Called to Action: A School Sisters of Notre Dame Central Pacific Podcast

In Season 6: The Mission Continues, Episode 7: Educating Girls for Life! we welcome Mary Elizabeth Grimes, President at Marian Middle School. Marian Middle School is the only all-girls private middle school in the St. Louis community serving urban adolescent youth in a faith-based environment. Mary Elizabeth shares with us how Marian Middle School invests in the success of young girls, from 6th to 8th grade and onward through their life to assist them with getting into a college and finding a career. Enjoy this episode and please share any comments or questions at [email protected].

In Season 6: The Mission Continues, Episode 6: Helping Immigrants Thrive we welcome Jane Rydholm, Executive Director, at MORE. MORE is a an affiliated SSND ministry that provides support to the wider St. Paul refugee and new immigrant community. Jane discusses how MORE empowers their students to thrive by providing language skills and access to support services, while offering a place of connection and community. Enjoy this episode and please share any comments or questions at [email protected].

In Season 6: The Mission Continues, Episode 5 we welcome Ben Brzeski, Ministry Office Director, to discuss his role working with SSND’s 17 sponsored, co-sponsored and affiliated ministries. We also explore how unique the ministries are and how they all share the same goal of carrying on the SSND mission of charism. Please enjoy this episode and if you have any comments or if you would like any information regarding topics discussed on Called to Action please contact [email protected].

On Season 6: The Mission Continues, Episode 4: Vocations we welcome two members from our North American Vocations Team (NAVT), Sister Carol Jean Dust and Laurie Lindauer, who walk us through what vocations means from a religious and life standpoint. They also explain what the culture of vocations is and what the mission of NAVT is when approaching conversations with young people about their calling in life. Please enjoy this episode and if you have any comments or if you would like any information regarding topics discussed on Called to Action please contact [email protected] can also find Called to Action: A School Sisters of Notre Dame Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, iHeart Radio App or wherever you enjoy your podcasts!

Called to Action Season 6 Episode 3: Ministry Work in Guatemala is available! On this episode Sister Gladys Courtade joins us to share stories of her time in Guatemala, what inspired her to do ministry work there and how living with the community impacted her life. We also discuss the roots of SSND and how working with less fortunate communities is what inspired the Blessed Theresa Gerhardinger to start our congregation.You can find Called to Action wherever you listen to podcasts including Amazon Music, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and iHeart Radio.

Called to Action Season 6 Episode 2: Women's Leadership Luncheon is available! On this episode Debbie Rohrich-Tyler, Manager of Donor Relations and Events, joins us to discuss her 34 years of tenure at SSND, how much sisters have impacted her life, and how Women's Leadership Luncheon has grown to be her largest event every year. We also discuss the 2026 Women's Leadership Luncheons happening in St. Louis on March 3, Milwaukee on March 5, Dallas on March 25 and St. Paul on March 26. We hope you join us for this informative episode about an event that is dear not only to SSND but to everyone that sponsors the event or attends.You can find Called to Action wherever you listen to podcasts including Amazon Music, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and iHeart Radio.

Called to Action Season 6 Episode 1: Faith and Community is available! Sisters Cindy Weber and Patricia Gravemann join co-hosts Adam Schicker and Sister Jan Berberich to discuss how important faith and community are when working through transitional periods in life. As community leaders at Sancta Maria in Ripa they share how sisters value the importance of living in community, and how that community extends to those around them. You can find Called to Action wherever you listen to podcasts including Amazon Music, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and iHeart Radio.

In the last episode of Called to Action Season 5, Episode 10: Corporate Social Responsibility, we welcome Sister Ann Scholz to discuss her role at SSND working with corporate investing. Sister Ann advocates for better manufacturing and business practices affecting social issues like labor trafficking. This discussion rounds out our five-season series focused on SSND’s commitment to Shalom’s Justice, Peace & Integrity of Creation ministry. 

On Called to Action Season 5, Episode 9: Shalom Network – Justice, Peace & Integrity of Creation Ministry we welcome Lisa Cathelyn, the new Director of Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation in the School Sisters of Norte Dame Central Pacific Province. She shares her experience as a new team member, her vision for the future of the SSND mission as it relates to advocacy and also helps better explain what it means for SSND to be part of the Shalom Network. 

