Letitia Close, BVM is all smiles at ribbon-cutting with LeeAnn Farrell, SSND, director of the center and Detroit Auxiliary Bishop Earl A. Boyea.

Letitia Close, BVM (St. Noel) is the first recipient of an award from Guest House Inc. named after her! It is given in recognition of a significant ministry to women religious affected by addictive disease.

Letty, a member of the Board of Trustees of Guest House in Lake Orion, Mich., urgently advocated the building of a treatment center for women religious at Guest House. The new building has become a reality, and was dedicated in August. A loan from the BVM congregation's Community Development Fund helped with the funding for this new facility.

For many years, Letty has been executive director of the Inter-congregational Addiction Program. It is the network which enhances and strengthens the 12-step addiction recovery program of women religious both nationally and internationally.

The National Catholic Council on Addictions (NCCA) Board has selected BVMs Letitia Close and Mary Gene Kinney (below) to receive the Sister Ignatia Gavin Award at the NCCA annual conference. They were chosen for their innovative and long-term contributions to the recognition, education, treatment and maintenance of recovery from alcoholism for women religious, beginning when they first met in 1976. Sister Ignatia Gavin, SCA was the co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous. “For Mary Gene and me to be associated with her name and work is an immense honor and pleasure,” said Letty.

For the sixteenth consecutive year, Jane McDonnell, BVM (Bonaventure) has had a poem “August” published in the 2007 edition of Lyrical Iowa. Another poem, “Fish Days,” has been accepted for the Dubuque Area Writers' Guild Gallery 2007.

Rooted in Vision, a book on Blessed Junipero Serra by Gertrude Ann Sullivan, BVM has been revised by the author and re-published. The book was initially written in 1984 for students in Southern California, where many of Serra's missions are located. The revised edition has been funded by the Serra Club of Dubuque, Iowa. Rooted in Vision, the third book of a trilogy, is a reflective biography.  

Kathleen Spurlin, BVM (Bernardone) (center) has been honored with the Mississippi state award as the “Heart of Hospice.” She received the honor in New Orleans at the conclusion of a two-state hospice conference. Pictured with her are Volunteer Coordinator, Liz Roth (left) and Hospice Director, Ramona Martin.

Hospice staff nominated Kathleen, who is a volunteer chaplain in Hattiesburg, Miss. Her interest began while teaching in Butte, Mont., where she accompanied students on visits to nursing homes.

During her 25 years as a prison chaplain, Kathleen was regularly involved with bereavement ministry to prisoners when a loved one was dying or had died. She first encountered hospice when a prisoner was able to visit his dying father.

This ministry “has been such a blessing for me,” Kathleen said. “I receive more than I could ever give, continually being inspired by their faith dealing with suffering. They appreciate having the scripture read and having prayer. Other times I provide respite for the caregiver.”