July 2023 Issue of Response

Companions on the Journey

United States Province Leadership Team

Sister Carol, Sister Kathee, Sister Joan

Dear Friends,

The 2019 Spring-Summer issue of Response carried our first letter to you; this issue brings our last. In mid2019, we were strangers to you and so we introduced ourselves. Now we have been companions on a journey with you for a few years and our paths are about to diverge. We want to look back over the road we’ve travelled, tell you a bit about the road ahead, and especially, we want to thank you for the faithful companions you have been to us and to all our sisters.

You know from the last issue of Response that we gathered in January 2023 to elect our next Province Leadership Team. Sister Kathleen Corrigan was reelected to province leadership and Sister Mary Lou Sullivan will be her new companion on the next phase of our province’s journey. A smaller leadership team reflects our changing reality; we are fewer sisters in the province now than we were in 2018. Exactly what lies ahead for Sisters Joan and Carol is still unclear, but new companions and adventures surely await them.

The Arts section of the Boston Sunday Globe features a Travel page and each week a celebrity traveler is interviewed. The inevitable last question is “What is your best travel tip?” and more often than not, the response is along these lines: “Don’t over-plan; expect the unexpected; be free to explore new possibilities.” Great advice for vacationers, but for a leadership team? Yes!

By 2019, our province had been experiencing dramatic demographic change for some time and this reality impelled us to look ahead, to prepare for our emerging future, to make significant decisions. And so we began our ministry by planning. Nothing could have surprised us more than the COVID pandemic that exploded when we were little more than a year and a half into our term of office and is only now receding. Everything, it seemed, stopped; no plans could be made. We were caught in a vise, trapped between “the fierce urgency of now,” in Martin Luther King’s

telling phrase, and an experience that often felt like paralysis. Like you, we followed the spread of the disease, worried about the health of our elders and other loved ones even as we were forced to be distant from them. We could not meet as a leadership team or in Province Assemblies for two years; staff members worked from home. In time, we began to explore new possibilities: we all learned to Zoom! Confidence and resilience grew and a sense of dislocation began to recede. We all “got on with it”, living into our emerging future. Sisters left cherished friends and ministries, moved into more age-appropriate residences, began new ministries; what appeared to be loss and diminishment often called us to “widen the space of our tents” (Is. 52:4). We’ve kept you updated about these developments on our website, our Facebook page and through our podcasts. And you? Through this long and unexpected season, you were so faithful to us, continuing to support us emotionally and financially. We know that you endured as much, and maybe more, than we did. We will be forever grateful to you, our companions on this stretch of our journey. We hope you have felt the support of our love and our prayer for you.

In the great Christian mystery of the Communion of Saints, we will continue to walk side by side with hope in our hearts. Be blessed, dear sisters and brothers!

With

Sincerely,

our gratitude, affection, and promise of prayer,

Director’s Letter

Kenneth Gustin Director of Mission Advancement and Communications

This issue of Response is based on a beautiful song by Carey Landry titled “Companions on the Journey”. Its lyrics reflect on the reality that we are all connected and rely on one another both directly and indirectly as we travel the paths of our lives together (see our back cover).

As a lay person, one of the many things I marvel at is how the sisters do what they do. Organizations I have worked for previously fund projects based on budgeted projections of costs, with a focus on ROI (Return on Investment), then deploy a wellstaffed team fully equipped with the required supplies, technology, funding, transportation, housing, etc. The sisters, on the other hand, see a need, recognize they can help in some way, get the blessing of the leadership team and off they go.

Reminiscent of the disciples, sent out without money bag or a second pair of sandals, they often travel light and usually in small groups (two or three), with little to sustain them. They trust that God will provide, often by showing them the way and providing the means to accomplish their mission along the way. And God does, every time. God can show up in the form of a kind stranger, an old friend, and often YOU, our donors. We are placed in each other’s path for a reason, with each offering something unique to the task at hand. The stories abound!

You may not be aware of where your donations go, but I hope it is comforting to know that they are used in a wide variety of ways to sustain and support the sisters’ ministries. Today, these ministries are not the big splashy undertakings of major non-profits. We’re not curing cancer or ending world hunger. But we are helping individuals in ways which may seem materially small, but can have a major long-term impact on a life, a family or a community.

