The Sisters of the Precious Blood have elected a new president and council for the Dayton-based con­gregation. The elections were held at the conclusion of the sisters' assembly, June 24-30, at Bergamo retreat and conference center in Dayton.

Sister Florence Seifert is the congregation's new president. She succeeds Sister Maryann Bremke, who concluded two four-year terms in the position. (According to the sisters' governing document, the president may serve only two consecutive terms.)

Elected to serve on the congregation's general council are Sisters Jeanette Buehler; vice president; and Sisters Marita Beumer, Edna Hess and Madonna Ratermann. Leaving the council after two terms of services is Sister Nadine Kaschalk.

Sr. Florence has been serving as pastoral associate at Ascension Parish in Kettering, Ohio, since 1992. She is a member of the Archdiocesan Consultation Team for the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, and the National Forum on the Catechumenate Father Chris Worland, pastor of As­cension, told Sharing & Caring that "our loss is your gain... Sr. Florence has been a tremendous blessing to this parish for 15 years. I have expe­rienced many of her gifts firsthand over the last three years as pastor."

"I am confident that the Spirit was in this choice," Fr. Worland added. "Sr. Florence will surely help your order to move into the future. She is open to the Spirit, which is a quality we all need in this time of change."

Three members of the council were re-elected to serve four-year terms. Sister Jeanette Buehler now begins her second term as vice-president. Sisters Edna Hess and Madonna Ratermann begin second terms on the council. As the elected representatives of the Sisters of the Precious Blood, the leadership team is charged with implementing the direction set at the congregation's assembly over the next four years.

Sr. Florence Seifert is no stranger to the congregation's leadership. She previously served two terms as president of the Sisters of the Precious Blood, first from 1984 to 1987, and then was re-elected for the 1987-1991 term. Prior to that, she was a councilor as well as treasurer of the congregation's southern region (1969-1971), and later served as treasurer for the entire congregation (1976-1984).

As the young Sister Mary Antonine, she began her ministry as an elementary school teacher, and for 18 years taught grades three through eight in schools in Ohio and also in Virginia. In Ohio, she taught in the dioceses of Toledo (Sts. Peter and Paul, Ottawa) and Cleveland (Our Lady of Good Counsel). In the Cincinnati Archdiocese, Sr. Florence taught at Assumption, Dayton, and Incarnation, Centerville; and was teacher and principal at St. Christopher in Vandalia. She also was principal at St. Anthony elementary and junior high school in Falls Church, VA.

Sr. Florence has a bachelor's degree in education from the University of Dayton, did coursework at Xavier University in Cincinnati and obtained a master's degree in education administration from George Mason University in Fairfax, VA.

  A Dayton native, Sister Jeanette Buehler began her ministry in teaching. Then known as Sister M. Paul Agnes, she taught intermediate grades at Assumption and Resurrection schools in Dayton, and also at Sacred Heart School in Sedalia, MO. She was soon called on to dedicate many years in various aspects of service to the congregation. In addition to vocation and formation work, she served a prior term as councilor and congregational secretary (1980-1984). She was also executive director of Maria Stein Center. Before being elected to the council in 2003, Sr. Jeanette was director of Saint John Social Service Center and later mission coordinator for the social service sector of Franciscan Health Services, both in Cincinnati. She also was on staff at Impact Over-the-Rhine, which provides training and mentoring for at-risk inner-city youth. From 1997 until her election as vice president in 2003, Sr. Jeanette was co-founder and director of the Sarah Center. Also based in Cincinnati's Over-the-Rhine neighborhood, the center offers a wide range of programs designed to enrich the lives of underserved low-income women.

   She holds masters' degrees in theology (University of Dayton) and in organizational development (Loyola University Chicago).

  Before being elected to the congregation's council in 2003, Sr. Edna Hess served in the Precious Blood Sisters' Chile Vicariate for 27 years, working in teaching, retreat and vocations ministry, as pastoral associate and coordinating programs for laity. She was also professor of New Testament and English for people in formation for CONFERRE, Chile's national conference of men and women religious.

Before setting out for what became her quarter century-plus in Chile, Sr. Edna was a primary-grade teacher in Ohio, serving five years at St. Mark in Cincinnati and three at St. Joseph in Wapakoneta.

Sr. Edna has a bachelor's degree in elementary education from the University of Dayton and a master's degree in spiritual studies from Loyola University Chicago

Like many of her CPPS colleagues, Sister Madonna Ratermann also began her ministry in elementary education, teaching at Cure d'Ars School in Denver, Our Lady of Good Counsel School in Cleveland and Assumption School in Dayton.

She later served as principal at St. Francis Xavier School in St. Joseph, MO., and at St. Margaret Mary and Our Lady of Lourdes schools in Cincinnati. While teaching at St. Margaret of York School in Loveland, Ohio, Sr. Madonna was elected to council for her first term in 2003.

Sr. Madonna has a bachelor's degree of science in education from the University of Dayton and a master's degree in education administration from Xavier University in Cincinnati.

Newly elected councilor Sister Marita Beumer has spent the last 27 years in ministry in Arizona and California. She has worked as a director of religious education, pastoral associate and in Hispanic ministry. Until being elected to the council, Sr. Marita has been a pastoral coordinator in the Diocese of San Bernardine, CA, serving three parishes: St. Bernardine, Our Lady of Fatima and Queen of Angels. There she has been working with a multi-ethnic population that includes people from Mexico, Central and Latin America, and many countries in Asia and Africa.

She has a bachelor's degree in elementary education from the University of Dayton and a master's degree in religious studies from the University of San Diego. She also did coursework at the Catholic University of Chile and at Loyola University Chicago.

After beginning ministry as a primary-grade teacher at Precious Blood School in Fort Wayne, IN., and then in Ohio (Burkettsville and Russia public schools), Sr. Marita served in Chile from 1966 to 1976. She was treasurer and councilor for the vicariate and then coordinator from 1972-1976.