Sister Joel Christoph, 67, died Thursday, February 26, 2009, in the Dominican Sisters convent infirmary, Great Bend. Born February 24, 1942, as Judith Christoph, Sister Joel was the daughter of Dorothy (Hickel) Christoph and the late Leo Christoph. She entered the Dominican Sisters Community September 1, 1960, and pronounced her first vows June 13, 1963. She celebrated twenty-five years of religious profession in 1988. Sister Joel began her ministerial life in 1965 as a teacher of grades 6 8 in parochial elementary schools in Kansas and Colorado. In 1986 she spent a year serving in La Puente, a shelter for the homeless in Alamosa, Colorado. She was an assistant in novice formation in our mission in Gusau, Nigeria, from 1988 1990 and from 1990 1994 served as a councilor on the communitys Leadership Team. She was an activity director in Salina, Kansas at St. Joseph Childrens Home following her service in Nigeria. After moving to Great Bend in 1992 she served in several capacities: at Heartland Center for Spirituality, as formation minister for the community, and in pastoral services. After her SoulJourners program in Atchison, Kansas she was certified as a spiritual director and ministered in Atchison, Dodge City, Concordia, and Great Bend, Kansas. Sister Joel will also be remembered for her artwork, poetry, and artistic bulletin boards, and for her contemplative and beautiful environments for prayer and liturgy. She was animator, sustainer, and organizer of our Annual Mission Bazaar every November. Sister Joel moved to the convent infirmary in 2008 with advanced stages of cancer. Sister Joel is survived by her Dominican Sisters community; her mother, Lenexa, Kansas; one sister, Mary Therese Lees, Topeka, Kansas and husband, Hank; and two brothers: Thomas, Overland Park, Kansas; and James, Kansas City, Kansas, wife, Janice, nephew Michael, and niece Sarah. Sister Joels body will be brought to the hospitality area of the Dominican Chapel of the Plains, 3600 Broadway, Great Bend, on Saturday, February 28, 2009, at 4:00 p.m., where it will lie in state until the Liturgy of Christian Burial at 1:30 p.m., Monday, March 2, 2009, with Rev. Marvin Reif presiding. A wake service will be held Sunday, March 1, 2009, at 7:00 p.m. Burial will be in the Sisters Resurrection Cemetery. Both the wake and the funeral will be held at the convent. Casketbearers will be Greg Hickel, Louis Hickel, Dick Moss, Scott Nieman, Philip St. Romain, and David Zink. Memorials in honor of Sister Joel may be sent to: Dominican Sisters Ministry Fund, Office of Mission and Ministry, 3600 Broadway, Great Bend, KS 67530-3692. Bryant Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. Friends may call at the convent from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Sunday, March 1, and until the time of the funeral, Monday, March 2.