*Everyone introduces themselves*

Very good if you don't mind. I want to start off by telling a little bit about myself. Then you can ask me questions. I am in my 65th year of being religious. I am from Ravenna, which is not too far from here, and we had the Dominican sisters as teachers. I had the Dominican Sisters in grade school there, which is how I ended up at the Elms. And the time that I entered most of the women who came were right out of high school. We did have a few that were actually in high school, and they used to live in Beatle Hall. And we don't do that anymore because that’s too young. And then I went to college, I went to Kent state for a couple of years before I entered. Because I had two years of education, three weeks after I entered I started teaching here at the grade school. Now the grade school where I taught is not here anymore, it is where your high school is. A part of that land used to have a building and then attached to that building was the grade school. So I started out right away being an Elms person. And I taught for four years at here and then I was moved around. So for a period of years I taught at elementary level and then I taught at the high school level. I taught at Cardinal Mooney High School in Youngstown--You guys may have heard of Cardinal Mooney. And then at Saint Vincent High School and then when it became STVM. So I was also the drama director for thirteen years. 

So I directed plays and musicals. And then I left there and went to Cleveland to John Carroll University where I was a campus minister. And then I taught part time because my major was we used to call it Speech. Now they call it communications, so at the college level, that's what I taught. So then I went to Lakeland Community College, which is on the far East side of Cleveland. And I was there for 25 years. So I started off as a campus minister and teaching part time and then I gave up the campus ministry just to teach. I also went back to John Carol, and taught there too. So all together I taught for fifty five years so it's been a long time.

I never counted the years till maybe the year before I retired. And when i counted the years i thought no wonder i am tired. I realized I was slowing up and so I retired. And it's been very hard retiring. Because I'm not teaching anymore, you don't have purpose anymore. You don't have anything to go to in the morning and so forth. But when I came here to retire, I was volunteering at Children's Hospital and I did that for like at least ten years, until the pandemic hit. And I also went back to Saint Vincent Saint Mary’s to volunteer. And they have a group of special education students and one of my former students was one of their instructors. So one day she said I want you to come and meet my students. And what was interesting is that some of them knew of me because they have a parent or both parents in some cases, that were my students.

That was fun, that was fun. I realized after I got to meet them and spend a little time with them that I needed to do more of that because they need the attention. And they treated me like a celebrity. You know, because their parents had me in school. But, um, and I did that for, I don’t know for six years until the pandemic hit. And then it really hit me because 16 months ago I got the Coronavirus. And I spent 8 days at Akron General. I was critical. I was expected to die, they told me that. A doctor came in to tell me they thought I was going to die that day. That’s, that was an interesting experience. And my first reaction was “Oh, I’m gonna see my mom and dad again!” You know, it was, I was excited. And the second thought was “I can’t die I haven’t finished cleaning out my drawers.” So it was a strange experience. But anyway, the virus damaged my lungs, so if you notice I’m having a little trouble talking, if that’s alright. And it also damaged my heart. So, I’m what they call a long-hauler, and I have symptoms of Covid. This is my 16th month. Now they’re diminishing, so I have hope. But at any rate, that’s where I am right now at that point, I’m just trying to get better. I want to be able to do something you know. And we’ll see what happens. Okay.

Well Sister you said that you were teaching for about 55 years, can you tell what your favorite part about teaching was?

Sure. As a teacher when your students get it… you know what I mean. Because you can be instructing forever and some of them just don’t get it. And then when they, I would get good feedback. I can, in all honesty, say I was a good teacher all the way through. And I know that because I got the good feedback. And even to this day- because I’ve had taught thousands in the Akron, in the whole area wherever I go it seems I run into my students, and that’s fun. That’s exciting. You know when they’ll say, “Are you Sister Christine?” or,  like, our Mayor, Dan Horrigan is one of my students. And I hadn’t seen him for like maybe forty years and I went to some event where he happened to be. And I, he was talking to somebody and had his back to me. And I just stood and waited and he turned around. And with absolutely no hesitation, called me by name. And what’s interesting is as I thought about him I remember the room we were in and I remember approximately where he sat. Now I can’t say that for all my students but some of them stand out. Now he was very quiet kind of person, but a good student, you know. I am so proud that he is the mayor. You know I feel like I played some part in his development, you know. And so that’s what I enjoy the most; when they get it. 

