For the last six years sisters Rose Theresa and Rose Karen Johnson have served together as Catholic witnesses and pastoral associates at Saint Joseph parish in Central City, Kentucky. For the last five years two of their closest friends have been Rondle and Betty Skimehorn of rural Central City, devout Baptists who call the Johnson sisters (they are also blood sisters) two of their best friends.

Baptist friends and supporters Rondle and Betty Skimehorn call Sisters Rose Theresa and Rose Karen "extra special" friends.

     “They are two of the nicest Christian ladies I’ve ever known,” says Rondle. “They are both outgoing and they are both out to help people. They are kind to everyone they meet. We really get along fine.”
      “I just think they are extra special,” says Betty. “Anytime you are in their home, they give you a warm welcome. And, you know when they visit the sick and the shut-ins, it’s not just those from their church, but those from all different churches. They are really special.”
      How did a Baptist couple in Baptist-dominant Muhlenberg County meet two Ursuline Sisters serving their ministry at Saint Joseph’s? “We met through one of their friends,” Rondle explained. “A good friend of theirs – Laura Smith – is married to a good friend of mine – W.T. Smith. Laura introduced us and we’ve been friends ever since. We take them out to eat once in a while and we sure do enjoy their company. I’m glad to see them every time I see them coming.”
      “Our friendship is 100%,” adds Betty. “If I was critically ill I’d call them and ask them to pray for me.”

Father Ben Luther says Sisters Rose Karen and Rose Theresa "do excellent work" as his pastoral associates.

     Sister Rose Theresa was the seventh of 13 children born to Damien and Catherine Johnson, who lived on a farm near St. Lawrence, Kentucky, about 15 miles east of Owensboro. She attended Saint Lawrence Grade School, where she was taught by Ursuline Sisters and from eighth grade on "knew I wanted to be a sister…an Ursuline sister!”  Her desire to become a sister came as no surprise to her parents and other family members. “We already had two Charity sisters in the family,” says Sister Rose Theresa, “but having been taught for eight years by the Ursuline Sisters and with three sisters already in the Ursuline community, my choice was easy to make.”
     She attended high school at Mount Saint Joseph and college at Brescia. The first 40 years of her life as an Ursuline sister were devoted to teaching. She taught grades 1-5 in the Owensboro Diocese and in Louisville.
     After leaving the classroom, she served four years as pastoral associate at Saint William Parish in Marion. During that time she sang on “The Living Christmas Tree” in Marion and was in the movie “The Last Dance,” which was about capital punishment. She was also featured a number of times in Extension Magazine. After leaving Marion and doing Catholic witness work for four years in Caneyville, Sister Rose Theresa moved in 2000 to Central City, where she was reunited with her sister. “I have enjoyed living and working with Sister Rose

Mass is celebrated every Wednesday morning at the Saint Joseph Catholic Center in Greenville.

Karen,” she says. “During these six years I have come to love and appreciate our pastor Father Ben (Luther), everyone in St. Joseph’s parish, and everyone in Muhlenberg County.”
     Sister Rose Karen was the 13th – and last – child born to Damien and Catherine Johnson. She followed a somewhat similar path as her big sister Theresa to Mount Saint Joseph. She, too, was Ursuline taught for eight years at Saint Lawrence Grade School. She, however, began her high school studies at Knottsville High School. After attending Knottsville High for two and a half years she received her call to religious life. She remembers it well. “I was coming home one Sunday after Mass,” she recalls, “and the thought just came to me to become an Ursuline sister – it just popped in my head – be an Ursuline! I told my Mom. Our house had burned and we were getting ready to move into the new house, and she said ‘why don’t you want to live in the new house with us?’ And I said no, Mom. And they let me come.”
     After finishing her junior year and all of her senior year at Mount Saint Joseph, Sister Rose Karen attended and graduated from Brescia College. In 1960 she began a tenure of 28 years in education, teaching primary grades in Louisville. Her

Parishioner Mary Justice helps the sisters prepare the brunch which is served every Wednesday following Mass in the Center.

educational career included teaching in the Louisville and Owensboro dioceses with brief stints in Indiana, Missouri and at Mount Saint Joseph, and six years serving as school principal.
     She left education in 1995 to come to Greenville and Central City to be a Catholic witness and to serve as a pastoral associate at Saint Joseph Parish in Central City. “Coming here to the ‘bible belt’ strengthened me to reach out to other faiths,” says Sister Rose Karen. “I have attended revivals and Thanksgiving services, have led prayers at sunrise service on Easter morning, and have given a talk at the Holy Week Ecumenical Service.”
      Saint Joseph in Central City is the only Catholic church and parish in Muhlenberg County. As pastoral associate, Sister Rose Karen began to minister from the Saint Joseph Catholic Center, located in house in a pleasant Greenville subdivision. She says, “On Wednesday mornings we have Mass in our chapel (located in what was the dining room of the house) followed by a potluck brunch. On First Fridays we have exposition of the Blessed Sacrament for the community in our chapel.”
      After five years of ministering on her own, Sister Rose Karen was joined by her sister, Sister Rose Theresa, in 2000 and they have been familiar fixtures in Muhlenberg County ever since.

