Reflections - Sister Annunciata Muth

After teaching for 50 years, Sister Annunciata Muth continued to feel the call to minister among young children. So, seven years ago, at a time when most people would begin slowing down and easing out of work, she shifted into semi-retirement by taking a full-time position as teacher assistant for second grade classes at Holy Spirit parish, Louisville, Ky. Since God had blessed her with energy to work, she wanted to continue to use her talents and experience to benefit others, especially young children. Sister Annunciata grew up in a family with eight children in a then-rural section of Jefferson County, Ky., near Middletown. Transportation was not readily available, so she attended a nearby public school and a Presbyterian Sunday school until the seventh grade, when the pastor for Holy Trinity parish provided a school bus.

From the first day of first grade she knew she wanted to be a teacher. Then in seventh grade, when she met Ursulines at Holy Trinity School, she knew she wanted to be a sister. She thought it was a great idea - she could teach and pray. The seventh grade was an important transition for her. She needed the religious influence at that time in her life, something to bolster her up. Later in high school at Sacred Heart Academy, she was a member of the Vocation Club. The students met monthly at different Catholic girls' high schools in the Louisville area. They would hold their meeting, tour the school and then learn about the life of the sisters who staffed that particular school. The day always ended with Benediction. "This also fostered my vocation." Her mother was happy with her choice to become an Ursuline Sister, but it took her father some time to come around. Once he realized what her life was all about, he accepted it. Over the next 50 years, Sister Annunciata taught in Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio and Nebraska. She came through a challenging period several years ago when she lost some of her vision. For an avid reader and keen observer of nature, this was a difficult time. She turned to prayer during sleepless nights and came to a deeper experience of God and acceptance of what had happened. While she continues to work with children in the classroom, prayer remains the most important aspect of her day. Would she recommend this way of life? "Oh, definitely," she says with enthusiasm and a broad smile. "It has been extraordinarily fulfilling."