Jubilarians. A Special Section of The Catholic Spirit February 25, JUBILARIANS THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT FEBRUARY 25, 2016

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1 Jubilarians A Special Section of The Catholic Spirit February 25, 2016 WAKE UP THE WORLD! 2015 Year of Consecrated Life From left, Sister Elizabeth Lopatka and Sister Ursula Trela, members of the Little Servant Sisters of the Immaculate Conception, are shown at Mass at the Cathedral of St. Francis of Assisi, Metuchen, Feb. 7 to mark the end of the Year of Consecrated Life and honor religious women and men celebrating significant milestones. John Batkowski photo 11 JUBILARIANS THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT FEBRUARY 25, 2016

2 JUBILARIANS 12 FEBRUARY 25, 2016 THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT Sister Frances Hewitt, RSM As a young girl growing up in Atlantic City, Mercy Sister Frances Hewitt by the sea. The daughter of the late John Hewitt and Margaret Rattigan Hewitt, who were faithful parishioners of Star of the Sea Parish, she attended Star of Steeped in Mercy traditions after 12 years of education with the Sisters of Mercy, young Frances longed to be Mercy Sister Mary Leo, encouraged her vocation. When Frances went for her interview at Mount Saint Mary in Watc- was Aug. 15. Much as she wanted to she couldn t bring herself to leave the shore that early. In her little notebook as her entrance day. She did not include reactions to her belated arrival. to be a lifelong career. ces broadened her a bachelor s degree Georgian Court College (now University), Lakewood, in 1952, lanova, Pa., in She also earned continued taking post graduate courses and sity, Bronx, N.Y., and Georgian Court ister Valerie Balbach, RSM SDoris Balbach was born in Newark to bach. She began her education at St. Bank Catholic High School, graduating with the Class of During those 12 years her love of the Sisters into a vocation to the religious life. She responded to her call in at the top of the hill at Mount Saint Mary, in what was then North Plain- and struggles of the war years. Their prayer, study, work and play worked lives they chose to lead. Upon entering the Sisters of lowing year. She pronounced her first cation at Georgian Court College (now ton Hall University in South Orange. not only the qualities of an excellent and well-respected instructor but the teachers. She honed her skills teaching St. Paul School in Burlington and Holy Spirit School in Atlantic City. el at Phillipsburg Catholic, where she assigned to be a principal at St. Eliza- ville in She then served a total St. Matthew School in Edison and St. Paul School in Princeton before be- educational experience with teachers prepared her well for her next role as an instructor and later director of student teachers at Georgian Court to Today, Sister Frances lives at McAuley Hall Health Care Center in Watchung. Just a few years shy of 100 years old, she smiles when asked why she wanted to be a Mercy Sister: I did what I thought was best. School in Lawrenceville opened in original faculty of 12 Sisters of Mercy. She taught there, as- pital stay grew into a friendship that endures to this day. The deep spirituality coupled with playful spirits travels, enterprises of various kinds that they both enjoyed and also proved quite profitable. adoption for Catholic Social Services. Her outgoing personality and creative instincts inspired such ventures as flea venues were open to her wide array of and chatting with people whose stories she found fascinating. Though physically challenged thrived on the weekly opportunities to serve with her best friend, while Sister causes and her friend s best interests. Mount Saint Mary in Watchung, a 80 YEARS and served as superior of she was reassigned to Spirit, now in Absecon. In quick succession, she High School in Trenton and then to another new school, St. Pius X Diocesan High School in Piscataway. In 1975, she joined the staff at Georgian role of receptionist in ulty alike. her, Sister Frances returned to Notre the beach in Ocean City, where she tutored students at St. Augustine School for nine years until joining the Star of the Sea staff, back where she began. Today, Sister Frances lives at McAuley Hall Health Care Center in Watchung. Just a few years shy of 100 she wanted to be a Mercy Sister: I did what I thought was best. 75 YEARS ber of the Sisters of Mercy as she has always been.

3 ister Barbara Burdett, RSM S For Mercy Sister Barbara Burdett, becoming a Sisters of Mercy was a family who entered the religious community after graduation from Cathedral High School in Trenton. One of two daughters of the late Harry and Eleanor Burdette, Barbara joined the Sisters of Mercy in lowing year, she took the name Sister Mary Elaine. She began her religious life teaching students on the primary Continuing her education Sister Barbara earned a bachelor s degree in art from Georgian Court College and a master s degree in fine arts from the Gifted in the arts and certified in mathematics, she taught art and mechanical drawing at Holy Spirit High School in Atlantic City and in St. In 1975, Sister Barbara embarked upon a new ministry, that of pastoral bridge. In her new position, she had ister Dorothy Flynn, RSM S was a handwritten note from the Mercy Sisters Mother Aloysia McSorley that made her decide to join the religious community. Born in the tiny town of Miners Elementary and High School. After graduation, she worked in years. I wasn t happy, she said. I always wanted to be a nun. She wrote information. The response from the Sisters of Mercy community came in a personal note. That note made my She entered the Sisters of Mercy Mary Cathedral in Trenton in She began teaching the third grade at port and then the second grade at St. Following her final profession of gswood. She was then assigned to Cathedral Elementary School in Trenton, which was her last experience at the numerous responsibilities, chief area hospitals and nursing homes as well as the homebound parishioners. She also initiated a social ministry program for elementary school stu- ioners. agencies such as Catholic Charities and the welfare offices of Woodbridge and Middlesex County, Sister Barbara established a food pantry in the the needy. Through her work, she became well-known as for walk-ins or referrals. runaway teens, abandoned mothers in need of shelter for their children teaching history and religion at Holy Spirit High School in Atlantic City, where she also moderated the school newspaper. By her second year there journalism and the ety were added to her responsibilities. Latin and the forensic team, cultural arts and the social studies department chairmanship followed in close succession. After one year at Camden Catholic in othy came to Mount Saint Mary Academy in Watchung, where she assumed the roles of director of testing, curriculum committee member and moderator of the Cum Laude Society. returned to her baptismal name, was community, a position she held for as regional director and from there Networking with agencies such as Catholic Charities and the welfare offices of Woodbridge and Middlesex County, Sister Barbara established a food pantry in the basement of St. James convent. I always wanted to be a nun. She wrote to several religious orders asking for information. The response from the Sisters of Mercy community came in a personal note. That note made my decision. and abused women. She helped in- reassuring call. In 1984, after reading an article about Sister Barbara s work, Cardinal Theodore Mc- Carrick, then-bishop of Metuchen, wrote to her. I just wanted to take a moment to say thank you and God bless you for that tremendous apostolate. It is exactly in mind that we should be doing in our par- the grace and energies their neighbors, you really fulfill the mission of the Lord. Sister Barbara became coordinator of pital, Edison. She finished her days in ministry there, retiring in For a field. Her last ministry position was as pastoral minister at St. where her responsibility was primarily adult education. Though officially Sisters of Mercy in the peace and justice office, sparking and sup- programs that furthered both education and ac- of that ministry. in politics and the positions of political candidates and office holders on justice issues, today Sis- 75 YEARS near Lakewood. the prayer apostolate at McAuley Hall Health Care Center in Watchung, where she resides. 70 YEARS from Gabriel Hall to McAuley Hall Health Care Center in Watchung. Though small in stature, she and concerns of mercy all their life. 13 JUBILARIANS THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT FEBRUARY 25, 2016