Four Mount Saint Joseph associates and one associate candidate are pictured following Mass at the Saint Joseph Center in Greenville. Pictured are, front row, l. to r., Elenita McConnell, Father Ben Luther, Laura Smith. Back row, Jean Simpson and Alice Powell. Alice is the associate candidate.

     “We have a lot of fun together,” says Sister Rose Karen. “We enjoy each other. There are days she’ll go in one direction and I’ll go in another. But it’s usually both of us.”
     Father Ben Luther first met the Johnson sisters when he became pastor at Saint Joseph Parish in June of 2001.
     “I found them to be very zealous and hardworking,” he recalls. “They visited a lot of our sick and elderly and kept up with taking Communion to our shut-ins. I didn’t know them at all when I came here, but I learned of them quickly. They are both indispensable in my books having them here.” He continued, “They have a lot of contacts with Baptist friends who have them into their homes to pray together. Doing this they spread a lot of good will throughout the county. Sister Rose Karen belongs to the Ministerial Association and goes to their monthly meetings. That way the ministers of eight to ten difference churches in the area – mostly Baptist – have gotten to know  her and to see the many things she does in the area.”
     Father Ben credits the sisters with playing a key role in the way many Muhlenberg Countians have changed in their feelings toward Catholics. He says, “Many people around here have changed their attitudes toward Catholics simply because of the very fact of who they (the sisters) are. And their wearing habits helps them to witness for the Church and people hold them in greater esteem. We always work together. We visit the sick together, take Communion to shut-ins together and even break bread with Baptists together. They do excellent work!”
      Sister Rose Karen says, “Father Ben and the parish have been so good to us and it is a real joy to be part of their lives.” Sister Rose Theresa adds, “I have come to love and appreciate our pastor, Father Ben, all of Saint Joseph parish and the community of Muhlenberg County.”

Sisters Rose Theresa and Rose Karen are pictured with longtime friends and parishioners Agnes Rodakis (in front) and Betty Keeling.

     And the people of Muhlenberg County appreciate the work being done by sisters Rose Theresa and Rose Karen.
     Mary Justice (parishioner): “My husband was sick for a long period of time and the sisters visited him regularly, they brought me Communion, helped bring him back to good health and then brought him back to the Church. We’re very thankful to the sisters for their help and kindness.”
     Alice Powell (parishioner and Mount Saint Joseph associate candidate): “I haven’t lived here very long, but I’ve quickly seen that they have made quite an impact in the area. I don’t have a car so I ride with them often to and from church. Sometimes they stop at a grocery and I see people stop and talk with them and wave to them all the time. When we stop for a cup of coffee the server is always happy to see them and obviously glad to serve them. It’s a beautiful thing.”
     Betty Keeling (longtime friend and parishioner): “They have had a big impact on the community. This is bible country and they have brought more understanding of the Catholic religion to the community because they are so friendly. They talk to everyone and are willing to help anyone in any way they can no matter what religion a person is. I’m a widow and I live close by. It’s just nice to know they are there and are willing to help in any way if needed.”
     Jean Simpson (parishioner and Mount Saint Joseph associate): ”I’ve known Sister Rose Karen ever since she came here 11 years ago. She’s always been very prayerful and concerned. It’s always nice to be around her. You just always feel loved. Another thing is that she has a way of making one feel safe because you know she’s going to be praying for you and I do think God hears her prayers. The other night we had some real bad storms and they went to the chapel, lit some candles, prayed and made us all feel good and safe. Not many people can make you feel that way. I’ve known Sister Rose Theresa since she joined her sister six years ago. She’s a lot quieter, but I’ve learned she has the same qualities as her sister. And we now think of them

Sisters pay regular visits to Jean and Ron Pfenning. Jean says she's very happy when they come to visit her.

almost as one. We now have double the prayers, double the caring.”
     Jean Pfenning is one of many homebound Greenville residents who look forward to visits from the Johnson sisters. “I don’t think I can face the fight of the illness before me without those two dedicated, lovely, Catholic ladies in my life,” she says. “I’m very happy when they come to visit me.”
     Her husband, Ron Pfenning, is also pleased when the sisters come knocking. “I look forward to their visits and their sharing what goes on in the community and the church with us,” he says. “I’m very glad they are there for Jean. We both think that what they do for Muhlenberg County should be commended and they should stay with us for as long as they wish.”
     Elenita McConnell, a member of Saint Joseph parish and a Mount Saint Joseph associate, has known Sister Rose Karen since 1998, Sister Rose Theresa since 2000. A native of the Philippines, Elenita met her husband, Gasper McConnell, a native of Carrollton, while she was visiting relatives in the U.S.  They were married and she moved to Kentucky.
     “When my husband and I first came here, people asked what our religion was and I proudly told them we were Catholic,” she recalls. “They all then started to ignore us and didn’t talk to us at all. We didn’t have any friends. But since the sisters have come most people have changed their attitude about Catholics because of their involvement in the community. They love the people no matter what their religion is. Everyone asks them to come to their homes and pray with them."

