Guiding light of spirituality

Ursuline Sisters of Youngstown never really retire, we just change ministries.

Take Sister Eileen Kernan. Four months after her “retirement” as the pastoral associate for St. Joan of Arc Parish, Streetsboro, in 2016, Sister Eileen began offering women’s spirituality workshops through the Ursuline Education & Wellness Center.

“It’s delightful for me when the classes touch people in their experience and help them to grow,” she says. “We’re both growing, and it’s never ending!”  

Sister Eileen, who ministered as a teacher, principal and pastoral minister, usually offers the three-month workshops four times a year. In February she offered a four-part series for the ladies of St. Luke Church in Boardman. She also offers book-sharing sessions.

“I’ve always been searching for life’s meaning, even when I entered the convent in 1955,” she states. “Through the years, I’ve accumulated a lot of spiritual information.”

Topics of Sister Eileen’s workshops include exploring the inner dimension of our lives, discerning where we have been and where we are going, and how journaling aids in our quest to deepen our spirituality.

“Different writers have shared their wisdom with us,” she observes. “We all have that inner wisdom, but they put theirs on paper.”