4 JUBILARIANS 14 Sister Rita McGurk, RSM 70 Mercy Sister Rita McGurk was the fourth of nine children born to the late Joseph and Kathleen McGurk in Atlantic City. She began her education at Holy Spirit Elementary School and continued at Holy Spirit High School, both then in Atlantic City. From the time she was in second grade Sister Rita knew that she wanted to be a Sister of Mercy like her piano teacher, Mercy Sister Mary Robert. It was no surprise when she entered the Mercy novitiate in Watchung in September, Within two years, Sister Rita received the religious habit and the name Sister Mary Christian. Her teaching assignments included Holy Cross School in Rumson; Our Lady of Victories School in Sayreville; St. Paul School in Princeton, and St. Mary Academy in Lakewood. Summers during those years were as busy as the school years and she accumulated degrees in elementary education at Georgian Court College (now University) and Seton Hall University in South Orange. She continued her higher education at LaSalle College (now University) in Pennsylvania, earning a master's degree in theology. In 1971, Sister Rita was assigned to St. Mary School in South Amboy where she taught and also chaired the sub-committee of worship. Two years later, she returned to Atlantic City as the principal at Star of the Sea School. From there she made a short move to Holy Spirit High School in Absecon, and four years later to Camden Catholic High School in Cherry Hill. While Sister Rita was teaching primarily religion at this time, she was being gradually drawn to the religious education ministry in a parish setting. Her first position as director of religious education was at St. Pius X Parish in Cherry Hill. She assumed a similar position at Saints Simon and Jude Parish in West Chester, Pa., where she served for eight years. She then accepted the role of pastoral assistant at St. Ann Parish in Raritan Borough. This assignment completed 48 years of full-time ministry. During those years Sister Rita From the time she was in second grade Sister Rita knew that she wanted to be a Sister of Mercy like her piano teacher, Mercy Sister Mary Robert. also served on parish liturgical committees and coordinated the CCD programs with children who attended public schools. She was responsible for adult faith development programs and at St. Pius X Parish, she introduced the Little Rock Scripture Study program that flourished. At St. Simon and Jude Parish she conducted the RCIA program and at various times she served as an advocate on the Marriage Tribunal in the Camden Diocese and volunteered at St. Joseph School in North Plainfield. An experience Sister Rita remembers with fondest memories was a trip to Lourdes, France. There, she and her group spent time at the Grotto where Our Lady appeared to Bernadette Soubirous, watched the procession of the sick, and visited the underground chapel where the wheelchairs of those who were cured at Lourdes are on display. YEARS Since 2003, Sister has contributed various services as a volunteer at Mount St. Mary Academy in Watchung where she now resides. She feels she has been blessed in each of her ministries. Congratulations to the following Sisters of Mercy who are celebrating their jubilees this year in the Diocese of Metuchen: FEBRUARY 25, 2016 THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT Sister R. Frances Hewitt, RSM - 80 years Sister Mary Valerie Balbach, RSM - 75 years Sister Barbara Burdett, RSM - 75 years Sister Dorothy B. Flynn, RSM - 70 years Sister Rita McGurk, RSM - 70 years Sister Grace Nolan, RSM - 70 years Sister Mary Denise O'Boyle, RSM - 70 years Sister Mary Geis, RSM - 60 years Sister Francesca Holly, RSM - 60 years Sister Vida O'Leary, RSM - 60 years Sister Mary Jeanine Oliver, RSM - 60 years Sister Judy Ward, RSM - 60 years Share the mission of Mercy -

5 ister Grace Nolan, RSM S Mercy Sister Grace Nolan grew up in the heart of Trenton in a family of seven children each of whom was a blessing to the late Louis and Frances Nolan. Louis was a grocer and a member of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul at the Cathedral Parish. In the years just after World War I, there were many in the city who were in need. In the company of her father, little Grace learned how being kind to the poor and sick was an opportunity to serve God and her neighbor. She did not recognize a vocation to religious life, however, until 10 years after her graduation from Cathedral High School. She first became a secretary at General Motors and shared her skills and her wonderful smile with all she met until her attraction to the Sisters of Mercy drew her to Mount Saint Mary and the Mercy novitiate in Like the sisters who taught her, Sister Grace became an educator and served as a teacher, and a principal in Watchung, Atlantic City, Milltown, Paulsboro and Collingswood for 24 years. In every parish, she aided indigent families in a limited way: visiting sick parents of students, using her instincts and experience to recognize ister Mary Denise O Boyle, RSM SSister Mary Denise was one of five children born to the late William and Mary O Boyle in Atlantic City. She and her siblings grew up in the area attending St. Peter School in Pleasantville and then Holy Spirit High School, then in Atlantic City. There, she and two of her sisters came to know and love the Sisters of Mercy and, one by one, entered the community after their graduations. Sister Denise, Rita at that time, entered from Holy Spirit Parish in Following her novitiate, her first teaching assignment brought Sister Denise to Phillipsburg at Saints Philip and James School, where she taught intermediate and upper grade classes the needs of those whose lives and circumstances demanded more than their resources could provide. Food, furniture, help with health issues and an understanding ear whatever the needs, Sister Grace would find out how they could be met. It was at the end of her term as both principal and teacher at Holy Spirit School in Atlantic City that her childhood attraction to serving those who were poor and in need asserted itself again In 1970, the first district office of Catholic Social Services of the diocese of Camden was opened in Atlantic City and Sister Grace was appointed administrator. Her philosophy was to assist everyone in need regardless of race, color or religious affiliation from the young children to the elderly. The services her office provided included emergency assistance with food, clothing, housing, counseling and for the next 16 years. During the summer months, she attended Georgian Court College, now University, and majored in elementary education. In 1964 Sister Denise was assigned to St. Joseph School in Keyport. While there she continued her education, earning a master s degree in reading from Seton Hall University in South Orange. Sister Denise was assigned to Red Bank Catholic High School in There she taught remedial courses. Three years later she was appointed principal of St. James Parish elementary school. The last 24 years of Sister Denise s full-time teaching were spent at Over the years she became known as Amazing Grace. She engaged with those with means and connections as easily and effectively as she did with those who came to Catholic Charities for assistance. pastoral care at nursing homes, hospitals, jails and rehab centers. One of her greatest joys was finding adoptive homes for infants and sometimes personally bringing a new baby to a new home. She loved to see someone leave the welfare system, confident and ready to lead a life of self-sufficiency. Over the years she became known as Amazing Grace. She engaged with those with means and connections as easily and effectively as she did with those who came to Catholic Charities for assistance. Like the founder of the Sisters of Mercy, Catherine McAuley, she connected to rich and the poor and both became richer for the experience. No stranger to recognition and honors, she has received the Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice medal, been elected to the Women s Hall of Fame and chosen as a Woman of Valor by Holy Family School in Hazlet, where initially she taught in the intermediate grades, then served as librarian, religious education coordinator and liturgical and mission coordinator. In each assignment, Sister Denise brought her many gifts including warmth and welcome wherever she went. Her love of children and the teaching profession complemented her lifelong devotion to the Cross of Christ and her vocation to religious life as a Sister of Mercy. In 2007, Sister Denise retired and returned to St. James Convent in Red Bank, where she lived until moving to McAuley Hall Health Care Center in Watchung. Prayer for Vocations 70 YEARS the Sisterhood of Temple Emeth Shalom just to name a few. But to Sister Grace, life was never about honors; it was finding the face of Christ, despite his many disguises, in every person who enters our lives. 70 YEARS God our Father, we thank you for calling men and women to serve in your Son s Kingdom in religious and consecrated life. Send your Holy Spirit to help them respond generously and courageously to your call. May our community of faith support vocations of sacrificial love in our youth. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. 15 JUBILARIANS THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT FEBRUARY 25, 2016

