Press release received this week from the Province of St. Louise.
May 25 at the General Assembly of the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul in Paris, France, Sister Kathleen Appler, D.C., was elected Superioress General of the worldwide Community.
A native of Utica, N.Y., Sister Kathleen most recently served as a member of the Daughters’ General Council in Paris since June 2009. Prior to that, she served as Provincial of the Daughters’ former Northeast Province based in Albany, N.Y.
She succeeds Sister Evelyne Franc, D.C., who served as Superioress General for 12 years. Sister Kathleen’s appointment is for six years. At the end of her term, Sister Kathleen may continue for another six-year term if re-elected at the next General Assembly.
Sister Kathleen is the first American to be elected Superioress General and only the second Superioress General who was not French.
Around the world, there are 16,179 Daughters of Charity living and serving in 94 countries. Sister Kathleen will lead the Community of these Sisters which is divided into 60 Provinces and one Region.
Sister Kathleen entered the Community of the Daughters of Charity in April 1973 in Boston. She marked 42 years vocation April 2015.
Sister Kathleen has served in education, administration, and vocation and formation ministries. She served in schools in Syracuse, N.Y. (Cathedral School, 1974–1975); Bridgeport, Conn. (St. Ann’s School, 1975–1979); Utica (Our Lady of Lourdes School, 1979–1982 and 1985–1995); and Wilmington, Del. (St. Peter’s School, 1982–1985). Sister Kathleen served at St. John’s Parish Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., from 1995 to 2000. She also served as the local Superior in Brooklyn from 1997 to 1999. Sister then moved into governance for the Province and resided in Albany until her appointment in Paris in 2009.
A 1970 graduate of Utica Catholic Academy in Utica, Sister Kathleen earned an Associate of Arts degree in Liberal Arts from Maria Regina College in Syracuse in 1975; her Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature with a concentration in Elementary Education from Sacred Heart University in Bridgeport in 1978; a master’s in elementary education from State University of New York at Cortland in Cortland, N.Y., in 1984; and Certification in Spiritual Direction from the Center for Spirituality at Work in Denver in 2006.
For more information, see the Province of St. Louise website:
http://www.daughtersofcharity.org
docarchivesblog.org 