We would like to let you know about a beloved member of our campus family who lost her battle with cancer—a battle, her husband says, that she never intended to lose. You may recall in September, we told you about Shelley Espey ’86 who was seeking support for her recent cancer diagnosis. Shelley died January 31, surrounded by her family.

She was an ’86 graduate, a current Valley Catholic parent (Katrina ’12), and a parent of two alumnae (Adala in ’98 and Nichole in ’09). Shelley had also worked at the SSMO Convent for several years prior to joining SSMO Ministries Corp. in the Finance Dept., where she has worked since 2004. Her most recent position had her stationed in the accounting department at Maryville Nursing Home.

On the same day she died, Shelley’s husband, Dave, wrote a note to her many friends. Below are some excerpts from his letter to them.

Today at 3:05  a.m. we lost one of the kindest people I have ever had the privilege to know. She is my best friend, best mother I have ever seen and loyal friend of all who allowed her to be. She took in all who wanted a mother and loved them like her own. I want to thank all of you who have been praying in earnest for her to be healed. The outcome was not what I wanted but I give God all the praise and glory knowing with total confidence she is now healed and made new in her new home with the Lord.

Plans for memorial services are still pending. When arrangements are made, they will be posted in the News & Events area of www.valleycatholic.org, www.maryvillnh.org, www.ssmo.org and www.ssmofoundation.org. Letters of condolence are being collected at the reception desk at Maryville Nursing Home. Please keep the Espey family in your thoughts and prayers.

Submitted by Alumni and Donor Relations Coordinator Grace LeChevallier

This Wednesday during the Catholic Schools Week Mass, VCS President Bob Weber and VCHS Principal Ross Thomas presented the Distinguished Alumni Award to Pat Roshak Joyaux ’54. The gym erupted in applause as students, faculty and guests honored Pat with an extended standing ovation. Pat Joyaux has been at the heart and soul of Valley Catholic Middle and High School for the past 33 years. Her helpful, compassionate spirit has embodied the mission of the Sisters.

A 1954 graduate of St. Mary of the Valley (now Valley Catholic High School), Pat was an active student on campus. Pat was named junior prom princess, and in her senior year was prefect of the Sodality Club (a devotional society for spirituality).

In 1978, Pat became involved in the school’s Alumni Association and learned of the opening for a school secretary. That year Pat was hired and the rest is history. Besides being an alumna herself, Pat’s five daughters all attended Valley Catholic, as well as 15 grandchildren and several nieces and nephews.

In his remarks about Pat, President Bob Weber said, “She has worked with 10 principals in her time at Valley Catholic, hundreds of teachers and staff members (including me as a 22-year-old first-year teacher in the early 1990′s), and helped thousands of students and parents on a daily basis with everything from report cards to bus fare to simply being a positive, helpful person who knows the answers to all the possible questions that come through her office.”

Pat spoke a few words of appreciation in receiving this award. She spoke highly of the value of Catholic education, and referred to it as a gift. She asked the students to be thankful to all those who make it possible for them to receive the gift of an education at Valley Catholic. Speaking from experience, she told the students that their time at Valley will have a significant impact on their lives.

The Distinguished Alumni Award is given to individuals who excel and exceed in their life’s work or personal endeavor. In their area of achievement, recipients demonstrate a high standard of personal integrity and strive for excellence to live a valiant life. In the fall of 2008, Mariel Zagunis ’03 was honored with the Distinguished Alumni Award. Mariel is a two-time Olympic gold medalist and a world-renown fencing champion. The Distinguished Alumni Award has not been given since 2008, but going forward the award will be presented annually during Catholic Schools Week.

Submitted by Alumni and Donor Relations Coordinator Grace LeChevallier

Six of the Sisters of St. Mary of Oregon were graciously welcomed to St. Edward’s Parish in North Plains for the first Kaffee Klatsch event of the year. The event was a great opportunity to reconnect with old friends and develop new relationships. St. Edward’s Church was the home parish for all the Sohler sisters and has strong connections to the Sisters of St. Mary of Oregon and Valley Catholic School.