6 JUBILARIANS JUBILARIANS Above, Mercy Sister Denise O Boyle and Mercy Sister Mary Geis read the program for the Mass closing the diocese s Year of Consecrated Life and honoring the religious who are celebrating milestones this year. In the congregation at the Mass, Feb. 7, were representatives of 12 orders of religious men and 34 orders of religious women who serve in parishes, schools, hospitals and other facilities. Seventeen religious marked anniversaries that ranged from 25 years to 80 years of faithful service to God. D IOCESE HONORS RELIGIOUS AT MASS TO CLOSE SPECIAL YEAR FEBRUARY 25, 2016 from now on, you will be catching men. (Lk 5:1-11). I have called you to fetch many men and women that have responded to the call of their respective charisms, and we are the better for it, he said. I thank you in the name of our diocese publically for saying yes to that call, the bishop asserted. May you realize that that means not just to you, per se, but to all the people you have touched. You have done well. May God bless you. We truly need you. Mercy Sister Elizabeth O Hara, diocesan Delegate to the Religious, presented the jubilarians to the bishop for a blessing. Seventeen of the scores of religious men and women of the diocese marked anniversaries in 2016 that ranged from 25 years to 80 years of faithful service to God; the bishop presented gifts to the seven of this group in attendance at the Mass. Bishop Bootkoski led all the religious in a renewal of their vows of chastity, poverty and obedience. I commit myself anew to the service of the Church, faithful to the charism entrusted me by my religious community, the men and women promised. At the conclusion of the Mass, Mercy Sister Marie Michele Donnelly, a teacher in the Church Ministry Institute for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, gave a frank, yet humorous, reflection that served as a rallying call to those seated before her who had given their lives to serve the Lord as a religious sister or brother. The theme of this year of consecrated life was wake up the world, and the Pope set three aims for this year, she reminded the assembly. Look at the past with gratitude, live in the present with passion, and embrace the future with hope. Sister Marie Michele urged her fellow religious to share their community s story of faith and trust in Jesus, their first and all-encompassing love. Radiate the joy and beauty of living the Gospel and following Jesus to the full. Wake up the world: be prophets, witnesses to how Jesus lived on this earth, she said. Let us refuse to limit the possibilities of what may lie ahead. Go out to all the world and be agile enough to repurpose your lives, facilities and ministries to meet the manifold needs the people are asking from us. We don t have to do it alone, we have the help of charismatic families who share the same spirit and mission as we do. It is no coincidence that the Holy Father coincided this year with the Synod on Families. Consecrated life and family Above, Mercy Sister Marie Michele Donnelly, a teacher in the Church Ministry Institute for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, gives a reflection at the end of the Mass which closed the diocese s celebration of the Year of Concentrated Life, held at the Cathedral of St. Francis of Assisi, Feb. 7. Sister Michele reflected on the three aims Pope Francis had set for the special year dedicated to men and women in religious life: Look at the past with gratitude, live in the present with passion, and embrace the future with hope. John Batkowski photos life are an enrichment and blessing to all. With a small smile, Sister Marie Michele turned towards the bishop and continued, The Holy Father said to his fellow bishops. Listen up, Bishop Bootkoski! as the congregation laughed. See religious as spiritual capital, support and encourage the religious communities and promote their value, she quoted. I believe our leader has more than answered that call, she said, prompting applause from the religious and laity who filled the Cathedral. Let us go forth together in joy, Sister Marie Michele concluded. Let s be Easter people. God will indeed lead us to a future full of hope. FEBRUARY 25, 2016 Above, four of the Jubilarians celebrating anniversaries renew their vows at the Mass during which they were honored. Shown are: left to right Mercy Sister Rita McGurk, Mercy Sister Valerie Balbach, Mercy Sister Jeanine Oliver, and Sister of the Immaculate Heart of Mary Lorraine Marie DeArros. At right Consolata Father Van Allen Hager, who concelebrated at the Mass, poses with Bishop Paul G. Bootkoski. Father Hager is celebrating 50 years of service. John Batkowski photos METUCHEN Considering the theme of the Feb. 7 celebration was Wake up the World, no one should have been surprised by the atmosphere inside the Cathedral of St. Francis of Assisi that afternoon. Each pew of the cathedral was filled to capacity with the joyous family, friends, students, co-workers and loved ones of the guests of honor. The people of all ages and from all four counties of the diocese excitedly buzzed as they spotted members of the 12 orders of religious men and 34 orders of religious women serving its parishes, schools, hospitals and other facilities. These men and women were the guests of honor at a Mass celebrated by Bishop Paul G. Bootkoski to mark the conclusion of the Year of Consecrated Life, declared by Pope Francis to have begun the First Sunday of Advent, Nov. 30, In his address in St. Peter s Square Feb. 2 to declare the Year complete, Pope Francis had told the men and women religious assembled they are called to be a concrete and prophetic sign of this closeness of God and of sharing with the fragile, sinful and wounded condition of people today. The presence of scores of religious, that concrete and prophetic sign, was noted by Bishop Bootkoski during his homily. Each different order has a different charism, the bishop noted, and has a unique way to present the face of Jesus Christ to the people and in their ministries. Some might not agree with their choice to serve the Lord in community, Bishop Bootkoski admitted. Giving of oneself and letting go, living simply, today is not attractive, he continued. But imagine how many children and adults these people here today have touched? They have come to an understanding of who Jesus Christ is. They are his hands, his feet, his mind. Colleges and universities, nursing homes and day care facilities, parishes and hospitals all would not be staffed without these invaluable human representations of Jesus, he continued. [The religious ] vision of life is broader than this me generation, said Bishop Bootkoski. They bring to the table what is needed and wanted in society, whether it is known or not. The bishop cited the day s Gospel reading in which Jesus Christ told Simon Peter, Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch. Do not be afraid: THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT By Christina Leslie Correspondent At left religious and laity applaud after the names of the jubilarians were read at the Mass celebrating their milestones. Seventeen religious were honored. Seven were able to attend the Mass at the Cathedral of St. Francis of Assisi which was filled to capacity with the family, friends, and loved ones of the honorees. Above, Bishop Paul G. Bootkoski presents a gift to Mercy Sister Rita McGurk who was celebrating her 70th anniversary. Behind the bishop is Mercy Sister Elizabeth O Hara, diocesan Delegate for Religious.

