One Among the Many

The upper porch of St. Mary’s by the Sea has long been a sacred place of prayer
for me. Gentle whispers of insight speak to me
as I listen to the waves and the song of the gulls.
God’s Majesty and Mystery are visible as invisible grace
kisses my soul.
My heart opens to welcome the Holy One.

When I sat there on The Chair on the 60th anniversary of my entrance
I asked the Trinity to bless me with creative energy, generous compassion, and
deep listening. I asked for the grace of holy self- surrender. (Maxim24)
I could almost hear Jesus chuckle and tell me to be still
because every time I pray I ask for this blessing and grace.
Jesus said: Be still…I am here, always with you.

Jesus has been my compass and guide throughout my journey as a Sister of St. Joseph.
In my senior year of business school I was planning to enter a different community
until I met the Sisters of St. Joseph at Holy Souls Convent, Philadelphia. A Sister with a
beautiful smile invited me into the house and served me a cup of tea. I heard laughter
echo from another part of the house. Years later the image of Jesus laughing among those
Sisters blessed me to tell me that it was Jesus who led me to SSJ. Jesus set the compass
of my life by laughing along a few happy women.

The more I learned about our history, the more I desired to visit our roots in Le Puy and Lyon.
The stories of courage, simplicity and the fidelity of our Founders showed me that the
Little Design was truly God’s Design for me. It has been at the center of my sharing our charism
as a teacher, pastoral minister and spiritual director. It is often the focus of my poetry.

AS I SEE US
WE WALK THE PATH HALLOWED BY OUR FOREMOTHERS,
ENRICHED BY THE COURAGE AND FIDELITY OF SO MANY SILENT SENTINELS WHO KEPT WATCH,
WHO PATTERNED THE LACE OF UNITY WE CHERISH.
WE WALK TOGETHER TODAY WITH A NEW BOLDNESS AS THE RADICAL EMBRACE OF MISSION
DEFINES US TO STAND UP ALONG THE MARGINS AS WHO WE ARE.

I am happy to be one among the many.

Mary Catherine Walton SSJ 

 

Sister Mary Catherine grew up in the Kensington section of Philly, and attended St. Boniface School.
She is the eldest of five born to Bernard and Rita. Sister Miriam Joseph was her younger sister,
George, Joe, and Michael completed the family her dad proudly called "Walton, Inc."
Her ministries included primary education, Pastoral Ministry, and she currently serves as a spiritual
director and retreat leader. 

It Wouldn't Be Fair

“It wouldn’t be fair to her or to the Congregation,” was what the doctor told my sponsor, Sister Rita Mercedes, when he medically rejected me for entrance into the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph because of my scoliosis. Still, sister brought me to the Motherhouse saying they expected us for lunch. There, I was given further information regarding entrance. When I asked why I was being told all of this since I was medically rejected, Mother Marie Estelle said that I was accepted on trial. And that was that! I believe that Sister Rita spoke for me, that she spoke on my behalf.

Standing with, speaking up for, and helping others go beyond barriers and limitations, I found, is a big part of being a Sister of St. Joseph. You never stop at the first set back, but always reach for the more and use your voice on behalf of those who are denied one. 

In my 62^nd year as a Sister of Saint Joseph, I can say that I’ve experienced many times being called further along in my spiritual journey by the words and actions of others in the community inspiring me to do and be the same, being given opportunities and welcomed, even when I didn’t feel worthy. I’ve been able to do the same for those I ministered to in teaching grade school and high school, in vocation work, as a social worker, as a missionary in Haiti and even now, as a teacher of English as a Second Language.

My life as a Sister of St. Joseph is rooted in prayer and in relationship with God who amazes me in the many ways She uses me. The word trial was never mentioned again, and there’s no doubt about my vocation being fair to me.

