For Christine Turo-Shields, grief is not something to be feared or avoided. It is a companion that walks beside us through life’s most profound transitions. As a licensed clinical social worker, EMDR certified therapist, and founder of Kenosis Counseling Center, Inc., Christine has spent decades helping individuals navigate the emotional and spiritual realities of loss.
Recently, she shared a deeply personal reflection in the respected Catholic publication National Catholic Reporter. Her essay honors the life and wisdom of her longtime mentor, spiritual director, and friend Sister Connie Kramer, whose guidance shaped both Christine’s personal faith and her professional calling.
“Those who do not make peace with Life, fear Death,” Christine reflects, echoing the profound lessons she learned through her relationship with Sister Connie.
The Wisdom of a Life in Ministry
Sister Connie Kramer dedicated her life to service within the Archdiocese of Indianapolis. Over the years she served in many roles, including high school teacher, pastoral counselor, retreat leader, and spiritual director. Her work centered on helping others understand life’s deeper spiritual dimensions while guiding them through challenges, loss, and transformation.
For Christine, Sister Connie’s influence was both personal and professional. Their friendship grew through years of spiritual direction, thoughtful conversation, and shared commitment to helping others find meaning in life’s most difficult moments.
In the final months of Sister Connie’s life, the two recorded a moving conversation through StoryCorps. During the interview, Sister Connie reflected on her experiences with grief, acceptance, and the lessons learned from a lifetime of ministry as she faced her own mortality with courage and faith.
The interview, recorded on November 27, 2024, remains one of Christine’s most treasured memories.
Turning Personal Loss into a Message of Hope
Sister Connie passed away on January 30, 2025 following complications from an inoperable brain tumor. In the year since her passing, Christine has reflected deeply on the wisdom she shared.
Those reflections became the foundation for Christine’s published essay in the National Catholic Reporter. Through thoughtful storytelling and spiritual insight, Christine invites readers to reconsider their relationship with grief. Rather than something to conquer or suppress, grief can be embraced as a meaningful part of the human journey.
This perspective aligns with the mission of Kenosis Counseling Center, a community based practice serving the Indianapolis metro area for nearly twenty five years. The center focuses on emotional and spiritual growth through its guiding philosophy: Empty Yourself. Change Your Life. Fill Your Future.
Today Christine continues to speak nationally about grief, spirituality, and mental health while serving as an Indiana State Board member for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Her work continues to inspire individuals seeking healing, faith, and deeper understanding in the face of loss.
Read Christine Turo-Shields’ essay in the National Catholic Reporter:
Read more . . .
Follow Kenosis Counseling Center, Inc. on Facebook:
Follow for more . . .
For those seeking to go deeper, Turo-Shields expands on these themes of grief, loss and meaning-making in a recent podcast conversation
Listen more . . .