7 JUBILARIANS 18 Sister Mary of Jesus Caruso, OCD 60 Carmelite Sister Mary of Jesus Caruso has lived in one place, the Carmelite monastery in Flemington, since receiving the habit in But for Sister Mary, cloistered life is far from limiting her Carmelite vocation is a missionary apostolate, to be love in the heart of the Church. St. Teresa did not want us wrapped up in ourselves, she said, referring to the founder of the Discalced Carmelites, St. Teresa of Avila. Not by doing anything extraordinary, but just by trying to the other side of the world in a way I could not, perhaps, in another way of life. Sister Mary was born in Milton, Mass. to the late Arthur T. and Mary McMahon Caruso. She described the childhood she shared with her two sisters as idyllic. My family were excellent Catholics, Sister Mary recalled. But my mother was very careful not to overdo it. I had a wonderfully balanced home. I was a very devout Catholic, but it was, I think, because I was not pushed, Sister Mary said. I always loved the Mass, and when I was older and in college, I went to Mass every day. The Mass is the center of my life. Despite her devout upbringing, Sister Mary said she never thought of becoming a nun until her senior year at Chestnut Hill College in Philadelphia, I was not thinking about a vocation, she said. That was God s surprise to me somewhat later. A call to the religious life matured while working as an artist at Western Publishing and Printing in New York City s Rockefeller Center at the international building. Although she loved her job and her felt drawn to something more. At the time, one of her good friends was considering a missionary vocation, and another friend was about to be ordained to the priesthood and become a military chaplain. Perhaps inspired by these friends, she began to feel God s prompting toward the Carmelite vocation. If I were married, I could only said. But if I followed this thought, that seemed to be God s thought for me, I could reach everybody the whole world. In the power of the cross, you can be everywhere, she said, quoting an- that really appealed to me. This was what God wanted me to do, she said. And when you re doing God s will you know that that would be the greatest happiness for you, even though you can t look down the road. So I applied, and everything worked out. Her family, friends, and even her colleagues at Western Publishing and Printing were supportive of her decision. As you grow older, your thoughts are the same as when you accepted the call, it s just that it deepens with time and you realize how blessed you are, said Sister Mary. Ten years ago, when she celebrated her 50th anniversary of life in Carmel, Sister Mary chose a quote attributed to French poet Paul Claudel for her jubilee cards: What is life for, if not to be given? You give all, and you try your best, said Sister Mary. Although some Lord gets you through. If something is challenging, you have to pray through it and ask for help, and that s the same in all vocations. If it is the right vocation for you, you are YEARS people, Sister Mary said. If you are doing God s will, you will be happy. It s piness, but you will be deeply content and thankful that you are doing what God wants. Teresa Murphy FEBRUARY 25, 2016 THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

8 ister Mary Geis, RSM SThroughout her high school and college years, people would ask Mary Geis if she was going to become a religious like her sister, Mercy Sister Christina. I always replied no, she recalled, but God had other plans for her. Born in Woodbridge, Mary was one of six children which included four boys. She credits her parents with preparing her for the religious vocation she would eventually embrace. From my baptism onward, they provided me with the good example and desire to love God and follow his teaching, she said. The Sisters of Mercy also had an in- Mary attended St. James School, Woodbridge, and St. Mary High School, Perth Amboy. It seems I was always helping the Sisters, she said. In grammar school she would count the parish s second collection and on Monday arranged the envelopes in numerical order. Chuckling she noted, In those days most people gave quarters. She remembers too, running errands to for school assemblies. I felt wanted and loved, she said smiling. In 1950, Mary entered Georgian Court College (now university). Her mother died in The next year the pastor of St. Cecelia Parish in Iselin, asked S ister Francesca Holly, RSM Mercy Sister Francesca Holly is celebrating her jubilee and the vows she Sisters of Mercy when her family moved to Rumson and her parents enrolled her in Holy Cross School, which was staffed by the religious community. I was fascinated by these pleasant, holy women who were always there and always moving in quiet and peaceful surroundings, she said. Her teachers allowed Sister Franc- lunch time. I just loved the 25 youngsters all of them in my charge. I knew then I was going to be a sister. After attending a summer camp for Catholic girls in New York, Sister Francesca decided that she wanted to transfer to the Mercy Sisters New York boarding school for her secondary education. Upon hearing this, her father envisioned spending many weekends for the next four years traveling back and forth to the city. He asked his daughter s principal if the Sisters of Mercy in New Jersey had a boarding school. She told him, Yes, at Mount Saint Mary Academy in Watchung. So Sister Francesca enrolled in the academy, which at that time boarded students from seventh through 12th grade. dormitory putting curlers in a boarder s hair, Sister Francesca said. Her name was Sister Mary Franey. She and I were Mary s brother if she would come teach in the parish school. After she received her bachelor of arts degree in music in 1954, Mary returned to her home town to care for her father and teach at St. Cecelia. was when Mary, who said the thought of becoming a religious kept recurring, made the decision to enter the convent. Leaving my father alone was one of the hardest things I ever did, but he was so proud of me I think that was what kept me going, she said. Sister Mary, together with 35 other young women, entered the Sisters of Mercy in the largest group ever. I felt connected and still do, she said. She started teaching at Mount Saint Mary Academy a few days later. Since three of us had our degrees we were all put to work immediately, she recalled. also the day her father died and the day she received a post card he had sent her from a retreat he had recently attended. After joining the order, Sister Mary received a master s degree in secondary school education from Villanova University, Villanova, Pa. She taught music at most two years ago. I loved my life as a boarding student. We did things on the weekend with the nuns. They took us to New York to see plays and operas and movies. I loved the dances, the rooms, and my roommates. I felt like I was home. This was a marvelous introduction to the sisterhood for me. We had not only holy women, but the smartest women teaching. They knew everything from sewing and cooking to science, languages, acting, and singing. And they were always there from Mass and prayers in the morning to sitting outside our rooms at night to tell us adventures they had had, books they had read, operas they had seen and the lives they had lived. Although her mother was not surprised that she wanted to become a religious sister, Sister Francesca s father was not so sure of her call. When he would visit his daughter he would give her a dime to call collect if she wanted to leave. Sister Francesca said she had no intention of leaving and had already chosen her motto of the Sisters of Mercy, I can do all things in Him who strengthens me. Her sister, Lynn, honored Sister Francesca by naming three of her children after her. Using Sister Francesca