Sister Spotlight: Sister Stephanie Henry

The blessing of a great leadership team!

Sister Stephanie Henry is the new President of the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament (SBS). Sr. Stephanie is the eldest of three daughters born to Faye and Walter Henry in Philadelphia, PA. While growing up, she admired many of her teachers and desired to become one. The only thing that changed over time was what kind of teacher she would be.

Sr. Stephanie says her earliest encounter with "sisters" was at Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament School in Philadelphia, where she attended first and second grades. Though she attended Catholic Schools throughout elementary, secondary, and undergraduate, she never met another Sister of the Blessed Sacrament until she began considering a religious vocation in her early twenties. Eventually, her discernment journey led to living in a community with SBS sisters the year before entering. The experience led to her first experience of

NBSC when Sr. Beatrice Jeffries invited her to the 1978 conference in Los Angeles. She entered the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament in August 1978 and was professed in December 1980. Her membership in NBSC began sometime in the early 80s, and she attended the annual conference whenever she was not enrolled in summer studies. More consistent participation in NBSC probably started in 2005 when She returned to Philadelphia after 22 years of ministry in the South.

Sister Stephanie says she has been blessed in her ministries. She has taught Science and Religion at Xavier University Preparatory School in New Orleans and was a Chemistry Instructor for four years at the Xavier University of Louisiana. Teaching is still her favorite ministry. Even when she shifted to serve as a parish director of religious education and later became a pastoral care associate in a nursing home, she most relished times of teaching, especially those involving bible discussions and prayers.

Sister Stephanie says, " I hope that my service, as President of the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament, will help the congregation move forward in promoting racial, social, and ecological justice through collaborative engagements with others. One blessing is that I have the support of a Leadership Team that includes the Vice-President, Sr. Theresa Chato, and two Councilors (Sr. Judy Franz and Sr. Faith Okerson)." We will keep Sr. Stephanie and all the SBS Leadership Team members in prayer.