Sister Mary Philomena Bahr, ASC is celebrating 75 years as a vowed member of the Adorers of the Blood of Christ. She made her first profession on July 1, 1946 and her final vows on July 1, 1951.
Sister M. Philomena was born in Olmitz, Kansas to Frances and Joseph F. Bahr, Jr. She received a bachelor’s degree in education from Marymount College in Salina, Kansas in 1957 and a master’s degree, also in education, from Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, Oklahoma, in 1970. She became certified as a nurse assistant from Vocational Tech in Mulvane, Kansas in 1977, and as a restorative aide from Great Bend Community College in Great Bend, Kansas in 1981.
Sister M. Philomena served 30 years as a teacher in elementary schools in several states. She taught at Marienthal, Windthorst, Angelus, Eureka, Colwich and Wichita in Kansas; Okarche, McAlester, Stillwater, Bedford and Bison in Oklahoma; David City, Nebraska; and Hobbs, New Mexico. After she became certified as a restorative aide and nurse assistant, she served six years in those positions at Villa Maria Retirement Community in Mulvane, Kansas. She continued at Villa Maria for another 15 years as activity assistant.
Sister M. Philomena retired to the Wichita Center in 2009 where she assisted with the sisters’ health care and volunteered as Eucharistic Minister at Via Christi Hospital in Wichita.
Sister Philomena…
As we grows older, one has a tendency to reminiscence about their childhood years. I am a resident of Stillwater, Oklahoma and attended St. Francis Xavier parochial school through the 8th grade. I was a third grader in 1955 when my family moved to Stillwater. I think you were my teacher. At the time it two grades were merged in the same classroom. Sister Modesta was the 5-6 grade teacher and Sister Teresita was principal and taught 7-8 grades. Father Eric Beavers was the pastor when we moved here.
When I looked at the photos of sisters with the name Philomena, I thought I recognized a resemblance of the Sister Philomena who was my third grade teacher. Were you assigned to Stillwater about that time?