On Called to Action Season 5, Episode 8: Sorrow’s Prayer, praying the rosary for victims Sister Susan Adrians joins us to discuss her experience being a member of the human trafficking committee, the S.O.A.P project in Milwaukee and advocacy through prayer. She also explains a different way of praying the rosary by saying the Sorrow's Prayer for the victims of human trafficking. 

On Called to Action Season 5, Episode 7: Animal Trafficking Sister Annette and Sister Kay Fernholz join us to explore trafficking as we expand  awareness to  the fair treatment of livestock to understand what animals are trafficked to produce various products that we may use but have never considered how they are made. Animal trafficking awareness also relates to the SSND commitment to Laudato Si'. Please join us in a conversation about how we can be more aware of what we consume and how it affects all of creation. 

In Season 5 of Called to Action Episode 6: Atlantic-Midwest Province Human Trafficking Committee, we invite Sister Joan Pikiell from the Atlantic-Midwest Province and a member of the human trafficking committee. Sister Joan shares her story of becoming a SSND and some history on when the Atlantic-Midwest Province was created. We also discuss why she became a member of the human trafficking committee and what they do to advocate for the end human trafficking. 

On Called to Action Episode 5: St. Bakhita Catholic Worker House we speak to Executive Director Ann Haines. We also welcome back Sister Vicki Jean Chambers who is a board member for the St. Bakhita Catholic Worker House. Sister Vicki helps provide the history of St. Bakhita Catholic Worker House and the relationship SSND has with them. Ann educates us on the history of St. Josephine Bakhita, explaining how the St. Bakhita Catholic Worker House helps rehabilitate women who are victims of trafficking. 

In Season 5 of Called to Action Episode 4: Alliance to End Human Trafficking, we welcome Katie Boller Gosewisch, Executive Director at Alliance to End Human Trafficking. Katie shares the beginnings of the organization, which was originally called Catholic Sisters Against Human Trafficking. She also explains the work they do to educate and advocate for victims. 

In Season 5 of Called to Action Episode 3: TraffickCam app: A way everyone can help, we welcome Kimberly Ritter who is Director of Operations at Nix Conference and Meeting Management. Kimberly has a strong connection to SSND having daughters that went to Notre Dame High School,  St. Louis, and was the guest speaker in 2019 at Women's Leadership Luncheon. In this episode, she shares how she began working with sisters to plan their meetings, how Nix Conference and Meeting Management became involved with the TraffickCam app and how the app has helped save victims of sex trafficking. 

In Season 5 of Called to Action Episode 2: Advocacy in Effingham, Illinois, we are joined by Sister Jane Boos to discuss why there is a need for human trafficking advocacy in Effingham. She also describes what the 57/70 Task Force has done to educate the community. We hope everyone can take the information from this episode and be encouraged to take action in their local communities as well.

In Season 5 of Called to Action Episode 1 we explore our topics systemic roots and the importance of advocacy with our guest, Sister Helen Marie Plourde, who provides background for when the SSND Central Pacific Province Human Trafficking Committee was created. We also discuss how language and pornography lead to the ongoing exploitation of women and discuss why sex trafficking continues to permeate society. Also, Season 5, Episode 1 introduces Sister Jan Berberich as our new co-host, whom some may remember hearing on Season 4, Episode 2: Catholic Social Teaching on Racism. We welcome you to listen to every episode of Called to Action Season 5: Human Trafficking, available every other Wednesday from January 15 - May 22, and join us on our mission to educate and enact change to help put an end to human trafficking.

In Episode 10: Racial Justice, A Call to Action  we welcome Tim Dewane, Director, Office of Global Justice and Peace at SSND. Tim discusses the need for racial justice and how it is a call to action for all of us by outlining the three pathways the racial justice committee follows. We hope you found this season inspiring and educational, and we can't thank you enough for joining us this season as we explored racial justice. We look forward to Season 5, returning January 2025!

In Episode 9: High School Students Views on Social Justice  we welcome two students from Notre Dame High School in St. Louis to discuss our country's youth and where they stand on the topic of social justice. Joy Garavaglia and Elizabeth Merrill share their experiences learning about social justice in high school and how they apply it to their relationships with their friends and family. We hope you get some helpful information from this episode and we appreciate you listening to Called to Action.

In Episode 8: Ecological Economics and Environmental Racism we welcome Sister Ethel Howley from the Atlantic-Midwest Province joins us to share her experience with Laudato Si' and help us explore ecological economics and environmental racism. We hope you get some helpful information from this episode and we appreciate you listening to Called to Action.

