Sister Delouise was taught by our Sisters at St. Catherine (Westwood), Cincinnati, just as her father was. He loved his teachers, and as a family, they would visit some of the Sisters that her Dad felt especially close to. Over that time, she could see how happy the Sisters were, and she felt drawn to their life, which seemed so simple and serene. Even as a second-grader in Sister Brendan’s (now Sster Ruth Ann) class, she admired her and wanted to be like her. As she approached high school, the Community’s Aspirancy program was a perfect opportunity for her to pursue the idea of religious life further.
During 2018-2024, Sister Delouise was a member of the Leadership Team for the Sisters of St. Francis. It was a blessed time for her. She found it to be a special grace to be available for meeting the needs of the Sisters in both challenging and good times.
We are grateful for Sister Delouise and her dedication to her students and Sisters. We wish her a happy Teacher Appreciation Week.