Teaching faith formation classes can shine a light to guide the path of those who are seeking God. Giving a ride to the doctor to an elderly neighbor helps them live independently a while longer. Caring for elderly sisters in a nursing home helps them feel the tender love of God in their waning days. Sharing their life experiences on a podcast episode can provide new insights or ideas. Gentle words of encouragement shared with a young person struggling with a heavy burden can be life-changing. Helping a young mother create a safe and loving home for her children in a remote corner of the world can yield the most amazing fruit for generations to come which spread across the globe.

You have been our companions on this journey, and we continue to strive to be yours. We are a gift to each other, just as God intended.

Be Good!

Our Caring Companions

- Sr. Bernadette Sullivan, Pam, Heidi, Sandy, and Ruth discussing caring for our aging Sisters.

Over twenty years ago, our Province Leadership Team decided to hire several nurses to help with the care of our sisters. Creating a senior care facility solely for ourselves was briefly considered, but such an undertaking would have been extremely complex and costly. Instead, a new community of medically trained companions began to grow among us with the goal of caring for us all, young or old, and the relationships that have formed remain an enormous blessing to this day. Today our nurses are Heidi Caron-Guay, Pamela Alexander, Ruth Messer, and Sandy Morrison.

In addition, Sr. Bernadette Sullivan is the Coordinator for eight sisters living at Prosper in Fall River, a senior living facility our province has used for many years. Hers is a ministry of caring presence, service, and availability to see to our sisters’ many needs that arise on a daily basis. She helps new sisters who arrive at Prosper to settle into their new living situations and eases their adjustment to these unfamiliar surroundings. Her efforts also include helping with appointments, and alerting our nurses when she feels a sister needs their help.

“Often the small things make a big difference”, says Sr. Bernadette. “When a new sister is coming to join our community, I always ask about her favorite color(s). If we can get towels or linens in those colors, it is always noticed and appreciated, and helps the new surroundings feel a bit more familiar.” Sr. Bernadette also helps coordinate prayer and religious services as well as other celebrations like birthdays and activities for our sisters. She has also helped integrate several sisters from other congregations who now live at Prosper and have become welcomed members of our community there.

In addition to Prosper, we have sisters in senior living facilities in Lawrence, where Sr. Yvette Ladurantaye is Coordinator, as well as in Somerset, Dartmouth, Attleboro, The Jewish Home of Fall River, MA, and Johnston, RI.

When asked to describe what she does for our sisters, one of our nurses, Heidi Caron-Guay, summed it up beautifully, “I do for the sisters what every good daughter would do for her mother, and that is providing care and being her advocate.” She added, “Every day is different and sometimes unexpected situations arise so flexibility is key. There is a great deal of teamwork and support between the nurses, sisters, and the Leadership Team which enable us to provide the best care to the sisters. We all work together to achieve the same goal - providing knowledge, support, compassion, grace, and dignity.”

Further, Heidi says, “The sisters have become an extension of our families. The conversations that take place when you are in their presence allow you to get to know each other as individuals and develop relationships, which is so important. Often times the sisters will thank us for what we do, but in reality, we receive so much more than what we give, and for that we’re forever grateful.”

Heidi shared, “When my sister was dying from cancer, it was obviously a very difficult time for me. I felt enveloped in love and compassion by their presence, prayers, phone calls, cards, letters, and genuine concern. They were a pillar of strength at a time when I needed it most.”

Reflecting on her role, Ruth Messer says, “I often think working with the sisters is rather like working with the twelve Apostles. Each sister is a unique individual with a strong personality and a mission. As teachers, nurses, eucharistic ministers, social workers, cooks, musicians, missionaries, historians, translators, and calligraphers, they have shared their world with me and together we have walked through change, trauma, loss, joy, and acceptance. From sharing chocolate kisses with other retired seniors to caring for each other as a way to maintain their independence and active lifestyle, I’ve had a first-row seat watching them live their Holy Union charism.”

From left to right: Sr. Sr. Kathleen Corrigan,

Sandy Morrison shares a delightful memory while caring for Sister Ruth Beaudoin at Mary Immaculate, “We were taking a walk in the memory care unit along with Sr. Rita. Sr. Ruth heard music playing in one of the rooms at the end of the hallway. She began to dance. Then Sr. Rita joined in and so did I! And there we were, the three of us dancing in the hallway, smiling, singing, and laughing. They radiate such joyfulness.” Sandy also marvels at Sr. Terry Theroux, a diminutive woman who spent over fifty-five years in Africa as a missionary helping young women recognize the value and potential they had within themselves… this was groundbreaking work in the 1970’s. Sandy asked, “How were you able to do it?!” Sr. Terry responded simply, “God gave me the grace to stay.”

