Home Parish:     St. George, Erie

Sister André Feulner first began to consider religious life while she was in her second year of college. At the time, she was greatly influenced by Maryknoll magazine and felt drawn to a missionary vocation. She eventually realized that she could live out that call by entering the Sisters of St. Joseph, who were closer to home. She entered the Sisters of St. Joseph on August 31, 1955, from St. George Parish in Erie and professed her final vows on August 15, 1961. Looking back, Sister André says that being a Sister of St. Joseph enabled her to “live the Gospel” while ultimately fulfilling her desire to serve as a missionary.

Sister André graduated from Villa Maria Academy in 1953 and continued her education at Villa Maria College, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in elementary education. She later received a Master of Arts degree in mathematics from the University of Detroit. Through National Science Foundation grants, she continued her studies in mathematics at the University of Illinois and Catholic University in Washington, D.C.

For nearly 15 years, Sister André taught mathematics in several diocesan schools in Erie, including Holy Rosary, St. Ann, Villa Maria Elementary, St. Andrew, and Villa Maria Academy. She also taught at St. Mary’s in Reynoldsville, St. Agatha High School in Meadville, and St. Francis High School in Clearfield.

In 1971, Sister André participated in the first Institute of Religious Formation at St. Louis University. This experience opened a new chapter in her ministry and led her into formation work, spiritual direction, and retreat ministry. She received certification in Spiritual Direction and Formation Work through the Institute for Religious Formation and later trained in directing the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius Loyola at Colombiere Retreat Center in Clarkston, Michigan. She returned to Colombiere in the summers of 1977 and 1978 to serve on its staff.

For many years, Sister André accompanied Sisters, priests, and lay adults as a spiritual director and gave retreats and workshops at retreat centers and religious communities throughout the United States and Canada. She served as Novice Director for her congregation for 10 years and became the first Director of the Centre of Spirituality of Erie, where she was involved in presenting Vatican II workshops from 1975 to 1981. She also worked for the U.S. Federation of the Sisters of St. Joseph as coordinator of the Life II Program and served on its Formation Committee.

Her desire to serve beyond her own community eventually brought Sister André to Canada. From 2001 to 2006, she served as a Pastoral Animator in a remote parish in the Labrador Diocese in St. Augustine, Quebec. This experience allowed her to fulfill in a particular way the missionary call she had first felt while reading Maryknoll magazine as a college student.

Sister André has also found creative ways to incorporate her gifts into her ministry. She is a skilled basket weaver and, since 1995, has directed a basket-weaving program for working women, using the craft as an opportunity to share her time and talents with others. She also helped develop a camping retreat in the Allegheny National Forest with Barbara Becnel, OSU. Based on the principles of the universe story and creation theology, the retreat invited participants to encounter God through creation.

Throughout her years as a Sister of St. Joseph, Sister André has been involved in a number of organizations and ministries. She was a founding board member of Ecclesia Center and Avila House and has served on the board of the Shankar Service Foundation.

Sister André finds inspiration in the spirituality of St. Ignatius of Loyola, particularly the belief that “Everything has the power to lead me to God.” She also appreciates the words from Sirach, “Everything will prove its value in its time,” which remind her to remain attentive to what is happening in her life. The influence of the Second Vatican Council, along with the love and example of her family and friends, her religious community, and the many people she has served, have helped sustain her vocation through the years.

Reflecting on her journey, Sister André encourages others to pay attention to their lives, recognizing that God can come to us in unexpected ways. “The steady grace of God, and the human and spiritual needs of people everywhere continue to call me to this life,” she says. For Sister André, answering that call means remaining attentive, avoiding the danger of simply drifting along, and trusting that God continues to reveal Himself through the people and experiences placed along the way.