Franciscan Sisters in Healing Ministry Genesis Healthcare System, Zanesville, OH

by Sister Julie Ann on February 1, 2008

ghs-logo.jpgFour Franciscan Sisters of Christan Charity share their lives in community and serve within the Congregation’s Catholic sponsored institution of more than 100 years. Not only will you learn more about Genesis GenesisHealthcare System, an affiliation between two long standing hospitals that is dedicated to providing health care to southeastern Ohio, but you will learn more about the unique personalities of each Sister and how each one reaches out to others in the healing mission of Jesus Christ.

http://www.genesishcs.org

  • Sister Cyrilla Jackels OSF

    GoodDay Everybody! From one of the volunteers from Genesis Good Samaritan Hospital!As you see in the photo,six happy people, I am happy and privileged to be among them.One of the tasks, if you can call it that, is to answer the calls as they evolve.An example of that is a need for an Xray film to be delivered, or a specimen to be delivered to the Lab, or it might be a patient who needs a ride to the front door by wheelchair,{this is always a joy as who doesn’t want to go home?} Some days I help in the Registration Dept.by responding to questions and keep the clerks in business by announcing who is next etc.I have the joy of being with the Volunteer dept. five days a week and then at 4:0′clock I come home and continue to be happy with the four Sisters I live with.

  • Sister Helena Young

    Good Morning! It is a privilege to serve as a volunteer (Sponsor Representative) here at Genesis Good Samaritan. My main responsibilities are assisting in the Surgery, Cath Lab Lounge and at the Information Desk. These areas allow me the opportunity to meet and great many people at critical times in the lives of their family members or themselves. Being here at Genesis is like being home for me as I graduated from the Good Samaritan School of Nursing in 1962. There have been many changes that have taken place over the years. Good Samaritan and Bethesda were separate hospitals at that time. It has only been in the past ten years that the hospitals have become one corporation. The goal in bringing the hospitals together was to fulfill the Healing Ministry ofJesus by serving the people of the area together and to reduce the cost of health care. We coninue to strive to do this today.
    In 1962 I entered the Community of Franciscan Sisters of Christian Chaity and have served in many various roles through out the years here in Zanesville, OH, in West Point, NE at or hospital, Manitowoc, WI at our hospital, Silver Lake College and the Motherhouse.
    There are four Sisters living here in Zanesville and ministering at Genesis. At various times during the year we gather with our Sisters ministering in the school and parish in Cambridge, Ohio. We also have Sister visitors coming for meetings during the year that keeps us in close connection with the Motherhouse. This week we look forward to the General Administration’s visit for the Annual Genesis HealthCare meeting. Like Francis of Assisi when he and his brothers would gather they at times would celebrate. This is what we look forward to when Community members come together – a time to celebrate.
    May you have good days as we look to the beginning of Lent. Blessings! Sister Helena

  • Sister Pat Sevcik

    Sisters Cyrilla and Helena, it was good to read your comments.I miss you!It was only 5-6 months ago that I enjoyed life in the Community in Zanesville and my ministry there. As I listened to the song of the month about St. Bernadette,(lovely), I thought about the fact that since a Plenary Indulgence is being offered to those who stop at the statue of our Lady of Lourdes or another statue of Mary and pray each day from February 2-11, Angela and I decided to rise a few minutes earlier these days and spend some time in St. Francis Chapel here at the Motherhouse before the statue of Mary. We know the story of Bernadette, Lourdes and healing. We pray for the healing that is needed in ourselves, our Sisters, our families and the world. God bless you and all that you continue to do to serve the sick in Southeastern Ohio!

  • http://www.fscc-calledtobe.org/living/index,php/2008/0l/16 Gloria Lichtenberg,SFO

    Our paper The Columbus Dispatch had a nice picture of the six Sisters who were on their way to Zanesville for this event. They had stopped for Mass on Ash Wednesday. I cut the picture out for keeping. Peace and good.

  • http://www.fscc-calledtobe.org Sister Julie Ann

    Thanks for noticing us, Gloria. We were surprised at the Columbus Dispatch’s coverage of our presence at the Ash Wednesday Mass at St. Joseph’s Cathedral. Returning to Wisconsin that day, we discovered we were blessed to attend the Lenten liturgy. Many could not participate in the Eucharist because of serious snow conditions. Peace and all good to you.

  • Sister Helena Young

    This has been a busy week. Some of us attended the Mission at the local parish Sunday, Moday and Wednesday. Wednesday night we have a quiet night during Lent that allows us to spend mor time in prayer and reading. We had several days of snow that caused the schools to be closed but the hospital never closes so we went to work everyday. The Mission was cancelled on Tuesday because of the snow. On Valentine’s day we did celebrate with a nice meal and we played Hand and Foot, a card game. We had a good time. I’m sure the other sisters today are happy as I am for the weekend to be here so we can regroup and refresh ourselves. Somehow when the weather is bad it seems to make me more tired, must be the boots, scarf and extra clothing. I hope all of you had a good week and that the Lord is blessing you with many graces during this Lenten Season.

  • Sister Bernadette Selinsky

    Gosh, how fast time goes! It’s the middle of the month already and I am first blogging now. I am one of the four sisters ministering at the hospital in Zanesville, OH. My name is Sr. Bernadette and I am a chaplain. What a profound calling that is! Just this weekend, when I was on-call, I was called to minister to two different families when their loved ones died. It is a time when people really need their God but are often too broken to pray. What a privilege it is to stand with them and give voice to what their hearts are feelng and to the hope their faith offers them.
    This is only one of the many things I do as a chaplain. When I blog again I can share with you some of the other things I do.
    In the meantime, I am looking forward to tomorrow evening. The four of us are going to a lenten Evening of Recollection in Columbus sponsored by the Diocesan Council of Religious. It is always good to step back and reflect – we do it often as sisters. But it adds another whole dimension when you do it with many other sisters of various religious commnities from around the diocese. This is one way we are enriching our spiritual lives during this special time of lent.
    Happy “lenting” to you!

  • Sister Maureen Anne Shepard

    What a wonderful experience it is for me to be back in my native State of Ohio; to live with three other Sisters who value prayer, community, and ministry to others; and to be the Director of Mission at Genesis. Compassion is alive at Genesis and in our community home! We identify the needs of the people in the area and respond to those needs by continuing the healing ministry of Jesus.

    Zanesville is part of the Appalachian region which has quite a number of the poor. Truly our prayer is integrated into our ministry and our ministry into our prayer.

    This experience of living with only three other Sisters is different for me because I have always lived with 12 or more Sisters. I find community life to be life-giving.

    May you experience our loving God’s Spirit alive in you and in those with whom you live and minister!

  • Sister Bernadette Selinsky

    Here I am again, I’m Sr. Bernadette. I promised to share more of what my ministry as a chaplain is about. One other aspect of serving as a chaplain is being attuned to the ethical issues as they occur in health care. This can be quite challenging – not only RECOGNIZING the ethical issues but figuring out how to address them. They are many and varied in our rural healthcare system here in Zanesville! Just last night I helped present to the Ethics Committee a scenario that happened in the fall of the year. The Ethics Committee discussed the ethical issues involved and suggested various ways these might have been handled. It was a good learning experience! A joy and challenge for me is experiencing many of the various ways different people from other ethnic and religious backgrounds think, see life, process challenges, discover their values, etc. If one is close-minded they will never survive in this area of Ohio!! But despite the differences in religions and ethnicity here, the people are really friendly, warm, welcoming and most appreciative of our presence among them. I am very happy serving here.
    Another “first” (At least I think it was a “first”) happened just this morning. I was called to the hospital to minister NOT to a patient or their family, but solely to minister to STAFF who were having a hard time dealing with the sudden infant death of a 7 month old. Needless to say it was a challenging call but also a rewarding one. It is gratifying to know that the hospital employees are realizing that we chaplains have a gift to give to THEM as well as to our patients and their families.
    I am also looking forward to going to a Catholic Hospital Association Ethical Convention in Chicago next week with our Spiritual Care Director. It promises to be another great larning experience!
    I’ve jabbered on too long. More later. :-)

