Mrs. Colleen Snead
Colleen is a 2000 graduate of Notre Dame High School and a 2004 graduate of Webster University, where she earned a B.A. in Social Science and a minor in Media Communications. Throughout high school and college, Colleen enjoyed being involved with a variety of volunteer and work experiences. She has volunteered at Our Lady’s Inn (a shelter for pregnant women in crisis and their children), the Catholic Education Office, and at various events at Webster University. She has worked at Nazareth Living Center retirement home, where she assisted the residents in the residential care facility and in the skilled nursing facility - and in the Human Resources Department of Webster University, where she got the opportunity to work with Webster’s six international campuses, as well as its many U.S. campuses. Choosing to attend Webster University to study psychology, sociology, and anthropology, and being surrounded by such a variety of wonderful people from different backgrounds at the home campus of an international university led Colleen to become interested in humanitarian and global issues, and to go into a field after college where she could truly help people. Colleen joined the Mission Office staff in September 2004. She is currently the Missionary Childhood Association Coordinator and the Website Manager, and also handles the Monthly Donor program and some advertising/promotions for the Mission Office. In the fall of 2012, she got married to her wonderful husband. Colleen is happy to be a part of the Mission Office staff, where she is able to promote missionary awareness and education to all people – children, young adults, and adults. She hopes that her blogs will share how rewarding it is to work at the Mission Office, and how wonderful it is to be helping people across the globe.
Sr. Carol Donohue
Sr. Carol attended Ursuline Academy and graduated from Fontbonne College with a degree in Special Education. She received her master’s degree in Special Education from Vanderbilt University. Sr. Carol trained to be a consultant for teachers of learning-disabled and conduct-disordered students at Vanderbilt. Before changing from teaching to social service, Sr. Carol attended a two-year certificate program through Eden Theological Seminary for urban pastoral ministry, and has been working in this area since 1979, both in Bolivia and in the United States.Sr. Carol became acquainted with the congregation of the Sisters of the Most Precious Blood as a lay teacher, and she entered the community after her second year of working with the sisters. She has taught in Missouri at the junior and senior high school levels for most of her fourteen years as a teacher. In 1979, she was part of the founding community of a second Saint Louis Catholic Worker House and she worked there for 10 years, and also served part-time as administrator of a small non-profit corporation program on the near north side in the Catholic Worker neighborhood.
Sr. Carol has been with AMANECER, an orphanage network in Bolivia, for nearly 18 years and has worked in administration at the Central Office and in the family program at Sayaricuy. For the past 12 years, she has been directress of the day program and initial outreach to those living on the streets, as well as those who live in high-risk situations for ending there. Through her blog, Sr. Carol will share stories of the children being helped in Bolivia by Pan y Amor.
Msgr. David Ratermann
Msgr. David Ratermann grew up in Saint Liborius Parish in Saint Louis. He attended St. Liborius grade school, and first entered the "minor seminary" high school, where he spent the first two years at Cathedral Latin School. He then entered St. Louis Preparatory Seminary in Shrewsbury as a day student, and two years later continued there as a boarding student. In 1947, Msgr. Ratermann was sent to the Catholic University in Washington, D.C. by Archbishop Joseph Ritter, with the commitment to study for a degree in theology.Msgr. Ratermann was ordained a priest on June 1, 1951 and his first parish assignment was Most Blessed Sacrament Parish, where he served from 1951 to 1956. When the opportunity to work in Bolivia arose, Msgr. Ratermann very enthusiastically volunteered, and was thrilled when Archbishop Joseph Ritter sent him. In 1956, he became one of the first three priests to go to Bolivia, making him a founder of the Latin America Apostolate.
The first commitment of the Latin America Apostolate was to found Cristo Rey Parish in La Paz, Bolivia. Msgr. Ratermann helped to establish this parish and saw its beginnings as a shed with a tin roof and no walls (called “el galpon” in Spanish) transform into a permanent church in 1961. Throughout the years, Msgr. Ratermann has also worked at the Maryknoll Language School in Cochabamba, the Maria Reina Health Clinic, and Alcoholics Anonymous. He has spent the majority of his time in Bolivia working with the Aymara, the native people of Bolivia who live in the Altiplano region surrounding the mountains. In June 2008, Msgr. Ratermann returned to St. Louis, after 52 years of service in the Latin America Apostolate. He currently resides at Regina Cleri. We thank Msgr. Ratermann for his many years of serving the people of Bolivia!
Through his blog, Msgr. Ratermann will continue to share his amazing, everyday stories and first-hand accounts of life in Bolivia, as well as his new chapter of serving in St. Louis.
About the Mission Blog
In the mission blog, you will find thoughts, insights, and comments reflecting the views of those who have had mission experiences, mission stories to share, and those who see mission as an important part of everyday life. You will be able to read about anything related to the missions or missionary work. You can even decide which blog you’d like to read by choosing a blog by one of our "regular bloggers," or by checking out what our periodic "guest bloggers" have to say!
Readers are welcome to make comments on any of the blogs. While all comments are reviewed before being posted, we encourage you to submit comments – they are a great way to exchange ideas and to share your thoughts with the blog’s author and other readers.
We hope that you check out the mission blog often, as you never know what kind of mission story will be shared next! Thanks for visiting!