Sandy laughs at the memory of Sr. Toni Oulette’s stories from Cameroon about the local chief who continually tried to convince her to become one of his wives! What at first seems a funny story was actually a rather delicate cultural situation to navigate while remaining on good terms with the community she was serving.

Pamela Alexander has found the most meaningful aspect of her work is helping a Sister recognize that it is time to leave what she has seen as a safe and secure home living independently and going to assisted living, and then later to a Hospice facility. This can require a letting go of many types of independence, like giving up a car, visiting friends and family, or cooking. She is always grateful for our leadership team’s support at these difficult moments. “My position as a nurse is both satisfying and meaningful, and we’re fortunate to be able to learn from these remarkable women.”

We are grateful for these dedicated women who have helped us for so many years. Their expertise, commitment, and kind caring attitudes are inspiring and life-giving, both figuratively and literally. We are blessed to have each other, as together we continue the journey.

Louise Gabriel Bourget, Pamela Alexander, RN

Sandy Morisson, RN, Sr. Terry Theroux

Sr. Mary Bridget McGettigan, Heidi Caron-Guay, RN

Sr. Terry Theroux, Ruth Messer, RN

From left to right: Sr. Barbara Kirkman, Sr. Bernadette Sullivan, Sr. Pat Mulryan

FaithfulOur Donors

September 1, 2022 to AuguSt 31, 2023

AMrs. Janice Abreu

Ms. Lorraine Accardi

Mrs. Margaret Admirand

Mrs. Mary Affronti •

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Alvarez

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Concetta Bevilacqua

Colleen and James Bishop

Ronald & Patricia Bishop

Therese Black •

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Catherine Bond •

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Robert Landry

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Margetta •

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Mr. & Mrs. Charles R. Jones

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 Debrabant Society MeMberS - $1,000 or More

• Mother helena Society MeMberS - $300 or More

• PartnerS in MiSSion MeMberS - $100 or More

The Interdependence Companions of

Pope Francis’ encyclical, Laudato Si’ provides the following beautiful rendering of the nature of our companionship with one another and speaks to our intentional interdependence.

corporate response to access to clean water for those parts of the world where it was scarce. Access to clean water is also a developmental goal of the U.N.

Sr. Fran Cavey has led our efforts in this endeavor, raising money to purchase Sawyer Filters and train Water Women in their use. This device, a simple but extremely effective water filtration system, based on those designed for the military. Each Water Woman makes a solemn pledge to filter water for her own and three other families. Our involvement has been principally in Haiti where the impact has been enormous in combatting water-borne diseases like cholera and typhoid.

complete each other, in the service of each other”. (Laudato Si’)

Inspired by these truths we are sharing with you some of Holy Union’s recent efforts around Justice and Peace to assist those who are wanting in some way, and in turn we are inspired by their strength and resilience.

Water With Blessings

“Fresh drinking water is an issue of primary importance, since it is indispensable for human life and for supporting terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Sources of fresh water are necessary for health care, agriculture and industry.” (Laudato Si’)

Our collaboration with Water With Blessings (WWB), a non-profit started by the Ursuline Sisters, began in 2020 based on our General Council’s call to a

WWB has enlisted partners around the world to help improve access to clean water, most recently with the Jesus and Mary Sisters after the earthquake in Syria, Ukraine and even eastern Kentucky following the devastating floods. Today Water With Blessings is active in dozens of countries around the world.

UNANIMA International

UNANIMA International (UI) had its beginning at the US Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR) in 2000, when UI’s founder, Catherine Ferguson, SNJM, invited any interested religious congregations to form a coalition Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) to advocate at the United Nations on behalf of Women and Children. Its name is derived from The United Nations (UN) and the Latin term for feminine “spirit” (ANIMA).