s full baptismal name, Lynn named one of her daughters Susan and the other one Holly and she named one of her sons Francis (the male version of Frances). She named her fourth child, Jay, after their father. Lynn s children call her Aunt Grandma because Lynn has passed from this life. Sister Francesca is happy that she has a strong relationship with all of her nieces and nephews. After graduating from Georgian Court College (now University), Lakewood, where she earned a bachelor s degree in English and a master s degree in theology, Sister Francesca began teaching English at Red Bank Catholic High School. On the elementary level, she taught at Our Lady Star of the Sea School, Atlantic City; St. Joseph School, Bound Brook; St. Mary School, Perth Amboy; and St. Mary School, South Amboy. Returning to her alma mater years later, she was employed in many positions including director of the university s Center for Christian Concerns, director of and purchasing; and staff assistant in the sity Communication. After retiring, she returned to Mount Saint Mary s Gabriel Hall. Asked what advice she would give young women who are considering consecrated life she said, I think that the best thing would be to get a priest, a religious or a very holy person to help them to make a decision. I would also suggest that 60 YEARS the Mount for eight years then asked to be reassigned. I went to Camden Catholic High School in Cherry Hill where there were 1,000 students, she said. Catholic, Sister Mary taught all girls. The fourth year she said, I wound up with 45 juniors 35 boys and 10 girls. That is when she met Joseph Zambetti who would become a life long friend. Zambetti would get to class before Sister Mary and as she described it, protect me. He wanted to be a wrestler and she not only encouraged him to pursue the sport, but once he did, she went to practically every match. Joe and the other wrestlers became state champs, she said with pride. Joe wrote to me when I left Camden Catholic and has written to me for years. He became my very good friend, she added. From Cherry Hill, Sister Mary went to Trenton and Cathedral High School which closed two years later. She spent the next nine years at Holy Spirit High School in Abescon. In 1981, Sister Mary returned to Mount Saint Mary Academy. She taught there for 15 years, then after a 42- year teaching career, retired and took a three month sabbatical. In 2000, together with Mercy Sister Judy Ward, she became codirector of communications for her religious order. Today a resident of McAuley Health Care, located at the Mount, Sister Mary remains active serving as a lector at Mass and being involved in plays and other activities. It s been a wonderful life and still is, she said. Joanne Ward 60 YEARS they get some books and study about the Catholic Church and join a church group or parish organization and then take the next step to contact some religious communities. Sister Francesca s key to happiness seems to be a result of her positive attitude. Anything I have been asked to do, I have said, Yes. I love learning. I am still learning what God wants to teach me, she said. 19 JUBILARIANS THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT FEBRUARY 25, 2016

9 JUBILARIANS 20 FEBRUARY 25, 2016 THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT ister Mary Vida O'Leary, RSM SBlessed with two older brothers and three younger brothers, Mercy Sister Mary Vida O Leary, has had a great relationship with all of them. Her father was Irish Catholic and her mother converted to Catholicism when Sister Vida was about seven years old. Her family lived in Paulsboro. They walked two miles to get to St. John Parish for Mass. She and her brothers received their religious education through their parish s faith formation classes. In her family, Sister Vida said, We always knew that God is in charge. She and her siblings attended public schools through high school. She graduated from Georgian Court College (now university) with a degree in education for grades one through 12. As she begins her celebration of 60 years of consecrated life, Sister Vida said it was a priest, her best friend, and two Sisters The priest was Father Poyatt, who asked her if she had ever considered a religious vocation. The question wouldn t leave her. I felt God put His arm around me, preparing me for the next thing, she said. Her best friend, Mary Donofrio, had entered the Sisters of Mercy community to discern if she was being called, but after two years, decided that she was not meant to be a religious. Sister Vida s great aunt, Mercy Sister Ita O Leary, was one of the religious who helped lead her to the religious life. The other was Mercy Sister Mary Kerwin. S ister Mary Jeanine Oliver, RSM Mercy Sister Mary Jeanine Oliver is celebrating her 60th year of religious life, along with 11 Sisters of Mercy in her community. For me, being a Sister of Mercy and celebrating our jubilee in the year that Pope Francis has designated as the Year of Mercy is very special, she said. Born in New York City, Sister Jeanine attended St. Brendan Elementary School in the Bronx. At the age of 10, she moved with St. James Elementary School and later at- which was staffed by the Sisters of Mercy. They became her inspiration to religious life, especially her older sister, Mercy Sister Deborah, and her wonderful teacher and friend, Mercy Sister Mary Eloise Kays. One of the many things that drew Sister Jeanine to a life of vocation as a Sister of Mercy was the clothes they wore. I loved the habit. As a young person, I also enjoyed going to daily Mass. Sister Jeanine said that she always felt God s calling; that this was the life that God wanted for her, to be a Sister of Mercy. I always felt that I am where I am supposed to be, doing what I am supposed to do. Being a Sister of Mercy is a life of service, she said. She believes that her ability to adapt to about a religious vocation, she met with a priest, who told her about a Dominican order, and arranged for her to go for an interview. The Dominican community was looking for religious to go to Albuquerque, N.M., but she didn t wish to go there. Father Poyatt then told Sister Vida about the Sisters of Mercy community. She met with Sister Mary Kerwin and decided to enter the order. Sister Vida was a bit older than most young women who were discerning a vocation. At the time, she was 26 years old and had been teaching CCD classes and working for many years. While in high school, she worked at a pen manufacturing company, inspecting the products as they came down the assembly line. During World War II, she and her classmates would leave school and go to a sewing factory to make uniforms for American soldiers. Later, she worked for Bell Telephone. I was a telephone operator serving the switchboards for Fort Dix and McGuire Air Force Base. It was fun, but sometimes it was sad. We knew that when the phone lines got very busy, it meant that the boys were being sent overseas and they were calling home to talk with their family and loved ones, she explained. The adjustment to living with younger women just out of high school who already had a connection with each other and with Sisters of Mercy from their own schools, got to know one another. When the time came for her to select her name, she said that she wanted a strong, change made her life as a religious a happy one. When it came time for Sister Jeanine to choose her motto, she chose, What God Wills. As an undergraduate student of Georgian Court College (now University), Lakewood, Sister Jeanine earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in elementary education. She later earned a Master of Art degree in mathematics education at Central Connecticut State College, New Britain, Conn., and Master of Science degree in counseling psychology from Anna Maria College, Paxton, Mass. Along with her