Born on Long Island, New York, Sr. Kathy Scott spent lots of time during her childhood enjoying the Atlantic Ocean. She could feel God's presence in the power and beauty of the ocean. The sound of the waves pounding on the sandy beach seemed like God calling to her.
Through grammar school to college (BA), Sr. Kathy was educated by the Dominican Sisters. So, it was only natural that she would accept God's call by joining the Dominicans. From 1967 through 1971, she was a Dominican Sister teaching in a Brooklyn elementary school. The neighborhood was so rough that she often had to visit her students in the hospital. In time, she felt that being a Dominican Sister was not exactly what God had intended for her.
In 1971, she moved to San Jose, California, following her sister Sue who had moved to California after college. She taught school there and pursued a Master's degree in Special Education at San Jose State University. "It was an exciting time to be in special education," said Sr. Kathy. She became a learning disability therapist and worked as part of a Special Education Team that focused on early identification and remediation in young children to minimize the damaging, emotional impact of failure later in their lives.
Sr. Kathy was a very active member of a Jesuit Parish in San Jose, California. With a love of singing and music, she really enjoyed her years as a member of a Liturgical Folk Group of singers and musicians (who even came to New Orleans from California to sing at her Final Vows). She also sang at weddings and did liturgical dance and mime of the Sunday Gospels in the parish.
A Jesuit priest was her spiritual director, introduced her to Ignatian Spirituality, and awakened a desire in her to return to religious life. She visited the Cenacle Sisters in Carmichael, California. As soon as she entered the retreat house, she knew she was home. She felt that God was calling her to a life of prayer and community with a ministry of helping others to pray and deepen their personal relationship with God. She found that in the Cenacle.
In 1980, Sr. Kathy entered the Sisters of the Cenacle and spent her pre-Novitiate in St. Louis and her two-year Novitiate in Pittsburgh. She and Sr. Kathy Dunne were in the Novitiate together. Happy Memories!
After the Novitiate, Sr. Kathy lived in St. Louis, Missouri; Warrenville, Illinois; New Orleans; Chicago, Illinois; Cambridge, Massachusetts; and Vancouver, BC, Canada.
Picture taken by our own Sr. Rosalie Ambler, 1992.
From 1987 through 1992, she was at the Metairie Cenacle. When she made her Final Vows in the Chapel in Metairie on September 24, 1989, her mother, father, sister Sue, and an aunt and uncle came to the celebration. "It was wonderful! A beautiful moment in my life," said Sr. Kathy.
Final Vows - 1989 - Metairie Cenacle
Left to right: Sr. Kathy's mother, father, sister Sue,
Sr. Kathy, Sr. Peggy Fitzgibbon
From New Orleans, Sr. Kathy went to Chicago where she obtained a Master's degree in Spirituality at Loyola University of Chicago. For 13 wonderful years, Sr. Kathy was at the Cenacle in Vancouver, BC, Canada. "What a privilege and delight it was to live and minister in another country," she said. When Sr. Kathy's mother became seriously ill with cancer, she was missioned to Port Townsend, Washington, to help care for her. "It was a very sacred time that I will never forget," she said. Sr. Kathy, her two sisters, and her brother were with her mom when she died on November 4, 2009. Sr. Kathy moved to Metairie on September 2, 2010.
We are delighted that Sr. Kathy has now been assigned to the Metairie Cenacle. She will be helping with weekend retreats, the affiliate retreat, will be vocation director, sacristan, will do spiritual direction, directed retreats, and help with music.
Her thoughts on returning to Metairie: "I can see the effects of Katrina on property and in the hearts and voices of the people. It is good to return to a people with such strong faith and hope. I am grateful to be here."
We all welcome Sr. Kathy Scott back to the Metairie Cenacle.