“what was wanting to one in the representation of the divine goodness might be supplied by another”, [60] inasmuch as God’s goodness “could not be represented fittingly by any one creature”. [61]... Creatures exist only in dependence on each other, to

Representatives of LCWR for UNANIMA International. Front row, center:

Sr. Eileen Davey is the Congregational representative along with twenty-two Sisters representing their respective Congregations. Sr. Eileen tries to keep our sisters informed with forums being presented at the UN and the contributions that Sr. Jean Quinn (Executive Director) makes to these discussions. The topics of most interest at this time are human trafficking, homelessness, especially family homelessness and trauma. We discuss these concerns and Sr. Jean brings our work to the UN forums.

The UNANIMA International website is excellent (https://unanima-international.org) and is available in four languages: English, French, Spanish and Portuguese. Sr. Jean's Newsletter is shared on this website every two months and provides excellent information on the work covered during the previous months.

UI represents 23 Congregations of Women Religious, comprising 25,000 people in 85 countries.

Evolving Justice and Peace Issues

The Constitutions of the Holy Union Sisters exhorts the sisters “…to become aware of the dignity of every person and of our call to solidarity with all, especially the poor and oppressed. This awareness impels us to promote a sense of justice and community in our world.”

With a one-person justice and peace office it can be a challenge to keep issues, information and actions

before our sisters and associates. So, we are fortunate to have many companions in this work. Several religious congregations with large staffs regularly share their newsletters and other resources on a justice and peace listserv. An example: each year the Justice Team of the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas ask their sisters and others to participate in a Mercy Prayer Partner Program, where participants agree to pray for two state legislators. When sharing this request with the province, twenty-one sisters volunteered! In updating the Justice and Peace Calendar on www. holyunionsisters.org we draw on resources received from other Justice and Peace Promoters.

Collaborative opportunities on behalf of the U.S. Province include membership in an intercongregational Anti-Trafficking Coalition in Boston whose mission includes raising awareness through education and prayer for victims and their oppressors. Each month the Justice Promoters for women religious based in New England participate in a zoom meeting with leaders of religious congregations. These calls provide an opportunity to share news of our activities and helpful resources.

In these activities, we draw on Scripture, our Holy Union Constitutions and directional statements from congregational gatherings. We recognize our sisters’ desire to learn about the needs of our world, take actions and offer their prayerful support. We are grateful to be kept aware of these expanding needs as we continue to gather companions on this journey.

Sr. Eileen Davey.

Sr. Fran Cavey

Sr. MaryLou Simcoe

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Mr. Robert M Mcgurran

Deana McHoul •

Ms. Jean McLaughlin •

Jeanne McLaughlin

Claire McLellan

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Brian and Cindy McNally

Mary McNally

Stephanie McNicholas

Elaine McSheffrey •

Ms. Jeanne Medeiros

Mrs. Carolyn Meek

Stephen Meloon •

Zonda Mercer •

Ruth Messer

William Meyer III

Pauline Michaud

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Mrs. Mary Miller

Patti Wagner Miller

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Mr. & Mrs. James Mitchell

Ms. Lee Moloney

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Carol Monte

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Carlotta Morris

Dr. Stephen Morris

Theodora Morris

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Dr. Peter Mullen

Ms. Leona Murphy •

Timothy Murphy

OMs Claudette E. O'Brien

Mary O'Connor

Helen O'Donnell

George and Juanita Ogle

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Corinne Neves O'Neil

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Mr. & Mrs. Paul O'Neill

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Andy Silvestri •

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Geneva Silvia

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Mr. Dale S Sinos •

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Patrick T. Ryan

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Mr. & Mrs. Edward Spallone •

