The all school liturgy for St. Teresa of Avila introduced four new associates of the Sisters of St. Joseph Associates Program. The new associates being Jennifer Greene, Michael Sanem, Jennifer Petree and Barbara Cusick. The program is for people who are already living their vocation to married life or to single life that aren’t going to join the congregation of St. Joseph but they are very passionate about and they feel that call toward the mission.

Director of campus ministry Meredith Snyder describes it as, “A program that kind of grew out of desire for the lay people to have a kind of a more intentional way to participate in the mission of the sisters.” The lay people being people that are not nuns or priests.

Snyder also said when talking about the maxims of the sisters that they are, “Statements of how do we live our life, what is our value or what are our values as sisters committed to living this way.”

One of the new associates, Jennifer Greene said, “About a year ago, sister Ruth asked if I wanted to commit completely [after sitting in on some of the CSJA meetings] and go ahead and go through the formation and do the commitment ceremony that you saw today.”

The prayer service was planned by Snyder and the CSJ student leaders. These students were nominated to go to a leadership camp in St. Louis.

“[At the camp] we did leadership activities and we planned a prayer service,” said junior Ruthie Mckee.

The CSJ campers planned the St. Teresa of Avila prayer service as well. “They told us kind of what needed to happen at the prayer service, so like reflections, opening prayer, closing prayer, petition, McKee said. “And then otherwise it was pretty much up to us to write that stuff and make it happen.”