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“The
Sisters of St. Joseph have been responding to the needs and challenges of
the people in the Mid-Ohio Valley for more than 100 years, and I feel privileged to have a part in continuing this tradition by
working with faith-based congregations developing health ministries that
promote health, prevent disease, and foster spiritual growth.” Born
and raised in Wheeling, West Virginia, Sister Bauer earned her
undergraduate degree in elementary education from West Liberty State
College. Sister Bauer
completed a graduate degree in Pastoral Ministry from the University of
Dayton where she also serves as an on-line facilitator in its Virtual
Learning Community Faith Formation Program of the Institute for Pastoral
Initiatives. As
a member of the Sisters of Sisters of St. Joseph of Wheeling, Sister Bauer
has 36 years of experience in education and pastoral ministry.
She has served on a variety of boards and committees connected to
the mission of the Sisters of St. Joseph, including the Sisters
of St. Joseph Ministry Endowment Fund Committee, the Sisters of St. Joseph
Resource Sharing Task Force, and the Sisters of St. Joseph
Sesquicentennial Committee. She
was a founding member of the Board of ABLE Families, Inc. (a sponsored
ministry of the Sisters of St. Joseph, located in Mingo County). Sister
Bauer moved to Parkersburg from Union, West Virginia where – for the
past 12 years – she was Pastoral Associate for the Catholic Churches in
Monroe and Central Greenbrier Counties. She directed several small mission
churches, participated in ecumenical ministry outreach and helped initiate
the Monroe County Coalition for Children and Families and Court Appointed
Special Advocates (CASA) for abused and neglected children in Greenbrier
and Pocahontas Counties. In reflecting on her time in parish ministry, Sr. Bauer says, “I loved my years in southern West Virginia. I believe my experience as well as my background in spirituality will assist me in my new ministry to the people of the Mid-Ohio Valley. I know health ministry is already happening in many ways in area churches. One of the goals of the Health Ministry Initiative is to provide
support for these existing ministries and to help other congregations
develop health ministries that fit them and the needs of their
communities. The Health Ministry Initiative recognizes that spirituality
is an important component of wholistic health and strives to foster
relationships and collaboration among health ministries and the health
promotion/health care community. I
look forward,” she continued, "to the opportunities which lie ahead
for working with churches, organizations, agencies and persons in the
region addressing health ministry needs with creativity and commitment.
” For more information about the SSJCF Health Ministry Initiative, the format and content of the Letter of Inquiry; and, the Initiative’s funding criteria, contact Sister Molly Bauer, HMI Program Director at 304-424-6080 or mbauer@ssjcharitablefund.org
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