A little over a year ago in January 2025, Sr. Connie Kramer, SP, passed away from complications related to an inoperable brain tumor.
In life, Sr. Connie was a member of the Sisters of Providence from Terre Haute, IN who ministered within the Archdiocese of Indianapolis for much of her religious life, holding such diverse positions as high school teacher, business and development officer, parish religious education director, pastoral associate, parish life coordinator, pastoral counselor, group facilitator, group consultant, and retreat/spiritual director. She was also a close friend and spiritual director of Christine Turo-Shields, the owner of Kenosis Counseling Center.
Prior to her passing (in late November 2024), Christine was honored to conduct a StoryCorps interview with her spiritual mentor to preserve her grief wisdom. At the time, Sr. Connie was reflecting on the lessons she had learned in life about loss, grief, and acceptance, all the while looking ahead to her own impending mortality. It was an experience that Christine continues to cherish greatly.
Now, Christine has written a personal essay reflecting on her time spent with Sr. Connie and the profound impact she made on her life. This article has been published in the National Catholic Reporter, which has a an online print readership of 1 million unique visitors per month.
Christine is thrilled and deeply honored to share her reflections on Sr. Connie’s legacy with a wider audience of people, especially those who understand the important role of faith and spirituality in weathering life’s many difficult storms.
We graciously invite you to read Christine’s article on the National Catholic Reporter website by clicking here: https://www.ncronline.org/spirituality/soul-seeing/sister-connies-life-and-death-taught-me-grief-not-enemy-companion
And if you have not yet listened to the StoryCorps interview, you can enjoy the eternal words of wisdom in Sr. Connie’s own voice by clicking here: https://kenosiscenter.com/a-walk-with-grief/