Appreciating the ministry of women religious

Catholic Sisters Week is March 8-14


The National Catholic Sisters Week (March 8-14) has been celebrated in the U.S. since 2014 to recognize women religious and their ministries, as well as to educate and encourage young women to consider religious life as their vocation.

While some women religious congregations are committed solely to contemplative prayer (e.g., Discalced Carmelite Sisters in Piedmont), other religious communities combine both contemplative prayer life and active apostolate work. 

“Although our monastic Benedictine community has a contemplative orientation, our sisters have been very active with teaching at Monte Cassino School since 1926 and serving at the Catholic Charities for the past 50 years,” said Sister Marie Therese Long, O.S.B., the prioress of the Saint Joseph Monastery in Tulsa. 

“We teach students, faculty, parents and staff about our Benedictine values and how to live them out in everyday life. We offer Lectio Divina retreats twice a year. We see people for spiritual direction and welcome everyone for private retreats to experience our monastic prayer and community life and utilize our vast library resources.” 

She emphasized the importance of hospitality and serving the needy as one of the important goals of her congregation’s ministry.

“Welcoming all people as Christ is a way for us to live out the Gospel,” she said, “to witness to God’s love and encourage people on their spiritual journey.” 

Sister Barbara Joseph Foley, C.S.T., the superior of the Carmelite Sisters of Saint Thérèse of the Infant Jesus in Oklahoma City, started a new ministry – the Sister BJ’s Pantry in 2006. The Pantry’s mission is to work corporal acts of mercy by serving the homeless population and thus model Christ’s love and respect for human dignity of each single person, according to Matthew, 25.

“We try to show them the love we want to be shown – this is what Christ wants us to exemplify,” Sister Barbara said. 

The Pantry offers help through various programs, including food ministry (breakfast program and food bank), clothing ministry, coats for the homeless, eye clinic and foot clinic. As of December, the food bank program alone served 2,240 people. 

“We see nearly 400 people per week for our meals,” Sister Barbara said. “Each Sunday we serve breakfast to 100-150 people at the pantry. In addition, Peter de Keratry leads the Knights and Dames of Malta (a religious order) on a bus to 3rd/Virginia Street to feed additional 50-80 people there.”

“Our charism is to serve the poor and the sick, and it has been a wonderful gift to live the beatitudes by supporting Sister Barbara’s ministry,” said de Keratry, who also works as the executive director of the Secretariat for Stewardship and Development for the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City. 

Said Sister Barbara, “I have been blessed with volunteers. If you feel called to be Christ’s hands and feet, come visit us. It is a very rewarding experience. Parishes have been organizing monthly item collections for us for almost 15 years now.” 

She also shared her ongoing efforts to build a small, tiny-home community for the homeless.

“God’s providence is so real,” she said. “He always provides, and he is always faithful.” 

Gospel of Life Disciples, led by Sister Maria of the Trinity, is an emerging Catholic ecclesial family of consecrated and lay persons committed to caring for and accompanying the frail and terminally ill in the final stages of their lives, both Catholics and religiously unaffiliated of all ages. The ministry relies on donations, solidarity and volunteer service. 

“It is a sacred grace to be able to accompany people in that supreme moment of their passage from this life to eternal life. We are blessed to minister in this unique way by helping people prepare for this unrepeatable moment and providing life-affirming care,” said Sister Maria. 

The ministry began in 2013, with the Saint James Dwelling in South Oklahoma City and Saint Adelaide Dwelling in Grand Prairie, Texas. The Saint John Paul II Dwelling in Moore opened in 2018.

New efforts are underway, with plans for a new mission in Guatemala in Cerro de Oro, next to Santiago Atitlán where Blessed Father Stanley Rother served.

“Gospel of Life is an active ministry grounded in prayer,” Sister Maria said. “Where contemplative prayer is the foundation of our service to others. The Holy Eucharist is the center of our day.” 

More information about Catholic Sisters Week can be found at catholicsistersweek.org. Volunteers are welcome to contact Sister Barbara Joseph Foley at (405) 837-7068 or [email protected] and Sister Maria of the Trinity at (405) 778-1107 or [email protected].

Jad Ziolkowska is a freelance writer for the Sooner Catholic.


Photo: (Above) Sr. Barbara Joseph Foley in 2013 with shoes collected for Sr. BJ’s Pantry by students at Mount St. Mary Catholic High School. Photo provided.


Sr. Maria of the Trinity and a volunteer with Mark, who died 10 days later. Photo provided.


Benedictine sisters from St. Joseph Monastery visiting Monte Cassino Early Childhood Learning Center in Tulsa. Photo provided.