DAVENPORT — The Congregation of the Humility of Mary (CHM) will celebrate the jubilees of six vowed Sisters at a special Mass of celebration in Christ the King Chapel, St. Ambrose University, on Sunday, June 30 at 2 p.m. Msgr. Francis Henricksen will be the principal celebrant.
Those being honored:
75 years
• Sister Corrine Foley was born in 1920 in Hills and entered the Congregation of the Humility of Mary in 1938. She pronounced first vows in 1941. Sr. Foley studied elementary education and received an A.A. from Ottumwa Heights College in Ottumwa and a B.A. from Marycrest College in Davenport. She pursued further studies at Montana State University in Missoula and Drake University in Des Moines.
Her teaching ministry took place in Iowa at St. Anthony and St. Pius, Des Moines; St. Joseph, Dunlap; St. Mary, Centerville; Sacred Heart, West Des Moines; Lourdes Memorial School, Bettendorf; St. Patrick, Ottumwa; and St. Joseph, Neola. In addition, she taught in Montana. Sr. Foley’s current ministry is prayer and witness. She resides at Humility of Mary Center in Davenport.
• Sister Marie Ven Horst (M. Helene) was born in 1916 in Pleasant Valley and entered the Congregation of the Humility of Mary in 1938. She professed first vows in 1941. She attended Ottumwa Heights College to earn her A.A., and then studied at St. Ambrose College and Marycrest College, Davenport, earning a B.S. in chemistry. She received an M.S. in inorganic chemistry from St. Louis University in St. Louis and a Ph.D. in physical chemistry from the University of Iowa.
Sr. Ven Horst’s education ministry included more than 40 years on faculty at Marycrest College and then as associate dean at Teikyo/ Marycrest University. She then was an interim academic dean, an institutional researcher and a consultant at Marycrest International University. Active in research, Sr. Ven Horst has published results in more than 30 scientific and academic journals and magazines. She also was editor of the CHM monthly publication The Roadrunner for 40 years and a steadfast volunteer at Our Lady of the Prairie Retreat near Wheatland. Sr. Ven Horst currently resides at the Humility of Mary Center in Davenport and is active in a ministry of witness and prayer.
70 years
• Sister Marita Bartholome was born in Great Falls, Mont., in 1923 and entered the Congregation of the Humility of Mary in 1943 and professed first vows in 1946. She studied business at Great Falls College in Great Falls and received her B.S. in business education from Marycrest College. She received a B.S. in library science from the College of St. Catherine, St. Paul, Minn.; and an M.S. in library science from the University of Wisconsin, Madison.
Sr. Bartholome’s ministry as a teacher/librarian in Montana included St. Leo High School in Lewistown and Central Catholic High School in Great Falls. She was head librarian at Marycrest College from 1957-72 and reference librarian at Great Falls Public Library from 1973-96. Sr. Bartholome volunteered from 1997-2009 setting up archives in the University of Great Falls library. She is active in a ministry of prayer and witness and lives at Bishop Drumm Retirement Center in Johnston, Iowa.
• Sister Charlene Olear was born in Marshalltown in 1925 and entered the Congregation of the Humility of Mary in 1943 and made her first profession in 1946. Sr. Olear graduated from Marycrest College with a B.A. and from Clarke College in Dubuque with an M.A. in reading. She took post-graduate courses at Iowa State University, University of Montana and University of Arizona.
Sr. Olear’s teaching ministry took place in Iowa at St. Anthony and St. Theresa, Des Moines; Sacred Heart and Dowling High School, West Des Moines; Lourdes Memorial School, Bettendorf; St. Alphonsus and John F. Kennedy, Davenport; St. Mary, Centerville; All Saints, Stuart; and Gehlen, LeMars. She taught special education at Colo Community School, Colo; and was a learning disability specialist at West Marshall Community School District, State Center. She also taught at St. Joseph, Great Falls, Mont.; and at St. Louis the King, Glendale, Ariz. Sr. Olear lives at Bishop Drumm Retirement Center where she is active in a ministry of prayer and witness.
60 years
• Sister Marcia Costello (Marcia Marie) was born in 1931 in Davenport and entered the Congregation of the Humility of Mary in 1953 and made her first profession in 1956. She received a B.A. in sociology from Marycrest College and an M.A. in American history from St. Louis University.
Sr. Costello’s teaching ministry took place in Iowa at Ottumwa Heights and St. Patrick School, Ottumwa; St. Mary School, Centerville; Aquinas High School, Fort Madison; Lourdes Memorial School, Bettendorf; and Assumption High School, Davenport. She also taught at Bourgade in Phoenix, Ariz. Sr. Costello worked in development at Marycrest College and Teikyo Marycrest University, Davenport. She established the communication department for the Sisters of Humility. She served as director of communications at the CHM motherhouse in Ottumwa from 1970-71 and as director of communications at the Humility of Mary Center in Davenport from 1995-2003. After retiring she served as volunteer diocesan coordinator of the Retirement Fund for Religious for a number of years. Sr. Costello currently lives in Davenport.
50 years
• Sister Elizabeth Thoman was born in 1943 in Chattanooga, Tenn. She entered the Congregation of the Humility of Mary in 1964 and made her first profession in 1966.
Sr. Thoman earned a B.A. in English at Marycrest College and an M.A. in communication management from the University of Southern California, Los Angeles. She also studied feminist spirituality at Immaculate Heart College Center, Los Angeles.
Sr. Thoman was a journalism teacher at Lenihan School in Marshalltown before becoming a professional photographer, writer and public relations coordinator for a variety of not-for-profit organizations. From 1975-83 she organized and directed a national media training center for nonprofit and religious organizations concerned with minorities, women, the peace movement and other social issues. Aware of the impact of mass media and new technology, in 1977 she started a newsletter to share information, research and ideas for action which evolved into Media & Values, a quarterly magazine with international circulation. The magazine became the cornerstone of the Center for Media Literacy, a nonprofit membership organization founded by Sr. Thoman to research new ways of thinking about television and media. Most recently, Sr. Thoman’s love of photography led her to establish “Healing Petals,” a ministry to promote prayer and healing through images of creation. She recently moved to Davenport and resides at the Humility of Mary Center.
