SISTER STORIES

Sister Chris doing all things of which women are capable

Sister Chris Partisano, CSJ, is shown gardening. It's one of the many hobbies she enjoys practicing. (Photo provided)

Sister Chris Partisano became a Sister of St. Joseph over 60 years ago in 1962. She entered religious life right out of high school, which was common in those days. The options for women were more limited during that time; you became a teacher, nurse, secretary, got married or entered the convent. Back then, sisterhood was very organized and systematic. Donning their black and white habits, the itinerary of their days was firmly set in a neat and orderly routine. On making the choice to become a sister, Sister Chris states, “I wanted to live my life for God and in God.”

During her years in community, Sister Chris has held many distinct roles. She started out as a high school math teacher in Syracuse, where she loved the students and found the work to be exciting. She became involved in retreats for young adults, experiences that led her to college campus ministry at SUNY Oneonta and Hartwick College. The horizons were broadening in the work women were doing and sisters were expanding into wider arenas of ministry, moving out of teaching and transitioning into areas of pastoral work, campus ministry and social work. Sister Chris also served as the Albany Diocesan Director of Campus Ministry. At that time, most others doing this work were priests, but they were very accepting of Sister Chris and respected the ideas she had to offer.

In addition to her degrees in math, Sister Chris then asked to study theology in pursuit of her doctorate. Very few women were traveling this path at that time, as it was just starting to become widely accepted. With her degrees, she desired to work with those who were studying for the priesthood. She attended Catholic University in Washington, D.C., as a full-time student. She went on to co-found, with two priests and a laywoman, the Albany Diocese Formation for Ministry program.

In 1988, Sister Chris asked the community if she could carry out the ministry she was engaging in, but independently as a CSJ. Religious congregations were seeking to create arenas of ministry not yet met by other agencies. That was when Sister Chris became a consultant. She traveled to different parishes to give presentations and worked one-on-one with individuals in “spiritual companioning.” She has worked internationally as a process facilitator with religious congregations all over, including Africa, Brazil, Italy and Canada, to name a few. Sister Chris continues this work today. She travels less, but with the help of the internet, the work goes on. The goal in her consulting role is to help these congregations keep their mission alive. She states: “A congregational meeting isn’t just a corporate meeting; at its center is their mission and what God has placed into their hearts.” She assists them in staying focused and on the task, working with some groups for over 20 years.

Sister Chris also is an artist and loves to garden saying: “Both of these things interface with what I do. Spreading beauty is huge. I like helping people become more aware of beauty.” Her art is multidimensional and she is currently refining her watercolor skills. She also likes to draw trees from every place to which she has traveled.