Sister Réjane Cytacki, SCL, Executive Director
Sister Réjane is a member of the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth (SCL) of Leavenworth, Kansas. She has a bachelor's degree in anthropology from the University of Notre Dame and master's degrees in education and in earth literacy. Prior to joining A Nun's Life Ministry, she served as the executive director of the Racine Dominican Eco-Justice Center, and recently served on the Core Team for Giving Voice. Other previous ministries include being a campus minister at her community's University of Saint Mary, and an elementary school teacher for ten years. Sister Réjane enjoys gardening, cooking, hiking, biking, and reading books.
Elisabeth Deffner, Program Director
Elisabeth Deffner joined the ministry in 2021. She earned a bachelor's degree in English and German, minoring in Spanish, from the University of California, Irvine. She is a longtime contributor to national and regional Catholic publications. Her career has included stints as a marketing and communications consultant, the co-founder of a social media software company, and a communications professional for the Sisters of St. Joseph of Orange. Elisabeth is based in Southern California, where she lives with her husband and small quirky dog. She enjoys knitting, canning produce from her garden, spending time with her two children, and watching movies (especially unintentionally terrible ones).
Meet the Board of Directors
Sister Jessi Beck, PBVM
Sister Jessi Beck is Vocation Director for her congregation, the Sisters of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, in Dubuque, Iowa. Based in Chicago, Sister Beck also serves as Technology Teacher at Our Lady of Tepeyac Catholic Grade School. She is currently in studies for certification as a spiritual director and retreat director. Sister Beck recently served on the Core Team of Giving Voice, a national organization of younger Catholic sisters.
Mrs. Julie Brown
Mrs. Julie Brown is a retired nonprofit executive director with a career focus on basic human needs - food insecurity, transitional housing, and community mental health. She has extensive experience in nonprofit management, philanthropy, and accounting. Mrs. Brown became acquainted with A Nun’s Life in 2015 and later served as Director of Philanthropy. She is an active volunteer in her local community.
Sister Jan Cebula, OSF
Sister Jan Cebula, OSF, is the President of the Sisters of Saint Francis, in Clinton, Iowa. She previously ministered as a legal aid attorney, a liaison for Global Sisters Report, and a teacher. She is committed to living and promoting active nonviolence and peacemaking, which is her community’s corporate mission. Sister Cebula has been a long-term advocate for social justice and part of the Catholic Worker movement.
Sister Christina Chavez, CDP
Sister Christina Chavez is a Sister of the Congregation of Divine Providence of San Antonio. She is a campus minister serving students in both Odessa & Midland, Texas. She has served on her community Vocation Core Team for several years and has been a contributor to A Nun's Life blogs in the past. She is passionate about young adult ministry, specifically campus ministry, and is eager to have these voices represented in the church.