Yes! Well, thank you. So, ultimately, why did you decide to become a sister?

When I was in, I think eighth grade, something like that, one of the sisters told me she thought I should be a sister and really thought about it. And then the Superior, the Major Superior from here was visiting, and so she told me to go over to the convent and visit with her. So that was sort of like putting the seed, but I went to a public high school because we didn’t have a Catholic high school. And I was very active in the speech program; I was a debater and I did individual events. Anybody here? (looks around at students, but they all shake their heads no.) I know you do it in your school. Well anyway and then I, I worked, wrote for the newspaper, I was, OH I was a cheerleader! Can you believe that? And for two years- that’s the way they had it set up and I was very active and I had my crushes on the guys.  

And um, I dated a little, and I dated a lot. I had a normal high school life and then the same with college. I was a debater in college, and had national honors, I had state honors too. Um, most people don’t know that, but that’s okay. That's probably why I majored in speech. But um, what happened with the education was, unfortunately, i stopped my degree and then entered. And uh, think about that if you ever think of entering. And then um, because, then they made me switch to elementary ED, you know, that’s what you did in those days, mostly. So uh, eventually, when I got my bachelor’s in education, and I have two masters, one in speech and theater arts from Akron U. and another degree from John Carrol, in religious studies, with a scripture emphasis. So uh, I would have liked to get a PHD but I didn’t. Well that didn’t happen, that's okay, but i used to begin my classes in the semester fine. I just introduced myself, and briefly, I just told them, every so often, to remind them that I have three college degrees. How many do you have?

You know because sometimes they think they know more, but usually they don’t, every once in a while they do, but it’s more if they have an attitude. That’s what I would say. I got lost, I don't know what else to tell you.

Why did you ultimately become a sister?

Oh that’s right, okay. Well we had what we called a sodality, a group of girls that met first with one of the sisters, and then a priest, a young priest, lived at the parish. And he took over. And he would set up these days of prayer, um, we called days of recollection, and so, remember where I had to decide whether I wanted to enter the convent or marry a very special friend, who had proposed to me. I had to decide, and I'm an organized person, so i mentally made lists, pros and cons, for him, and Jesus. 

And so Jesus, and Jesus won out. He was in service, and was stationed in Germany. I felt like I wanted to do the same thing, and if I got married in life, I'd have a family and you know, and have to take care of your husband.

And all that kind of stuff. So, um, I decided that day, that’s what I was going to do. Along the way, it doesn’t matter what you do in life, sometimes you wonder if you choose the right thing. Realistically, that’s what happens, so you have to go over it again, each time, you know, I realize that I think I have a vocation. Especially because my special friend got out of service, and waited two years for me while I was in training. At the end of the first year, my family was there because they knew who he was, and um, I walked him to the car, and he said “are you gonna stay?” and I said yes. And I remember walking away from him, thinking, I really have a vocation, I really have a gift. Would’ve been nice if I could have had both. Or something, if you know what I mean. 

And then after my year as a novice he came back to visit. Same thing, ‘’are you gonna stay’’. So he waited for me and I said ‘’No I'm gonna stay’’ So the next thing I know he married someone he was working with.it was not a good marriage. He admitted to me years later he married on the rebound. So i felt pretty lousy, at any rate, I'll see him again. You know not everybody can tell this story. *you have a whole movie going on* because I think most of the sisters are pretty serious people. You know, maybe they didn't date or didn't date much. I think it's unusual in my case, but everybody has their own story and there you know the reason why they didn't. So i felt you know over the years that I was doing some good. I was helping people and uh it isn't just that your teaching subject matter. You're a presence. You know as Christians we are Christ to the people we deal with because we cant see him and can't touch him and we learn what he taught us, but besides that it's like people have to see it in the reality not just words and i have students who let me know how much that meant to them. So I feel very humble. You know that that came through to them. They felt that it was more than the subject matter and I have one student I taught at a college level. That I ran into years later. She became a catholic because of me and I didn't have a clue and I'm just being me. And she said she thought about entering a convent but her boyfriend proposed to her so that was the end of that. She went to the nearest parish and went through the RCIA program. Which is excellent and I just stood there with my mouth open *laughs* Different people that have different experiences. Sometimes I would say to the students, "I've lived longer than you so listen up."

