Sister Ann Carville, PhD, a Sister of St. Francis of the Neumann Communities, recently received the Father Matthew Jankola Lifetime Commitment to Servant Leadership Award from the Sisters of Saints Cyril and Methodius in Danville, Pennsylvania.
Sister Ann, who earned a doctorate degree in philosophy, human and organizational development from The Fielding Institute in Santa Barbara, California, was one of four individuals whose commitment to servant leadership were celebrated at the event. “I am deeply honored to receive this wonderful affirmation from a group of dedicated women who are committed to this very same mission of service,” she comments. “To have it come from them heightens the beauty.”
Sister Ann was recognized for her outstanding qualities of compassion and service in the field of elder care. “Your work with your congregation in caring for your elderly sisters has been outstanding and your outreach to other religious congregations as a consultant for the National Religious Retirement Office has made a difference in the quality of their lives,” says Sister Michael Ann Orlik, general superior of the Sisters of Sts. Cyril and Methodius. “Your overall involvement in the care of the elderly on all levels is a reminder to us of the Gospel message of Jesus who came to heal us all.”
For more than 40 years, Sister Ann has successfully facilitated planning processes, including comprehensive plans for retirement, in a variety of settings for national and international congregations. After serving as community minister for her own congregation from 2001 to 2007, she served as a consultant on elder care for NRRO and continues to minister in this capacity. “I recognize there is much wisdom that is shared when women of all ages come together to talk about the complex issue of aging,” she comments. “My goal is to help crystallize their ideas for the future.”
The Sisters of St. Francis of the Neumann Communities in Pittsburgh is a congregation of 400 vowed women religious whose origin goes back to St. Francis of Assisi in the 13th century. To learn more, visit sosf.org.