IHM Spirit Inspiring Others

by Maureen Hudson, IHM Associate

When Sister Ann Parker, IHM, was invited to a picnic on June 13, she received much more than the usual hot dogs and baked beans. For many months, the Ladies of Charity Calvert County (LOCCC) of North Beach, Maryland, had been planning a surprise for Sister Ann.

From 1992, when she arrived at St. Anthony of Padua Parish in North Beach, Maryland, as DRE and Youth Minister until her departure as Pastoral Associate in 2018, Sister Ann served as the spiritual moderator of the Ladies. Year after year, she was a faithful presence at every Ladies of Charity event. She conducted retreats, stopped in at their weekly food pantry distribution to offer words of encouragement, helped them to welcome pantry clients at Christmas when they came to pick up gifts for their children and grandchildren, and participated in so many other outreach efforts. When St. Anthony’s convent became available in 2012, other IHM Sisters – Eileen Clinton, Maria Goretti Timperio, Carol Loughney, and Betty Bullen – became regular pantry volunteers with the Ladies of Charity and helped with busy holiday meal distributions. In addition to the Sisters, there are many IHM Associates who continue to volunteer at the food pantry.

Even after her departure to Little Flower Parish in Bethesda, Sister Ann maintained her relationship with the LOCCC. When the Covid pandemic hit and the Ladies had to move pantry distributions outside to their parking lot, it was Sister Ann they turned to for prayers to keep the rain and snow at bay until closing time. When the old pantry building suffered such structural damage that it had to be razed and replaced, Sister Ann was a faithful source of prayer and encouragement as the Ladies worked to raise more than a million dollars and navigated the many frustrations and setbacks they encountered in their efforts to realize their vision of a new pantry building. She joined LOCCC members and so many others on that joyful June day last year when the new building was officially opened for business, and she helped cut the ribbon at the main door.

And so this June, a year and a day after that ribbon-cutting ceremony, Sister Ann was invited to the pantry for another celebration: the unveiling of a special plaque by that same main door which reads: “In Honor of Sister Ann Parker, IHM, for her unfailing inspiration and support.”

In her remarks, long-time Pantry Manager Barbara Glover beautifully summed up what Sister Ann has meant to so many LOCCC members over the years: “Before we unveil this plaque, we pause to honor a woman whose presence has been woven into the fabric of this parish, Ladies of Charity ministries, and our personal lives for more than 26 years. Sister Ann Parker embodied the very values upon which this building stands—Faith, Hope, and Love. Through her daily witness, steadfast encouragement, and countless prayers, she helped nurture the seeds of the Gospel in all of us, inspiring us to serve our neighbors with compassion and joy. When challenges seemed overwhelming and hope felt distant, Sister Ann would remind us that she was ‘lighting a candle’ for our intentions, surrounding our work with prayer and confidence in God’s providence. This plaque serves as a lasting reminder of her unfailing inspiration and support, and of the love she shared so generously with the Ladies of Charity and all those we are blessed to serve. May this plaque remind all who enter that her spirit continues to inspire the work carried out within these walls and encourage us to carry forward the Faith, Hope, and Love that she so beautifully exemplified.”

In her grateful response, Sister Ann challenged the Ladies and volunteers to carry on her legacy as they enter that beautiful building by touching the plaque as a reminder of how they “inspire and support one another” in fulfilling their mission. She reminded them that the double feast of St. Anthony and the Immaculate Heart of Mary on June 13 this year was an expression of what the Ladies have “lost and found” over the years – losing their old building, but finding support, donations, and the sharing of each other’s gifts and skills. And finally, Mary’s Immaculate Heart and the IHM spirit also has provided them so much as well; accepting God’s will, embracing Him in unexpected places, and trusting Him through every challenge.