Ms. Jean J Spellman •

Maureen O'Connell St. Laurent

Ms. Gertrude St. Pierre •

Anne Stack

Alexander Stalonczyk •

Mr. Nicholas J Stanton

Richard and Helen Stanton

Mrs. Barbara Staskiewicz

Jane C. Steeves •

Paul Stegmann •

Maureen Steinmann

Ms. Margaret Stolworthy •

Walter and Virginia Stowell •

Mr. William Strynkowski •

Mrs. Denyse Student

Ms. Catherine Sullivan 

Mrs. Constance Sullivan

Cynthia Sullivan

SAlbert Salisz

Mrs. Joan Sanders •

Mrs. Barbara Sauli

Mr. John Saulino •

Mr. Michael Saulino •

Robert and Theresa Schaffner

Neal and Kathy Schiller •

Robert and Connie Schnack

Mrs. Janet Schofield

Father Jack Schrader

Mrs. Marjorie E. Schutz •

Claire Seccareccia

Mrs. Lillian Serio •

David & Cheryl Sullivan

Dorothy Sullivan

Mr. & Mrs. Edward Sullivan •

Ellen Sullivan

Eugene Sullivan

Helen Mitchell Sullivan •

Ms. Judy Sullivan •

Lucette Sullivan

Mark and Mary Sullivan •

Mr. Michael Sullivan •

Ms. Paula Sullivan •

Ms. Roberta Sullivan •

Thomas and Lydia Sullivan •

QRita & Joseph Quinn

Elissa Shapiro

Dan and Jeanne Sharples 

Kathleen Shatus •

Nancy Sun 

Karen Surette

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TWilliam and Theresa Taksar

Addy Tatantuono

Jeffrey Teeters

Kerry Thatcher

Mr. & Mrs. Daniel and Jane

Thompson •

Ms. Barbara Tipton •

Mrs. Jeannette Torci

Frederic Torphy •

Rev. Msgr. Ronald Tosti •

Maryanne Tracy

Thom Thi Tran •

Frances Tsimoyianis

Monique Tully

VMr. & Mrs. Peter Vallone •

Jeanne M. Vandermost

Mr. Stephen Vazzana •

Fr. Pierre Venedam •

Rosemary Verri

Ms Antoinette M. Vess •

Mrs. Bea Viera

Karen and Paul Viles

Mrs. Madeline Viveiros

Miss Terri Viveiros •

Rachel Voiland •

Mary P. Voss •

orgAnizAtionS

Bay Business Machines

Beit Shalom Messianic Congregation

Boston Engineering Corp.

Cambria Team

Holy Union Associates

Putnam Inv. Mgt.

Rex Monumental Works Inc.

West End Firewood

WRichard H. Wagener 

Ms. Carole Wagner •

Mrs. Antoinette Walker •

Gail Walker

Rhoda Walker

Ms. Jane Walsh •

Jill and Dave Walsh •

John and Susan Walsh •

Mr. John M Walsh 

Ms. Linda Walsh

Mrs. Maureen Walsh

Prof. Robyn Walsh

Mrs. Margaret Watson •

Dr. Gerard Weigel 

Mrs. Ann Welch

Mrs. Janet White •

SchoolS And pAriSheS

Donna E Widener

Mrs. Elaine Wilcox

Dolores Willis

Betty Ann Wood

Paula Wood

Mrs. Jeannette Wuerdemann

ZMs. Arleen Zalewski •

Kathleen Zeitler

Bertha Beauchemin

Doris Beaudoin

Lucile Bernier

Letitia M. Brennan

Richard Briand

Rev. John J. Casey

Catherine C. Connelly

Msgr. Raymond T. Considine

Beatrice S. Demers

Bridget Devaney

Cassie Doherty

Florence Donlon

Grace Driesens

Albert Doucette

Immaculate Conception School, Astoria, NY

The Lighthouse School, North Chelmsford, MA

St. Anthony Parish, Shirley, MA

St. Leo's Parish, Baltimore, MD

St. Mary Parish, Ayer, MA

St. William's Church, Tewksbury, MA

generAtionS of bleSSingS legAcy Society memberS

Susan T. Ferguson, Esq

Mary Furtado

Charles R. Galligan

Jean L. Galligan

Simonne Grenier

Josephine T. Hogan

Marie A. Kite

Elinor M. Lenaghan

Gilbert and Ita Levesque

Sheila Lyons

Agnes Manger

John I. McCarthy

Msgr. John J. McClafferty

Emily McClellan

Louis A. Moll

Margaret V. Neenan

Gertrude M. Nester

Kathleen Nolan

Rev. William W. Norton

Mary L. O'Brien

Marian F. O'Brien

Margaret B. Oliveira

Msgr. Patrick J. O'Neill

Rev. William H. O'Reilly

Joseph L. Powers

Bernadette G. Proulx

Joseph and Rita Quinn

Margaret M. Regan

Elizabeth Joan Reilly

Dorothy Ryan

Michael Saulino

Margaret C. Schumann

Marion E. Sharrock

Anne Marie Shultz

Mary Ellen Smith

Catherine Sullivan

Mary Doris Sullivan

Rev. Bernard H. Unsworth

Dorothy Vaill

Thank You to our Donors

Twenty years ago, the Holy Union Sisters in the United States created the Mother Helena Fund to help meet the ministry needs in some under-funded ministries. The Fund was named to honor Mother Helena Daumerie, who in 1886 led the first group of Holy Union Sisters from Europe to the United States. Our heritage is to continue her work of compassion and outreach to people in need in our own time through the resources of the Mother Helena Fund.

Last year we were pleased to be able to offer funding to four Sisters for four wonderful projects: two in the US and two in Africa (Cameroon and Tanzania). The funding has provided much needed help for a variety of purposes. Below is a summary of the reports on how those funds were used, and the fruit they are yielding.

The Fruits of Companionship

Sr. Marie Baldi – The Mother Helena funds were used to purchase a series of Chrome books (installed on carts) to be shared by the students of the 3rd and 4th grades at Our Lady of Lourdes in Taunton, MA, where Holy Union has been since 1890. They are now able to engage in a variety of activities which would otherwise not be possible. These include:

• Measure of Academic Progress (MAP) tests track students’ progress and growth in basic skills.

• “Google Classroom” streamlines the process of sharing files between teachers and students used for assessment, writing, and research projects.

• “Quizziz and Kahoot” increases teacher productivity, improving test scores and reducing test-taking anxiety, while providing a game-based learning platform that brings engagement and fun to school.

• Getepic.com inspires a lifetime of reading, anytime, anywhere with access to a digital library for any reading level.

Sr. Pat Griffith – The Mother Helena funds were used to acquire a benchmarking program called “I-ready”, so that the Holy Angels Regional School in Patchogue, NY can now provide online assessment and instruction that helps teachers provide students a path to proficiency and growth in reading and mathematics. The funds also enabled the acquisition of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) materials that help develop critical thinking skills.

Sr. Roberta Desjardins –

The Mother Helena Grant money was used to fund this third and final part of a three-year Partnerships Program with Sisters of the Holy Family of Bafoussam, Cameroon, a congregation founded by the Holy Union Sisters in the 1930’s. The political turmoil in Cameroon has continued and the village of Fossang has been growing because more families are migrating from the besieged areas making the needs still more urgent. Funds were used to support the following efforts.

The Holy Family Catholic English Nursery and Bilingual Primary School serves many orphans whose parents were killed in the war. The funds awarded were used for four main purposes.

• Teachers’ Salaries – Supporting their families and enhancing services offered to students.

• Health care – Providing basic medical supplies and access to care.

• Food donations – Addressing the food insecurity in the area.

• School Supplies and Educational Materials –Proving an education to build a stronger future.

Sr. MaryLou Simcoe –

The Mother Helena funds continue to support the works started many years ago in Tanzania by Sr. Eleanor McNally to train farmers, mainly women in rural areas in the Archdiocese of Dar es Salaam, in good agricultural practices and provide materials, e.g. seeds, animals, etc. to practice sustainable farming. Areas of focus include:

• Training in raising chickens for egg production and food.

• Training farmers in Integrated Pest Management (IPM) to increase produce yield.

• Develop two acres of Maize to teach sustainable farming practices.

• Training on the sustainable practices in raising cows for milk and beef production.

In addition to increasing household income from milk and egg production and improving the household health by consuming milk, especially by the children, the project also enabled farmers to get organic manure to their home which help them to practice sustainableagriculture and ensure food security at a lower cost and avoid the use of industrial chemicals which are expensive and not good for human health and the soil.

Your support of Holy Union makes an enormous difference for our companions around the world and in ways we will never fully know. Be assured of our gratitude for your generosity.

In Memoriam

March 16, 1927 ~

January 18, 2023

Our dear Sister Rita Beaudoin went home to God this past January. Her death leaves a distinct void in the fabric of our congregation. Rita was a prominent figure in our Province, having been deeply involved in so many aspects of our community. Her full biography is available at www. holyunionsisters.org

Rita possessed many talents and gifts: linguist, musician, teacher, archivist, fund raiser. She was fluent in French and served as a translator for international Holy Union meetings. She enlivened many gatherings of sisters with her piano playing. She made a lasting impression on her beloved students from Rose Hawthorne High School, who remained in touch with her for over sixty years. Rita was a devoted and faithful companion to her sister Ruth throughout their long religious lives until Ruth’s death in November 2022. Rita’s study and work with the archives of both the Congregation and Holy Union in the United States has bequeathed a legacy to all with whom she so enthusiastically shared her knowledge. In her roles at the Country Day School of the Holy Union, she offered lively and engaging presentations to the students, faculty, and board. Even at the age of ninety-five she continued to be interested in and engaged in the activities of the Congregation and her own United States Province, including being a guest on a recent podcast. Rita will be greatly missed.

