NAME:
Sister Mary Catherine Blooming, HM
SCHOOL:
St. Joseph High School
CLASS:
Teacher: Religion 9, Relgion 10, Communications
SCHOOL PHONE:
724-224-5552 blooming@salsgiver.com
Sister Mary Catherine is a life-long member of the Sisters of the Humility
of Mary, who are located at Villa Maria, Pa. (northwest corner of the
Diocese of Pittsburgh.) The sisters became a religious order while
teaching children in a parish near Nancy, a city in France. They came to
Villa Maria in 1858, just ten years after becoming a religious order. They
have always cared for the earth (have farmed for over 150 years at
this site,) and have pioneered nursing services, teaching ministry and
parish work in Ohio and Pennsylvania. They were the original teachers
at Our Lady of Grace in Mt. Lebanon; and also served for many
years at St. Agatha in Ellwood City, as well as doing supervision work for
the education office of the diocese of Pittsburgh. Sister Mary Catherine
served on the religious education staff of the Diocese of Youngstown
as well teaching in high schools--Magnificat of Rocky River,
Ohio; Central Catholic of Canton; St. John's of Ashtabula-- and has been
director of religious education at parishes in Ohio and Pennsylvania.
Her work at St. Joseph's spans the last eleven years, three of which
were shared with parishes. She now works full time in religious
instruction, campus ministry, forensics and yearbook, here at the high
school. She has three brothers, all of whom played college and/or
semi-pro hockey; hence her interest in sports. She loves barbershop
singing, movies, language study and golf. Her formal education
includes an undergraduate double major in Education and English,
and two graduate degrees--Education (Duquesne) and Religious
Studies (John Carroll.) She thinks that St. Joseph High School comes
the closest to an "ideal educational setting" where students are
gifted, spirited and academically informed, all of which she credits to the
dedication of their families and their own incredible drive.
These religion classes are geared to the future--when the student owns
his/her individual faith and is placed in a world of changing values. A
student has to be sure of their own identity and inner worth and
thoroughly explore the Divine Mysteries with which they are entrusted as
the People of God. Their studies have to take place in the real world
where people suffer pain and injustice and where they can celebrate their
gifts and accomplish their goals empowered by grace and the sacraments.
The Communications Class, now in its fourth year, introduces the
students to broadcast journalism (on camera) and to written journalism
as well as to dramatic and humorous speech techniques and
competitive communications skills. The SJHS students have a charism
for creative expression in all of the language arts, especially in video
and they can use these gifts for research as well as entertainment.