  • Sister Bernadette Selinsky

    It’s Sr. Bernadette again. Lately I’ve been working on (praying with) the Way of the Cross that I will be offering the first Friday evening in March at St. Nicholas Church. Ten years go I made symbolic pictures of each of the Stations and planned a song that fit with each Station. One of my co-worker chaplains at the hospital made these pictures into a powerpoint presentation. I am refining the whole thing now to present it as a prayer service to my parish family. At the end of each station I plan to have the congregation sing a familiar “Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.” It will definitely be different from any other Way of the Cross that we have had here, but hopefully it will be prayerful and meaningful. My biggest problem so far is that there are so many songs that fit with the various Stations that I had a hard time narrowing each Station to just one song! I am very much enjoying preparing this, it’s something that feels “right” at this time. I’ve though about presenting it to the parish for several years now, and when I was asked to do a reflection on one of the stations this lent I felt it was God’s invitation to do “my” Stations for them. I am excited and humbled. If you have any spare prayers please send them my way. Thanks! :-)

  • connie cordray rowe

    i graduated in 1956. and was a practicing rn for over 40yrs. i am inquiring about a nun who was there at that time. sister dorthea she would be about my age in her 70’s. i would appreciate it if you know anything. thank you and god bless.

  • http://www.fscc-calledtobe.org Sister Julie Ann

    Connie, although I have never met Sister Dorthea I have heard her name. I’ll see if I can help you out with some information about Sister.

  • Jennifer Robinson

    I would like to learn more about your community, sisters and what kind of work you do. I am currently in the medical field and considering religious life. Thank You and GOD BLESS

  • http://www.fscc-calledtobe.org Sister Mary Ann

    Thanks for writing Jenifer! I will email you!

  • Ron Krueger

    My dad’s aunt, my great aunt was a Franciscan nun who worked at Good Samaratan in Zanesville for over 65 years. Anyone who has dedicated 65 years of her life to the caring profession has my utmost respect and admiration. Her Name was Sister Behildis (sp?). She was born Bertha Speel in a small town called Darboy Wisconsin. She retired to a retirement retreat in Manitowoc Wisconsin and I recall visiting her when I was a small child. People have told me that I come from good stock and she’s proof. Is there anyone around there who can still remember her? Probably circa 1940-1960. Is there any memorabilia that might recall her history there?

    Thanks so much.

    Ron Krueger
    N229 Woodstock Lane
    Appleton WI 54915
    (920)788-4465
    ronkrueger@hotmail.com

  • Richard Willis

    Hello Sisters. I’m trying to find a copy of the logo for the school. My wife was the former Linda Fleming, Class of 69. She died this year and I would like to put thee school logo/symbol on her tombstone. If anyone as it would they send me a copy at my Email address?

  • Billy hoskinson

    My mother recently suffered a heart attack. I had asked for a priest or a nun if available. Sister bernadette showed up quickly and was such a comfort to the family. She contacted Father Ralco pastor at St. Nicholas. He was also a blessing. While I am living in the Nashville area and had no contacts in the Zanesville Catholic community it became apparent that we are all family no matter the location. Sister mediated my mothers spiritual care while she was hospitalized and also was available for the rest of the family. Once again I can not state more strongly what a blessing Sister was at this time. The Sisters have gained a friend and have also opened my eyes to the crucial work they are doing for the Catholic faith. Thanks again Sister Bernadette. Catholic and brother in Christ, Bill Hoskinson

  • http://www.fscc-calledtobe.org Sister Julie Ann

    Thanks for taking the time to comment, Billy. We continue to pray for you and your family! No doubt Sister Bernadette is grateful to get to know you.

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