Sister Katie Clauss, IHM

“All Are Welcome”

Profiles of OLP Sisters are particularly written for staff who only meet them at this stage of their lives – when sisters have retired. The goal is to help staff who work with them realize that they have “had a life” of years in ministry before getting to OLP.

Some sisters come to OLP for recuperation. It is under that criteria that Sister Katie Clauss fits the qualification for this profile.

Katie learned at home the IHM quality of hospitality. Beyond family and friends, visitors from Ireland, India, Philippines, Italy and Australia came to visit or temporarily reside in her home.

Katie attended grade school at St. Clare’s and Marywood Seminary. Because the Seminary was in the Motherhouse, its students had a view of and experiences with IHMs that others did not. That was particularly true for the Junior Professed Sisters. From Sister Kathy Toner, Katie learned about IHM service. Kathy invited students to assist with the children at St. Joseph’s Center and to use their guitar skills to play for local folk masses.

Once Katie determined that she had a vocation, she sought out Sister Jane Snyder and they connected with Jane’s aunt, Sister Francella, who became Katie’s sponsor. Katie is one year ahead of me in formation. When I was reflecting on our many years of friendship, it dawned on me that the Motherhouse fire and the mass the following morning must have been an even greater loss for her.

After graduation, Katie’s first teaching experience was as a primary teacher in Sayre followed by Archbishop Neale Elementary School in LaPlata. After ten years as a primary teacher, Katie became a principal—beginning her day by welcoming all of the students as they entered the building.

In 1988, Katie spent a year teaching at Marywood College as she applied to doctoral programs. She had already completed a counseling degree. Katie left Marywood for Seton Hall and a PhD in Family and Marriage Therapy. That experience included being a counseling intern and a staff psychologist at Reading Hospital.

She did return to Marywood to teach in the Counseling Department for three years before joining the administration of Maxis Health System as vice president of mission integration – expanding her knowledge both of the IHM charism and sharing it with our sponsored ministries.

Before being elected as IHM president, Katie spent four years ministering as a facilitator for religious congregations, a ministry she learned to love. Thus, she brought to her own presidency an awareness of what other congregations were exploring.

Katie was a member of the IHM leadership under two different presidents. Both presidents, Sister Mary Persico and Sister Ellen Maroney, entered the IHMs at the same time as Katie and, as novices, their directress, Sister Redempta Sweeney, also went on to be an IHM president!

It was under Katie’s presidency that the IHM covenant with the Sisters of St. Casimir was completed as she became their commissary. Katie and the leadership team have also focused on the stewardship of our sponsored ministries. As they leave office, an agreement to house the NativityMiguel School at the IHM Center has been completed and the process of exploring available space has begun—leaving the new leadership team to make final decisions within the next year.

 As Katie and her team complete their term of office, the Congregation is grateful for their fidelity to their commitment to serve each of us with “Joyful, Loving and Hospitable Service.” We all pray that they will find ministries that are fulling and continue to make use of their talents.