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| Following the road of faith to Paola |
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| News | |||
| Written by Brian McCauley | |||
| Wednesday, 02 December 2009 08:00 | |||
During a time when Paola community members were busy saying goodbye to their longtime neighbors the Ursuline Sisters, Sister Betsy Moyer was busy making preparations to call Paola her new home.  Earlier this year, the Ursuline Sisters of Paola began to make their move to Maple Mount, Ky., where they have merged with another Ursuline congregation. Dwindling numbers and a struggle to maintain the large 36.5-acre convent off Wea Street led to the merger. The first group of sisters left on May 15, and another group followed on June 1, prompting many tearful goodbyes from members of the Paola community, where the Ursuline Sisters have been a staple for 113 years. In 1896, Ursuline Academy opened its doors to children as well as becoming a boarding school for high-school-level girls. It operated for more than 70 years before closing its doors in 1971. But although many of the sisters are gone, and the convent currently is for sale, those who stop by will still see some familiar faces — and one new one. Sister Betsy Moyer, who had been living at the Ursuline Motherhouse in Maple Mount, has joined the few remaining Ursuline Sisters at the Paola convent. Moyer moved to Paola in July after taking a job as a licensed practical nurse at Vintage Park assisted living facility in Paola. The move was just the most recent change in a very busy year for Moyer, who returned to the United States in April after spending about seven months serving her mission in Jamaica. While in Jamaica, Moyer taught at a Catholic elementary school and also spent a day helping patients at a free clinic in an impoverished area. The Paola Ursuline Sisters were known as a teaching congregation, and Moyer certainly can relate to that mission. Moyer has both taught and worked in administration in a number of schools from Kentucky to New Mexico, but said she has always wanted to get closer to her family in Nebraska City, Neb. After spending about five years at the Maple Mount Motherhouse as director of nursing and eventually administrator, Moyer left for her Jamaican mission and returned looking for a position in the Kansas City area to get closer to home. She had visited the Paola sisters about three years ago, and she fell in love with the small-town atmosphere, which is similar to where she grew up and several rural places she has served. “I love the simplicity of the rural people, and the faith-filled love for God they have,” Moyer said. “They are very welcoming and hospitable.” Moyer was worried that she would be unable to live at the Paola Motherhouse because of the merger, but when she got the job at Vintage Park, the Paola sisters opened up their doors to her. Now, she’s spent the past few months getting used to her busy routine at Vintage Park and familiarizing herself with the local community. Moyer knows there is a reason she is where she is, and even though it has been a hectic year, her faith has not wavered. “Following God’s plan always leads to good things,” she said. “I’m blessed.”
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