teaching, she was able to participate in her love of basketball basketball team at St. Francis Cathedral School in Metuchen and coaching the girls basketball team at St. Pius X High School in Piscataway. Both teams were excellent, not because I was a great coach, but a great cheerleader with talented young women who Other schools she ministered in were St. James School, Woodbridge; St. Frances Cabrini School, Piscataway; St. Matthew School, Edison; St. Paul School, Burling- St. Mary High School, Perth Amboy; Holy meaningful one. She selected Vida because end Mother didn t like it because it seemed boastful, but when Sister Vida investigated further, she found that it is also the female version of the name David. She was so happy when she took her vows and her name was announced. Sister Vida s motto is, My Jesus, I thank you. City School in Camden and St. Paul School in Princeton. She left her education ministries after 18 years to co-found a facility called Laural House, which was a group home for troubled teen-aged girls in Trenton. When the facility closed after two years when it lost its funding, Sister Vida went on to reopen the facility as Francis House of Prayer, serving as its director for 12 years. While there, she of Spiritual Growth in Wernersville, Pa., and tion and retreat work. She served for 35 years as a visiting retreat director at the Wernersville center. Her desire to encourage spiritual growth came out of a sabbatical taken at the Creation Center of Spirituality in Oakland, Calif., which was directed by Father Matthew Fox. The sabbatical was a study of For eight years, Sister Vida served the poor, the homeless and the deinstitutionalized at Mercy Center in Asbury Park; served 60 YEARS 10 years as chaplain at the cancer unit in and served three years as a member of the in Long Branch. Now retired, Sister Vida lives in Gabriel Hall, an assisted living and retirement center on the campus of Mount Saint Mary Academy in Watchung. Sixty years ago, I heard a whisper say, 'Come journey with me!' We have journeyed together in my different ministries. Now my companion and I sit side-by-side on the mountaintop and reminisce at what was and look forward to what will be, said Sister Vida. Sue Getz 60 YEARS Academy, Lakewood; and Georgian Court University. Sister Jeanine particularly enjoyed helping students with their computer work in the Computer Center at Georgian Court University. Later, when the students had be- Sister Jeanine assisted several of the department chairs by computerizing the students progress charts so that information could be input and retrieved as needed. Sister Jeanine also enjoyed serving as an outreach worker at Mercy Center in Asbury Park. Her primary roles there were to assist with the distribution of food and clothing to those in need throughout Asbury Park. The center continues to serve the needy in these ways, as well as with help- bills, and providing food baskets during the holidays. Four and a half years ago, Sister Jeanine moved into Gabriel Hall, an assisted living and retirement center in Watchung. She began helping her religious sisters who live in McAuley Hall Health Care Center located down the hill from Gabriel Hall. Both residencies are located on the campus of Mount Saint Mary Academy. Volunteering her time, Sister Jeanine regularly, helps them to tidy up their rooms and provides assistance with their daily living needs. She also serves as an extraordinary minister of holy Communion and lector when needed. Summing up her feelings about her religious vocation, Sister Jeanine quoted Sister Frances Warde, American Foundress of the Sisters of Mercy who said, It is a glorious thing to be a Sister of Mercy. Sue Getz

10 ister Judy Ward, RSM ister Lorraine DeArros, IHM SIn the past, the Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary (IHM) were not allowed to have a driver s license so parents of the grade school students would drive the IHM Sisters to destinations around Philadelphia. Sister Lorraine DeArros mother was a volunteer driver for these excursions and often took her daughter with her, who became intrigued by the Sisters. As a student at Notre Dame High School in Pennsylvania, Sister Lorraine was a typical teen going to dances, babysitting and becoming a Girl Scout. She also went to daily Mass. In her junior year, she took a trip to the Mother House in West Chester, Pa., where she began to consider a calling to the religious life. In her senior year, she decided to pursue a vocation along with a few others from her class. Her parents were thrilled but continued to have conversations with their daughter to ensure she was certain. I just felt that I wanted to be part of something more than just out there in the work force, she remembers. I just wanted to be with the Lord. Upon joining a religious com- graduating from Immaculata University in Pennsylvania with a degree in Education, Sister Lorraine began She continued teaching for 25 years in Philadelphia area schools until she was moved into an administrative role, where she has spent the last 25 years in a supervisory capacity at schools in Pennsylvania, Virginia and New Jersey. She is currently vice principal at Immaculate Conception School in Somerville, but teaches catechetical classes once a week after school. In her spare time, she likes to read and get together with family and friends but has no plans to retire so rewarding. You meet a lot of different people. They put their trust in you, Sister Lorraine says of her vocation. They put their trust in that you re going to pray You meet a lot of different people. They put their trust in you, Sister Lorraine says of her vocation. They put their trust in that you re going to pray for them, to help them in situations. SIt was in grade school that Mercy Sister Judy Ward decided to become a Sister of Mercy. I admired the sisters. I loved what they did. I loved how happy they were and their generous, kind, spirit, she said. This year she is celebrating 60 years as a member of the religious order and the 10th anniversary of Catherine s Legacy, her website dedicated to Catherine McAuley, founder of the Sisters of Mercy. Born in Long Branch, Sister Judy attended St. James School in Red Bank and Red Bank Catholic High School. After graduation in 1956, she entered the Sisters of Mercy, together with her twin sister. Her sister left the convent several months later, but Sister Judy stayed, professing final vows on Aug. 17, She began teaching in 1958 at St. Paul School in Burlington, and today still hears from a student who was in one of her classes. After a year there, Sister Judy was assigned to St. Francis of Assisi School in Metuchen, leaving there in 1960 to enter Georgian Court College (now university). She returned to teaching a year later, but would eventually earn a Bachelor of Arts degree as an art major in 1967 and a Master of Arts degree in fine arts from the University of Notre Dame, South Bend, Ind., in While taking courses, Sister Judy taught at St. Mary School, Perth Amboy, and spent 10 years at Mount Saint Mary Academy, Watchung, as an art teacher and department chair. After MSMA, she taught at Holy Spirit High School, Atlantic City; and St. Mary High School, Perth Amboy. From 1976 to 1984, Sister Judy served as an art teacher and department chair at Notre Dame High School, Lawrenceville. It was during this time that she admitted to being an alcoholic, and spent seven months in a treatment center. She is also quick to add, My spirituality was deepened profoundly when I embraced my recovery. Now she proudly states, Addiction is a tough thing. Very few people stay sober for 30 years. I m in my 32nd year as a recovering alcoholic. After completing a program in adult career development and assessment at Queens College, N.Y., Sister Judy returned to ministry as an alcohol and drug counselor at Sunrise