Spotlight on Loretto wisdom women

Editor’s note: We have been featuring interviews of Loretto Community elders. We are grateful to these wise women and to Joy Jensen for sharing wonderful snapshots of our beloved Community members.

Here at the Loretto Motherhouse leaves are turning, and squirrels are scurrying for the last of the nuts. This is the final article in the series “Spotlight on Wisdom Women” in the Loretto Living Center. We will shine the spotlight on Pauline Albin, Cabrini Bartolo and Joy Jensen.

The Loretto Living Center at Loretto Motherhouse is home to interesting Loretto Community elders.

The purpose of this series is to shine a spotlight on the lives of resident elders, women of wisdom. As the interviewer, Joy gave each person two questions ahead of time to think about:

1) What was your favorite mission, ministry or job before you retired?
2) What is important to you at this time of your life?

Pauline Albins

I think Pauline Albin’s thoughts sum up many of our feelings as we think about what is important to us now.

In answer to the first question about one’s favorite mission, ministry or job before retirement, Pauline said, “Teaching, always. My favorite mission was the opportunity to go to Africa. My dream when I was a child was to go to Africa and teach the little children about Jesus. When I got to Africa, they taught me about God. I had the opportunity before I went to Africa to be the principal at Christ the King in Louisville, Ky.”

Her most important interest now is, “My relationship with God. To be grateful for everything we are blessed with. One thing I’m grateful for is the opportunity to get to know so many of our sisters, and I am so grateful for the employees and the opportunity to be here at Loretto.”

Cabrini Bartolo

Eleanor Craig graciously provided information about Cabrini Bartolo. Cabrini was born in Shinnston, W.Va. She entered the Sisters of Loretto in 1947 and made her final vows in 1953. Cabrini received her degree in education from Webster College and her M.A. in liturgy from Notre Dame. From 1950 to 1971 she taught in schools in St. Louis. Cabrini was a co-coordinator of music and liturgy in Taylorville, Ill., in Charlottesville, Va., and then in Davenport, Iowa. In 1982 Cabrini became the coordinator of the Health Care Apostolate in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. In 1983 she became an aftercare counselor for chemical dependency at the Lutheran Medical Center in St. Louis. In 1986 Cabrini was on the faculty of Draughon’s Business College in St. Louis.

At some time during this period she was a Mary Kay skin care consultant. She was also pastoral associate/home care staff at Incarnate Word Hospital in St. Louis. In 1989 she was a pastoral associate at St. Peter the Apostle in Fairmont, W.Va., and then at Baptist Temple in Fairmont until her retirement in 2003. Cabrini was awarded a plaque in 1984 by the National Clergy Council on Alcoholism and Related Drugs for serving six years on the board of directors.

Joy Jensen

“My turn” Joy Jensen writes …

Shakespeare wrote, “The good that men (sic) do is oft interred with their bones.” In this series of articles, I have tried to shine a spotlight on the good that our Loretto wisdom women have done for the community of believers and for the Earth. We stand on our history’s shoulders, holding it to be good, and flinging it far out into the cosmos. The good becomes packets of energy swirling throughout the universe, forever, with the Holy One. “We give you glory, thanks and praise. O bless our works and guide our ways.”