Salt: Still Seasoning the Story

Angie Connolly (center), current Salt editor, is surrounded by decades of wisdom from previous editors BVMs Mira Mosle (l.) and Teri Hadro.

The Third Article of a Three-Part Series
by BVMs Teri Hadro and Mira Mosle

As sisters changed, so did the congregation and Salt was right there with them:

Following Vatican Council II’s challenge to BVMs to return to the vision of Mary Frances Clarke, TOPA (Totally Open Personal Application allowing sisters to pursue individual ministries) was the most intense of the changes for the BVM Congregation. However,  growth in other areas of religious life happened as well.

Ministry in New Forms

Ministry, the product of education, thought, prayer, and conversations among BVMs underwent the most radical change. Yet, in reality, it was the congregation itself that became  more diverse. The mission stayed the same but was understood more deeply: BVMs continued to serve others whose needs were greater than their own. Their minds and hearts moved beyond the parish school to a world full of need and Salt moved with them —telling story after story of sisters doing something new, feeling something different, committing themselves to a new awareness of basic human needs across the globe.

Sisters joined networks organized by others—Bread for the World, NETWORK Lobby for  Catholic Justice, the NAACP, Doctors Without Borders, to name a few. Funds were secured to enable sisters to receive Third World Experience Grants, opening BVM minds and hearts to the deep poverty of peoples in Africa, India, and Central America. Some sisters remained in Guatemala and Ghana doing what they discerned would best serve their sisters and brothers. These stories, and  those from long-term ministries in Ecuador graced the pages of Salt.

From seeking out unique ministries with hearing-impaired and Indigenous peoples to covering the outreach of BVMs and associates in various locales, writers explored the many manifestations of the BVM charism—alive in its members and expressed through  diverse spiritualities, simple lifestyles, and collaborations with a wide range of groups: Nuns and Nones, other congregations, college students, and justice-seekers of all kinds.

As more BVMs retired from “boots on the ground” service, Salt increased its coverage of how BVM scholarships continued the legacy of education, charity, and justice. Profiles of scholarship recipients appeared regularly. Features on legacy scholarships to  schools in dioceses where BVMs had once served illustrated how these funds were leveraged to provide even greater financial assistance to young people in need.

Thanks to technology, recipients of Ministry Partnership Grants—especially in Africa—were able to share and show how BVM funds transformed lives through nutrition projects, healthcare, and education at all levels, particularly for women and children. Some  sisters from these communities shared their stories in person at Mount Carmel Bluffs, and Salt was there.

Sisters and associates gathered at a Congregational Assembly to create directional statements outlining priorities for this decade. The statements led to increased study and action focused on care for creation, confronting inequities rooted in racism and other  injustices, and a resolve to be “the face of an inclusive, welcoming, and merciful church.”

Wherever they are located, BVMs and associates can be found writing letters, participating in rallies, advocating for nonviolence, empowering women, and serving the marginalized. Salt continues to capture these steps on the journey.

With Change Comes New Life

The magazine informed readers about difficult times—the Vatican’s Apostolic Visitation investigating the life of religious communities, including the BVM Congregation; the closure of Wright Hall, a BVM retirement community in Chicago; and the challenges of  COVID on both individual and communal life.

It chronicled new beginnings: Loyola’s Institute of Environmental Sustainability established on the site of Wright Hall; the LCWR-sponsored Women & Spirit: Catholic Sisters in America nationwide exhibit; the collaborative founding of Bethany House in Chicago to support immigrant women and children; and the growth of the Roberta Kuhn Center’s classes for seniors.

In 2017, the BVM Congregation experienced a transformative change at “Our Mount Carmel Home” partnering with Presbyterian Homes and Services (PHS) to establish Mount Carmel Bluffs, an expanded senior living community. This development included the deconstruction of existing buildings and the construction of new facilities on the campus. With PHS becoming the managing partner, this new living community allows sisters to age in place while also welcoming residents from the Dubuque area and beyond.

Salt closely followed and documented this transition, capturing the emotional farewells, the progress of construction, the sisters’ moves into their new homes, and the return of sisters from across the country. Today, BVMs continue to live out their mission by offering care, companionship, and spiritual support to all residents of Mount Carmel Bluffs, embodying a spirit of love, respect, and shared community.

A partnership with a community of Vietnamese IHM Sisters has enriched the BVM Congregation over the past decade. These sister students came to Mount Carmel Bluffs to learn English while continuing their academic studies. Their presence has brought renewed joy, energy, and cultural vibrancy to the lives of the BVMs embodying the spirit of global sisterhood.

Life and Mission Continue
Of course, celebrations are in abundance: new members, associate commitments, silver, golden, and diamond jubilees, annual assemblies, school anniversaries, funerals, and donor thanksgivings.

Over its 50 years, Salt has captured the essence of the congregation’s understanding of Vatican II’s intent: serving others whose needs exceed one’s own is best done by those who use all that God has given them and who recognize that individuals are more than their needs.

As long as BVMs continue to evolve, Salt will tell the story of a congregation that keeps discerning and striving to meet the needs of the people among whom it lives. Happy 50th year, Salt Magazine!

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This story was featured in:

Summer 2025: Celebrating 50 Years of Salt

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