Kay Coll SSJ

Sister Kay grew up in Bayonne, New Jersey in an Irish Catholic environment the middle child of a family of 9, where she received the foundation needed for "any and every good work." She taught in a variety of schools, and over time, began to feel a distinct call to work with the poor. Sister Kay has had the opportunity to minister in Haiti, Newark, and now in the ESL program in Bayonne where she is working with immigrants from many different countries.  

I Really Want to Thank You, God

As Thanksgiving approaches, I again realize how blessed I have been by so many “circumstances.” I have loved the play Godspell, since I first saw it many years ago, and the song “All Good Gifts” has always stayed with me, especially the line “I really want to thank you God.”

First, I was born into, a then called mixed marriage. My Dad was Italian and Irish and my Mom French Canadian. My twin sister and I were the first ones, and then came two brothers and another sister to complete our family. Living with brothers and sisters, and sometimes a relative or two who came for a while, gave me plenty of opportunities to live our charism of unity and reconciliation.

While growing up in Corpus Christi parish in Philadelphia, I watched the sisters coming and going to Mass, to school, and wanted to share the joy and love that showed on their faces and in their interactions with each other and with us. I had poor eyesight so I never thought I would be accepted into the community, but after a year of being a lay teacher, (a pilot program in 1961) at Our Lady of Mercy in Philadelphia and having the supervisors of our community stay in my class for a week, I was able to join the Sisters of Saint Joseph of Chestnut Hill.  My sponsor, Sister Marie Judith asked me what I thought it would be like.  I said, “Girl Scouts!” In a way, this was true because in Girl Scouts, we did things as a community, shared the charges, and had a code to live by, just like our Constitutions.  Again, I really want to thank you God, for the preparation scouts gave me.  

The variety of missions in Philadelphia and for 34 years in Newark and Jersey City, New Jersey, the diversity of the people I have met, and the opportunities for growth in spirituality have also increased my thankfulness to our loving God. Someone once told me if you have an attitude of gratitude, you will always be happy. I know this is true.

I could go on and on about my blessings, but maybe we should all take time to reflect on the blessings of our lives and say… “I really want to thank you, God.”

Georgette Gavioli SSJ

Sister Georgette has been a Sister of St. Joseph for 53 years.  Most of her ministry experiences have been in the city. In Philadelphia, she served at St. Callistus, St. Stephen, and St. Vincent in Germantown. After that, she spent 11 years at Blessed Sacrament in Newark, New Jersey and is now in her 23^rd year at St. Aloysius, Jersey City. While she loves the shore and the beauty of country, Sister Georgette can't imagine herself anywhere else but in the midst of the city.

Only the Shadow Knows

Daylight Saving Time ended today November 1, 2015 at 2 AM.  What a joy it was to wake up that morning in the light! As I write this reflection, it is almost 5 PM. Shadows are now falling.  The early morning light is being balanced with evening’s darkness. In a sense, as far as time goes, we robbed Peter to pay Paul.  As I glance out the window, I see Peter is ready now to collect his due. 

In her book Learning to Walk in the Dark, Barbara Bradford Taylor invites us to consider darkness as gift. When we were young we were discouraged from befriending darkness. As children, we were familiar with the instruction to come inside because it is getting dark. The message was clear. Darkness has a dangerous component. Don’t spend too much time there.

And, we don’t. Bradford draws our attention to our collective aversion to being in darkness.  We are hardly ever away from light. Shopping malls light up the night sky. Highway lights, traffic lights, parking lot lights always companion us.  In the midst of night, our homes are often bright as the noonday sun.

Long before Bradford shared her wisdom of the dark, Isaiah the prophet gave us a chance to see darkness in a different light. Isaiah writes,

        “I will give you treasures of darkness, riches hidden away, that you may know I

              am the LORD, the God of Israel, who calls you by name.”  Isaiah 45:3

In January of 1999, I made a winter retreat in Gloucester, MA. One afternoon I had been out for a walk and lost track of time. Realizing it was almost dinner time, an important part of any retreat, I began my return trek. The sun was setting.  Darkness was just arriving. With the absence of light I noticed my shadow.  It was ahead of me. I would venture to say, my shadow was leading me. My shadow would arrive “home” first.

