Sister Highlights

Sr. Jean Amore, SMIC

Jean was born the eldest of 8 children in Spring Grove, Il. Her family was very active in the parish of this small town in which Jean saw a place familiar to share herself. While in Spring Grove, Jean attended the parish catholic school where her teachers were the of the congregation of the Missionary Sisters of the Immaculate Conception. Jean felt very much connected with the Sisters and after high school entered the congregation located in West Paterson, NJ

Much of Jean's ministry years were spent in West Texas where the congregation identified the area as US mission territory for its lack of priests and sisters to serve in a diocese that covered large territories. In 1965-76 Sister Jean was missioned in Big Spring, Tx in the Diocese of San Angelo as a teacher and assistant principle of the parish elementary school and became Director of Religious Education for the parish and as well, served the local Air Force Base community. This ministry included work with parish youth programs. Sr. Jean was also very active with the Diocesan youth SEARCH retreat programs. She comments "We want to bring God's People to the experience of Christian Community where there is true love for one another." Jean's goals were to prepare both young adults and adults to take over sponsorship of the different youth activities in the parish

Later, studying in Houston for her MA in Religious Education, Jean continued serving the community of Houston, TX from 1983-92 where the congregation had a strong history of service to the Afro-American community. Besides her ministry in the church, Jean dedicated herself to advocacy to abolishing the state death penalty and was treasurer of Endeavor Death Row Projects for Houston from 1986-1992 and was involved in letter writing and accompanied several death row inmates to and their executions

Other ministries in which Jean served are: as director of volunteer coordinator of the overseas mission program at Franciscan Mission Service in Washington, DC.,

Returning to N.J from 2007 to 2012 she worked in hospital chaplaincy at Valley Hospital and Passaic Valley Hospice. Her last assignment was pastoral ministry at Sr. Bonaventure Parish in Paterson, NJ. She retired in 2014 and resides at McAuley Health Center in Watchung

Quoted from Jean: "I see all created things as reflecting God's love. I form relationships with trees, rivers, plants, animals and humans. I talk to them and even embrace them. Today is a beautiful day, the sky is deep blue and the clouds are puffy white. The sun shines bright coming in and out of the clouds. I walked today giving thanks to God for the warmth of the Sun and all that gives me life today".