1/28/2010
Sisters of St. Mary of Oregon choose leadership
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| Sisters of St. Mary of Oregon choose leadership |
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BEAVERTON — The Sisters of St. Mary of Oregon, soon to celebrate 125 years since their founding, have chosen a new four-member leadership council. The women will take office in the summer.
Sister Charlene Herinckx, 62-year-old longtime vocations director of the 68-member community, is new superior general. She succeeds Sister Barbara Jean Laughlin, who has served two five-year terms.
The Sisters, often known by the acronym SSMO, focus on education. But they also serve in parishes, social ministry and health care. Their Valley Catholic campus here ministers to people from preschool to nursing home age.
Born in Hillsboro, Sister Charlene attended St. Francis of Assisi School in Roy and St. Mary of the Valley High School (now Valley Catholic). She entered the Sisters in 1967, making her final profession in 1974.
Sister Charlene earned a bachelor’s degree from Marylhurst College in 1973 and a master’s in education from the University of Portland in 1978. She also earned a master’s of private school administration in 1986 from the University of San Francisco.
Sister Charlene taught at many schools in Oregon and Washington from 1969 to 1985, including Holy Trinity and at St. Mary of the Valley (now Valley Catholic). She was also vice principal at LaSalle Prep in Milwaukie.
She was the Sisters’ director of formation and vocations from 1986-95 and was associate director of vocations for the Archdiocese of Portland during the same time.
She took over as principal for St. Francis of Assisi Grade School in 1995-1999, and was coordinator of programs and projects for the National Religious Vocation Office in Chicago from 1999-2005. She was a SSMO council member, vocations director, coordinator of Sisters’ professional development, general secretary and vicar general from 2005 to present.
Sister Catherine Hertel, 69, will be new vicar general and a council member. She entered the convent in 1958, with final profession in 1963. She taught high school and grade school music 1963-69, and then taught music and religion from 1969 to 1993. She assisted in administration duties at St. Mary of the Valley and is currently working in religious education at St. Cecilia Parish here.
Also elected to the council is Sister Krista von Borstel, 53. Born on the von Borstel Ranch in Sherman County, she entered the convent in 1980 and made final profession in 1987. She taught arts and religion from 1982 to 1990 at St. Mary of the Valley and had stints as vice principal and athletic director from 1990 to 1997. She has been working as the executive director for CYO/Camp Howard since 1997.
The Sisters also elected Sister Joyce Barsotti to the new council. Sister Joyce, 69, was born in Portland. She made final profession in 1965 and was an educator from 1963 to 1989, teaching at Oregon and Washington schools, notably St. Cecilia in Beaverton, St. Mary’s in Spokane and St. Mary’s in Stayton. She taught first to third grades, as well as religion and prayer classes.
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