As an employee and AJJ member working for the Little Sisters, I have learned many things. Because of the Sisters I have strengthened my Catholic faith, learned about St. Jeanne Jugan, and also learned the value of making old items look like new again. That lesson couldn’t have been put into practice better as it was applied to the outdoor religious statues and library furniture we received from the Little Sisters’ Our Lady of Hope Residence in Latham, NY and from one of our future AJJ members.
Although the Sisters were very saddened to see Our Lady of Hope Residence close due to a decrease in religious vocations, they chose to end their service in Latham with a spirit of generosity. Unified by prayer and a positive spirit, the Little Sisters distributed everything they had in the residence to the elderly at other Little Sisters’ homes throughout the country including Scranton. And in that very same shared spirit, we formally dedicated our “new” items from Latham and our future AJJ member on August 14 and 15.
Beginning at 2:30 p.m. on the 14th, Mother Maureen welcomed the Residents to our “new” library. Outfitted with a smooth glass table, beautiful end tables, a couch, lamps, plants, and Queen Anne chairs, our updated library is absolutely beautiful and will serve as a place of peace and quiet as well as the site of many little gatherings. Following our chaplain Father Kelly’s formal blessing of the library, everyone enjoyed a wine and cheese reception as they browsed the packed shelves of reading material. In addition to being an ideal reading room, this “new” space will also serve as the future site of many exciting activities such as a poetry group, book club, iPad lessons, and a Resident Council meeting place.
The next day, our celebration continued as we dedicated the outdoor religious statue set. The set, which depicts Our Lady of Fátima’s apparitions to the three children of Fátima, provides such a peaceful and prayerful space where our Residents can relax and meditate safely outdoors. After our friend, Deacon Ray Pieretti, blessed and dedicated the statues on the feast day of Our Lady’s assumption into heaven, everyone prayed the rosary in unison offering our own personal petitions as well as special prayers for world peace, an end to all forms of hatred and violence, and for our persecuted Christian brothers and sisters throughout the world most especially in Iraq and the Middle East. As we said our final prayer, we released a large rosary constructed from yellow and pink helium balloons into the sky and thanked God for his many blessings including our Sisters and Residents in Latham.
To view pictures from these special dedications, please click on the photo slide show below.
Until Next Time,
Jackie
