Precious Blood Spirituality Institute
Board of Directors 2023

Sr. Maria Hughes, ASC

Sister Maria Hughes, ASC, is an Adorer of the Blood of Christ and currently ministers on her Regional Community’s Leadership. She previously ministered at Catholic Theological Union, Chicago, IL, as the director of the Institute of Religious Formation. She has a rich experience in the ministry of vocation and formation. She has served her congregation in various levels of formation; vocation and ongoing formation. In particular, having served as novice minister for the US ASC Regional novitiate.

Sr. Maria has a passion for Religious Life. She has enjoyed many opportunities to collaborate inter-congregationally and within her congregation in designing and implementing formation workshops, retreats, and seminars both nationally and internationally. She has also served on various Boards and Committees.

She has collaborated on the national level with the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR), the Religious Formation Conference (RFC), and the National Religious Vocation Conference (NRVC)..

She is a graduate of Millersville University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Education and a Master’s Degree from Duquesne University in Educational Administration. She holds a certificate in Religious Formation from the Institute of Religious Formation and has completed the RFC ForMission program along with many other seminars and workshops for Religious Life and Mission.

Fr. Dave Kelly, C.PP.S.

David Kelly is Catholic priest of the Missionaries of the Precious Blood. He is the Executive Director of the Precious Blood Ministry of Reconciliation (PBMR), a restorative justice hub in the Back-of-the-Yards/Englewood community that began in 2002. PBMR works to accompany those impacted by violence and incarceration. PBMR also strives to be a resource to other groups and communities who seek healing and reconciliation.

For more than 45 years he has worked as a chaplain in Cook County Jail and Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center. During that time he has, also, worked in inner-city parishes/ministry sites.

David holds a Masters of Divinity and Masters of Arts in Cross Cultural Studies. He also holds a Doctor of Ministry (D.Min) from Catholic Theological Union in Chicago. His doctoral thesis is entitled: “Responding to Violence among Urban Youth: a Restorative Approach”.

He has been trained and certified as a mediator from DePaul University and has received training in the restorative practice of Peacemaking Circles. He has published articles and spoken on reconciliation, restorative justice and jail/detention ministry.

Sr. Joni Belford, C.PP.S.

Sister Joni Belford, CPPS, is a member of the Sisters of the Most Precious Blood of O’Fallon, Missouri.

She graduated from Fontbonne College with a B.S. degree in Accounting and a Master's degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Management. She is also a Board-certified Chaplain with the National Association of Catholic Chaplains. Sr. Joni has ministered as a staff chaplain at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Kirkwood, Missouri, St. Mary’s Health Center in Richmond Heights, Missouri, and at St. Louis University Hospital in St. Louis, Missouri.

Feeling drawn to minister with others in the Precious Blood family, she applied for the position as Executive Director of the Precious Blood Leadership Conference. She enjoyed serving in this capacity for over a decade collaborating and planning conferences, retreats, Precious Blood Congresses and even publishing a Precious Blood prayer book.

Her collaboration skills were furthered employed as she served as retreat coordinator at Mercy Conference and Retreat Center in St. Louis, Missouri, where she hosted retreats and enrichment programs for other religious and lay congregations.

Throughout her years in religious life, she has been asked to serve on many Boards and Advisory committees within her own congregation as well as with other religious congregations and those experiences helped prepare her to serve on her congregation’s leadership team as General Councilor and as Secretary General. In 2021 when asked to consider being on a task force to explore the possibility of starting a Precious Blood Spirituality Institute she looked forward to rekindling old friendships within the Precious Blood family and working toward a common goal. That task force has now evolved into a Board of Directors where she serves as member and as board secretary.

Sr. Diana Rawlings, ASC

Diana Rawlings is a member of the Adorers of the Blood of Christ, U.S. Region for more than 45 years. She has served her community in leadership, vocation ministry, and on the planning committee for both the Second Precious Blood Congress, 1993, and the Third Precious Blood Congress, 2005.

Other ministries include Assistant Communications Director, Archdiocese of Omaha, NE; Bishop Carroll High School, Wichita, KS., Bishop McGuinness High School, Oklahoma City, OK; Women’s Initiative Network (WIN), a community sponsored ministry working with women survivors of domestic abuse. Currently she is co-director of Community Life at the Wichita Center.

Sr. Karen Elliott, C.PP.S.

Sister Karen Elliott was born and raised in Dayton, Ohio. She attended Julienne High School (now Chaminade-Julienne) and earned her Bachelor’s degree in Education with an emphasis on Learning Disabilities and Behavior Disorders from Wright State University in 1977, a Master’s degree in Theology from St. Michael’s College in Colchester, Vermont in 1993, and a Doctor of Ministry degree with a concentration in Sacred Scripture from Barry University in Miami, Florida in 2004. In 1980, she became a member of the Sisters of the Precious Blood in Dayton, Ohio. Sister Karen has ministered as a teacher, Director of Religious Education, a youth minister, and an athletic director. She has led numerous retreats and has taught a variety of adult education classes on the Scriptures throughout the United States, and Canada. Sister Karen has served as a faculty presenter on Sacred Scripture in the Lay Ministry Formation Program and a homiletics assessor for the Permanent Diaconate Program in the Diocese of Toledo. Sister Karen is the author of the book, Women in Ministry and the Writings of Paul, published in 2010 by Anselm Academic. Additionally, in 2012 Sister Karen had the opportunity to be a visiting professor for the Sisters of Charity of St. Anne in Mumbai, India. In July 2015 Sister Karen gave two presentations to the Australian Catholic University’s Campus Ministry Team who gathered in Melbourne. She is a member of the Catholic Theological Society of America and the Catholic Biblical Association of America. In a non-theological aspect of her life, Sister Karen was inducted into the Dayton Amateur Softball Commission’s Hall of Fame in September 2006 in recognition of her softball career. Currently, Sister Karen serves as the Chief Mission Officer at Mount St. Joseph University in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Phil Hartke

Phil Hartke serves as the treasurer of the board. He graduated from Wright State University in Dayton, OH with a Bachelor’s in Accountancy and Finance, as well as with a Master’s of Accountancy. He also holds a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) license in the State of Ohio.

Phil has experience working at a regional public accounting firm, primarily focused on small and mid-sized not-for-profit and for-profit clients. Phil also worked in corporate accounting for a health care system prior to leaving the work-force to care for his son, who was diagnosed with cancer. At the resumption of his career, Phil felt called by God to use his talents to make a greater impact in the world. In 2019, Phil became the Director of Finance for the Sisters of the Precious Blood in Dayton, OH. In addition to finance, he is heavily involved in leading human resources and information technology for the organization.

Phil has previously served on the board of directors for Miami Valley Adaptive Sports and firmly believes that children with special needs are a blessing from God. He is excited to be a member of the PBSI board and is passionate about doing God’s work to the best of his abilities. Phil is an active member of his local parish and enjoys working with various ministries and sharing his gifts in the community.

Away from his career, Phil is a father who aims to challenge his kids to be the best that they can be and to seize the opportunities that they are given. Phil is blessed with a loving and supportive wife.