Leadership Team

Sister Luella Ramm, OP, a dedicated, prayerful woman, has a deep love for our sisters and is always attentive to their needs. Because of her many ministries over the years, she has a broad-based institutional knowledge of our congregational sponsored works and a great financial background to accompany that knowledge.

Sister Luella was part of the team that beautifully renovated the chapel in Saint Catherine of Siena Convent and Healthcare Center. And one of her dreams and accomplishments was overseeing the building of Sacred Heart Convent, incorporating many environmentally-friendly, energy-saving components, where more than twenty-five sisters live in community. Objective in decision making, Sister Luella has a real talent for interacting with architects, designers, construction workers, and financial advisors.

Sister Luella earned her bachelor’s degree in elementary education and sociology from Caldwell University and her master’s in administration and finance from the University of Notre Dame, IN. She also studied nursing home administration at William Paterson University, Wayne, NJ, and received her long-term care administrator’s license from the State of New Jersey Department of Health.

Besides serving as management administrator at Saint Catherine of Siena Convent and Healthcare Center, she has been a business manager at one of our academies and a director of finance and plant manager at another. For a time, she was comptroller and CFO for the Sisters of Saint Dominic, Blauvelt, NY. For our own Congregation, she has served as treasurer, as councilor, and as vicaress. She has also served on many of our boards of trustees.

Sister Luella treasures the memory of having made her final profession at Holy Cross Convent, Regensburg, Germany, founded in 1233, the community from which our Caldwell Congregation was founded. Recently, Lacordaire Academy honored her with the Lumen Award, given to a recipient whose selfless dedication serves as a beacon of light. On the day she was elected prioress, a hopeful future shone in her eyes!

Spiritually grounded, Sister Patricia Tavis, OP, is a resilient and resourceful woman deeply connected to whatever ministry she’s involved in. Her dedication to the legacy of our sponsored works knows no bounds, and she is always willing to go the extra mile. For the past seven years, she has served as a council member on our congregational leadership team and is invaluable to the team and the community. Members of the team benefit from her joyful spirit, her understanding heart, and her organizational skills.

Sister Pat received her bachelor’s degree in education and religious studies from Caldwell University and her master’s in administration and supervision from Seton Hall University. She also received her doctorate in educational leadership, management, and policy from Seton Hall University and holds New Jersey certifications as teacher and supervisor/principal.

Sister continues to serve as Director of Sponsored Ministries and is a member on each of the Boards of Trustees. Sister Pat serves on the executive board of the Dominican Association of Secondary Schools (DASS), an organization that focuses on extending the Dominican mission and charism through collaboration with school leaders and their communities. She also serves on the core committee of the Dominican Sisters in Committed Collaboration (OPSCC) as well as the OPSCC Task Force on Shared Canonical Governance to develop a model for leadership for Dominican congregations in the New Jersey/New York area. Sister Pat is a member of the Archdiocese of Newark Pastoral Council.

As a former inspirational teacher, principal, and supervisor, Sister Pat has high regard for education and sees it as an instrument to preach the Good News, foster faith and hope, and support the contribution each individual can make toward a better world. Her doctoral work culminated in a thesis studying sponsorship of schools, a theme close to her heart. She deeply impressed the professors and school superintendent attending her presentation of it. She has also brought her compassionate care to the patients at Saint Catherine of Siena Convent and Healthcare Center and always keeps a soft spot in her heart for our elder sisters and for each of her family members.

A river of deep spirituality and quiet joy run through the life of Sister Marie Mueller, OP. She is an extraordinarily gifted woman, very capable of doing a variety of ministries. In addition to her teaching and administrative positions in our Dominican academies and grade schools, Sister Marie was associate professor of mathematics and vice president of student affairs at Caldwell University. She also served the congregation, first, as vocation director and, later, as candidate director. She recently served on the chapter planning committee and as a member of the Universe and Creation Committee and study group.

Sister Marie earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and religious studies from Caldwell University, a master’s in mathematics from St. Louis University, St. Louis, MO, and a master’s in pastoral counseling from Iona College, New Rochelle, NY. Her mathematical mind is balanced with her creativity in crafts, puzzles, and projects that she takes on with ease.

One of her former colleagues describes her well, “Sister Marie was always a welcoming, rational, calming spirit within the halls of Lacordaire. She was the one who was calm, cool, and collected, as well as the ear that listened to all of our crazy stories and ideas. She was full of sage advice, always a team player, and an out and out supporter of all our endeavors.” Loved by students, parents, and teachers alike, she is dearly missed at Lacordaire Academy where she not only was registrar and taught math, but also did the scheduling each year and moderated the quilting club.

No place is too far for Sister Marie to travel to visit family, friends, or community members. She loves the adventure and, over the years, has taken her students on many educational tours, the last being Iceland. Her fidelity to God, family, friendship, and community are at the core of Marie’s life. She is someone who is totally reliable and can always be counted on for help. Her gracious manner, incredible generosity, and counseling skills are deeply appreciated by all in her work on the leadership team.