In Episode 7:  Learning about Segregation and Generational Poverty we welcome Sister Vicki Jean Chambers who discusses why there is still segregation in cities across the United States and why generational poverty is part of the systemic racism present in the country. We hope you get some helpful facts from this episode as we educate ourselves on segregation and generational poverty.

In Episode 6:  Understanding White Privilege and White Supremacy we welcome associate Judy Gregor who shares her experience as a SSND Associate and what she has learned as a member of the Racial Justice Committee. We hope you enjoy this episode as we explore understanding white privilege and white supremacy.

In Episode 5: Preserving the History of Indigenous People we welcome Sister Connie Schmidt who shares her experience working in ministry for 21 years on Pine Ridge Indian Reservation located in South Dakota. We hope you enjoy this episode as we explore the importance of honoring the history of indigenous people. 

In Episode 4: Understanding White Privilege, White Fragility; and Mircoagression we welcome Sister Rose Mercurio to help us define these terms, be aware of them, and address them to enact change. We hope you enjoy this episode and that you listen to each episode, available every other Wednesday!

In Episode 3: Learning Our Common History we welcome Sister Addie Lorraine Walker to help us dive into our common history and how banning books affects the narrative of American History. We hope you enjoy this episode and that you listen to each episode, available every other Wednesday!

In Episode 2: Catholic Social Teaching on Racial Justice we welcome Sister Janise Berberich to help us explain Catholic social teaching around racism. She offers a great perspective from her 35 years of teaching at Notre Dame High School, St. Louis. We hope you enjoy this episode and that you listen to each episode, available every other Wednesday!

Welcome back to another season of Called to Action! Season 4: Racial Justice, Episode 1: Introduction to Racial Justice helps us explain how to define racism and lays out the first steps someone can take when working towards dismantling their own racism.  Our first guest Sister Barbara Pfarr, part of SSNDs Racial Justice Committee, help us introduce the topic and walks us through the three pathways the committee suggests following when approaching the subject of racism.  We welcome you to listen to the conversation and to join us as we educate ourselves on how to better accept, navigate, and change the systemic racism that exists around us. 

In preparation for the launch of Called to Action Season 4: Racial Justice we are releasing a special bonus episode that was recorded after the conclusion of Season 3. We hope you enjoy this episode with special guest Libby Keady who is a theology teacher at Notre Dame Preparatory School in Hampton, Maryland. Libby's senior class had been listening to Season 3: Migration, We Stand in Solidarity  and offered us some great feedback that was helpful to have coming from a younger demographic. Our conversation in this episode touches on the youth of today and how they approach topics like racism, mental health and social media. We hope this discussion is helpful for our audience and offers an introspective view on what the youth of today want to change in the world. Please remember to follow the School Sisters of Notre Dame Central Pacific Province on Facebook to stay up to date on Called to Action. We are excited for our first episode of Season 4, which will be available January 17, 2024.

On episode 10, our Called to Action season finale, we welcome Bishop Mark Seitz from the Diocese of El Paso. Bishop Seitz is currently involved in advocacy for immigration reform. He shares how the Catholic faith shows us how Catholic social teaching can intersect with legislation to find a solution to the problems he sees at the border of Texas and Mexico. We hope you join us for this amazing conversation. If you have any questions or comments please contact us at [email protected] content © 2023 Called to Action: A School Sisters of Notre Dame Central Pacific Province Podcast.

On episode 9, we welcome Sister Lucy Nigh who has just completed 13 years of service in ministry at the border of Arizona and Mexico. She shares many stories that describe the dangers migrants go through when attempting to cross the Southwestern border and explains the type of enforcement the U.S. is currently using to police the border. We hope you join us for this amazing conversation. If you have any questions or comments please contact us at [email protected] content © 2023 Called to Action: A School Sisters of Notre Dame Central Pacific Province Podcast.

On episode 8, we welcome Sister Cathy Doherty and a DACA recipient named Ivonne who she has assisted along with many other immigrants through her 30 years of experience working in ministry at Our Lady of Guadalupe located in Ferguson. Together we discuss what the term "dreamers" refers to and the process someone goes through to become a DACA recipient. We hope you join us for this amazing conversation and if you have any questions or comments please contact us at [email protected] content © 2023 Called to Action: A School Sisters of Notre Dame Central Pacific Province Podcast.

