Sister Colette Tenley, ASC is celebrating 70 years as a vowed religious. She made her first profession with the Congregation of St. Agnes in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin on August 15, 1951. She entered the Adorers of the Blood of Christ on Sept. 1, 1982 and made final profession as an Adorer on Oct. 21, 1984.
Sister Colette was born in Webeno, Wisconsin to Oscar and Matilda Tenley. She received her certification as a registered nurse from St. Agnes School of Nursing, Fond du Lac, Wisconsin in 1948. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Nursing Education from Marian College in Fond du Lac in 1951. She received a master’s degree in long-term care from North Texas State University in Denton, Texas in 1980.
Sister Colette’s ministry in nursing included serving as head nurse at St. Anthony Hospital in Hays, Kansas, St. Thomas Hospital in Colby, Kansas, and St. Clare Hospital in Monroe, Wisconsin. She also served as Nursing Instructor and Director of Nursing at St. Anthony in Hays.
She was the Administrator at Henry Boyle Catholic Home in Fond du Lac, then gave two more years to administration at St. John’s Rest Home in Victoria, Kansas and St. Anne’s Retirement Community in Columbia, Pennsylvania.
Following her final profession as an Adorer in 1984, Sister Colette served for more than 20 years as Assistant Administrator at St. Anne’s Retirement Community in Columbia. She also ministered for several years as a Pastoral Associate at Holy Spirit Hospital in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania before concluding her ministry there as a Pastoral Care volunteer.
Sister Colette currently resides at St. Anne’s Retirement Community where she is Living Mission in Later Life.