House, Lafayette. I was more than happy to help people who suffered from the same disease I suffered, she said. I seriously think of addiction as a spiritual affliction. Beginning in 1990, Sister Judy spent seven years as senior clinician in the alcohol/drug division of St. Clare s Hospital, Boonton. Her journey through treatment and recovery came to light in 1996 in Carol Garibaldi Rogers book, Poverty, Chastity, and Change: Lives of Contemporary American Nuns. The book included the oral histories of more than 90 religious. Sister Judy was one of them. Her story on her addiction and recovery is in the chapter on Hospitals and Clinics. The book was updated in 2011 and released under the title, Habits of Change: As Oral History of American Nuns. After St. Clare s, Sister Judy went to the Guest House, Lake Orion, Mich., where she continued as a counselor for two years before returning to New Jersey as a supervisor and counselor at Princeton House. In 2000, Sister Judy and Sister Mary Geis, who entered the Sisters of Mercy at the same time, were appointed co-directors of communications for their religious community. Later on, Sister Katherine Mroz took Sister Mary Geis place. It was in this position when Sister Judy began taking photos and succeeded in taking the pictures of all the Mercy Sisters in the New Jersey Region. When that ministry ended, Sister Judy, at the suggestion of Sister Diane Szubrowski, created Catherine s Legacy. It s a way for me to express myself and creatively express my deep admiration and love for Catherine, she said. Sister Judy began her website, with 10 for them, to help them in situations. They look to you for help. She hopes that more children think about a vocation to the religious life or to the priesthood despite all the distractions and material things available to them. The Church needs help in spreading the Word of the Lord, she explains. I do hope that young people today think about it. Even if it s just a brief minute that they thought about it, if they would go to a religious or a sister or a priest and talk about the religious life, maybe it would spur them on and make them think a little more about what they would like to do in the future. Beside guiding the children and hoping they stay close to the Lord, she also shows students that prayer is essential, in the hope that it leads them into a deeper spirituality. 60 YEARS Mercy montages. She transformed her designs into prints, note cards and prayer cards. Today, her site offers montages and photo restoration, but primarily note cards more than 250 in more than 15 categories, including scenes from Ireland to the Jersey Shore. I believe I am carrying out Catherine s Legacy by being a creative, authentic, spiritual woman, wrote Sister Judy on the website. As a teacher, counselor and artist she has remained true to that legacy. Joanne Ward 50 YEARS A prayer life is very, very important, she says of her commitment to her vocation and her position at Immaculate Conception School. This is a very good place to be. It really is. Debra Miller 21 JUBILARIANS THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT FEBRUARY 25, 2016

11 JUBILARIANS 22 ather Van Allen Hager, IMC 50 FAs a member of the Consolata Missionaries, Father Van A. Hager has spent much of his religious calling in developing countries, at times risking his life traveling to remote areas inhabited by those unfriendly to Catholics. Later this year, he will embark on a mission to Colombia, the third time he will visit the South American nation. We are always hoping for missionary work, Father Hager said recently, profession that began October I could have said yes or no. I decided to say yes. I wasn t planning to go back to the missions, especially at my age. My health is pretty good, that s why I m going. from Colombia, Father Hager, 72, has been living at the Consolata Missionaries regional house in Franklin Township, Somerset County. He has been celebrating weekly Mass in Spanish for a small immigrant community at St. Agnes Church in Stockton, Hunterdon County, a mission church of St. John the Evangelist Parish in Lambertville. But that role has only been since last year. For the previous 14 years, Father Hager says he was restricted in the ministry. He speaks about it matter-of-factly in describing his side, saying the restriction stemmed from a combination of his strong pro-life stance in this country and his involvement in the Charismatic Renewal, the latter issue while in Colombia. I had some disagreements with my community, some misunderstandings, recalls Father Hager. They didn t like my involvement in the Charismatic Renewal. Some of the priests were very vehement against the Renewal. It seems some may have had negative experiences. He says Charismatic Renewal worked for the people he served in Colombia. Father Hager makes no apologies for his staunch pro-life stand even though at one point because of comments on the subject he was restricted in his ministry and could not publicly administer the sacraments. He returned to full active ministry in It was a heavy cross to carry, Father Hager says of his time while restricted. Technically, I spent a lot of time cutting grass and raking leaves. But he also became active in healing ministry, and he became chaplain of a group called The King s Men dedicated to raising the spiritual side of Catholic men. Father Hager, it seems, has always kept busy. As a teenager, he says he was recording secretary for a motorcycle club, and he learned magic tricks from his fa- to a group known as the Fellowship of Christian Magicians. Father Hager says his most tremendous joy upon returning to full-time ministry was hearing confessions. While administering the sacrament at the National Blue Army Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima outside Washington, Warren County, he says he realized his wait to return to active ministry was worth it. A lady came and said she hadn t that yes, this is what I m supposed to be doing now. The Consolata order, which was priests and brothers serving in 27 nations on four continents, dedicate their lives for the proclamation of the Gospel, among other activities. the order when he met its vocation director, the late Father Anthony Bellagamba, while Father Hager began his priestly studies at the diocesan preparatory seminary in his hometown of Buffalo, N.Y. The seed to become a missionary became planted in Father Hager when he read an article about serving overseas by the late Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen. Father Hager, who grew up in Buffalo, credits attending Wednesday night devotions with Benediction and recitation of the rosary at his home church, St. John YEARS the Baptist Parish, with nurturing his faith. He says his mother, Alice, was always praying for a priest in the family. Father her wish. Father Hager will be celebrating a going-away Mass before his Colombia trip on May 29, the Feast of Corpus Christi, at the Consolata Missionaries. Anyone interested in supporting Father Hager s upcoming mission to Colombia can send donations c/o Consolata Missionaries, Anthony Salamone DISCOVER YOUR PLACE IN GOD S PLAN... Experience the Benedictine way of life. Attend one of our VOCATION WEEKENDS Celebrating the Year of Consecrated Life & the World Day for Consecrated Life Uniting God, neighbor and all creation FEBRUARY 25, 2016 THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT click vocations or Giles@delbarton.org ST. MARY S ABBEY At DELBARTON The Parish and School families of Immaculate Conception Somerville Congratulates and asks God s blessings on Sister Lorraine Marie DeArros, IHM as she celebrates her golden jubilee