In all the different areas of our congregation, Sisters are making travel plans for July and August: looking for good flights, checking passport and visa requirements, making connections with friends in other countries, wondering (already!) about what the weather might be like then and what clothes to pack. For us here in the States, July and August are vacation time; is it a long-anticipated vacation that’s causing this flurry of planning and activity? Not exactly!

Sr. Rita Beaudoin

CollegialApproachesAssembly As Our

You know from the last issue of Response that we Holy Union Sisters are holding a Collegial Assembly in Nemi, Italy, from July 24 to August 10th. The Collegial Assembly meets every six years and includes elected representatives and staff from the various areas of the congregation; their task is to review “the state of the congregation,” to determine our direction for the next six years, and to elect a leadership team, who will be our guides until 2029.

Italy is a wonderful place to vacation, but a Collegial Assembly is not a vacation! Years ago, a travel writer reflected on the difference between a vacation and a pilgrimage, noting that a vacation distracts us from the cares and obligations of our ordinary lives; while a pilgrimage draws us into our core, into the central passions and desires of our lives. Our Collegial Assemblies are a type of pilgrimage for us. We began this pilgrimage last June, reflecting on the past six years and asking where God may be leading us now. The weeks at the Assembly in Nemi will be an intensification of the pilgrimage and we know you will be companions to us as our journey unfolds.

We will be more than 40 at the Assembly, mostly Holy Union Sisters from Argentina, Belgium, Cameroon, France, Ireland, Italy, Tanzania, the United Kingdom, and the United States, but also lay professionals who will work with us in different capacities. We’ll be six from the United States Province; The US Province delegation is composed

of elected and ex-officio members: Sisters Kathleen Corrigan, Mary Lou Sullivan, and Carol Regan. Our responsibilities will include receiving and reviewing reports from the General Council, Treasurer General, and our financial managers as well as from the different areas of the congregation, discerning our way forward, and electing the next congregation leadership team (the General Council). Sister Fran Cavey, as interim Secretary General, will be responsible for the official records of the Assembly; Sister Mary Lou Simcoe will be in charge of communications to the congregation and the general public (be sure to check the congregation website www.suscinternational.org regularly); Sister Alice Michael will work with English-Spanish translation. Sister Paula Coelho, our current congregation leader (and a Tauntonian), will serve as president of the Assembly.

Surely all of us who assemble in Nemi will be companions on a journey, breaking bread and sharing life. You walk with us in so many ways. While all the words of the hymn Companions on the Journey are appropriate as our Collegial Assembly approaches, the lines We are fed and we are nourished by the strength of those who care remind us of your steadfast support for us. Please remember us as our pilgrimage in Nemi this summer draws us deeper into the core of our vocation and we continue to become an ever more holy union.

Sr. Fran Cavey Sr. MaryLou Simcoe Sr. Alice Michael Sr. Kathleen Corrigan Sr. Carol Regan Sr. MaryLou Sullivan

Companions on the Journey

Refrain

We are companions on the journey, breaking bread and sharing life; and in the love we bear is the hope we share for we believe in the love of our God, we believe in the love of our God.

Verse 1

No longer strangers to each other, no longer strangers in God’s house; we are fed and we are nourished by the strength of those who care, by the strength of those who care.

Refrain

Verse 2

We have been gifted with each other, and we are called by the Word of the Lord: to act with justice, to love tenderly, and to walk humbly with our God, to walk humbly with our God.

Refrain

Verse 3

We will seek and we shall find; we will knock and the door shall be opened; we will ask and it shall be given, for we believe in the love of our God, we believe in the love of our God.

Refrain

Verse 4

We are made for the glory of our God, for service in the name of Jesus; to walk side by side with hope in our hearts, for we believe in the love of our God, we believe in the love of our God

Words and music: Carey Landry © 1985 Carey Landry and North American Liturgy Resources.