Sister Regina Burns, IHM

“Come, Follow Me”

John Francis Burns and his wife, Ann Boyle, gave birth to 8 children with Regina being their middle child. Regina describes her family life as both loving and happy with a good dose of funny. However, it was also marked by great sadness, especially when her brother, Matt, was killed in a construction accident.

She had the Mercy Sisters for grade school and the Philadelphia IHMs for high school. A vocation decision involves two choices – Do I have a call to religious life? And which congregation should I join? Regina did have a call to religious life, but, I’m not sure she had made that second decision before she entered the Philadelphia IHMs. Regina had many friends who were choosing to join the Philadelphia IHMs. Yes, Regina made a choice but, it was a choice to be with her friends.

After first vows, Sister Marian Pius began teaching primary grades in 1956 and she continued to do so here in the US and in Chile until 1970. The schools in Chile were required by the government to speak Spanish. One of her assignments was also her first ministry with the Jesuits which has come full circle now as she’s involved with the Ignatian Volunteer Corp of NEPA.

One strategy that the Philadelphia IHMs used to develop excellent teachers was the creation of Demonstration Schools. New teachers were required to attend these schools twice a year and observe the grade levels they would be teaching. Back from Chile, Regina expanded grade levels through junior high.

One reason sisters in one IHM congregation chose to transfer and incorporate into another was the Tri-IHM meetings. Time spent together gave sisters the opportunity to decide where they felt at home in the Church after Vatican II. The other was attendance at the Scranton Chapter with Sister Michel Keenan who was so open.

Sister Marian Pius returned to being Sister Regina Burns during her 25th Jubilee in 1982. Regina’s initial decision was at the invitation of her now Scranton IHM friend, Sister Jean Louise Bachetti. Shortly thereafter, Regina’s choice was definitely her own. It felt right. She parted happily from Philadelphia and has many friends there.

Regina’s first assignment in Carbondale was in primary education. That only lasted for two years and after that her ministry assignments were extraordinarily diverse and unique. It’s apparent that now those decisions were guided by her own response to the Spirit’s call. She moved to New York to teach in Harlem. It was there Regina felt called to AIDS ministry. She moved to St. Cecilia’s parish until 2002. Around this time medical treatments had been found to treat AIDS.

Regina’s ministries included the Latinos in East Stroudsburg, Adult Education teaching life skills and multiple ministries at Sojourner’s Place in Wilmington (from case manager, to coordinator of volunteers in the Out of Poverty Program, spiritual director, and private counselor). Regina earned an MA from Fordham.

Regina answered the invitation from Sister Ann Walsh to come to the Friends of the Poor. Regina has served Friends of the Poor in multiple capacities from 2014 to the present. She’s also teaching Everyday English for Adults. In addition, she’s a spiritual director, offers private counseling, and volunteers with the Ignatian Volunteer Corp.

Regina’s transition to OLP was necessitated by health concerns, but, her daily schedule is far from being retired. Regina has four on-going ministries!

Throughout our interview, it seems that the diversity of ministries comes from invitations – both from friends and the Spirit – and her response is based on both her curiosity and her sense that OLP is where she belongs now.