12 ister Ruth Ann Rogozinski, OSF SWhen Sister Ruth Ann Rogozinski took her habit on June 26, 1966, it marked a doubly sweet moment for the Bernardine Franciscan nun who grew up in the Diocese of Metuchen. The investiture fell on her birthday, by coincidence, and it marked an important period in a religious journey that she desired to pursue since becoming a teenager. I was out of eighth grade. I was 13, recalled Sister Ruth Ann of when she felt God s calling for her to become a religious. She said the Bernardine Franciscan order served her elementary school at St. Mary of Ostrabrama Parish in South River. As a student at St. Mary s, she longed to be like the Bernardine Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis (Bernardine Franciscan Sisters), who taught her and her peers with compassion, patience and humor. I was [at St. Mary s] from kindergarten through eighth grade, she said during a telephone interview. We only had sisters, so every year I had a different sister. They were all very genuine. They were very human, very holy. They loved God but they were strict. The love and the discipline made quite an impression on Sister Ruth Ann. She told her parents she wanted to learn more, and that led her to La Reine High School in Suitland, Md. ister Anne Claire Lurusamy, LSP SSister Anne Claire Lurusamy is enthusiastic about the 25 years she has spent as a Little Sister of the Poor. Ask her what she has enjoyed most in her vocation, and she will exclaim, All of it is a favorite part! She describes her vocation as a call that s renewed every day, to follow Jesus. He is my center, she said. To revolve everything around Jesus that s my call. And, to serve the elderly with great respect for them, and take care of them in their last moments, in meeting God, and be with them, to usher them to the next life because here on earth is not eternal. Sister Anne was a middle child in a family of 10 children born to her mother, Kanickai Mary, and father, Lourdesamy Lurusamy, in Malaysia. She attended weekly catechism classes at her parish and credits her parents with taking her to church and teaching her the Catholic faith at home. She attended public school and after graduating high school, worked as a parish secretary. Here, she became familiar with the Sisters of the Infant Jesus, a teaching order that worked in the parish. She even spent two nights at the convent one time, in order to keep a sister company who had remained behind while the others went That s where our aspirancy [discerment] was, recalled Sister Ruth Ann. It was a day school for regular girls, but we had our own building. She remembered having to sleep in the classrooms during her stay. I just told my mother I m going to try it out, she said. When I got there, I loved it. I studied hard and I worked hard. God, she said, wanted her to become a religious, and she said she only knew the Bernardine Franciscan order, which was founded during the late 19th century by a Polish nun, Mother Veronica Grzedowska, following in the footsteps of St. Francis and St. Clare of Assisi and others. Mother Veronica came from Poland to Mount Carmel, Pa., to help educate Polish immigrants, but she ended up in Reading, Pa., establishing the St. Francis Orphanage, which evolved into a grade school, high school and eventually Alvernia University. Today the order s mother convent is in Reading, Pa. Sister Ruth Ann continued her studies at Alvervia College. By the time she pro- bachelor s degree in elementary education at the college. He went on to receive a master s degree in special education from 20 years, Sister Ruth Ann worked in New on retreat an incident that prompted her pastor to teasingly ask her whether she was planning to become a nun. Oh, maybe, Sister Anne recalled replying. Yet, she never considered joining this congregation. I was reading about different congregations and I came across the Little Sisters of the Poor, she said. They seemed to be very simple. It was the simplicity and poverty of their way of life that initially attracted her, along with their mission to take care of the elderly, to give them the love of God, Sister Anne said, adding that she admired founder St. Jeanne Jugan, who was canonized in Although the nearest convent of the Little Sisters of the Poor was in Cheras, far from where she lived, she wrote to them and was invited to visit and experience their way of life. When I went to tell my mother, she was kind of surprised, Sister Anne recalled. But her mother gave her blessing and told her, If that s what God wants of you, go ahead with it, she said. Sister Anne entered the Little Sisters of the Poor in 1984, and made temporary vows in Singapore in September In 1991, she made her perpetual vows at the order s motherhouse in Saint-Pern, France. She was sent next to Hong Kong, where she slowly learned the Cantonese language. Sister Anne said she felt that she and the elderly she served there understood each other through the language of love. One of her favorite memories is her time spent in Sri Lanka. To be with the poor there was the favorite part of my life, making a family with the elderly there, said Sister Anne. The most beautiful thing was to surround them with love. While in Sri Lanka, she had her most treasured experience while assist- I had the most beautiful experience of assisting a dying person, and I could see a smile on this particular elderly person when I was with her, and this I treasure a lot, Sister Anne said. And that s our vocation, being with them to the end, and [to] usher them to the Father s house. Now stationed at Our Lady of Providence, the sisters retreat house in Flemington, Sister Anne assists with retreats for the sisters around the United States, who each come twice annually to make a retreat. Sister Anne said that she encourages young women to respond with joy to Christ s invitation to the religious life. 50 YEARS England, spending most of that time as a special education teacher and later a secretary and treasurer at Villa Maria Education Center in Stamford, Conn. She also taught at Lt. Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. Memorial School in Hyde Park, Mass., which has been closed since She expects one day to return to her community but not to teaching. I miss the little people, she said, but it s a lot of preparation. These days, Sister Ruth Ann, who will turn 69 on June 26, has been on leave from the order as she tends to her mother, Ann Rogozinski. According to the website catholic.org, St. Bernardine of Siena spent more than a year tending to an invalid aunt similar to Sister Ruth Ann s current mission of giving her full attention in the care of someone. Her favorite saying helps her cope. It was written on the front of a card she received and says, Whatever we face, we re not alone for God takes our sorrows and makes them His own. In her spare time, Sister Ruth Ann designs logos, banners, program covers, greeting cards and newsletters for her community. designing hobby. It comes easy to me and is almost a pleasure to do it. What would she say to young people, particularly women, who might be contemplating the religious life? I would say to watch the sisters, Sister Ruth Ann said. Watch them, and then give it a chance, like I did. You have to plunge right in. Pray hard, so you will do the right thing. If someone feels the strong but divine tug of religious life, it s going to be meant for you, she said. And what does Sister Ruth Ann think anniversary of her religious life? I still feel like I m only 25, she said. It doesn t seem that long. Anthony Salamone 25 YEARS If Jesus calls you to be his bride, it s very special and noble, she said. There is a phrase in our constitution: a vocation is a call to which the Lord, always faithful, renews for us until the end of our lives. We must remain attentive to this call. That means discovering this call every day and responding to it with always greater and deeper love. Teresa Murphy 23 JUBILARIANS THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT FEBRUARY 25, 2016