After nearly two decades on the NCRLC board of directors, there’s no doubt that rural ministry is in Sister Christine Pratt’s blood.

“I’ve always had a love for the land and for nature,” the Ursaline sister from Brown County, Ohio, said. “I always loved the concept and idea of a farm.”

Sister Christine first joined the board in 1983 and served for 11 years. After a hiatus, she returned again and served for an additional eight years.

One of her fondest memories from NCRLC came in 1986 when the U.S. Bishops released a pastoral on the economy. After the first draft, it included nothing about food and agriculture.

“Through NCRLC and many other groups, we were able to insert a section on food and agriculture, not only because of how critical it was at that time and the impact on the economy and the impact on people, but because we tied it to the respect life issue,” she said. “This was about food and food is about keeping people alive.”

Subsequently, the bishops formed an ad hoc committee on food and agriculture, of which Sister Christine was a part of.

“I think the thing I remember most coming out of those discussions around those tables with the bishops and other folks, was that they decided at the end that if Catholic Rural Life did not exist, they would have to create it because of how important it was to the life of the rural church,” she recalled.