I have never forgotten that moment. The experience reminds me how much I have learned from my shadow—the hidden part of me—the part I often avoid because it seems dark. 

As a Sister of Saint Joseph called to live a mission of unioning love, I need to learn to love the darkness. I cannot unite what I do not first accept. 

This winter, may we learn how to walk in the dark—companioned by God and one another—shadows included.

Marie O' Hagan SSJ

Sister Marie is a native of Philadelphia.  A Sister of St. Joseph for 37 years, Sister Marie has been involved in the ministry of education, campus ministry and parish ministry.  

A Passion to Serve God's Children

The mission of the Sisters of Saint Joseph: “We live and work that all people may be united with God and with one another,” has been a hallmark statement for my vocation as a Sister of Saint Joseph. It is a blessing for me to be involved in the ministry of Catholic education in elementary school. As a Sister of Saint Joseph, I am happy to share “the joy of my vocation” with the children, faculty, staff, and parents I meet each day. 

I have had numerous opportunities as a teacher, principal and Regional Director of Elementary Schools to minister to many children and adults in Catholic education. It is important for me to note that the witness and role modeling of Catholic teachers have humbled me over the years. Their love, compassion and prayerfulness reveal God’s life within them and their desire to share His life with the children they meet. Parents acknowledge that the support received from the school community deepens their trust in the school community and affirms their choice to send their child to a Catholic school. The children are just that - children. From the youngest kindergartner to the oldest eighth grader, they enjoy life, fun, and learning. All children want to be treated with respect and fairness and they know “to get respect, give respect.”

I have been involved in education for the past 40+ years. In recent years, it is a justice issue that each child receives a quality Catholic education that parents sacrifice financially for them to receive. Being a lifelong learner models for teachers that there is so much to know, to learn as we educate children for the 21^st century.

It is important to keep alive the mission of the Sisters of Saint Joseph in educating and forming children to pray daily, to serve others and to understand the meaning of “justice for all.” Programs, projects, etc., involve the faculty and children to be aware of the needs of others beyond the school community. It has always been my practice, as a leader, to lead by example, to collaborate and to delegate responsibilities. I have learned over the years that, together, we can do so much as a community. 

A passion to serve God’s children each day with love, compassion, energy and creativity drives my daily experiences. Each day I pray for wisdom, integrity and courage to be who God has called me to be “in any and all situations.”

Theresa Maugle SSJ

Sister Theresa has spent over 40 years in Educational Ministry. At present, she serves as the Principal of St. Genevieve School in Flourtown, Pennsylvania, a National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence.

A Place in the Choir

When feasting your eyes on the painting “All God’s Critters Have a Place in the Choir,” you

can affirm artist Oblate Brother Mickey McGrath’s creativity. He depicts two-legged and four-legged creatures, crawling and flying critters, colorfully-clad Asians, Africans, Caucasians, solemnly robed rabbi and bishop, a bare-chested Buddha, lively sax player, dancing minstrel, and even a bird of prey all joined in praising God!

Then, visualize this eclectic ensemble while listening to Celtic Thunder’s foot-stomping, hand-clapping rendition of “A Place in the Choir.”  Their tempo and

lyrics

                         Some sing low and some sing higher

             Some sing out loud on the telephone wire

             Some just clap their hands or paws or anything they got, now” *

are positively contagious!  Enjoying these unique “choirs” offers a sensory experience!

The Founders’ Day Liturgy at Saint Joseph Villa showcased an equally extra-

ordinary Choir under the dynamic direction of Mary William, SSJ. Melody

Makers, arriving on walkers, in wheel chairs, using canes, or stepping gingerly, many

sporting hearing aids, lifted our hearts and refreshed out spirits!  Despite any

physical limits, their hearts and voices soared through descants  (Blest Be the

Lord, You Are Called) and rounds (Rejoice in the Lord) expressing unbounded

joy!    Surely, this commemoration of the 365^th anniversary of the founding of

the Sisters of Saint Joseph deserved such a glorious choral tribute!

Yes, these octogenarians and nonagenarians embodied Psalm 8: “Till the end

of my days, O Lord, I will sing your praise”  bearing concrete witness to the

joy of vocation!

* Google: Celtic Thunder Heritage, “A Place in the Choir”

Fran DeLisle SSJ

Sister Fran is a native of Philadelphia. Her first 30 years as a Sister of Saint Joseph she ministered in elementary and secondary schools in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Fran began ministry among “Seniors” in 1991 spending one year at Bethlehem Retirement Village before coming to Saint Joseph Villa in 1992 where she currently serves as the coordinator of the Guild.

My Man Jesus

I never wanted to enter the convent, but during my senior year in college I had the nagging feeling that God had other plans for me. So in 1956 I entered the Sisters of Saint Joseph and have never had even one day of regret. During these years I have had many experiences and have met hundreds of sisters and lay persons who have inspired me.

One lasting memory occurred at Montgomery County Prison in Norristown, PA. A group of Sisters of Saint Joseph and parishioners from Saint Thomas Parish in Whitemarsh, PA tutored inmates in preparation for taking the GED exam. Because we were such a faithful and dedicated group, the warden permitted us to have an annual Christmas party. We brought tons of food and soda that our students consumed or took with them to trade for other items, e.g. cigarettes.

We reminded our classes to be sure to come to class on the night of the party. One of my students told me that he had been a Christian but now he was a Muslim and for that reason he thought maybe he shouldn’t come to the party. He said he loved “my man Jesus” because he was a great prophet and marvelous storyteller. I told him that “my man Jesus” invited all people to the table so he should definitely be a part of the party. So my student came and thoroughly enjoyed himself.

A few days after the prison party, I attended an elegant cocktail party. In a conversation with a non-Christian professor, she told me that she wanted her children to learn about and love the prophet, Jesus, but she disliked the materialistic way that Christians celebrate Christmas. So, she and her husband give each of their children a small gift to celebrate the birth of the prophet Jesus. Neither I nor anyone else at the party mentioned “my man Jesus.”

I often reflect on these two Christmas parties and thank God for these two non-Christian people who remind me that “my man Jesus” is the center of my life.

Margaret Fleming SSJ

Sister Peg has been a Sister of Saint Joseph for 59 years. She served in a variety of ministries throughout those years, most recently meeting and serving the dear neighbor at The Sister of Saint Joseph Welcome Center in Kensington.

I've Got You

“You’re Okay; I’ve got you!” Famous last words that I spoke to one of my favorite four-year-olds, Noelle, just before an extremely rough Cape May wave knocked us both down this summer. Believe me, it wasn’t pretty! We wiped out! It was one of those, “I’m way too embarrassed to ever get out of this water,” kinds of experiences. I was so concerned about getting Noelle out from under the water that I didn’t notice, at first, that half of the sand in the ocean was now in my precariously hanging bathing suit. Yes, it was THAT bad…

After what felt like forever underwater, we finally broke free enough from the pounding waves that she was able to stand. She promptly taught me a great life lesson. Barely steadied, she scanned the crowd, fixed her eyes on her mom and ran to sit beside her. Actually, she nestled herself right in under her mom’s arm. Safe! Noelle rightly secured, I hastily got back into the water to offer the ocean back its sand and to straighten out my twisted bathing suit. When I went to join them on the beach, Noelle asked, “Aunt Michelle, was that fun?” Afraid that she would never go back into the water again, I assured her that it was VERY fun.

Weeks later, while on retreat, God brought that image back to my mind and heart. I heard God say to me, “You’re okay; I’ve got you.” So many life circumstances have the potential to cause us to feel a little disoriented  - transitions of all kinds, loss, joys, new challenges, new relationships, etc. Yet, as Sisters of Saint Joseph, we too are called to fix our eyes deeply on the One who steadies us – Jesus. With God’s grace, we are invited to do the things that we know sustain and root us more deeply in that relationship, even in times that threaten to pull us under. And the truth is we are okay, because God indeed has each one of us.

As we look to the celebration of our Founders’ Day tomorrow, I can’t help but think of our sister ancestors, who risked life, homeland, personal desires, satisfaction, and comfort at every turn. Why? Because they had their eyes fixed on something greater – our mission, vision, charism, and even more importantly, on Someone greater, who called them to love without counting the cost. I feel certain that at times they felt knocked down, wiped out, and off course; yet they knew where to run to feel safe and to be renewed. That witness and deep conviction steadies, inspires, and challenges us, even to this day, to keep moving forward, trusting that there is so much life yet to be lived.

While it may not always be “FUN,” it is always worth it! For, we know from experience that our God is faithful – that God’s surely “got” us - and therefore, we are okay!

Michelle Lesher SSJ

Sister Michelle is a Sister of Saint Joseph of Philadelphia currently serving in Formation and Vocation Ministry. She is passionate about Faith Formation, especially for Youth and Young Adults.

Springs of Living Water

At times we have all been thirsty—physically or spiritually – desperate to do almost anything to feel renewed, refreshed, revitalized. We know that where there is water there is life! ­­­­­­­I have always been drawn to the sacredness of water. Therefore, I have purposely planned my retreats beside water.

During one particular retreat, I was drawn to pray beside an Artesian well. Having come to this retreat after several recent losses, I myself felt like this now-empty well, needing desperately to be filled and refreshed. I randomly opened to the Gospel passage of Jesus meeting the Samaritan Woman at the well.  God’s message in this gospel touched me in surprisingly profound ways.  

This image of “holy” water and my love of this Gospel story emerged later as my Jubilee theme. Through the years I continue to ponder this Gospel story, perhaps because I so easily identify with the Samaritan woman.  Many times I am this woman – living out the ordinariness of each day, balancing my concerns and desires, searching for solitude, yearning for answers, always faithfully attempting to fulfill my calling by returning daily to this sacred well…returning to fill my jar, hoping to share with others this gift of life-giving water.

Often, like the Samaritan woman, I am caught off guard by the tangible presence of Jesus. Jesus appears in the form of a co-worker, a member of my local community, an associate, a friend, a sister to whom I minister, or even a complete stranger. Meeting at the well, we talk, we listen, we encourage, we share, and I find myself leaving refreshed and renewed!

In John’s Gospel, Jesus says to the Samaritan woman, “If you but knew the gift of God…”  I feel blessed to recognize this “gift of God” in my ministry as SSJ Director of Senior Services, as I share the hopes and dreams of so many sisters who come to meet Jesus at the well.  As true SSJs, our sisters bring their deep spirituality and overwhelming generosity to serve the dear neighbor. They inspire me with their strong faith that Jesus will indeed re-fill their jar to overflowing with life-giving water.

I am sincerely in awe of these sisters who have lived their entire lives in service and are determined to pursue new opportunities, accomplishing “good works.” They amaze me!  They inspire me!

In my quest to be true to my religious vocation, to re-commit each day to living my religious life as a Sister of Joseph in service to God, others, and for the good of our planet, I picture myself as the Samaritan woman returning daily to the well.  In reality, our senior sisters fill my empty jar – fill me — with living water!

Sister Eileen Dorothy Maguire SSJ

Sister Eileen Dorothy has spent most of her ministry in education, as teacher and administrator, and has also been involved in parish faith formation and spiritual direction.  She is currently the SSJ Director of Senior Services.

The Heart of the Wounded Healer

“‘I realized I was not the only one crying.’  This is the heart of the wounded healer.”

These were the most powerful words I heard spoken at the recent World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia. Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle from Manila, in his keynote address, quoted this line in a letter he received from a young refugee woman, who had made her way the Philippines. As I listened to her story, tears came to my eyes, for I realized they were my words too.

A few months ago, my father went home to God after suffering 10 years with dementia. For those ten years, I was his caregiver while also being engaged in full-time parish ministry. These were challenging years for me and my family. But as I look back on them now, I realize they were also incredibly grace-filled moments of darkness and light with a deep conversion of heart.

God used the last 10 years to teach me how to love more deeply, tenderly, and compassionately.  As I embraced the wounded body, mind and heart of Jesus in my father, I allowed Jesus to embrace my own wounded heart and learned how to more fully and freely love while embracing the “gift-wounds” of each person I encountered. Pope Francis speaks of a “Spirituality of Encounter”; the call to encounter Jesus in each person, poor and vulnerable. God has taught me how to share my graced darkness and “wounded-ness” with God’s people in the many encounters I have shared with those who are also wounded caregivers. 

In my darkest moments, I realized with great gratitude, it was the love and care of my God and my Sisters which held and carried me in my pain and suffering, my weakness and vulnerability, my tiredness and frustration. It was the many kindnesses of my Sisters – day in and day out – that held me close to God. These Sisters became caregivers for me in the constant daily kindnesses they offered and I experienced… a short note, a call, a prepared dinner for my Dad, an extra shopping turn taken to free up some time for me, an offer to clean my charge in the convent so I could attend a parish meeting and get to bed at a decent hour. 

Cardinal Tagle spoke to the fact that we are all wounded healers and that it is within our “families” that we are healed and become wounded healers for others. For it is only when, through God’s grace, we embrace our own wounds that we can enter into the heart of Jesus and the heart of the world. There, in the heart of the wounded healer, filled with humble gratitude and compassion, we can share in the Mission of Jesus — living and working that all may be one!

Sister Christine Konopelski SSJ 

Sister Christine currently serves as Pastoral Associate at Our Mother of Consolation Parish in Philadelphia, PA. She is passionate about sharing her faith and helping others find God in their life. She enjoys spending time with family and friends, walking, reading, and painting.

A Witness to Healing

I’ve wanted to be a Sister since I was in second grade. When I reflect on that desire, I recall that I was very much attracted to the sacred places and holy people I met in my young years. The attraction to Jesus – that desire to be God’s – was deeply satisfied on September 8, 1976 when I entered the Sisters of Saint Joseph!

My religious life is filled with meaningful experiences that continue to draw me closer to the Holy. Since 1991, I have been ministering in Camden, New Jersey. Every day, I see poverty, violence and suffering. There are so many people living in despair, darkness and devastation. In August 1995, a young mom came to Holy Name asking for help. Her 13-year-old daughter had been missing for two days. Tragically, her daughter was found brutally murdered the next day. They welcomed me into their home, their family, and their hearts. I had no idea how God would use me for the next fifteen years! As one year led to another, my life, as a Sister of Saint Joseph and as a social worker, allowed me to be with this family during a five year search for the killer and a 10 year wait for justice. The ministry of “companioning” families of murder victims evolved as others sought help with their traumatic loss. As an SSJ, I am given the opportunity to be faithfully attentive to these families who share their suffering. Their grief is very sacred to me. 

Sometimes people say to me “Camden is so dangerous and dealing with murder is so sad. I don’t know how you do it.” I am able to continue ministering to families because I am a witness to healing. With my own eyes, I have seen their resilient spirit restored as they survive the traumatic experience of the murder of someone they love deeply. I have experienced God’s faithfulness to those whose lives are changed forever and in my own life in the sacred place of suffering and loss.

There is a strength that comes from being powerless in the face of human tragedy. That powerlessness has led me to pray. When I tell others I am praying for them, I am always humbled by their relief and gratitude. +Jesus, comfort the suffering and console the brokenhearted. Use us to bring peace and justice in our world. Amen+

Helen Cole SSJ

Sister Helen grew up in Philadelphia. She graduated from John W. Hallahan Catholic Girls High School. She has taught in Philly, Baltimore, and Camden. She is currently a social worker at Guadalupe Family Services in Camden, NJ.

A Reflection on Surfing

Surfing is something that has always fascinated me. I find it amazing how surfers paddle out, sit quietly on their boards, scan the waves as they form, then pick the one they think is just right and in a burst of energy and grace they move with the wave. Sometimes they stand and attempt to ride the wave, other times they lie flat and allow the wave to run its course.  

 

 At the beach a couple of weeks ago, I watched a young would-be surfer run to the water’s edge with his board. He paused for a minute to survey the water and then in an instant he was in the water paddling with his board. He didn’t go too far out, just far enough to catch some small waves and he lay on his board and let the water bring him in. After doing this a few times he attempted to stand and after a few spills he "got it."  He was determined and he worked at it. What got my attention more than his success at surfing was his falling or being pushed off his board by the force of a wave.  At first he stiffened up when he landed in the water, then he just gracefully allowed the water to take him and it always brought him safely to the surface close to his board.

All of a sudden, I was struck with the realization, "Isn’t this what life and prayer are all about?" We bring our surf board, all we are, our gifts, blessings, to the shore of life. Ahead of us is the immensity of God’s love which we know through prayer and Eucharist will always bring us back to the shore of life. We take in all that surrounds us, look for the perfect wave to ride and allow God’s love to guide us sometimes gracefully, sometimes not so gracefully to exactly the right part of the shore. The trick is not to fight the wave, the water, but like my young surfer allow the water to catch us, hold us. There are very few perfect waves out there. When you find one, enjoy the ride. There is a grace- full -ness in allowing ourselves to fall into God’s love.

Mary Kay Kelley SSJ

Sister Mary Kay teaches Junior Theology at Archbishop Carroll. When there is an opportunity, she also works with Heartful Ministries giving retreats, planning prayer for conferences and writing for Liturgical Training Publications.

To Be a Sister of Saint Joseph Is to Be about Relationships

When I was a student at West Philadelphia Catholic High School for Girls in the 1960's, I recognized that there was something unique about the Sisters of Saint Joseph. They were among seven women religious communities who blessed us, students, each day with their gifts and expertise. What was unique about the SSJ's was their ability to relate to us personally - in the classroom, gymnasium, music corridor, lunchroom, publication offices and on the buses we shared with them on our rides back and forth. They touched my heart and helped to foster my religious vocation.

Now, as a Sister of Saint Joseph, I have the privilege to live each day what I observed as a teenager - a mission of active, inclusive love with its special emphasis on relationships.  We believe that "to be a Sister of Saint Joseph is to be about relationships."  This mission has carried me across boundaries and into the hearts and lives of persons I was privileged to meet through the past 50 years.  Imagine the opportunities I had in cities across this country, meeting persons of different genders, races, cultures, ages, experiences and in classrooms, churches, parish offices, soup kitchens and long-term-care facilities. I discovered new personal gifts; I grew in knowledge, spirituality, and awareness, learning that at our core, we are all one.

Recently, I lived with and shared life with six men and women, all so much younger than I am. We were bonded because we were all united by our experience of surviving a traumatic brain injury. We believed in one another, calling forth confidence and hope. My housemates amazed me with their encouragement and openness to share their stories. Because of them I believe that every day is a day to hope for the very best… to believe our prayers are being heard…to have faith good news is on its way and to know that anything can happen between yesterday and tomorrow.  

 My sister is also a Sister of Saint Joseph. Our parents and five siblings along with their spouses, children and grandchildren marvel at the way their lives have been expanded and enriched by having two sisters who are Sisters of Saint Joseph. It has been a mutual enrichment as we enjoyed being invited into their worlds. They are grateful for the new friends they have met through us along the way and for the abundant ways their worlds have been widened through our experiences. Along with them, I am so grateful for this amazing journey of being in relationship with all people, my new neighbors included, who trust and believe in me and in our mission.

Sister Nancy Roche SSJ

 S. Nancy, in addition to having experienced a wide variety of ministries as a Sister of Saint Joseph, also serves as a facilitator for other religious congregations.