Sister Karen Bernhardt, formerly Sister Paul Marie, entered the Humility of Mary Community from St. Joseph Parish in Canton. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Education from St. John College in Cleveland and her Master of Education in Religious Education from Boston College in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. Sister Karen has served in a variety of roles in many different places over her 60 years as a Humility of Mary Sister. Her time in education took her to schools in the Cleveland, Pittsburgh and Youngstown dioceses, and she served in religious education and pastoral ministry at parishes in Akron, Litchfield, Uniontown and Youngstown.
Sister Karen served her community as a member of the Humility of Mary leadership team for two terms as a councilor. She has been blessed to live the Humility of Mary charism to serve God’s most vulnerable people when she heeded the call to address emerging needs of those on the margins. Her work with migrant farmworkers in Florida, northeast Ohio, and nationally at organizations like Redlands Christian Migrant Association, Hartville Ministry to Farmworkers and the Catholic Migrant Farmworker Network showed her how to live life abundantly through the example of the migrants’ deep faith and care of creation. Sister Karen has worked with the Hispanic community and the homeless in Chicago, San Antonio and Toledo.
In recent years, she served on the leadership team of PATHS: Partners Against Trafficking of Humans/Stark in Canton, where she educated and advocated on behalf of trafficked persons.
Sister Karen currently serves in the Humility of Mary Ministry of Prayer at Villa Maria Community Center. To congratulate her on her jubilee, contact the Humility of Mary sisters.
