Sr. Chloe Keitges, SP, is naturally full of life and energy. So, her roles as “play lady” at Sacred Heart Medical Center in Spokane and then Providence Hospital in Everett, Washington, were a natural fit for both the patients and her.
She spent many years in elementary schools and “loved the children but grew tired of teaching,” said Sr. Chloe of her transition to recreational therapist. “As the play lady, I got to do all the fun things with the children.”
Sr. Chloe’s journey toward religious life began early. She was born on May 1, 1937, in Danbury, Iowa, and joined the Sisters of St. Mary of Oregon (SSMO) in 1953 and spent 20 years with them before transferring to the Sisters of Providence.
The invitation by a Providence Sister to attend a theology course sparked the change. During the transition, she spent time teaching at St. Finbar’s in Burbank, California, and eventually lived with the Sisters in Seattle.
Sr. Chloe then went on to study pastoral care at Providence Medical Center in Portland until she started serving in that ministry at Providence Mount St. Vincent. Later, she became director of pastoral care at St. Joseph Hospital in Aberdeen, Washington.
Eventually, after returning to Mount St. Vincent for a while, she started a healing ministry at Still Point Spirituality Center in Seattle where she organized prayer groups and brought healing teams into local jails before she moved to Yakima, Washington.
At the Sisters’ house in Yakima, Casa Guadalupe, she once again organized a house of prayer in addition to teaching English as a second language at Casa Hogar, a ministry serving the migrant community.
Never still for long, Sr. Chloe also organized clothes closet and jail ministry for women while serving as a sacristan at the St. Joseph Parish, working at two food banks, learning Spanish and providing outreach to local elderly.
She has been at Emilie Court in Spokane for twenty years now but still is engaged in active ministry. Besides serving as sacristan at Mount St. Joseph chapel, she volunteers once a week at Meals on Wheels. Before COVID she volunteered at St. Anne’s Children and Family Center. She also participated in a prayer group of healing ministry in Spokane before COVID shutdowns.
For her 70th Jubilee celebration, Sr. Chloe speaks of much gratitude for her many opportunities to minister with the poor. At this time in her life, she is most grateful that she can get to mass and loves to spend more time in the chapel praying for the many needs of our community, country and the world. Her ministry of prayer and presence is important to her as she lives at Emelie Court with other residents.