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Sister Barbara McCartney,
CSJ, Makes First Vows
Wheeling, WV—Sr. Barbara
McCartney, CSJ, 37, made her first vows at 1 p.m. on Saturday,
February 2, at Mount St. Joseph in Wheeling, WV, with Fr. Chris
Turner presiding at the Eucharistic Liturgy. The chapel at Mount
St. Joseph was filled with sisters, family and friends who came
to celebrate her life, public commitment and profession of first
vows as a member of the Congregation of St. Joseph. Several members
of the Congregational Leadership Team were present to witness
Sr. Barbara’s first vows. They included: Srs. Jeanne Cmolik,
Nancy Conway, Kathleen Durkin, Marie Hogan, and Marguerite O’Brien.
Other members of the congregation who were liturgical ministers
included: Srs. Ann Letourneau, Eileen Marie Sinnott, Carol Hannig,
Michelle Lesher, Mona Farthing, Angelina Cavallaro, Ann Hoye,
Judith Minear, Christine Riley, Theresa Hafner, Barbara Kupchak,
Rita Marie von Berg, and Bernadette Dean. Sr. Barbara’s mother,
Gabriele Lohr, and her sister, Dorothy Posey, had the honor of
presenting the gifts.
“After I professed my first vows, I felt such peace and confidence
that I knew that this was the next step for me,” commented
Sr. Barbara after the ceremony.
The Congregation of St. Joseph marked its official beginning
on August 6, 2007, when seven former congregations of Sisters
of St. Joseph joined to form one
new congregation. Sr. Barbara entered the pre-novitiate of the Sisters of
St. Joseph
of Wheeling, one of seven founding congregations, on June 19, 2004.
“At the time I was living in Jane Lew, WV, and had not intended
to do God’s
work by becoming a sister. But the first time I visited with
the Sisters of St. Joseph in Wheeling, I had this feeling of
being home,” said Sr. Barbara.
“It
was really hard at my age, to have already established my life, to give
up my family, friends, and my job to move to Wheeling to begin
the process.
But
looking
back, I don’t have any regrets in moving forward on my journey,” she added.
For 3 ½ years she has been discerning more deeply her call
to share in the mission
of the congregation. During her novitiate, Sr. Barbara worked for the
Gabriel Project and served as a driver for the sisters at Mount St. Joseph.
In
August 2006, as part of her initial formation, she flew to Orange, CA
to participate
in the Federation Novitiate Program. During that time, she worked at
Mary’s Soup Kitchen one day per week.
“It was an amazing opportunity. I had so many ‘Jesus encounters’
while working with the destitute and poor. I now have a
deep love and passion
for working
with those less fortunate, and I feel that this will be my calling
as a sister,” added,
Sr. Barbara. She completed the Federation Novitiate Program in May
2007.
Her formation director, Sr. Carol Hannig, said, “Barbara is
a deeply spiritual woman. She is fun-loving, compassionate,
and has a great
sense of humor.
During her time with us, she has become more aware of the many ways
in which God acts
in her life.”
A native of Weston, WV, Sr. Barbara managed DC’s General Store
for 12 years in Lost Creek, WV, before entering the congregation.
She
is now
a full-time
student
at Wheeling Jesuit University where she is studying for her bachelor’s
degree and looking forward to the future.
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