Sister Rose Karen prays while Sister Rose Theresa gives Holy Communion to Bonnie Clemons.

      She also tells of the sisters helping her through some most difficult times. “When my husband died last December they came to me, prayed with me and told me he was in God’s hands,” she says. “They were really there for me when I really needed them. They also called everyone and told them about Gasper’s dying. Everyone then prayed for me."
      Laura Smith, a longtime friend, a Mount Saint Joseph associate and a member of Saint Joseph Parish, has known Sister Rose Theresa since 1950 and Sister Rose Karen since Laura and her husband, Bill, moved to Central City in 1993. “Sister Rose Theresa is a very easygoing, sweet person who always has a smile for everyone,” says Laura. “She’s more reserved than her sister, but everybody really likes her and finds her really approachable. She and her sister have worked together to bring this place alive – there hadn’t been much going on in the parish before they got here.”
    Laura is also impressed with the work the sisters have done in the community with people of other faiths. She says, “The two of them together have made a lot of contacts with people of different faiths in the area. This afternoon I met with some people of different faiths for coffee and they came and joined us as they often do.”
     She sees a big difference in the two sisters. “Sister Rose Karen is very outgoing and a big tease,” she says. “She teases with the ladies and they just eat it up. They all seem to just love her. After Mass everybody just waits to say something to her. We all have some big laughs and get our day going on a happy note.”
     What do the sisters mean to Saint Joseph parish and Muhlenberg County? “They mean a lot to the parish and to all of the communities in the county,” says Laura. “They just come up and talk to everyone all the time.”
     She adds, “And since they’ve been here they have really worked on the Mount’s associate program. Right now we have three new associate candidates in Muhlenberg County.”

For seven years, Sisters Rose Theresa (l.) and Rose Karen dressed as clowns to entertain poor children in Louisville during the Christmas holidays. They were part of a special program at Louisville's Executive Inn.

     The day photos were taken for this feature story, four associates and one associate candidate were present at Mass that morning at the Catholic Center. The associates were Elenita McConnell, Laura Smith, Jean Simpson and Father Ben Luther. The associate candidate was Alice Powell.
     In the last two years, 11 new associates have joined the Mount Saint Joseph associate ranks from Muhlenberg County.
     Prior to Mass that morning, Sisters Rose Theresa and Rose Karen discovered a hand-written message on a paper napkin, left behind in the Catholic Center kitchen by a parishioner. Many of the parishioners knew the sisters were going to be interviewed for the “Sisters in Ministry” feature and this parishioner wanted the interview to go well. The message on the napkin read:
     My Sisters: The fans were turned off. Here is a list of things you do for the parish for your interview: You go visit the sick and homebound. Associates work. Food pantry work. Communion when Father isn’t here. Youth group work. CCD. Prayers. Calls when someone dies. Funeral work to the families. Meals you have given and love for all! Peace and love, Brenda.
     The note was from Brenda Busick, an example of how much the parishioners care for their pastoral associates. Both were touched by the fact Brenda took the time to give them some tips for the interview and to wish them well.
     When Sister Rose Theresa came to Greenville in 2000 to join her younger sister, it marked the fourth time they had served in joint ministries. They were at Saint William in Knottsville for four years, Sister Rose Karen serving as principal and Sister Rose Theresa as teacher; at Saint Mary Magdalene in Sorgho for three years, both as teachers; and at Precious Blood in Owensboro for two years, both as teachers.
     They enjoy working together in and out of the classroom, “in and out of character.” For seven years – from 1998 to 2004 – they dressed as clowns to entertain poor children in Louisville.
     Their sister, Theresa Johnson, invited them to be members of a clown group that she belonged to that ministers to the poor children of Louisville the Sunday before Christmas. Louisville car dealer Neil Hoffman sponsors the event each year. The sisters – and many other volunteers – dressed in clown face and clown costumes, entertained the children and presented them with gifts.
     “It was overwhelming to see all the children,” says Sister Rose Karen. “It was their Christmas. It was enjoyable. It was something they dearly loved. It really touched our hearts. They gave away many wrapped gifts and hams. They also had a dinner and the clowns entertained along with others.”
     Sister Rose Theresa says, “To see their little eyes brighten up was really special. The children were filled with awe and excitement…and I was too!”
     Due to health reasons, the sisters had to end their Christmas clown adventure two years ago.
     The last six years mark the longest Sisters Rose Theresa and Rose Karen have served together in the same ministry. “And I have loved every minute of it,” says Sister Rose Theresa. “We get along together. It’s been great!”
     Says Sister Rose Karen, “We have a lot of fun together and we enjoy each other. Both of us are not in real good health so it gives us strength knowing someone’s going to be here. She’s taken care of me at times and I’ve taken care of her at times. It’s just good to have another person to witness with you. And she inspires me.”

(Click here for printer-friendly copy of story)