Stories

You know leadership when you feel it.

It’s not always the first voice in the room—
but it’s the one that helps you breathe.

Leadership doesn’t always introduce itself.
Sometimes it offers a quiet shift—more felt than seen.
It might speak from a stage,
or move through presence, patience, and care.

That’s what I’ve witnessed in the Sisters of St. Joseph of Orange.
Lead Like a Sister is a way of putting words to what they’ve carried for generations.

This isn’t a place for instruction.
It’s a space to pay attention—
to something deeper, older, quietly powerful.

A space to notice what you carry—
and what carries you.

It’s the small things—
the quiet choices—
carried with us,
shaping how we show up,
how we serve,
and how we make it through what matters.

We all carry something.
Sometimes it’s what keeps us going.
Sometimes it’s what helps us lead.

“Some things aren’t taught. They’re carried.”— from Lead Like a Sister

A series from “Stories That Stay”

Lessons from Sister Dorothy Anne

Being Known

A story of thoughtful care—measured out by hand.

You know what’s rare?

Not being admired.
Not being liked.
But being known.

The kind of known that doesn’t ask for attention—
it just notices.

(The rest of it…)

The Cloth Napkin

A story of laughter, community, and the sacred joy of being at the table

There was something about meals with the Sisters.

The way they gathered. The ease between them.
The way stories came out like warm bread, passed around and savored.
It wasn’t fancy, but it was full of life.

(The rest of it…)

Rocks in Her Pockets

On purpose, presence, and showing up when it matters

Sr. Dorothy Anne was tiny.
Delicate, really—like a feather with a purpose.

And yet, she shuffled across the hospital campus like a woman on a mission. Because she was.

(The rest of it…)

How it All Began

A story of invitation, belonging, and the woman who saw something in me

Some friendships begin with a spark.
Others with a slow unfolding.
Mine began with an invitation.

(The rest of it…)

The Smallest Thing

A story of quiet dignity, and being remembered when it mattered

When Sister Dorothy Anne passed, I was invited to be part of her funeral Mass.

It was such a kindness—unexpected and meaningful.
Even in her absence, she was still gathering people, still making space.

(The rest of it…)

This is How She Loved

A story about presence, steadiness, and what stays

She showed up.

In small ways.
In quiet moments.
Without needing to be asked.

(The rest of it…)

Glimpses that Stayed

The First Sister Who Saw Me

A story about beginnings, small visits, and what stays when someone lets you in

I was in my mid-twenties when Sister Sheila rolled up to the side HR door of the Sister Frances Dunn building on her scooter.
I was new to St. Joseph Hospital. New to the Sisters. New to everything, really.

(The rest of it…)

What Stays with You

A story of quiet giving—about the ones who let pain turn them outward

And I’ve noticed something else, too.

The people closest to pain—
are often the most generous.

(The rest of it…)