"I am a Sister of Belleville and we came from Germany, but since this is the 100-year celebration of the Sisters of Mount St. Joseph and we merged with them, I am going to spend this year trying to better understand and discover more about their history," said Sister Mary Ellen, who has been serving at St. Joseph Parish for 17 years.

Another St. Joseph parishioner, Karen Siciliano, is an Ursuline associate and a close friend of Sister Mary Ellen. "Karen and I share a lot about the Ursuline heritage," said Sister Mary Ellen. "We talk about it a lot."

This year will be a yearlong celebration, highlighted by the values that embody the Ursuline Sisters — prayer, service, empowerment, justice and contemplative presence — all in the spirit of their founder, St. Angela Merici. The theme of the year is "Woven with Threads of Courage and High Hope: 1912-2012." It borrows from St. Angela Merici's encouraging words to her sisters to "have courage and high hope."

Additionally, the Sisters of Mount St. Joseph's website www.ursulinesmsj.org will release daily highlights of a significant moment from the past 100 years. The history and service and updates of the places the 150 Ursulines now minister — nine states, Washington, D.C., and Chile, South America — will be regularly featured.

"Even though I am a Sister of Belleville, we are all Ursulines, who were founded by St. Angela Merici in 1535," Sister Mary Ellen said. "So I am certainly united with them in prayer."