Wisdom and faith mark Providence Sister Susan Dinnin’s journey in leading A Caring Place
Providence Sister Susan Dinnin shares a moment of joy with Thelma and Tom Weinzapfel at A Caring Place Adult Day Services, a program of Catholic Charities Indianapolis. Sister Susan has been the site manager at A Caring Place since it opened in 1990. Thelma comes to the program three days a week, which offers Tom an opportunity to take time for himself. The Weinzapfels are members of St. Christopher Parish in Indianapolis. (Photo by John Shaughnessy)
By John Shaughnessy
The moment stands out to Providence Sister Susan Dinnin as one of her favorite stories from her longtime commitment to helping the elderly and the developmentally disabled.
It’s the story of what happened to a woman named Ina after she spent some time at A Caring Place Adult Day Services—a program where Sister Susan is the site manager, a program of Catholic Charities Indianapolis.
When her family first brought her to A Caring Place, Ina was less than reassured that the setting was right for her. She looked at the other adults there—a mix of whites, blacks and Hispanics—and realized that interacting with people of different races had rarely been a part of her life.
“She had her concerns,” Sister Susan recalls about Ina, a Caucasian. “But she became fast friends with a woman of the African-American community, Lucille. I could talk to you for an hour about them, but I’ll just tell you this. At the death of Ina’s only child, there was only one person she requested to sit with her in the front row of the church. That was Lucille. That spoke volumes to me about what beautiful things happen here, and what relationships are formed here.”
While Sister Susan has no shortage of stories about beautiful moments and remarkable relationships at A Caring Place, there is also no shortage of people who credit her for creating an atmosphere where those kinds of moments and relationships are possible.
‘A very special presence of God’
“She knows how to talk to you,” says Marvis Spells, a participant in the program. “If you feel lonely, she cheers you up. I love her.”
Ann Ruhmkorff also mentions the “L” word in regard to Sister Susan. Ruhmkorff’s 86-year-old mother, Mary Agnes “Aggie” Branson, has been coming to A Caring Place for nearly two years. One of five grown children, Ruhmkorff says her family couldn’t continue to care for their mother at home if it wasn’t for A Caring Place and Sister Susan.
“Love her,” Ruhmkorff says. “Best person in the world. She’s a worker, too. She’s as hands-on as anyone there. It has been a godsend for both my Mom and us.”
They’re the kind of compliments that make Sister Susan know she is doing God’s work, which is what she dedicated her life to do when she joined the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods 47 years ago.
They are also the kind of comments that make her cringe when she knows they could be mentioned in a newspaper. She’s naturally humble and private, and she stresses the point that the efforts of A Caring Place can’t be connected to just one person—even if she has been the manager of the site since it opened in 1990.
“A Caring Place is not about one person,” she says. “It’s a team of loving and caring staff people—and beautiful participants.”
At 66, Sister Susan isn’t shy about using the “love” word either.
“I love this place because I love working with the elderly,” she says. “I think that each one of them is a very special presence of God. These people have come to know God in their life, in their struggles, through their experiences. I just consider it a great privilege to be a part of that—to experience that wisdom and faith.”
Taking care of a loved one
Wisdom and faith have marked Sister Susan’s own journey in leading A Caring Place for the past 18 years.
Housed in a few rooms at Fairview Presbyterian Church at 46th and Illinois streets, A Caring Place began as a collaboration of four congregations in the area at the time— St. Thomas Aquinas Parish, University Park Christian Church, Faith United Christian Church and Fairview.
“I had been working for Catholic Charities for two years,” Sister Susan recalls. “I was invited to be the site manager. I thought it would be a challenge, and I wanted to be part of setting up a setting that would be known for compassion and care. We want to provide a community where they can interact with their peers and form friendships at a time in their lives when they might have thought it was the beginning of the end.”
Another strength of A Caring Place is its ability to offer caregivers and families a safe, secure setting where they can get a rest from taking care of a loved one—so they can continue to care for that person at home.
Consider the story of Bill and Aggie Branson and their family. The Bransons have been married for 63 years. When Aggie’s Alzheimer’s disease grew worse, Bill still considered it his responsibility to provide total care for his wife. Eventually, he let his five children and Aggie’s sister, Kathleen White, help with her care. Having A Caring Place as a second home for Aggie now helps everyone.
“All of us work,” says Ruhmkorff, one of the Bransons’ five children. “Helping Mom during the day is difficult. By going to A Caring Place three days a week, we know she’s being taken care of, and our Dad gets some respite. It’s a place where they keep her active and they try to keep her engaged. And it’s safe. The biggest part is it allows us to keep our mother at home, which is very important to us. If we didn’t have that level of care, I’m not sure we’d be able to do that.”
A call to love
The Branson family’s situation reflects a growing need—and demand—for adult day services in American society.
“We are seeing more and more families who are in need of employment,” says Louise Collett, a registered nurse at A Caring Place. “They need somewhere for their family member to be so they know they’re being cared for. Consequently, there are more people coming to the program. With the influx of people, there is so much paperwork from the government. Sister [Susan] is a great administrator. She encourages us to use our resources to the best of our abilities.”
Collett looks in Sister Susan’s direction and adds, “This place is her lifeblood. Sister eats and sleeps A Caring Place. She’s just always giving of herself.”
Sister Susan listens to the compliment and downplays it, preferring to share part of the mission statement of the Sisters of Providence.
“Our mission statement speaks of love, mercy and justice, and certainly this ministry touches upon every single one of those,” she says.
She soon begins another story about how A Caring Place has made a difference. Her face blooms with joy as she shares it.
“We had a former participant named Joseph,” she recalls. “He was experiencing severe depression about the loss of his wife. He had been a college professor. He didn’t want to come here. But he came and started to make friends. He added so much life to this place.
“Back when the Pacers were going for a championship [in the days of Reggie Miller], Joseph would get off the bus and he’d be dressed in blue-and-gold Bermuda shorts and his Pacers’ jersey. He’d be carrying a basketball and a pom-pom. He had people laughing with him. He said so many times how this place had changed his life.”
She knows her life has been changed, too, by her work.
“It’s a call to love each one of them for who they are,” she says. “We want each one of them to experience real care and compassion from me and each member of the team. One can tangibly experience Christ in these people. It’s a tremendous privilege to know we are serving Jesus within each person.”
A Caring Place and a caring person. For now, just as they have been for 18 years, they are inseparable.
(For more information about A Caring Place Adult Day Services, log on to www.CatholicCharitiesIndpls.org.) †
