While August 30 marked the beginning of Labor Day holiday celebrations throughout the United States, for the Little Sisters of the Poor it marked a different occasion. As American workersfired up their grills for cookouts and paused to give thanks for their jobs, the Little Sisters gave thanks for their “jobs” (vocations) too and for the woman who made it all possible –St. Jeanne Jugan.
Gathering together on the feast day of St. Jeanne Jugan, who is the mother foundress of the Little Sisters of the Poor, Sisters, Residents, members of the Association Jeanne Jugan, and friends were treated to a very momentous Mass in our chapel. While every Mass celebrated in our chapel is special, our feast day Mass was even more special as we had not one, not two, but five priests and one deacon celebrate the Mass. Amongst that quintet of priests were principal celebrant Bishop Robert C. Morlino of the Diocese of Madison and homilist Father Joseph Connor, historian of the Diocese of Scranton and assistant professor of church history at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary, Emmitsburg, Md. In his inspiring homily, we were grateful to listen to Father Connor’s eloquent and reflective words about Jeanne Jugan’s life and how we can let her charism greatly impact the daily work each of us is called to do. Whether our vocation is to religious life, marriage, or to be a single person in whatever work it set before us, we can be more like Jeanne if we approach our daily tasks with great love just as she did.
Until next time,
Jackie
