DUBUQUE — Three Sisters of Charity, BVM, with ties to the Diocese of Davenport will celebrate 75 years in religious life this fall. Altogether 11 diamond jubilarians will gather in Mount Carmel Motherhouse Chapel in Dubuque on Sept. 9 for a liturgy of thanksgiving.
All three Sisters with diocesan ties entered the BVM congregation on Sept. 8, 1937. They professed first vows on March 19, 1940, and final vows on Aug. 15, 1945.
Sister Julissa Duggan, BVM, was born in South Garryowen, Iowa. She ministered as an educator. In Iowa, Sr. Duggan taught elementary school at St. Anthony in Davenport and Cedar Falls, was principal in Cascade, and served as superior/principal at St. Mathias in Muscatine for 21 years and taught there for five years. She also taught in Chattanooga, Tenn.; Tucson, Ariz.; Clarksdale, Miss.; and Chicago.
Sister Virginia Hughes, BVM, (Flocella) was born in Burlington and entered the BVM community from St. Paul Parish in Burlington. As an educator, she taught elementary school in Chicago; Burbank, Calif.; and St. James in Washington, Iowa, from 1964-70; where she also was coordinator of religious education for four rural parishes. She served in religious education for the remainder of her ministry in the Davenport Diocese, in Maryland for the Department of Education in Washington, D.C., and in Chicago for Mundelein College and Loyola University.
Sister (Saint) Carolyn Weibeler, BVM, was born in Minneapolis. As an educator, she taught at Regina in Iowa City from 1959-61, Dubuque, Des Moines and West Des Moines; Lincoln, Neb.; and St. Paul, Minn. She served as guest representative, pastoral minister and volunteer at Mercy Hospital in Des Moines.
To send a congratulatory message to a Sister on her jubilee or to donate to the BVM congregation on behalf of these Sisters, please go to www.bvmcong.org/whatsnew_jubs.cfm.
