SJEM Updates August 2025

Annual Sponsorship Day

SJEM’s Annual Sponsorship Day will take place on October 14th  in St. Louis. St. Joseph’s Academy will host our gathering. We look forward to our keynote speaker and facilitator, Claire Noonan, DMin, Vice President for Mission Integration at Loyola Chicago University. As the Church celebrates hope in this Jubilee Year, our day will circle the theme of Catholic Education as a Hopeful Endeavor.  

Growing into one

SJEM grows with the welcoming of three new institutions from California under the leadership of the Los Angeles Province of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet:     

• St. Mary’s Academy founded in 1889
  Head of School: Brandi Odum Lucas, EdD
• Mount St. Mary’s University founded in 1925
  President: Ann McElaney Johnson, PhD
• Carondelet High School founded in 1965
  President: Jessica Mix, MA 

With this growth, the mission and charism of the Sisters of St. Joseph continues to deepen and transform in new and reimagined ways. What exciting relationships that continue the CSJ legacy and build the future! SJEM welcomes our new schools and feels grateful to work together through mission and education in a strengthened effort toward  unity among all. 

New Leadership

Avila University

With the announcement of the departure of President Jim Burkee from Avila University, the Board of Trustees announced the appointment of Dr. Andy Jett as Interim President beginning September 1st. Dr. Jett currently serves as the Executive Vice President and Chief Innovation Officer at Avila. While the university remains grateful to Dr. Burkee for his three years of leadership, it also looks forward with great hope for all of what the future holds for the university under Dr. Jett’s leadership.   

Rosati Kain Academy

Rosati Kain Academy welcomes Stephanie Boyd as its new President. An alum of the class of 2006, Stephanie previously worked at Rosati-Kain High School as the Director of Advancement and Financial Affairs before leaving to serve in her current capacity as Director of Development for the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis. The RKA Board of Directors welcomes Stephanie’s return to the Kougar family. SJEM is excited to work with these new leaders as we walk together in the deepening of our understanding and practice of unifying love. 

Honoring her life: Peggy Baker

SJEM joins with so many in the CSJ family, mourning the loss of our member, Peggy Baker, CSJA.  Peggy served in multiple ways and a variety of ministries founded by and sponsored by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, St. Louis. She had a great fervor for life and truly served the mission to love God and the dear neighbor without distinction. Peggy Baker’s desire for God’s oneness was contagious because it came from genuine example and practice. Love, brilliance, realness, and joy are parts of her legacy and SJEM was blessed to be gifted with that legacy and Peggy’s passion to serve with us! 

Services to celebrate Peggy will be held on her birthday, August 25th. Rosary to begin at 11:30am followed the funeral mass at Noon at Cure of Ars (9401 Mission Road Leawood). Services can be live-streamed at Funeral Livestreams

A New Academic Year Blessing

SJEM gathered in June for our annual meeting and retreat. Our retreat was led by Sr. Joanne Hanrahan, SSND. SJEM joins the greater Church in this Jubilee Year as Pilgrims of Hope. We focused our retreat on hope and Sr. Joanne used a poem by the wonderful poet and writer, Jan Richardson. The Blessing of Hope called SJEM to attention and we pray that you will join us, pilgrims alike, in this very important work of hope through our ministries … “this day, every day, again and again and again.” Let us be people of hope as we are called to be. May your academic year be filled with this hope: