FOR MORE THAN 50 YEARS, Sr. Joan Games of the Society Devoted to the Sacred Heart has led religious education programs, directed children’s ministries and served as an active presence at retreats and family camps.
SR. JOAN GAMES AS AN INFANT. PHOTOS COURTESY OF SR. JOAN GAMES
While Sr. Joan has been beset by significant physical challenges over the past 25 years, she has hardly slowed down. In 1999, Sr. Joan was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, and in 2016, she endured a 10-hour surgery to correct stenosis. During her recovery, Sr. Joan created prayer books filled with photographs of family, friends and supporters. She also began asking fellow patients, nurses and caregivers what they would like her to pray for, and she prays daily for each person and their intentions — a practice she continues today.
“You know, I don’t think that’s ever been in my person to sit back,” Sr. Joan said. “I’ve always gone forward, and I think it’s so important, even if I’m praying with somebody or if I’m listening to somebody … For them to know who God is, it’s such an important thing.”
Those experiences deepened her understanding of this year’s Gentlemen’s Haberdashery theme: “Love Does Such Things.”
SR. JOAN GAMES, SR. AUDREY TOTH, DR. PETER CZULEGER, SR. RACHAEL GLEASON AT THE 2026 GENTLEMEN’S HABERDASHERY.
The Gentlemen’s Haberdashery is an annual fundraiser featuring prominent executives and leaders modeling a full range of menswear. Funds raised at the event support the Heart of Jesus Retreat Center in Santa Ana. This year’s Gentlemen’s Haberdashery, held Oct. 1 at the Balboa Bay Resort in Newport Beach, raised $680,000 for the retreat center.
The Heart of Jesus Retreat Center is owned and operated by the Sisters of the Society Devoted to the Sacred Heart and provides religious formation and faith development for children, youth, adults and families.
“Our annual fundraising luncheon and fashion show is where love becomes action,” said Sr. Paula Sawhill of the Sisters of the Society Devoted to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. “God’s love has truly touched each of us, and we are grateful for a community that shares in that spirit.”
For Sr. Joan, the calling first came in the form of a gentle nudge. She recalled being drawn to Christ as a young child, fascinated by Baby Jesus in a nativity scene beneath her family’s Christmas tree. While her family wasn’t religious, Sr. Joan felt a connection and remembers asking Baby Jesus questions and telling the Son of God about her life.
“Looking back now, I see that God was slowly introducing me to His Son,” Sr. Joan said.
At age 12, she helped carry food to the Sacred Heart Sisters convent next door to her home. It was then that Sister Ida Peterfy, foundress of the order, asked her a simple question: “Have you ever thought about being a sister?”
“I thought, whoa, that’s a big question for a 12-year-old who doesn’t even know God,” she recalled. “I think her question absolutely stayed in my heart, but being religious life was something I never thought of. But I can tell you, it’s the whole essence of my life now.”
Years later, Sr. Joan was attending college at the University of Nevada when a sister presented her with a Bible verse: “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find” (Matthew 7:7).
At that moment, she recalled suddenly feeling engulfed by the love of the Holy Spirit.
“His presence was so overwhelming, and I couldn’t keep His love to myself,” she said. “I knew he was calling me. That’s when I knew I wanted to give everything to Him.”
And so, Sr. Joan continues to serve.
“My challenges have taught me what it means to carry His cross, and I still have so much more to give to Him and to others.”