Life-Giving Work
by Annie Welch, CSJP-A
Annie Welch, CSJP-A in Suchitoto, El Salvador.
I am a retired elementary educator in both Catholic and public schools in Ohio, Alaska and Washington state. My involvement in education spans nearly 40 years. I have always been part of the church choir and served on various parish committees and commissions. But, in retirement, I have had more opportunities to participate in various life-giving organizations and volunteer groups.
For the past four years, I have been a Catholic Relief Services Chapter leader. Our Chapter meets once a month to follow through with advocacy work and actions as guided by our CRS leadership. Currently our focus is on environmental issues as they affect the most vulnerable often in the most devastating ways. I am also a Eucharistic Minister at PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center, a CSJP ministry here in Bellingham, Washington. I help with the Lions Club’s Books For Kids program that gives out free books and backpacks to children at local food banks, community gatherings, and various school functions. And I am active in two groups committed to the precepts of Catholic Social Teaching: Pax Christi and Just Faith.
As an associate of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace, I have lead the CSJP Simple Living Group that meets once a month via Zoom with sisters and associates across three regions for three years. This group is part of what our Congregation is doing to help fulfill our commitment to Pope Francis’ Laudato Si’ Action Platform. Our group meets to discuss books and programs that present ways to awaken and deepen our care for the earth. We share what we learn with the entire community to challenge us all to make small changes to habits and activities that are detrimental to the environment.
I first encountered the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace years ago while working as a Jesuit volunteer in Ketchikan, Alaska. Their charism and commitment to peace through justice drew me to become an associate. I made my first commitment in April 1997 and my lasting covenant in April 2011. My associate commitment has been both a gift and a challenge, always pushing me to live out peace through justice in my everyday interactions.
In November 2023, I became the coordinator for the El Salvador Scholarship Program, which was founded and run by Sister Margaret Jane Kling, CSJP, to raise funds for the post-secondary educations of young adults in Suchitoto, El Salvador. This new ministry in El Salvador provides more new challenges—to enter ever more deeply into encounter with a new culture in El Salvador and a new language, Spanish, but more importantly to walk with those who want to grow in their education and life pursuits but have had little or no opportunity. Through this scholarship program, we can empower these students now, and in their futures, and invite them to a place at the table.
As Associates and Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace, we believe in the hope of a tomorrow that shines with the promise of peace. We believe in a banquet table where all members of the beloved community eat their fill and have life-giving opportunities. We now set the table before us.