21 August 2006

One Last Journey


Today marks several noteworthy occasions. It is the 439th anniversary of the birth of Saint Francis de Sales. Also, it would have been the 98th birthday of our Sister Anne Marie who went home to the Lord on 5 July. And this morning, we made our "last journey" with our Sister Vincentia. She is pictured above at a computer in the monastery's former "typing room" (soon to be called the "St. Joe's Workroom" upon our return this winter!)

Many members of Sister's family were able to join us for the Mass of Christian burial. Among the interesting things we learned from them was that Sister Vincentia (baptized "Veronica") was known affectionately as "Aunt Ronnie." She and her sisters, when not working at the shirt factory, were active members of St. Joseph's Church, the first Slovak Catholic Church in the Western Hemisphere. They planted the garden, mowed the lawn and preserved the fruits and vegetables. We all chuckled to learn that their "Aunt Ronnie" enjoyed attending dances at the local Hazle Park.

The monastery is grateful to all our friends and benefactors whose thoughtfulness made today's celebration a beautiful one.

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