Sister Spotlight Spring 2024

If you were to ask anyone from Jersey City, New Jersey, where they lived, they would always name their parish. So, I am Sister Elise Redmerski, OP, from Saint John’s. The parish grade school and CCD were staffed by Sisters Gerardine, Irene Marie and Amelia. They had a lasting impact on my life. They were teachers who were patient, kind, loving, and joyful.
 
My high school education continued with the Dominicans at Saint Dominic Academy. Once again, I admired their spirit. I later found out it was called charism. My high school years were filled with club activities, including being a cheerleader. Outside of school, I taught CCD at the parish, candy-striped at Saint Francis Hospital, and belonged to the Dominican Lumen Club at my parish. All these experiences helped build a desire to enter religious life and do what I saw the sisters doing. My family and the sisters demonstrated Saint Catherine of Siena’s quote, “A soul cannot love without loving. It must have something to love, for it was created to love.”
 
Fast forward to 1955 when I entered the community, I have now been a Sister of Saint Dominic for 69 years. My education continued at Caldwell College and the universities of Notre Dame and Villanova. For twenty-six of those years, I was an educator in grade school and high school and a principal in my home parish. I also served on the congregational leadership team.
 
The last forty-one years of my active ministry was at an inner-city parish. My responsibilities were faith formation, youth group (comprised of church and neighborhood teens of different religious denominations), and liturgy. While there, I co-founded the Center of Concern for neighborhood people and helped raise funds for the hospice program run by the sisters with whom I lived and served on the Archdiocesan Ecumenical Committee. During our time at the parish, thirteen of our parishioners became Dominican associates. None of these accomplishments could have happened without the wonderful team of sisters and our forward-looking pastor. 

I have been retired almost three years now. I do miss the city but am enjoying the beauty of Caldwell. 

Last year, we had a dream session at our annual assembly. We were encouraged to dream wild and not so wild. Sister Luella, our prioress, said all dreams would be considered. Sister CaroI Van Billiard and I dreamed of starting an ESL program. We were encouraged to go ahead. Fourteen of our retired sisters volunteered. The community gave us space and a start-up grant, and the local parish provided opportunities to advertise. Ellen Nash, OPA, a Blauvelt associate, provided her expertise in getting the program off the ground, and Pat Daly, OPA, a Peace associate, provided flash cards and goodies. You are never too old to dream dreams and bring them into fulfillment.
 
It has been a privilege and blessing to minister to and with the people of God in all these ministries.