On episode 7, we welcome Sister Limeteze Pierre-Gilles who is currently living in Maryland and works for an organization called Beyond Borders that primarily works with the Haitian community to help improve their overall living situations. Sister Limeteze also shares her experience working with migrant families affected by climate change that have been separated through their migration. We hope you join us for this amazing conversation and if you have any questions or comments please contact us at [email protected]. All content © 2023 Called to Action: A School Sisters of Notre Dame Central Pacific Province Podcast.

On episode 6, we welcome Sister Kathy Schmittgens who is currently the co-director of the associates program for the School Sisters of Notre Dame Central Pacific Province. Sister Kathy shares her experience of being displaced in Africa with the local migrant community as she helps us explore the root causes of immigration.   If you have any questions or comments please contact us at [email protected].  All content © 2023 Called to Action: A School Sisters of Notre Dame Central Pacific Province Podcast.

On episode 5, we welcome Sister Beatriz Martinez who is currently representing the School Sisters of Norte Dame at the United Nations in New York. Sister Beatriz offers a global view of how legislation and policies have affected migrants worldwide. She also shares with us her personal experience as a migrant, moving to different areas within Mexico as a child so her family could find better work opportunities. We are excited for you to join us in this conversation focusing on how migration is a global topic that calls for all nations to work together towards comprehensive immigration reform. If you have any questions or comments please contact us at [email protected].  All content © 2023 Called to Action: A School Sisters of Notre Dame Central Pacific Province Podcast.

On episode 4, we welcome Sister Christine Garcia who is serving her second term as a Provincial Councilor in the Central Pacific Province. Join us as Sister Christine talks us through the common myths that society has been told about immigrants. We hope you enjoy this episode and welcome you to contact us at [email protected] if you have any questions or comments you would like to share.Called to Action Season 3: Migration, We Stand in Solidarity is a School Sisters of Notre Dame Central Province podcast.

On episode 3, we welcome Sister Jan Gregorcich, who has been a School Sister of Notre Dame for 53 years, as she shares stories with us about her visits with detained immigrants in detention centers in Kenosha and Douglas Counties in Wisconsin. Her firsthand experience helps us navigate immigration law and puts into perspective what visas are available to immigrants and the obstacles they face. We hope you enjoy this episode and welcome you to contact us at [email protected] if you have any questions or comments you would like to share.Called to Action Season 3: Migration, We Stand in Solidarity is a School Sisters of Notre Dame Central Province podcast.

On episode 2, we welcome Sister Jean Ersfeld, a School Sister of Notre Dame, who is currently in ministry at Sacred Heart Parish located in St. Paul, Minn. In this episode, Sister Jean explores the topic of what scripture and Catholic social teaching on migration tell us, and what part they play in the movement for immigration reform. Both Sister Jean and Sister Anna Marie offer great perspective and share stories from their experience working in ministry to help explain how faith plays a role to enact change. We hope you enjoy this episode and welcome you to contact us at [email protected] if you have any questions or comments you would like to share with us. Called to Action Season 3: Migration, We Stand in Solidarity is a School Sisters of Notre Dame Central Province podcast. 

Call to Action's Season 3: Migration, We Stand in Solidarity is a School Sisters of Notre Dame Central Province podcast. Season 3 will feature the return of co-host Sister Anna Marie Reha, and the addition of Adam Schicker, School Sister of Notre Dame's  (SSND) newest Communications Manager. This season will focus on the SSND corporate stance on comprehensive immigration reform and will feature guests that offer the audience perspective and education on this global issue. On episode 1 we will welcome our guest Sister Rose Ann Ficker, who will provide an introduction to immigration reform and discuss the importance of the SSND corporate stance as we all stand in solidarity to enact change.

In this last episode of Season 2, Sister Anne Marie Reha and Kaitlyn Holdmeyer speak with Hawley Iseke, Theology Department Chair and SSND associate in Guam. Hawley shared how choices matter and it's important to recognize the interconnectedness of everything. For more information download this pdf: Recognize our interconnectedness with all creation.

Sister Jeanne  Wingenter has a passion for justice and peace. In this episode of Called to Action, Sister Anna Marie Reha and Kaitlyn Holdmeyer, speak with Sister Jeanne to better understand the just war theory and its five principles. For more information download these pdf: Challenge the validity and application of “Just War Theory" and The Challenges of Global Conflict and Eradicating.

