Julia Gerwe

Julia Gerwe is in her second year of service with the Notre Dame Mission Volunteers AmeriCorps. She serves as ecological sustainability educational program manager with the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth in Nazareth, Kentucky. Gerwe is passionate about nature-based solutions to climate change, conservation and issues of environmental justice.

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I stand alongside Sr. Kelly O'Mahony, left, of the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth, Kentucky, and Carolyn Cromer, director of ecological sustainability with the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth, two women who have been incredible mentors and friends of mine

Finding meaning along the journey of service

Notes from the Field - As I near the end of my service journey with the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth, I reflect upon my connection to Nazareth and the people and stories that have deepened my connection to this place.

Last summer, I visited the Nelson County Fair's rodeo, a much-anticipated event in the community, with two other AmeriCorps volunteers, Jane Rudnick (above, center) and River Fuchs (right). (Courtesy of Julia Gerwe)

Seeds planted in rural living provide a roadmap to unity

Notes from the Field - What is the opportunity amid humankind's role as part of the problem? The reality that we can be part of the solution. When I drive through the country roads near my town, I see this in real time.

Wicked questions help us learn about the world around us. I used the "wicked question" line of thought to investigate this partial jawbone found during an environmental education training, discovering it was likely a deer. (Courtesy of Katherine Bullock)

Wicked questions lead to reflection on mental health in service

Notes from the Field - My years of service have taught me the importance of asking wicked questions, questions often defined by their unpleasant, unpredictable or unreasonable nature. They're the questions most worth asking.

Eyes wide, Julia marvels at the amphibian eggs she's holding, exploring the first signs of new life in vernal pools during springtime in Nazareth, Kentucky.

Investing in our planet can look like simplicity, connection and hope

Notes from the Field - Preparing for Earth Day and leaning into this year's theme, "Invest in Our Planet," I hear a call beckoning us, beckoning me, to live more sustainably.

One of my favorite spots for spiritual reflection and grounding at Nazareth is on the banks of our ponds, as pictured here. (Courtesy of the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth)

After two years of service, I see a spiritual way forward

Notes from the Field: The Catholicism I grew up to know didn't give me the tools to ask the questions and seek answers that fed my spiritual knowing. But in this year of service, I was empowered to start asking questions again.

Julia Gerwe, left, embraces her call to serve with Srs. Susan Gatz, center, and Rosemarie Kirwan, at a November 2021 food distribution site in Nelson County, Kentucky, home of the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth. (Courtesy of Danielle Hagler)

Alongside Sisters of Charity, I slowed down and embraced the call to serve

Notes from the Field - I packed my bags, moved onto the property of a Catholic convent with sisters I didn't know, and set off to find my answers. What I've gotten in return has been so much greater.

My work to advance the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth's mission to care for the Earth often leads me to reflect on the ideal relationship between people and the land. (Julia Gerwe)

Reflection in quarantine reveals the importance of incarnation

Notes from the Field - My body had been telling me that I needed to prioritize care, but I hadn't been a very good listener. A not-so-gentle reminder for me to actively listen to my body forced me to confront larger questions.

Flowers from the burial of Miriam Corcoran, a Sister of Charity of Nazareth, show the beauty of and love for Sister Miriam at Nazareth's cemetery. (Courtesy of Sisters of Charity of Nazareth)

Unexpected lessons of service: from life unto death

Notes from the Field - By helping bury deceased sisters, a young volunteer confronts her anxiety about death and its rituals. Comfort and community follow.

Volunteers with the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth sort through and clear debris from a home severely damaged by tornadoes in Campbellsville, Kentucky, accompanied by the surviving family and friends. (Courtesy of Ellen Sprigg)

Grounded in place: When the global becomes local

Notes from the Field - A torrent of tornadoes in her home state uproots a volunteer's understanding of what it means to be connected.

This Christmas, embrace the 11th Commandment: 'Thou shall not be alone'

We can reject the isolation of seasonal busyness and perfectionism and celebrate our need to connect with others. This season, I am leaning into the fact that I am enough, just as I am, and that I am exactly where I need to be in the order of the world.