It is no coincidence that International Women’s Day marks the start of Catholic Sisters Week. In recognition of that, we are shining a spotlight on Sister Trailblazers—IHM Sisters who saw unmet needs, took courageous risks and founded ministries that continue to thrive decades later: schools, nonprofits and ministries rooted in faith.
Throughout this week, we will share stories of ministries founded years ago that are still transforming lives today—living proof that Sisters are architects of lasting change.
Honor IHM Sisters and their ministries below
If you want to join the celebration, please send a card or video to ihmcommunications@ihmsisters.org or 610 West Elm Avenue, Monroe, MI 48162.
Sister Trailblazer in education and outreach
As Catholic Sisters Week begins today, International Women’s Day, we honor Sister Andrea Lee, IHM—a trailblazer whose vision helped make this celebration possible.
Sister Andrea recognized that the courage and impact of Catholic Sisters were too often overlooked. With clarity and conviction, she helped launch Catholic Sisters Week, creating space to share the authentic stories of women religious. Today, Catholic Sisters Week connects the public with more than 42,000 Catholic Sisters serving across the United States.
The weeklong celebration was first observed in 2014 as part of Women’s History Month at St. Catherine University in Minnesota, where Sister Andrea served as president. She helped secure the first grant for National Catholic Sisters Week from the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation. Sister Andrea provided visionary leadership to establish and grow the initiative, ensuring that the stories and ministries of Catholic Sisters would be seen, heard and valued.
It is fitting that this week begins on International Women’s Day. Sister Andrea embodies what both celebrations affirm: when women lead with courage and purpose, lasting change follows. Join us in honoring her vision and the enduring impact of Catholic Sisters.
Sister Trailblazers in technology and communication
When Sisters Julie Vieira and Maxine Kollasch co-founded A Nun’s Life Ministry in 2006, they stepped into new territory. They brought the voices and lived experience of women religious into digital spaces where few Sisters had gone before. They recognized a growing hunger for authentic conversations about vocation, faith and discernment, especially among young people navigating life in a digital world. Rather than waiting for traditional channels, Sisters Julie and Maxine built an innovative ministry that met people where they were: online, on the airwaves and in honest dialogue.
What began as a bold experiment has become a trusted, enduring ministry, offering podcasts, videos, live interactions and resources that continue to accompany people as they discern God’s call today. While Global Sisters Report acquired the trademark and assets of A Nun’s Life in December 2024, the ministry’s website, which attracts nearly 12,000 monthly visitors, continues to serve as a resource for exploring religious life and vocations. The merger has ensured that the legacy of A Nun’s Life continues under the National Catholic Reporter umbrella. As we celebrate Catholic Sisters Week during Women’s History Month, we honor Maxine Kollasch and Julie Vieira as IHM Sister Trailblazers: women who saw possibility, embraced new tools and created a ministry that continues to inspire and guide.
Sister Trailblazer in education and innovation
1n 1974, Sister Joyce (Rose Anthony) Durosko served at St. Stephen’s Indian School on the Wind River Reservation, working among the Arapaho and Shoshone communities.
Recognizing the urgent need for improved educational facilities, she collaborated with the Jesuits, who played a significant role in establishing missions across the Plains, to secure a $4.2 million federal grant to build a new primary school for the tribes.
As project director, Sister Joyce worked closely with architects on the school’s design. Drawing on her science background, she studied Michigan State University’s biological wastewater treatment system—an innovative approach using bacteria to treat and recycle water for irrigation—and incorporated forward-thinking ideas into the project. It was also during this time that she was introduced to computer technology, which she used to project space requirements during construction.
Serving in a community where she was among the minority, Sister Joyce, alongside Sister Laetitia Lariviere taught at the elementary school and witnessed firsthand the community’s strength and resilience. As an administrator, she hired educated teachers from the tribes and helped transition both ownership and administration back to the tribal people. Her goal was always empowerment and self-determination.