Sister Paul Mary Draxler, a member of the Gospel Nonviolence and Just Peace committee, shares how important it is to understand the myths of war. In order to have peace, we need to have prayer and open communication. Join co-hosts, Sister Anna Marie Reha and Kaitlyn Holdmeyer, as they learn from Sister Paul Mary. For more information download this pdf: Promote peace-building through nonviolent policies, practices and strategies. You can also sign up to get notifications from Voter Voice. 

Season 2 of Called to Action,  discusses the theme of Gospel Nonviolence and Just Peace with co-hosts Sister Anna Marie Reha and Kaitlyn Holdmeyer. In this episode, we talk with Sister Alice Zachmann. Sister Alice is a champion for peace and has participated in many peaceful protests over her 73 years of professed life. She also founded the Guatemala Human Rights Commission/USA in order to protect the many Guatemalans she came to know and love when missioned there. For more information download this pdf: Foster a culture of peace and eliminate violence.  Find the Prayer for Torture Awareness month written by Sister Dianna Ortiz, an Ursuline Sister, and friend hero of Sister Alice. 

Sister Anna Marie Reha and Kaitlyn Holdmeyer speak with Sister Ruth Mori from Kyoto, Japan.  She shares how the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki affected her family and Japan. To Sister Ruth, Gospel Nonviolence and Just Peace is a longing from a person’s soul, and its living out should start personally and should spread gradually among people like gentle water.  For more information download this pdf: Advocate for the use of diplomacy and dialogue to abolish war and nuclear weapons.  Read Sister Ruth's reflection shared in the August 2020 SSND monthly eNewsletter. This episode does have a transcript available.

Sister Lois Martens, shares the importance of Gospel Nonviolence and Just Peace (GNJP). She has served on the GNJP committee for many years and still feels that living GNJP is a journey that can take a lifetime. For more information download this pdf: Recognize our interconnectedness with all creation.  Sign up to get notifications from Voter Voice and learn more about the seven-year commitment made by SSND to the Laudato Si' Action Platform. 

Anne Vidacovich, a SSND associate shares how having an open mind and heart can create space for Gospel Nonviolence and Just Peace (GNJP) with co-hosts S. Anna Marie Reha and Kaitlyn Holdmeyer. For more information download this pdf: Recognize and respect the dignity of each person; live and teach love and compassion for all.  Gain a better understanding by reading the Gospel Nonviolence and Just Peace Corporate Stance Statement. 

Learn more about Gospel Nonviolence and Just Peace (GNJP) from Sister Paulissa Jirik who is on the GNJP committee. For more information download this pdf: Cultivate our own inner peace, self-respect and recognition of one’s own dignity.  Read the Gospel Nonviolence and Just Peace Corporate Stance Statement. 

In this episode, you learn more about the School Sisters of Notre Dame's corporate stance on Gospel Nonviolence and Just Peace from Shalom/JPIC director, Tim Dewane. For more information download this pdf: Nonviolent Policies, Practices, and Strategies.  Read the Gospel Nonviolence and Just Peace Corporate Stance Statement. 

Sister Anna Marie Reha, provincial councilor, and Kaitlyn Holdmeyer, communications manager, co-host Season 2 of Called to Action.  In this episode, you learn more about the hosts and explore the urgency of Season 2's theme, Gospel Nonviolence and Just Peace. For more information download this pdf: The centrality of Gospel Nonviolence.  Additional information can be found on our website. 

In this episode we talk to Megan Schnitker. She is an Indigenous traditional herbalist and founder of the Mahkato Revitalization Project. Her parents, Charles Wayne and Marla Bull Bear, have always been a strong foundation for her by providing Lakota teachings and traditions growing up. Her father is hereditary Chief Bull Bear of the Kiyaksa Band of Oglalas of Pine Ridge Reservation, South Dakota, and comes from a long line of traditional spiritual leaders and teachers. She is proud and humbled to be a part of a traditional family.

The final speaker for Season 1, Called to Action, is Megan Schnitker, Owner and Indigenous Traditional Herbalist, Lakota Made, LLC, a speaker during the 2021 Women's Leadership Luncheons in St. Paul, Minnesota.  Her Native American culture values taking care of the Earth, as the Earth takes care of them. In her ancestry, women leaders in the Lakota culture have strong connections to the land. She expresses the importance of a sustainability-centered existence and strives to be one with nature, in all her work.