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DEC 06 LBW
Sister
Josephine Kallus, OSB,
comes from LaGrange, Texas, one of twelve children of Robert and
Cecelia Kallus. Her large family lived on a farm where they
grew vegetables and had dairy cows. “The Kallus sisters” have a
rather unusual relationship with the Benedictines. Five of the
family’s nine daughters joined the community. When Josephine
was young and still living in Texas, two of her sisters,
Virginia and Angelica were both writing to her and encouraging
her to consider a life in community – but neither of those two
knew the other was writing! It must have been destiny.
Josephine
attended the Alamo Beauty College after high school and was a
hairdresser in San Antonio at a well known hotel. During that
period, she had trouble with one of her legs and had to have
surgery. This active young woman was restrained in bed on her
back for twenty-one days. Josephine prayed to the Blessed
Mother and made a promise that if she recovered and could get up
again, she would dedicate her life to the Lord’s service. Up
she got! She honored her promise and joined the Benedictine
community in 1944. She recalls that it was difficult to tell
her parents that the fifth daughter was leaving the family to go
into community. Her father had a good sense of humor – he
commented, “If all my daughters enter, I’ll have to enter, too!”
In the
‘50’s and ‘60s, Sister Josephine was busy cooking for the
Sisters who were working the missions. She has always enjoyed
doing things for others and making others happy and is willing
to do whatever is needed. She reflects, “I love my
community. It’s my family now”.
In the
mid-60’s, when the Sisters were no longer required to cover
their heads, there was a need again for a hairdresser in the
community. Sister Josephine took a refresher course in Joliet
and became the community’s hairdresser. Friends of the
community donated a chair and all the hairdressing equipment.
Josephine also learned to drive and has for years now helped out
by taking other Sisters to appointments or to the train or
airport.
Sister
Josephine welcomes all the new residents at Villa St. Benedict.
She looks forward to the opportunity to make them feel welcome
and to help make their days easy. “What greater reward can
you have”, she says “than serving others and helping them”?
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