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May 17, 2022By Carissa Krautscheid
One hundred and fifty-two years ago, the first women religious arrived in Tucson on May 26, 1870. The Seven Sisters came as a response to Bishop Jean Baptiste Salpointe’s request to start a school for Tucson’s growing population of 4,000. The Sisters of Saint Joseph of Carondelet (CSJ) stepped up with courage and joy to meet the needs of the people.
On Sunday, May 29, the Sisters will celebrate the anniversary of 150 years in Tucson, delayed from 2020 due to the pandemic. The Diocese of Tucson honors the Sisters with the dedication of a peaceful courtyard at the new Chancery, which features plaques and statues detailing the Trek of the Seven Sisters.
The Trek of the Seven Sisters from Saint Louis, Missouri, to Tucson, Arizona, is a tale of adventure, challenge, and triumph. It is detailed in the Diary of Sister Monica Corrigan. This tale inspires our own Catholic journey, in which we are each called to embark into the unknown, entrusting our fears to the will of God and recognizing his Providence as we seek to be His instruments in the lives of all we encounter.
The Seven Sisters left their beloved community in Saint Louis, knowing it was “quite probable we may never meet again here below,” they said. “Oh! The incomprehensible beauty of our Holy Faith! How consoling to know with an infallible certainty that we are accomplishing the will of God; with an assured hope of being reunited in our heavenly country to those beloved ones we have left here below, for the love of Jesus and the salvation of souls” (April 20, 1870).
The Sisters journeyed by car, train, boat, raft, on foot, and covered wagon through Omaha, San Francisco, San Diego, and Yuma. Crossing the deserts of what is now southern California and Arizona proved to be the hardest leg of the 37-day journey. Imagine wearing full black habits in the blistering sun, the prick of hot sand blowing in the wind, being impaled by thorns of foreign cacti, extreme dehydration, desperate fatigue, meager rations, freezing nights, and treacherous trails. Despite these and other challenges, “we all kept up good spirits, being convinced that we were doing the Divine Will” (May 7, 1870). They slept midday and traveled at night to avoid the blistering heat of the unforgiving desert. “It was, indeed, a beautiful sight to see the Sisters at the lonely hour of midnight, crossing the frightful desert singing hymns” (May 10, 1870).
Again and again, Sister Monica detailed the joy with which they rose to meet every moment and encounter of their trek. They found tremendous courage in the conviction that they were following God’s will to serve a people in need. If the Sisters should live or die, they did so for their love of God. “Why should we be sad? Did we not risk our lives for the love of Jesus? And would it not be glorious to have the happiness of dying for Him?” (May 21, 1870).
Along the way, the Sisters were sustained by the hospitality of ranchers who supplied them with precious provisions, much-needed showers, and safe places to sleep. These are the Works of Mercy: feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, give drink to the thirsty, etc. Even now today, we are called to the same selfless generosity, to give from our own table to those in need. For the Sisters and us today, these corporal Works of Mercy are seeds that bloom into spiritual fruits of courage, joy, and renewed hope in humankind.
Finally, on May 26, 1870, a great crowd of 3,000 awaited the Sisters’ arrival in Tucson. In celebration, the people lit fireworks and tolled all the bells in the city. “On reaching the convent, we found our good Bishop awaiting our arrival. We feel truly grateful to these good people for their kind reception, as it is a convincing testimony of their reverence of our Holy Faith. Our first act was to return thanks to our merciful Lord, to our dear Mother Mary, and likewise to our glorious Patriarch, St. Joseph, for preserving us from the many and great dangers to which we were exposed for the love of Jesus and the salvation of souls.”
Sister Marge Foppe reflected, “Their courage and dedication to meet so many of the needs of the people of Southwestern Arizona inspired others. The Sisters became trusted and appreciated. As the requests grew for education and healthcare, so did the number of Sisters and, with the help of lay persons, good works were multiplied. All this helped to influence and motivate others to join and continue the good works for ‘the dear neighbor.’ Sisters who followed were keenly aware of the shoulders upon whom they stood.”
The Seven Sisters came to start schools in Tucson, but they have done so much more than that. Over the past 152 years, over 728 Sisters of Saint Joseph of Carondelet have served in Tucson in more than 60 ministries, many of which were founded by the Sisters to meet the needs that arose as times changed. These diverse ministries include:- All Souls Parish
- Carondelet Health Network
- Carondelet Heart Hospital
- Casa Alitas
- Casa de los Ninos
- Catholic Charities
- Desert House of Prayer
- Diocese of Tucson
- Hillhaven Hospice
- Holy Family Center
- Kino Learning Center
- Newman Center
- Our Lady of Lavang
- Our Mother of Sorrows
- Picture Rocks Retreat Center
- Pio Decimo Center
- Sacred Heart Parish
- Salpointe Catholic High School
- San Xavier Del Bac Mission
- Santa Cruz School
- Sister Jose Women’s Center
- St. Ambrose
- St. Augustine Catholic High School
- St. Cyril Parish
- St. Elizabeth of Hungary Clinic
- St. Frances Cabrini
- St. Joseph Hospital
- St. Joseph Orphan Home
- St. Joseph Parish
- St. Joseph School
- St. Mary’s Hospital
- St. Odilia
- St. Rita of the Desert
- Sts. Peter and Paul School
- Tucson Heart Hospital
- Villa Maria Care Center
The Sisters of Saint Joseph of Carondelet are characterized by their adaptation to new environments and meeting the needs of “our dear neighbor,” a concept reflected in their community’s charism. “Our Sisters carry in their hearts from our tradition that they are called to do ‘all of which woman is capable’ and that they needed to ‘roll up their sleeves’ and serve a ‘world in need,’” said Sister Patricia Nelson, provincial leader. “These are the timeless elements of the CSJ tradition that led us to Tucson, to schools, to the mines, to health care, to parishes, to social justice, to care for children, to the state legislature, to serving the homeless. This is the CSJ Zeal, a passion to serve others no matter who they are.”
