ROTARY CLUB OF DUBOIS COUNTY AWARDS $2,000 TO WOMEN OF THE RULE

Ferdinand- The Rotary Club of Dubois County recently granted Ferdinand-based nonprofit, Women of the Rule, $2,000.00 as part of their ATHENA Awards Celebration.

Annually, the ATHENA Award Recipient is asked to choose a local nonprofit where $2,000 of the event’s income will be designated. The 2023 ATHENA Award Recipient, Sister Rose Mary Rexing, named Women of the Rule as this year’s grant recipient.

Women of the Rule is a unique approach to philanthropy for women. Members experience the power of giving by making philanthropic decisions with other women who are committed to the same values. Women of the Rule is dedicated to making a difference in the world by supporting the mission and ministries of the Sisters of St. Benedict of Ferdinand, Indiana. Members form a partnership with the Sisters by providing financial support for important strategic initiatives of the Sisters. They also have opportunities for personal enrichment through programs centered on Benedictine spirituality and values and offered exclusively by the Sisters for Women of the Rule. To learn more about this program, visit www.thedome.org/support-the-sisters.

About Sr. Rose Mary Rexing

Sr. Rose Mary served as a math and chemistry teacher and head of an all-male science department at Forest Park High School.

She continued her ministry to youth and “being present to each person in the moment” as a Pastoral Associate at St. Ferdinand Parish. Her next position as Vocations Director involved helping numerous young adult women to discern how God was calling them. This led her to involve her entire community in sharing their vocational endeavors with other religious communities from all over the world. This program caught the eye of both the Wall Street Journal and ABC Nightline. She was awarded the University of Notre Dame Exemplar Award and recognized for her outstanding contribution to vocation ministry by the National Religious Vocations Conference.

In her next role as Director of Mission Advancement, she led the fundraising efforts to renovate the monastery Church, establishing a special relationship with Florence Henderson. She also helped start a women’s philanthropy group, Women of the Rule, which funds community projects.

As Executive Director of Mission Integration at Memorial Hospital and Health Care Center, she started the Prayer and Presence Program, training volunteers to sit with the sick and dying, and also provided spiritual formation programs for the staff.

She currently serves as Director of Hospitality and Spirituality at the Monastery and is excited about new opportunities for those seeking a quiet, reflective prayer space and developing a variety of programs for growth and enrichment.

About the ATHENA Leadership Award

ATHENA was launched in 1982 by Martha Mertz when she realized she was the only female member of her local Chamber of Commerce.

She was convinced her goal to “Create a Balance in Leadership Worldwide” would succeed if women’s strengths and contributions were publicly recognized. Since the program’s inception, more than 8,000 ATHENA awards have been presented in over 500 regions, representing 48 states and 11 countries.

The ATHENA Leadership Awards Banquet honors women who have achieved the highest level of professional excellence, contributes time and energy to improve the quality of life for others in the community, and actively assists others, particularly women, in realizing their full leadership potential.

About the Rotary Club of Dubois County

The global Rotary mission focuses on seven key areas to maximize impact in the world and our community by addressing the most critical and widespread humanitarian needs. Those key areas are:

Peace and Conflict Prevention/Resolution
Disease Prevention & Treatment
Water and Sanitation
Maternal and Child Health
Basic Education and Literacy
Economic and Community Development
Environment

The Rotary Club of Dubois County is an active social and service club comprised of dynamic and diverse professionals who make a lasting difference in our community and around the world. For more information about the club, visit www.duboiscountyrotary.com or find the club on Facebook, LinkedIn, or Instagram.