Sixty plus years and counting! These have been years of blessings in abundance.
On September 7, 1956, I entered Marywood with the intention of only staying 10 days, during which I would prove to God that I did not have a vocation to religious life and could still enter Mercy Central School of Nursing on time. Those 10 days have now extended to 60 plus years and counting! These have been years of blessings in abundance.
How else might I have enjoyed educational experiences at Aquinas College, Ole Miss, University of Oklahoma, Fordham, and Washington Theological Union? Where else could I have walked with so many remarkable women with lives dedicated to others?
There have been ministry challenges and opportunities at St. John’s, Essexville; Aquinas College; St. Rose of Lima in Gaithersburg, Maryland; in Congregational leadership; as Justice Co-Promoter; and 13 wonderful years at GRTV interviewing non-profit organizations.
Who would have thought that a kid from Hannah would visit Rome and Peru twice, tour the Lands of Dominic, follow the paths of John and Paul in Greece and Turkey or walk the steps of Jesus in Israel? I thank God’s unconditional love for providing parents, siblings, extended family, and so many enriching friendships that contribute to my growth and development as God’s beloved servant.
2022 – 65 Years a Sister
Pray for advancement of statesmanship in public office holders
As the non-profit outreach coordinator of Community Media Center and 13-year host of GRTV NPO Showcase and Focus on Issues, Sister Barbara highlighted the amazing work that non-profit organizations are doing in the Greater Grand Rapids community and bringing community leaders together to discuss important issues affecting the lives of citizens every day.
Beginning in 2014, Sister Barbara Hansen engaged our Congregation in a project designed to shine a national spotlight on Catholic sisters and raise awareness of their profound influence on young women. Sister Barbara and Amy Dunham Strand, Assistant Professor of Women’s Studies and Director of the Jane Hibbard Idema Women’s Studies Center, at Aquinas College introduced “SisterStory”, an oral history project that paired students with Sisters.
In 2005, when Hurricane Katrina decimated lives, homes, and neighborhoods in Louisianna, Sr. Barbara Hansen joined a hard-working team of Dominican Sisters committed to helping with cleanup efforts.