Mary Persico, IHM
July 30, 2006
This is our final welcome this weekend and a fitting ending to prayerful, holy days of friendship and sisterhood. With hearts filled with many emotions we congratulate you, our honorees, our 35 jubilarians. We surround you with a circle of prayer, a promise of support, and no end to gratitude for your having lived and walked with us for 75, 70, 60, 50, and 25 years. Enjoy this day for it is yours.
We greet and welcome Msgrs. Feldcamp and Conlan and extend our warm welcome and thanks to you, our brothers.
As we begin this Eucharistic Liturgy, we bring into our hearts the lives of two Sisters who today celebrate jubilee in its truest sense…Sisters Josine Shannon and Mary Shelb. The memory of their presence among us fills us with peace and we are blessed.
They heard the call of God 75 and 70 years ago, our Sisters Ina, Canice, Thelma, and Marylyn, and God’s dream became their own. In a world between wars, immigrants from Europe poured into a country reeling from depression. The challenges our Sisters faced were many and their resources few. From these Sisters whose lives of service we celebrate today, we have learned the lessons of trusting in Divine Providence and of serving people wherever there is a need. We marvel at your courage and perseverance; we are inspired still by your faithfulness. And we pray…
Refrain: May the Road Rise to Meet You
They heard the call of God 60 years ago, our Sisters Regina, Barbara, Elsa, Jeanne, Margaret, Mildred, Rosela, Eileen, Robertus, Immaculata, Charlene, Cecilian, and de Sales, and God’s song became their own. New parishes were flourishing and the call for the opening of catechetical centers and new schools was common. The demands upon our Sisters to move beyond the areas where we were already serving were great but with enthusiasm and a strong sense of mission, they responded wholeheartedly to the pastoral challenges of their day. We marvel at your daring; we are inspired still by your spirit of adventure. And we pray…
Refrain: May the Road Rise to Meet You
They heard the call of God 50 years ago, (these Mary’s and a few others) our Sisters Anne Mary, Regina, Thomas Mary, Margaret Frances, Daniel Mary, Anne Marie, Mary Ellen, Ritamary, Ann Eulaine, Raymond Mary, Robert Mary, Angela Mary, Frances Mary, and Elizabeth Mary, and God’s heart became their own. The Church was brooding at a time when the laity was calling for renewal. Unrest and the desire for individuality set the mood around the country. Faithful to their vocational call, these Sisters served wherever the Spirit would take them. They opened their lives to the potential for new ministries and today their loving labors speak to us of diversity. We marvel at your creativity; we are inspired still by your joyful service.
Refrain: May the Road Rise to Meet You
They heard the call of God 25 years ago, our Sisters Suzie, Nancy, Claire, and Judy, and God’s hope became their own. Stretched by the turmoil of a post-Vatican Church, these Sisters were strengthened in their desire to bring the redeeming mission of Jesus to a multi-cultural world. Undaunted by the trials of pluralism, they stand firm ready to lead us into the future. We marvel at your single-mindedness and are inspired still by your youthful zeal.
Let us now sing this blessing for these and all our jubilarians.
Refrain: May the Road Rise to Meet You
Seventy-Five Years
Sister M. Ina Kenney
Sister M. Canice Riordan
Seventy Years
Sister M. Thelma Gutt
Sister Marylyn Harding
Sixty Years
Sister M. Regina Barrett
Sister M. Barbara DuMont
Sister M. Elsa Eckenrode
Sister M. Jeanne Gallagher
Sister Margaret Loftus
Sister Mildred McCloskey
Sister M. Rosela McFadden
Sister Eileen Miller
Sister M. Robertus Mullen
Sister M. Immaculata Norton
Sister M. Charlene Templeton
Sister M. Cecilian White
Sister M. deSales Williams
Fifty Years
Sister Anne Mary Boslett
Sister Regina Burns
Sister Thomas Mary Dougherty
Sister Margaret Frances Gallagher
Sister Daniel Mary Heisey
Sister Ann Marie Lynott
Sister Mary Ellen Malloy
Sister Ritamary Mayan
Sister Ann Eulaine McHale
Sister Raymond Mary McIntyre
Sister Robert Mary Murphy
Sister Angela Mary Parker
Sister Frances Mary Rundell
Sister Elizabeth Mary Wallace
Twenty-Five Years
Sister Susan Therese Armbruster
Sister Nancy Hawkins
Sister Claire Marie Kulp
Sister Judith Ellen O’Brien
