Sisters of St. Joseph

The first 12 years of Sister Clara’s ministry were devoted to domestic duties in various convents and hospitals. She was then asked to begin her academic training to become a teacher. After teaching Home Economics and Religion for a number of years in high schools, Clara was given permission to train lay persons for teaching religion in parishes. She did this for three years in the Diocese of Dodge City. Realizing she needed further study, she earned a Masters Degree in Religious Studies from St. Paul University in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada in 1973. She then continued her ministry as DRE in the Dodge City Diocese for the next 16 years.

In 1994, sensing a call to change, Clara moved to Mt. St. Mary’s in Wichita and became a pastoral minister for the St. Vincent De Paul Parish in Andover, KS. She continues to minister there in adult education and enrichment courses and is well known for making scripture come alive for her students.

It was during the reading of the Scriptures when she was in the 6^th grade that Clara first felt the stirring of a religious vocation. So after completing the 8^th grade, Clara applied to enter the Sisters of St. Joseph of Concordia. However, she was not accepted as a candidate, because she didn’t have the necessary money for her high school education.

Several months later, Father Jordan Hammel, a friend of the family, suggested that she apply to the Sisters of St. Joseph of Wichita. This she did and within a short time she was accepted by Mother Aloysia. So on November 11, 1934, Clara took the first step toward fulfilling her dream of becoming a Sister. Four months later, Clara was given the habit of the Sisters of St. Joseph and the name Sister Hilarion. After Vatican II in 1966, Clara chose the option of returning to her baptismal name, Clara.

Sister Clara Pfeifer is another of the seventy year celebrants. Clara was born August 20, 1919 and was baptized 3 days later. The little church where she was baptized was the spiritual home of only fifteen families. Although small in membership, there was an unusual community atmosphere and a spirit of hospitality that was unique. When the Bishop decided to close this little church, Clara’s mother was so angered that she refused to go to church again for many years. Her mother’s leaving the church was a source of great sorrow for Clara. However, her mother did not stand in the way of the rest of the family going to Mass on Sunday. In fact, she took time each week to teach the basics of the faith to her children and read and explained the Sunday Gospels to them.

70 Years

Sister Clara Pfeifer

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Her final profession day ranks high on her “good experiences” list, but her studies in Canada, travel to Europe and fishing in the Gulf of Mexico were also among her outstanding experiences. Some of the most significant people in her life were Sisters Catherine Dekker and De Chantal, Mother Mary Ann and Mother Baptista. She considers Sister Edwina a wisdom figure in her life.

“Think positively and avoid negative language” has been Clara’s philosophy of everyday living.