SSMO Foundation Development Director Sharlayne Buuck also extended greetings to St. Edward’s parishioners from Valley Catholic School and Maryville Nursing Home. Superior General Sr. Charlene Herinckx then gave a short presentation that showed some highlights of the Sisters’ 125th Jubilee and a bit of their history.

The event also included some fun and games: Alumni and Donor Relations Coordinator Grace LeChevallier quizzed the parishioners on SSMO trivia. The lucky winners received flower centerpieces.

In the German tradition, a Kaffee Klatsch is a casual gathering for coffee and conversation. It is also a long-held tradition in the Sisters of St. Mary of Oregon Community. The Sisters plan to sponsor Kaffee Klatsches throughout the year. They are excited to express their gratitude for the years of support from local parishes and their parishioners, and to share the many ways parishioners have influenced the SSMO’s ministries.

Thank you to Fr. Sebasty, Barbara Henningsen and Nancy Vandehey ’67 for all their hospitality.

The Sisters’ next Kaffee Klatsch will be at St. Anthony’s Parish in Forest Grove on February 19, 2012, after the 9:30 a.m. Mass. All are welcome!

Submitted by Alumni and Donor Relations Assistant Grace Le Chevallier

The Sisters of St. Mary of Oregon and the SSMO Ministries Foundation staff will be hosting Kaffee Klatsches at local parishes throughout the year during the traditional church coffee hours.

In the German tradition, a Kaffee Klatsch is casual gathering for coffee and conversation. This time of connection and conversation is a long-held tradition in the Sisters of St. Mary of Oregon Community. The Kaffee Klatsches will give the Sisters and the foundation staff an opportunity to express their gratitude for the years of support offered by local parishes and their parishioners and the many ways they have impacted our ministries.

The first Kaffee Klatsch will be held at St. Edward’s Parish Hall in North Plains this Sunday, Feb. 29 after the 9 a.m. Mass.

You’re Invited to the

VCS Auction Kickoff Celebration

Join us to celebrate the VCS auction season with Mardi Gras style treats, introductions & social time!

This celebration will highlight exciting new aspects of this year’s auction and set the tone for All that Jazz. 

 WHEN:             Tuesday, January 24, 2012 at 8:00 a.m.

 WHERE:           VCES Cafeteria

 RSVP:               Sharla at 503-718-6485 or stinsen@ssmoministries.org

 We will be “auctioning” a room at the Embassy Suites (valued at $109) and giving away door prizes!

Don’t miss out on this exciting event.

See you there!

Sharla Tinsen

Auction and Events Coordinator

Grace Le Chevallier joined the SSMO Foundation Development team in October. She will lead our new focus on alumni and donor relations. Before coming to SSMO, Grace spent three years working at L’Arche, a faith-based community of adults with and without disabilities. Her experience in the Jesuit Volunteer Corps and L’Arche ignited her passion for service and community. She continues to carry service into all aspects of her life: she regularly plays cribbage with a friend who has experienced chronic homelessness and actively pursues programs that focus on social justice for the most marginalized people of our society. Grace graduated from the University of Puget Sound with a degree in psychology and a minor in business.

A Message from SSMO Ministries President, Sr. Adele Marie Altenhofen, SSMO

What a joy it is for me to be able to announce that we have added three new members to the SSMO Foundation Staff! And, a fourth person will come on board in October! We are grateful to have them on board to help raise support and awareness for the Sisters of St. Mary of Oregon, Valley Catholic School and Maryville Nursing Home.

Sharlayne Buuck and Helen Connor have been hired as Directors of Development and Sharla Tinsen is on deck as Development Associate, Auction and Events. See pictures and brief bios below. Grace LeChevallier will join us soon as Development Assistant, Alumni and Donor Relations. A brief bio for Grace will be shared after she starts her employment in October. Currently, in an effort to provide continuity, assistance and guidance, I am serving as Interim Executive Director of the SSMO Foundation. Rest assured that the Search Committee is continuing in its efforts to fill the Executive Director position.