Some notable Sisters in our southern Arizona community include:- Sister Claire Dunn who was the first woman religious to be elected to public office, and Sister Judy Lovchik, her steadfast campaign manager
- Sister Mary Joseph Franco was born in Tucson and was the founder of the Native American school in Yuma
- Mother Gonzaga Brand built St. Joseph’s Academy
- Sister Kathleen Clark ran Casa de Ninos
- Sister St. Joan Willert’s work for the development Carondelet Health System and the growth of both St. Mary’s and St. Joseph’s Hospitals.
- Sister Barbara Anne Stowasser’s ministry at St. Elizabeth’s Clinic
- Sister Teresa Marie McIntier was a pioneer in hospice care
- Sister Dorothy Ann Lescher was the founder of the Desert House of Prayer
- Sister Alberta Commack was the archivist at St. Mary’s Hospital. She was the keeper of the Arizona story for so many years and personally identified the road map of the actual Trek of the Seven Sisters from San Diego to Tucson.
- Most recently, Sister Adele O’Sullivan was a pharmacist and now a medical doctor. She sees a profound need at the margins of society and creates a way for people to be served. Sister Adele is the founder of Circle the City in Phoenix, a respite center for homeless men and women.
Today, four Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet remain in Tucson and continue to serve in a variety of ministries. Sister Irma Odabashian served in healthcare as a hospital administrator, chaplain, and patient representative at St. Mary’s Hospital. Sister Noelle O’Shea has served in parishes at St. Joseph and St. Rita, and as “a resident clown at St. Elizabeth of Hungary Clinic’s children’s waiting room.” Sister Dorothy Ann taught at St. Joseph Catholic School, served at Picture Rocks Retreat Center, and has served at Villa Maria Care Center for the past 29 years. Sister Marge practiced radiology then expanded to supervising St. Joseph Hospital and St. Mary’s Hospital.
“I always marveled at the original Sisters, and the hardships they faced when they first came,” said Sr. Barbara Anne Stowasser. “They didn’t know what they were getting into. There was more to do than just teach. The sisters went into the mines. They became leaders for women. They learned how to be nurses and started a nursing school right here in Arizona. These are the shoulders I stood on when I came to Tucson in 1980.”
Sr. Irma echoed these sentiments. “I feel that is a sacred place to be and a sacred responsibility, given the nature of the historical events. I feel I have a responsibility to familiarize the present-day employees at the hospitals where I minister, with the history, story, and legacy of the mission. Then they are able to feel part of a bigger reality than just coming to the hospital to work. They are continuing the legacy of a ministry.”
“Those generous, courageous women inspire me to strive to be a faithful follower of Jesus in my time,” said Sr. Marge, “and I’m grateful to be a member of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet.”
Throughout the order’s notable presence in Tucson, one Sister or another would see a need left unaddressed and say, for example, “Oh it’s so sad, these kids have nowhere to go.” Another Sister would then respond, “Why don’t you do something about it?” This particular conversation gave birth to Pio Decimo Center, which is celebrating 75 years of service this year.
Some might say that the Trek of the Seven Sisters is countercultural. Contrary to that belief, most of the current Sisters interviewed responded that they indeed would have gone on the same Trek if they had been asked 150 years ago.
“I would have signed up for this adventure as I come from Irish immigrant parents with a spirit of ‘seeing the new world,’” said Sister Noelle. “The possibility for bringing God's love to a ‘new world’ would be very energizing for me.”
“Our community responds to needs, if we’re asked, we would say yes,” said Sister Barbara Sullivan.
“I think I would’ve been honored to be asked,” said Sister Dorothy Ann, “to think that trust was placed in me to be a CSJ in this environment. I might have been a little fearful too, a little doubtful, but hopefully I would’ve had enough trust that God had brought about this plan to bring it to fulfillment. That’s been a motivation in my life – to bring about what needed to be done.”
Outwardly, the CSJ Order has changed in the past 150 years: the habit was forsaken, numbers have decreased, and the ministries have changed. However, “we’ve remained the same in one important aspect,” explained Sister Irma. “We refer to it in a phrase: ‘We do not separate ourselves from the dear neighbor.’ In that aspect, we have not changed. In fact, changing the habit has helped us to be less separated from the dear neighbor. We are more approachable to non-Catholics. Even now, when I walk into a store in regular clothes – people still ask me ‘are you a Sister or Religious?’ They recognize something.”
The recognizable traits of all CSJs are how they read the signs of the times to best meet the needs of the dear neighbor. Their tireless and joyful work here has paved the way for countless others to serve selflessly and to courageously pursue what God needs of them. The Sisters of Saint Joseph of Carondelet have left an indelible mark on southern Arizona and the Diocese of Tucson. Our gratitude for their contributions and inspiration cannot fully be expressed, but we offer a humble and sincere, thank you to the Sisters of Saint Joseph of Carondelet!