What would you say is the most fulfilling part about being a sister?

I think having students. There's a special relationship I think between any teacher and the students. I took some medicine one time when I was living in Cleveland and I had an anaphylactic reaction. So, you know, my throat got thick and my face swelled up. I lived alone in an apartment. Since we didn't have any convents in that area. I went to the hospital up the street at the corner. Fortunately, by the time I got there I couldn't talk. I'm going* makes gesture at her throat*. Well they came running with a wheelchair and took me in hooked up the IV and then the doctor came and said “we're gonna keep you” So he sent  the house doctor or the hospital doctor who make the rounds at 6;00 in the morning I thought “ok that's good” so he did he came in He said that he would discharge me I said “oh good” there was a clock on the wall i remember and I thought if they discharge me I have time to go home shower get dressed I go to John Carroll because i had a 9:00 class and they did not discharge me till the afternoon…

I had to call the secretary to tell her what had happened, and I said just cancel my class, because it was a public speaking class, and they were giving speeches so I had to be there.  The nurses couldn’t believe me when I said “Have to go teach my class!” You know, it’s like they don’t understand, they don’t get it. Any devoted teacher, you think about your students first and foremost, no matter what.

I don’t know, I could just look back and think of a lot of wonderful students. I mean, now and then you have one that wasn’t so wonderful. I had a girl in class one time at Saint Vincent St Mary, she would not keep still! No, she talked through the whole class. And I tried and tried everything, and nothing worked. So, I called her mother, and I didn’t call her parents, cause, fortunately, I had good discipline. So it was unusual. And I had some of her siblings and they were no problem, so I said to the mother I am sorry I have to call you because I have never had a problem with your children, but I can’t get her to keep still. She said I’ll take care of it sister. So I don’t know what she did, but she was quiet. Well, years later, I had to go to the hospital, for some sinus surgery, and this nurse comes up to me- I don’t recognize her name because it’s her married name, I didn’t really take a good look at her because, anyway. She says, “sister, I am so and so.” It was that girl and I thought, you know, she could’ve done something to me, she’s my nurse, you know. And the doctor overheard this, and I was so glad to see her. I said “I think it’s wonderful you’re a nurse” She was fine, she just couldn’t stand still. There she was, and well, the doctors got a good charge out of it. She did a good job. There are different stories, especially when, you know, I directed the plays and the musicals, you get very close to those students because you spend so much time together. I like to look back and remember a lot of good things, you know, they were good kids, especially in the Catholic environment because you can spiritualize everything you do and they remember the talk you give them before they go on stage and there as always a spiritual element. 

Until the afternoon, I had to call the secretary to tell her what happened and I said, “Just cancel my class,” because it was a public speaking class and they were giving speeches and I had to be there. But the nurses couldn’t believe me when I said I had to go teach my class. You know, they don’t understand, they don’t get it. I think that’s true of any devoted sister. You think about your students first and foremost, no matter what. I don’t know, I can just look back and think of a lot of wonderful students. But now and then, you had one that wasn’t so wonderful. You know, I had a girl in class one time at STVM. She would not keep still. She talked through the whole class. And I tried and tried everything and nothing worked. So I called her mother, and I didn’t call parents because fortunately I had good discipline, I didn’t have to call parents. And it was unusual for me to call the parent. And I had had some of her siblings, and they were no problem. So I said to the mother, “I really am sorry to call you, because I never had a problem with your children. But I can’t get her to keep still.” She said, “I’ll take care of it sister.” So I don't know what she did, but she was quiet. Years later, I had to go to the hospital for some sinus surgery, and this nurse comes up to me. I don’t recognize the name because it was her married name.

*Runs out of time, students leave abruptly. Thanks Sister for her time!*