Sharlayne Buuck, Director of Development

Sharlayne brings eight years of development experience at Forest Hills Lutheran School with her to the Sisters of St. Mary of Oregon Foundation. At Forest Hills, she established the development position, created a donor base, facilitated fundraisers, and marketed the school. She is looking forward to building relationships, and partnering with our community to impact the ministry. She attended Davenport College in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Her son Taylor is a graduate of Valley Catholic High School, while son Carter is currently a sophomore. She and her family live in Hillsboro.

Helen Connor, Director of Development

Helen works in fund raising to help people achieve their own charitable goals. She does this by tailoring gift opportunities to match the interests of the donor. She graduated from University of Portland with a degree in journalism. Prior work experience has included corporate and agency public relations, graphic design and several start-up businesses of her own. Working for the Sisters of St. Mary of Oregon Foundation gives Helen the opportunity to finally blend spiritual purpose with her work life.

Sharla Tinsen, Development Associate, Auction and Events

Sharla was a system software engineer for 15 years before she became president of the Lucent Bay Area Club Pioneers, a nonprofit in San Francisco. There, she guided nearly 800 volunteers who tackled community service events. She also raised money for the nonprofit. Sharla went on to streamline a second nonprofit’s auction, and spent the 12 years increasing the revenue from that event. In 2009, she and her family moved to Oregon, and last year, Sharla volunteered as the Outside Procurement chair for the Valley Catholic School auction. Sharla’s son Jacob started kindergarten at VCS this fall.

Look for something new by the United We Thrive Readerboard next week! There will be two thermometers installed to share progress for the parent portion of the Capital Campaign. As the end of the school year approaches, it is extremely important to wrap up the parent portion for the Capital Campaign for the new K–8 Education Center. We need everyone’s help!

Speaking of looking for things, go here for a live feed from webcams capturing the ongoing construction on Valley Catholic’s campus. A new feature for these feeds is the inside view of what is happening, so if you haven’t already peeked in at the progress being made, be sure to take a look soon—the construction will be complete before you know it!

Many thanks to everyone who has made generous gifts and pledges! We are closing in on the dollar goal thanks to your generosity! Here are the two key goals we have for now:

1. Watch the thermometer explode as we surpass our $2M target for the parent portion of the campaign. (We only have a little more than $570K to raise!)
2. Achieve as close to 100 percent parent participation as possible—participation is hovering around 23 percent, and it will take help from everyone to achieve this goal!

The new building will offer many exciting features for your children and for generations of children to come. We are hoping you will carefully consider an amount that is comfortable for you and earmark it for your children’s favorite charity! Remember, you can stretch payments out for five years!

Pledge forms may be found here. Contact John Lauerman (503.906.1141; jlauerman@ssmoministries.org) or Diane Woodruff (503.906.1140; dwoodruff@ssmoministries.org) with any questions.

The Catholic Sentinel recently published a story about the construction at Valley Catholic that highlights the sustainability efforts of the project. Go here to read the article.

As the Sisters of St. Mary of Oregon begin their year-long 125th Jubilee celebration, the Catholic Sentinel honors the SSMOs with 10 pages of news coverage, photos and sidebars in their Feb. 17 issue. Be sure to share these stories with your friends. Spread them far and wide!

Here’s a sampling of what’s inside:

• New building at Valley Catholic a gem of sustainability
• Many places, many years
• SSMO ministry goes here and beyond
• Two Sisters seven decades apart reflect on their shared community experience
• An extraordinary instructor of the faith: Sister Mary Imelda Vandehey
• Sisters, restaurants and city of Beaverton team up to fight hunger
• Timeline: 125 years for the Sisters of St. Mary of Oregon
• These Valiant Women Abide

Click here to read the announcement from Sr. Adele Marie Altenhofen, President of SSMO Ministries, and Michelle Garcia, SSMO Foundation Board Director.
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