2026 Jubiliarian
For fifty years, Sister Monica (John Baptist) Suhayda’s door remained open to anyone ready to take their first steps toward sobriety. She lived on the Wind River Indian Reservation in Wyoming, converting a log cabin into a Religious Center in 1974 and teaching catechism to children during her first year at St. Stephen’s Indian Mission.
With more than 20 years as an educator and principal, the familiarity of teaching eased her transition to reservation life. There, her ministry evolved to meet the needs of the Shoshone and Arapaho people who, she once wrote, “carry the scars of injustice nobly.” She held weekly meetings centered on spiritual, educational, and social well-being for those living with drug and alcohol dependency and the generational trauma of forced relocation.
Fondly referred to as an “elder,” Sister Monica founded the Heritage Center and Gift Shop to raise money for outreach and counseling materials. Overseeing a chapel renovation project, she made sure St. Stephen’s Church looked and felt like the people who filled its pews, “incorporating their symbols with ours.”
With a deep reverence for the people and their culture, Sister Monica is grateful to have earned their trust. Through them, she says, “I have been touched by grace.”
Send a note to Sister Monica or make a donation in her honor.