CHM sisters, associates celebrate milestones

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For The Catholic Messenger

DAVENPORT — The Congregation of the Humility of Mary (CHM) is celebrating the jubilees of six sisters and two associates. The community invites the public to send cards to Humility of Mary Center, 820 W. Central Park Ave., Davenport, IA 52804. The community will celebrate a private Mass later this month.

75 years

Sister Anstey

• Sister Miriam Anstey, a native of Cumberland, Iowa, entered the CHM community in 1946 and made her first profession in 1949. She received a BA in music education from Marycrest Coll­ege-Davenport, an MA in music from the University of Notre Dame, an MA in counseling from the University of St. Louis and a doctoral degree in administration and higher education from Southern Illinois University. Sister Anstey served in music education in the Iowa schools of St. Alphonsus in Davenport, St. Theresa in Des Moines, Gehlen in Le Mars and St. Joseph in Fort Madison. She also taught in Minnesota. She was the vice president of student affairs at the former Marycrest College, director of Idyllwild at the University of Southern California, and dean of continuing education and later the vice president of student services at Emerson College in Boston. Sister Anstey served as director at the Humility of Mary Center and was the music director of St. Anthony Parish in Davenport. After retirement, Sister Anstey spent many years volunteering for the former Humility of Mary Housing and Central City Ministry. She lives in Davenport where she is active in a ministry of prayer and witness.

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70 years

Sister Cratty

• Sister Regina Mary Cratty, born in 1933 in Des Moines, entered the CHM community in 1951. She made her first profession in 1954. She graduated from Ottum­wa Hei­g­h­ts College in Ottumwa and received her BA degree in elementary education from the former Marycrest College in Davenport. She received her MA degree in religious education from the University of Detroit. Sister Cratty served in teaching in Iowa at St. Anthony in Des Moines, Sacred Heart in West Des Moines, St. Mary Parish in Oskaloosa, Sacred Heart School in Davenport and Lourdes Memorial School in Bettendorf. She also taught in Montana. She later served as coordinator of the House of Prayer in Davenport. Sister Cratty lives at Humility of Mary Center in Davenport and is active in a ministry of prayer and witness.

Sister Ping

• Sister Harriet Ping (M. St. Edward), born in 1932 in Fort Madi­son, en­tered the CHM community in 1951 and made her first vows in 1954. She earned an associate’s degree in elementary education from Ottumwa Heigh­ts College in Ottumwa, a BA degree in general science from the former Marycrest College in Davenport, and an MA degree in math and physics from the University of North Dakota, Grand Forks. She served in teaching in Iowa at St. Alphonsus in Davenport, St. Mary in Ottumwa, Assumption High School in Davenport, St. Joseph in Dunlap, Gehlen in LeMars, Lennihan in Marshalltown and Aquinas in Fort Madison. She also taught in Montana. Sister Ping was a librarian at Marycrest and worked in administration at Martina Place Assisted Living in Johnston, Iowa. After retirement, she enjoyed volunteering at Our Lady of the Prairie Retreat. She now lives at Bishop Drumm Retirement Center in Johnston where she is active in a ministry of prayer and witness.

• Sister Helen Strohman (M. Maurice), born in 1932 in Keswick, en­tered the CHM community in 1951 and made her first vows in 1954. She earned a BA degree in elementary education from the former Mary­crest Coll­ege in Daven­port. She attended St. Ambrose University in Davenport and Drake University in Des Moines. She served in teaching in Iowa at St. Alphonsus in Davenport, St. Mary in Marshalltown, St. Mary and St. Patrick in Ottumwa, St. Donatus in St. Donatus, Assumption Grade School in Granger, and Christ the King, St. Anthony and Holy Trinity in Des Moines. She also taught in Minnesota and Mississippi. She was director of the YES Program in Canton, Mississippi, and a pastoral minister at St. Joseph Parish in North English. She was director of the Rainbow Literacy Center and worked for the MADCAAP Educational Program in Canton. Sister Strohman taught in the Madison County Jail in Mississippi and helped create the volunteer program Seeds of Hope in Des Moines. She lives in Canton and is on call for a storage facility. Her parish is the home of two retired Irish priests where daily they celebrate the Eucharist.

60 years

• Sister Sheila Seng (M. Mark Gregory), born in Lost Nation, entered the Congregation of the Humility of Mary in 1961 and made her first profession in 1964. She received a BA degree in elementary education from the former Marycrest College in Davenport. She served in teaching in Iowa at St. Joseph in Neola and St. Pius X in Des Moines. She also taught in Illinois and Colorado and was assistant principal and principal at Corpus Christi School in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Sister Seng currently substitute teaches at Christ the King in Denver.

50 years

• Sister Marilyn Berger, born in Sioux City, Iowa, entered the Congregation of the Humility of Mary in 1971 and made her first profession in 1973. She graduated from Ottumwa Heights College in Ottumwa and received her BA degree in theology from Mundelein College in Chicago. She received her MS degree in clinical psychology from Eastern Kentucky University in Somerset and her PsyD degree in clinical psychology from the University of Denver in Denver. Sister Berger taught religion in Iowa at Assumption High School in Davenport. She served in parish ministry in Nebraska, and Kentucky, was a pastoral associate at Our Lady of Guadalupe in Pueblo, Colorado, and was a Hispanic minister at St. Joseph in Rock Island, Illinois. In Colorado, she was an outpatient psychotherapist at Adams Community Mental Health in Commerce City. As a licensed clinical psychologist, she had a private practice working in nursing homes in Denver. She then ministered at the Jefferson Mental Health Center in Lakewood, Colorado, until retiring in 2021. She lives in Lakewood where she focuses on writing music.

25 years

• CHM Associate Barb Gross, born in Cascade, Iowa, was previously a vowed member of the Dubuque Fran­ciscan community. Later she built relationships with CHM sisters and became a CHM associate. Gross has a background in teaching, pastoral ministry and dedication to social justice and people in need. She served with the CHM Seeds of Hope ministry in Davenport, Our Lady of the Prairie Retreat in Wheatland, and is serving the CHM sisters at Bishop Drumm Retirement Center in Johnston.

• Davenport native and Associate Rita Hagner was introduced to the CHMs at an early age at St. Alphonsus Par­ish in Daven­port, delivering groceries to the sisters with her father. She was a vowed member of the community for a number of years, and later married and had two children. She has been an active member of Our Lady of Victory Parish, serving as sacristan. Prior to retirement, she enjoyed a career teaching Spanish.


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