The highlight of each summer is our annual eight-day retreat, which is always a time of many blessings and graces for the year ahead. Helpful meetings of Mother Maria Catherine with superiors, formation directors, Sisters in formation, and Sisters recently final professed also took place during these months.
Four Sisters participated in Camp Veritas, a week-long prayerful and fun-filled camp for teens. Other Sisters took part in Vacation Bible School programs in various parishes as well as other events.
On July 2 we celebrated the jubilees of five Sisters who followed Jesus for many years and continue to follow! Sr. Mary Beata and Sr. Maria Arlene celebrated 25 years, Sr. Eileen Marie and Sr. Marie Cecile 70 years, and Sr. Mary Elise, 80 years in religious life! That adds up to 270 years of dedication to the Lord, giving oneself to God through the vows of religious life, communing with Him in prayer, and serving His people zealously. Here is a photo from the day:
August 15, the feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, is also the anniversary of our 1920 foundation. The formation Sisters dramatized a reenactment of the day of our foundation, with Mother Mary Teresa arriving by train and subway from Utica, New York after many years of praying and planning, and difficulties.
The following day was the official “kickoff” of our 100th anniversary celebration, which will take place August 15, 2020. We had an ice cream social, with tours of the Chapel, motherhouse family room, and Mother Foundress’ heritage room, as well as games for children. The event ended with a prayer service to Mary in our Chapel. About 150 people came to share the evening with us. Here are a few photos of the event:
On August 25 we joyfully celebrated the first vows of Sr. Maria Rowena. That same day Sr. Mary Imelda and Sr. Jhoan Marie also renewed their vows. May God bless them all with happiness, holiness and apostolic fruitfulness!
Our beautiful apostolate continues during the summer, and I‘d like to share with you a story from a few years ago, when Sr. Jhoan Marie was in the Philippines.
It was a hot and humid day in the Philippines, and the houses on this particular street were owned by well-to-do people. As I went along on visitation, trying to help them spiritually, I found that many were not home. However, one kind woman, a good Catholic, told me of her church involvement and said to me, “Whenever I can be of any help to you, just let me know.” Going further down the street, I noticed a gap between houses. There was a fence with an opening and beyond it an extremely poor area. I went through the opening and was immediately surrounded by many smiling, friendly children trying to grab my hand, Filipino style.
My heart went out to them. They were obviously so poor. In speaking with them I also found out that they were spiritually poor. Supposedly Catholics, they knew next to nothing about their faith, and most of them had never even been baptized.
I spoke with some of the mothers, and when I returned to the convent I was able to arrange for religious instructions for them.
The following week I went there again to have an informal first class. Because of the heat and the noise, we decided to go through the fence to the “nicer” area, where there was a small park. One of the girls, however, said she couldn’t come unless she could bring her baby sister, who was about two years old. I agreed to this, and off the whole group went, to the park.
We began our informal class. Several of the children interrupted to say they were hungry, but I hadn’t brought any snacks with me. I said, “I can’t promise, but maybe later we might be able to get something,” thinking that there might be something I could get for them at the church. After a short while I heard screams! Baby sister had been climbing on a park bench and fell off, and now she was bleeding profusely. Her big sister wrapped a shirt around the bleeding head, and I stood there, trying to decide what to do next.
Then I remembered the kind lady in the big house. I went there quickly and called, “Emergency.” I knew she had had some first aid training, and she ran back with me to help the child, who thankfully was not seriously hurt.
Then, out of nowhere, she said, “ Have the children had snacks this afternoon?” I said, “Not yet,” and the children very eagerly voiced their agreement. Then she encouraged them to learn their faith well, and to the delight of the children, she left us to get snacks for everyone. How God provides!
Some time passed, and plans were made for a group baptism. Several mothers were hesitant at first, but finally all of them agreed to allow their children to have the grace of baptism and then to learn even more about the beauty of our faith.
The group baptism was held, with some of the children wearing borrowed clothes. May Jesus hold these precious children in His loving heart all their lives!
We pray daily for more young women to dedicate themselves to the Lord in love and to bring all His people closer to Him!
May God bless you and continue to guide you in your discernment of His will for your life!
In Jesus,
Sister Dolores Marie