Franciscan Spirituality Center - Sue Ernster, FSPA

INFO
Franciscan Spirituality Center
920 Market Street
La Crosse, WI 54601
608-791-5295

https://www.fscenter.org

Steve Spilde: Today, I am honored to welcome Sister Sue Ernster to the podcast. Sister Sue is a
friend. She shares an interest in golf. She shares a love for Franciscan values. It is my pleasure
to introduce her to the listeners of this podcast. Welcome, Sister Sue.
Sister Sue Ernster: Thank you, Steve. It is an honor to be part of the podcast, and I am
humbled to be asked.
Steve: Sue, you have several important positions within the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual
Adoration community. You serve as Vice President for the community. You also serve as
Treasurer, which is basically the Chief Financial Officer. Have I described you correctly?
Sister Sue Ernster: Yes, those are the two roles or positions within the community. I see both
of those positions as positions that promote and facilitate the mission of our congregation. As an
elected leader, it’s helping to promote the mission and vision. And then as the Treasurer, it’s
facilitating the procedures and helping to manage our finances so we have the capacity to engage
in mission and support those in mission.
Steve: Say you meet someone on the street that’s not familiar with congregational life, and
when you say, “the mission of the community,” how would you describe that to someone who is
basically new to the church?
Sister Sue Ernster: We as Franciscans say quite frequently that our mission is The Gospel, and
also meeting the needs of the times. The needs change, so sometimes how we live out The
Gospel looks differently, yet it is still grounded in meeting the needs of the times. We were
founded for education and nursing. Some of those have shifted to somewhat being more, maybe
not as institutional, but on the margins working with the immigrants, our Afghan guests, as well
as meeting people where they are in their spiritual journey and spiritual quest.
Steve: At one time, someone in your position would have been described as a nun, correct?
Sister Sue Ernster: Correct. As a nun, there is a slight distinction …
Steve: Between that and a sister, right?
Sister Sue Ernster: Yes, you are correct.
Steve: You use the word “community life” kind of interchangeable with that, correct?
Sister Sue Ernster: Yes, that is correct.
Steve: I think if someone met you on the street, they would be surprised to find out that you’re a
sister because you’re relatively young, [and] you’re one of the coolest people I know. How did

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you become a Franciscan sister?
Sister Sue Ernster: I got to know our congregation of FSPAs … After I graduated college, I
wanted to integrate my faith along with my accounting and financial background – those together
– to serve more fully. I didn’t want to see them as distinct, but [rather] more integrated. I had
the opportunity to volunteer with FSPA for two years as a Shared Horizons volunteer in David,
Kentucky. That’s how I got to know the sisters. I stayed connected with them after I left David
and moved back to the Midwest. After five years of being an affiliate with our congregation,
several friends paraded out, “You seem to be most happy when you’re with the sisters.” As I
looked at it and thought about it, what drew me to FSPA were the people – the sisters I knew – as
well as no matter when I met them or engaged with them, they were always truly happy no
matter what the situation is. There was true joy with them, and that was what I wanted.
Steve: For someone who is kind of unfamiliar with congregational life, the sisters are women
who have taken a vow to basically be of service with their lives, correct? Is that a fair way of
describing it?
Sister Sue Ernster: Correct. We take publicly three vows: Consecrated Celibacy, Obedience,
and Poverty. All of those are very intertwined. Part of the core of each of those is service,
because it’s all related to God and serving the mission and the goal and The Gospel.