Clinton, IA – Six Clinton Franciscan Sisters will celebrate their Jubilee, the anniversary of their entrance into religious life, this July. Sisters Ruth Cox, Teresa Kunkel, Joan Theiss, Mary Lou Carlson, Gael Gensler, and Jacqueline Herrmann have a combined 390 years of service to God’s people.
Jubilee Mass will be held Saturday, July 27, at 10:30 a.m. at Jesus Christ, Prince of Peace Catholic Church in Clinton with Father Michael Schaab of the Diocese of Peoria presiding. The public is welcome to attend. A private luncheon will follow.
70 years
Sisters Ruth Cox, Teresa Kunkel, and Joan Theiss entered the Sisters of St. Francis at Mount St. Clare Convent in Clinton in 1954.
A native of Sioux City, IA, Sr. Ruth Cox, has served in the areas of nursing, nursing administration, nursing education, and congregational administration.
Sr. Ruth has ministered at hospitals and clinics in Grinnell and Burlington, IA; Macomb, IL; and Freeport, Grand Bahama. She also served as an instructor of nursing at Loyola University, Chicago, IL; Barry College, Miami Shores, FL; and Kirkwood Community College, Cedar Rapids, IA. She was the Administrator of The Alverno Health Care Facility in Clinton from 1977 to 2003.
She served on the General Council of the Sisters of St. Francis for sixteen years, and as a board member for healthcare institutions and universities for many years.
Sr. Ruth retired from active ministry in 2012. She moved to The Canticle in Clinton in 2020 and remains a resident there. She serves on the congregation’s Laudato Si’ committee and Days of Reflection committee.
Sr. Teresa Kunkel, a native of Granville, IL, has served in the areas of education, pastoral ministry, and congregational administration.
She has served as a teacher and principal at schools in Oak Lawn and Chicago, IL; Lidderdale, IA; and Chino, CA. She ministered for eighteen years at Mount St. Clare College in Clinton in the positions of Director of Admissions, Registrar, and Assistant Academic Dean.
Sr. Teresa served for seven years as a member of the General Council of the Sisters of St. Francis. She was a pastoral associate for three years in Uniontown, KY, before returning to Clinton to serve full-time as the Assistant Treasurer of the congregation for twenty-five years. She continued to serve in this role on a part-time basis until her retirement in 2015.
She resides at The Canticle in Clinton, where she serves on the advisory committee, death penalty committee, garden planning committee, and is a part of a Wisdom Circle. Sr. Teresa is also involved in prison ministry - writing and visiting an incarcerated gentleman.
A native of Sublette, IL, Sr. Joan Theiss has served in the areas of education, pastoral ministry, and congregational administration.
She has ministered as a teacher and principal at schools in Clinton, Danbury, and Fonda, IA; Cameron, MO; and Chicago Heights, IL. She served as a pastoral minister in parishes in Sutherland, Primghar, and Royal/Everly in western Iowa.
Sr. Joan served as the director of Mount St. Clare Convent for five years, the General Treasurer of the Sisters of St. Francis for eighteen years, and director of the congregation’s Associate Partnership Program for four years.
She retired from full-time ministry in 2009. She presently resides at The Canticle in Clinton, where she serves on the garden planning committee and is involved in prison ministry by communicating with an incarcerated gentleman. Sr. Joan also enjoys participating in weekly Zoom gatherings with her family.
60 Years
Sisters Mary Lou Carlson, Gael Gensler, and Jacqueline Herrmann entered the Sisters of St. Francis at Mount St. Clare Convent in Clinton in 1964.
Sr. Mary Lou Carlson, a native of Fremont, NE, has served in the areas of education, pastoral ministry, and spiritual direction.
She was a teacher at schools in Cameron and St. Louis, MO; Oak Lawn and Joliet, IL; Maysville, KY; and San Diego, CA. She served as a pastoral minister in parishes in Kentucky and California. She was on the Retreat Team at Mission San Luis Rey in Oceanside, CA. She gave retreats and offered spiritual direction.
Sr. Mary Lou retired from full-time ministry in 2020. She moved to The Canticle in Clinton in 2021, where she remains a resident. She has been facilitating “Exploring Scripture” for 16 years and has continued the last 4 years via Zoom with people from California.
A native of Rochelle, IL, Sr. Gael Gensler has served in the areas of education, pastoral ministry, vocation and formation ministry, and congregational leadership.
She has taught at parochial schools in Illinois and Iowa. She served four years at the Office of Religious Education in the Peoria, IL, diocese. Sr. Gael ministered four years as the Director of Institutes for the North American Forum on the Catechumenate in Arlington, VA. She continued as a team member for the North American Forum for an additional twenty-one years. She has authored numerous books and articles on the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults (RCIA) process.
She served for many years as the Initial Discernment Coordinator for the Sisters of St. Francis, and for three years as a member of the congregation’s Leadership Team.
Sr. Gael has worked in parish ministry since 1992 at parishes in Wichita, KS, and Mundelein and Tinley Park, IL. She presently ministers as a pastoral associate at St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Orland Park, IL, and resides in Tinley Park. Sr. Gael currently serves on the Ministry Commission for Vicarate V. She served several years on the board of directors for the Mennonite Housing Project in Tinley Park.
Sr. Jacqueline Herrmann, a native of Rochelle, IL, has served in the areas of education and pastoral ministry.
She has served as a teacher at schools in Reedley, CA; Chicago Heights, IL; Maysville, KY; Aurora, IL; Oak Lawn, IL; and Lisle, IL. She also did mission work in Grayson, KY (Glenmary Mission), as well as parish ministry in Chicago, IL; Farmington, IA, and its mission parish in String Prairie, IA, for several years.
While residing in Aurora, IL, Sr. Jackie has served as a tutorial teacher in after-school daycare programs.