Sister André Burkhart came to Meridian 11 years ago — at the youthful age of 59 — to work as a pastoral associate at St. Patrick and St. Joseph’s Catholic churches. But she is leaving a legacy that will far outlast her tenure.

Burkhart came to Mississippi from a Navaho reservation in Chinle, Ariz., to interview for a job in Jackson. She said the priest told her that she must visit Meridian while she was in the state, even though he needed her in Jackson.

“When I was in Jackson, the priest said he would be wrong if he did not send me there to interview,” Burkhart said. “I didn’t even plan on coming here, but it has been 11 of the happiest years of my life.”

Burkhart was honored by Meridian Mayor John Robert Smith this week with the designation of April 4 as Sister André Burkhart Day. Burkhart plans to leave Meridian at the end of June to take a similar position at a parish in Cedar Grove, Ind.

In her new position, she said, she plans to cut back on her hours and reconnect with her home community. She was born in Brookville, Ind., about 10 miles from Cedar Grove.

“I have been gone from that area for 25 years,” she said. “It’s time I go back home so they know who I am. But it was a hard and difficult decision. I love Meridian and it has done a lot for me.”

While in Meridian, Burkhart has been instrumental in bringing religious denominations together. She founded the annual ecumenical walk, “Way of the Cross/Way of Peace,” which will celebrate its ninth anniversary April 14.

Organized in 1997, the event has grown from 700 participants to more than 4,000. And after visiting the walk last year, officials from Columbus followed Sister André’s lead and started a walk there as well.

“I always said when I leave Meridian, that if I did nothing else in the 11 years I was here, that I got the walk started and it was worth the 11 years,” she said.

She has sent out letters and hopes the community will keep the walk going. She said she has faith downtown religious leaders will keep the tradition alive.

She also started ACES, or Active Christian Enthusiastic Seniors, and she teaches Catholic education to children and adults.

Father Frances Cosgrove, pastor of St. Patrick and St. Joseph’s Catholic churches, said Burkhart is responsible for bringing in at least 30 new members each year to the churches.

“It is a huge loss to the parish, but not only to St. Patrick and St. Joseph’s, but to the larger community” Cosgrove said. “We will miss her a lot.”

Tom Zettler, bookkeeper at St. Patrick and St. Joseph’s, agreed. Zettler worked with Burkhart during her entire tenure in Meridian and said she will be greatly missed by the church and the community.

“There are none like her,” he said.