The Potter's House is a ministry of Sister Karen Van De Walle, C.S.J., (Congregation of St. Joseph), reaching people who are interested in the art of clay and who seek spiritual direction. It is an art studio and gallery located at 6503 Carrollton Avenue, east of the Ripple Effect Hair Salon at 65th Street.

Store hours vary during the week, but Sister Karen is usually there on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The phone number is 251-0688.

Sister Karen explained how she first became interested in pottery: "I took a class at Indiana State University and became interested when pursuing a degree in art education and fell in love working with clay. I finished my undergraduate degree, specializing in ceramics and completed a Master of Fine Arts degree in ceramics at ISU. My mentor was Dick Hay, a professor of ceramics there. He inspired me because of the quality of his work. He took every student where they were and helped them get to where they wanted to go. He encouraged individual creativity," she recalled.

Describing the kind of pottery she makes, Sister Karen said, "I make funeral urns, all kinds of things to cook and bake in, all kinds of bowls and mugs. Mostly, I work with stoneware and porcelain. Each year, I create a limited edition Christmas ornament. For 2008, it is a star-shape with a porcelain slip decoration and a cutout of a star," she mentioned. This one of a kind ornament is individually created by pouring porcelain slip onto a plastic slab, die cutting and then embellishing it with porcelain icing.

One of the most in-demand items in her studio is the Blessing Cup, a chalice-shaped vessel favored for special occasions as well as for its pure aesthetics. The cup is often paired with a book titled The Blessing Cup: 40 Simple Rites for Family Celebrations. Whether Sister Karen creates pottery or Christmas ornaments, each item is unique, like the individual purchasing it.

A Catholic nun, she is a member of the order of the Sisters of St. Joseph in Tipton. She entered the convent in 1961 and took her final vows in 1967. According to their website, www.sistersofstjoseph.com, they were founded in 1650 when six women in war-ravaged LePuy, France sought "something more" in their lives. Working among their neighbors, many of whom were poor, they cared for orphans, fed the hungry, sheltered the abandoned and nursed the sick. Father Jean Pierre Medaille, a Jesuit priest, encouraged them and helped them establish one of the first non-cloistered religious communities for women. Members of the Congregation immigrated to the United States in 1836 at the request of Bistudio Joseph Rosati of St. Louis. They were asked to educate the growing immigrant population of that diocese. In 1872, three Sisters including Mother St. George Bradley, entered the Cleveland Diocese to serve as teachers at St. Mary, Painesville, where the first Cleveland "house" was founded. Through Mother St. George Bradley's vision, the Cleveland Congregation began.

In 1898, they moved further north in Ohio, when Mother Theresa Fitzpatrick purchased property on a dirt road in the wilderness on the far west side where two buildings were constructed: a motherhouse for the growing community and a boarding school for boys and girls. In 1905, the present motherhouse, St. Joseph Convent, was built. In 1929, St. Joseph Academy was built, which is now a separately incorporated, comprehensive high school for young women-the only all-girls Catholic high school in the Cleveland. Today, St. Joseph Convent is known as St. Joseph Center. The building houses both retired and actively ministering Sisters, central administration offices, the St. Joseph Worship Space and River's Edge, A Place for Reflection and Action. Situated on 37 acres of property bordering the Cleveland Metroparks and overlooking the Rocky River, it was renovated in the late 1990s with the environment in mind. The Congregation is committed to the environment and makes every attempt to care for the buildings and property in a way that recognizes the sacredness of the earth and its gifts.

The Potter's House studio is considered a sponsorship ministry for the Congregation of St. Joseph. That special spirit is present in Sister Karen's reflection of her work. "The arts, above all, free the human spirit in terms of nourishing the soul. It is through beauty that we are enriched; the more beauty that comes into our lives, the healthier we are," she noted.

"Seven congregations of Sisters of St. Joseph, through a three-year focused and spirit-led discernment process, chose to come together to form a new unified congregation . . . the Congregation of St. Joseph in 2007," explained Bridget Brewster, their Director of Communications and Development. "This was NOT a merger! No one was in need of help and rescued by another. This process was all about the mission, ensuring that no matter what the future holds for vowed religious life, the mission of being one with all people will flourish. The communities who form this congregation are: the Sisters of St. Joseph of Wichita (Kansas), Cleveland (Ohio), Wheeling (West Virginia), Tipton (Indiana), Medaille (Louisiana), Nazareth (Michigan) and LaGrange (Illinois). This new congregation is strengthening the Sisters' ability to be and act more as one. They hope to establish a more visible presence in the world and enhance their ability to carry their mission into the future. The Administration Office is housed in Cleveland and each founding community is maintaining a Local Center for the foreseeable future," she explained.

Brewster added, "Our Congregation is blessed with many artists (www.ministryofthearts.com), who believe that art provides beauty for the eye and for the soul and in that way enriches our world. Each sister discerns her ministry as she feels led. Here in Tipton, Sister Karen was called to work with clay and combine that gift with offering spiritual direction. The Leadership Team at that time was pleased to help her establish her studio in Broad Ripple Village. The mission of the Sisters of St. Joseph is to be a reconciling presence in the world uniting neighbor with neighbor and neighbor with God, without distinction. Sister Karen lives out that mission as a potter," she noted.

"Sister Karen has served in leadership for her community and has also been a leader in her field of art. Several years ago, she hosted an international Tea Bowl Exhibit in her studio. She offers her love for clay in a selfless way . . . she breathes her heart into every piece," Brewster noted, who works on the Mission Advancement Team. They raise funds and increase awareness of COJ's mission and ministries.

An Indiana native, Sister Karen said, "I was born in South Bend and have lived in Indiana all of my life. I taught ceramics, crafts and drawing at St. Mary's of the Woods for five years in their Art department." Her father was a professional golfer who taught at Erskine Golf Course in South Bend. He won the annual senior golf tournament when he played in Indianapolis.

Sister Karen described her vocational calling. "There was a unique spirit among my grade school and high school teachers and I sensed that there was something special about the life they seemed to live," she mentioned.

"I also teach spiritual direction, acting as a companion to people on their spiritual journey. I taught for a long time at various places like St. Paul's in Marion, St. Joan of Arc and St. Patrick's in Kokomo, St. Joseph in Elwood and St. Joseph Academy in Tipton. At this point in my life, it's good to be creating art and offering spiritual direction to adults in all walks of life and all spiritual paths," she noted. "One thing I started to do in the past year is to bless the piece I'm working with to let it be in the present moment and let the clay speak about what it wants to become," she explained.

During my visit, she placed an ordinary square block of clay on a spinning wheel, gradually forming it into a round vase within minutes. She extended the round top edges, reshaping them into a square shape before imprinting a design on each side of the vase. Though not yet complete, the square block of clay began taking on a creative life of its own, guided by an artisan's hands whose faith is reflected in her craft.

The vase was put into a kiln located behind the studio at 1,700 degrees Fahrenheit in order to harden its material. After it sets, it can be further decorated.

Sister Karen not only sells these diverse works of art to the general public, but also donates various items to charities and public service affiliations. "I always contribute some of my works to auctions and non-profit groups, like the American Diabetes Association, Boys Clubs and Girls Clubs. We believe that in this kind of economy, the gifts that mean the most are hand-made gifts, not mass produced gifts," she noted. Artistic creations like these make memorable gifts for those seeking a variety of pots, bowls, pitchers and platters locally produced in a tranquil setting.

The visual beauty and artistic inspiration of Sister Karen Van De Walle's work continues that same spiritual journey in everything she creates at The Potter's House studio and gallery in Broad Ripple Village.