ABOVE: Sister Anisia talks with St. Joseph’s parishioners Dianne Breen and Diane Julian at the May 18 Awards Ceremony held at Our Lady of Good Counsel Church in Endicott. About 80 people attended.
By Tami S. Scott, editor
The Service to Mankind Award, recognizing outstanding selfless service in the Endicott area, was given to Sister Anisia Muthoni during a recognition ceremony held last month. Each year, the Sertoma Club (short for SERvice TO MAnkind) honors a local individual who gives their time, talent, and services to those in need, without seeking recognition in return.
“Sister Anisia is a small person with a HUGE heart. … She knows and loves everyone and everyone knows and loves her,” said friend and supporter, Mary Ann Dorner.
When asked how she felt about being the award recipient, Sister Anisia humbly responded that maybe there was someone else who had done more to earn the accolades.
“To be very honest, I feel challenged, overwhelmed … because I was not expecting something like that in my life,” she said. “All the time, I’ve just given service for the Lord, but not expecting even to believe in anything in return. That has always been my motive, so this was really very much overwhelming. I truly appreciate [it] deep in my heart.”
A native of Kenya, Sister belongs to the Order of the Little Sisters of St. Francis and is the pastoral associate at St. Anthony of Padua, St. Ambrose, and St. Joseph parishes in Endicott. She actively visits the homebound, hospital patients, and nursing home residents.
“[Sister Anisia] has consoled patients and their families for years in the most loving, giving, and caring way[s] possible,” Dorner said.
“She is also supportive of the families of any of her precious patients when they pass on,” added Marlene Hutcheson, a close friend of Sister’s, whom she met when Sister first arrived at St. Anthony’s about 25 years ago. “She started an annual Senior Dinner for our elderly, homebound, and nursing home patients, as a continuation of our former Shut-in Dinner.” She also founded an annual pastoral care conference for pastoral care workers in area parishes.
In addition to her pastoral work, Sister co-founded the nonprofit St. Francis Ministry in 2012 with Father Clarence Rumble, whom she describes as her mentor, friend, and family. Father is the former pastor at St. Anthony of Padua and current pastor at the Church of the Holy Family in Endwell and Most Holy Rosary in Maine, NY. The St. Francis Ministry supports St. Anthony’s Kenya Mission, with which Hutcheson is involved. It began as a small group that organized fundraisers to benefit schoolchildren in Kenya.
“Sister was always interested in education for the children. Her dream was to build a school,” said Hutcheson. Eventually, her dream became a reality. The St. Clarence Educational Center is now up and running with more than 100 students enrolled.
Through the support of St. Francis Ministry, St. Anthony of Padua and many other contributors, the center now has two dormitories, a kitchen and dining hall, restrooms, classrooms, a library, and labs to support students’ education and well-being.
Speaking as a long-time Sertoma Club member, Pat Dorner, who, along with his wife, Mary Ann, is a St. Francis Ministry board member, said Sister spoke to the Endicott group about seven years ago and showed them the plan for the school. “Our group also knows of her work locally as she visits the sick in hospitals as well as those who are housebound. She has touched the lives of so many in the area. We recognized her dedication and care for others as well as her school mission in Kenya. She was most deserving and exemplified ‘Service to Mankind’ not just locally, but all over the world,” he said. “She was extremely humbled to receive the award. She did not know what to expect. She does what God wants her to do without reward.”
“She is a tireless worker for those she calls ‘her people,’ here and in Kenya,” Hutcheson added. “I see close up how hard she works for our parish and the children in Kenya. No one deserved the Sertoma Humanitarian Award more. We are lucky to know her,” she said.
While significant progress has been made at the school, funding is still needed to complete construction costs — estimated at $300,000 — for a mission house and infirmary. Additionally, all buildings still need to be furnished.
To learn more about how you can help, visit savekenyakids.org. To learn about the center, visit stclarenceeducationcentre.com.
Sertoma is a national service club established in the early 1900s. Its initial mission was to help individuals impacted by hearing loss. Since then, it has evolved into a group that helps communities through volunteer service. For more information, visit sertoma.org.
