A belated happy birthday is in order for Sr. Sedonia May Isenbart, who turned an incredible 108 years old on August 12.
A member of the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph, Sr. Sedonia celebrated her milestone birthday at Mount Saint Mary, the nursing home where she lives. She was joined by her biological sister (who is also her religious sister), Sr. Margaret Ellen Isenbart.
(Sr. Margaret Ellen, by the way, is 105 years old and will turn 106 this November.)
Sr. Sedonia was born on August 12, 1917, near Capron, Oklahoma, the seventh of nine children. Along with Sr. Margaret Ellen, the Isenbarts had a total of four daughters and five sons. When they were born, the family had kerosene lamps and did not have electricity, Sr. Margaret Ellen told the Diocese of Wichita in 2022.
Sr. Sedonia joined the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph when she was just 18 years old, in 1936. She retired from active ministry in 2006.
Prior to her retirement, Sr. Sedonia was involved with prison ministry, and taught GED and ESL classes.
“Everything I do today I want to do to please God,” she told the Diocese of Wichita.
