SCHOOL SISTERS’
ALUMNAE PORTAL
Updates from and About those taught by our sisters
Since arriving in the United States in 1913, our Sisters have taught at many, many schools nationwide and established three high schools of their own. They are grateful to have touched so many lives over the years and welcome a means by which to receive and share news with their thousands of alumnae. Updates posted here focus primarily on graduates of Mount Assisi Academy in Pittsburgh, Pa.; St. Francis Academy in Bethlehem, Pa.; and St. Francis Academy in San Antonio, Texas — the three major girls’ high schools established by our Sisters. All three have since closed, but we welcome updates about graduates of these schools, as well as from former students taught by our Sisters in elementary, middle and high schools nationwide. Please use the form at the bottom of this page to submit alumnae updates and check back often to see what’s happening with your classmates.
Click on the school name below for specific alumnae information.
mount assisi ACADEMY (MAA)
St. francis academy bethlehem (SFA-B)
St. francis academy San Antonio (SFA-TX)
Alumnae Update Form
Would you like to share an update about yourself with the Sisters and former classmates? Do you have a Sister Story to share? Please use the form below to share personal and professional highlights, such as job news, family milestones, awards and more. To respect the privacy of others, we ask that you only submit updates about yourself and not about other classmates. Family members may also update us on alumnae who are deceased.
Alumnae Update Feed
Check back often to read updates about and notes from our alumnae. To submit an update about yourself, use the Alumnae Update Form at left.
Looking to Connect — Katherine Marshall Kettle (SFA-T 1977) checked in recently to share her contact information. Now living in Mansfield, Texas, Kathy hopes to reconnect with some of her former classmates. Reach out to her at kathykettle58@gmail.com.
Full Circle — Retired after 20 years as a research associate with the University of Michigan, Margaret Kneiss Libsch (SFA-B 1967) has moved back to her native Pennsylvania to help care for her aging parents. Now a widow, Margaret enjoys traveling and catching up with some of her old high school teachers — including Sisters Anita and Marguerite — while on retreats at St. Francis Center for Renewal.
Alum Gets Thrifty — Mary Walters Hancock (MAA 1967) reports that she has finally found her calling. “Since leaving the religious order, I had been trying to find out what the Lord had planned for me to continue his work. After many years of searching, God finally came into my heart and called me to open a thrift store to help out my community in Freeport, Pa., and surrounding areas. What a blessing it is to reach out to others!” Mary is married with two daughters and five grandchildren, which she calls “blessings I never thought I could have.” She remains grateful for her education at Mt. Assisi Academy. “I enjoyed my days at The Mount and the many friends I made,” she says. “I have many stories of my days there of which my group and I could only share and laugh about. Thank you, Mt. Assisi Academy!”
Long Legacy — Reading recent Then & Now features caused Fran Poydak Beck (MAA 1965) to reflect on her family’s long legacy with our community. Taught by our Sisters at St. Mark’s School in McKees Rocks from 1954 to 1961, Fran and her twin sister, Marie Poydak Borelli, graduated from Mount Assisi Academy in 1965. Their mother, Frances Poydak, was a teenager when she attended the dedication of the MAA school building in 1938 and later returned to the Mount Assisi campus as a resident of Marian Hall personal care home in the 1990s. Fran’s granddaughters, Sydney and Alexandra, attended Mount Assisi Academy Preschool from 2011 to 2015. “We all have fond memories of ‘The Mount,’” Fran says. After working for more than 30 years as an X-ray technician, Fran is now retired. She lives in McKees Rocks, Pa., with her husband, Bill.
Lifelong Learner — Norma Aguiree Gaines (SFA-T 1967) dropped us a line to say she has retired from Southwestern University after 37 years and earning a bachelor’s degree in art history there. She and her husband have four grown children. “He is a writer, emeritus professor of English, and Bob Dylan aficionado, which has provided us with much opportunity for travel,” she says. “The good Sisters of St. Francis opened up whole new worlds for me. That seed for growth and lifelong learning was planted in high school, and I remain very grateful for that.”
Seeking Classmates — Anita Cavazos Parazo (SFA-T 1976) checked in to say she’s still living in San Antonio, Texas, and welcomes contact with members of the St. Francis Academy classes of 1976 and 1977. Drop her a line at parnita59@gmail.com.
Keys of Life — Ellen Middlecamp Pennoyer (SFA-B 1967) has retired after 50 years as an organist and choir director for many churches. Widowed since 2019, Ellen has three adult children: Andre’ (self-employed), Cynthia (trained opera singer), and Tracy (a “double doctor” with degrees in applied mathematics and astrophysics). She also has a young granddaughter.
Full Circle — Patricia Moran (MAA 1970) serves as director of the Change A Heart Franciscan volunteer program, a ministry of the Sisters of St. Francis of the Neumann Communities in Pittsburgh, Pa. “I have come full circle, back to my Franciscan roots,” Pat says. “Thank you to the School Sisters of St. Francis for the beautiful memories, support and love throughout my lifetime.”
Family Tradition — Marisol Flores Millican (SFA-TX 1989) provided this personal update: “I earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas at San Antonio and currently teach at St. Gregory the Great Catholic School in San Antonio. I also own a flamenco/folklorico dance group called Alma Gitana Dance Company. I’m proud and blessed to have my own daughter receive a Catholic education, as she attended St. Gregory the Great and will soon graduate from St. Anthony Catholic High School.”
Strong Service — Hortencia Zamarron (SFA-TX 1976) sure has been busy since graduation. She served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1978-1988, worked with AMAT Healthcare Institute in Austin, Texas, for eight years, with Gary Job Corps for four years, at San Antonio State for 10 years, and with NSID until 2009.
Proud Grad — Elizabeth Gutierrez (SFA-TX 1994) went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in computer science from Texas A&M University.
Reunion Anyone? — Rosalind Kisic Petnuch (MAA 1966) says she’d be more than happy to help organize a reunion. Any interested 1966ers are welcome to contact her at rozpetnuch@@aol.com.
Positive Connection — Lorraine Vogel Darr (MAA 1966) offers her appreciation for the Sisters’ new website and this alumnae portal in particular. “It’s a great way to stay connected,” she writes. Per Lorraine’s suggestion, we have added a form field to include maiden names in alumnae update submissions.
Double Duty — Carol Kutz (SFA-B 1982) checked in from Las Vegas, Nev., to report that while working as an RN at a medical spa there, she is pursuing her education as a acute care/geriatric nurse practitioner through Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, Ariz. She is on track to complete her studies in early 2021.
The Very Best Bread — Joanne Suchodupski Anderson (MAA 1959) of Indio, Calif., reports that, to this day, she is still baking the homemade bread recipe taught to her by Sister Frances (Theophane) Jacko as a sophomore in home economics class. The recipe endures even in the high altitudes of the California mountains.