Before she left, the community honored her with the Indian name “Hi sei Noo’ ote,” meaning “woman of empowerment.” Today, the school remains alive and well. Her leadership reflects a vision rooted in justice, innovation and deep respect for the people she served.
Sister Trailblazer in faith formation
Nancy Ayotte, IHM, recognized that young children are capable of encountering God in profound ways, but that traditional approaches to religious education often overlooked their unique needs and gifts.
Inspired by the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd method, she helped introduce and expand this faith formation approach in the United States, creating spaces where children could experience Scripture, liturgy and prayer in an age-appropriate, deeply personal way.
Through her vision, patience and leadership, Nancy built a ministry that continues to shape generations of children and catechists in Monroe County. The classrooms and atriums she helped establish are living testimony to her belief that faith formation is both relational and transformational.
As we celebrate Catholic Sisters Week, we honor Nancy Ayotte, IHM, as a Sister Trailblazer—one who saw a need, imagined a hands-on way of teaching and created a ministry that has nurtured faith for decades.
Sister Trailblazers in social justice
At Paula’s House in Monroe, Michigan, the pioneering spirit of IHM Sisters continues to transform lives.
Sister Jean (Dorothy Jean) O’Connor, IHM (1930–2013), was co-founder, board treasurer and a live-in volunteer community facilitator at Paula’s House.
Paula’s House provides a caring, stable and safe transitional environment for women leaving incarceration or treatment programs. Sister Jean believed deeply in presence as ministry. As a welcoming, live-in companion to the residents, she strived to create a home atmosphere that fostered a sense of security for women in need of support and guidance during a time of growth and change.
That spirit continues through Sister Candy (Lauren) Rekart, IHM, who ministers at Paula’s House today. For the past decade, Sister Candy has served as a family coach, teaching parenting classes focused on coping skills, creativity and healing for women overcoming addiction, many of whom live there with their children. Her responsibilities include “whatever is needed.” One might find Sister Candy in the kitchen or playroom, seated at a large table covered in paints and markers, listening as life stories unfold through art, or in her office, where children arrange dollhouses.
For Sister Candy, ministry is rooted in accompaniment, creativity and deep spirituality. “My teachers are the people themselves,” she says—people navigating life’s realities with courage and hope.
During Catholic Sisters Week, we honor Sister Jean’s foundational vision and Sister Candy’s continued commitment. Together, they embody what it means to be Sister Trailblazers—women who create spaces of dignity, healing and empowerment that endure.
Sister trailblazer in global unity
When Joan Mumaw, IHM, helped found Friends in Solidarity, she responded to a call that reached beyond borders. While she no longer lived in Africa, she could still stand with communities in South Sudan as they rebuilt their lives amid conflict, displacement and poverty, even though she lived stateside.
Sister Joan understood that solidarity is not charity, but partnership. Friends in Solidarity was created to accompany local communities through education, health care, sustainable agriculture and leadership formation, helping to build long-term stability and hope. What began over a decade ago as a courageous response to urgent need has grown into a lasting ministry that continues to walk alongside the people of South Sudan today.
Friends in Solidarity endures because it reflects Joan’s vision. Her leadership reminds us how Sisters recognize injustice, imagine new possibilities and create ministries that transform lives. During Catholic Sisters Week, we honor Joan Mumaw, IHM—a trailblazer whose courage and compassion continue to inspire.
With gratitude
As Catholic Sisters Week comes to a close, we give heartfelt thanks to all our Sister Trailblazers, both past and present. These brave sisters saw needs, took bold action and built ministries that continue to support God’s people.
The Sisters we’ve highlighted this week are just a small representation of the 2,700 IHMs in our 181 years. Their courage and vision continue to inspire us daily.
We also want to hear from you! To join the celebration, please send a card or video to ihmcommunications@ihmsisters.org or 610 West Elm Avenue, Monroe, MI 48162.
Thank you for joining us in the celebration of these remarkable women. May we carry their examples forward, living in faith and service of our own communities each day.