On Saturday, April 25th, we celebrated the Diamond, Platinum, and Golden Jubilees of six of our RSHM Sisters. Following is an “Expression of Gratitude” on behalf of this year’s Jubilarians, written by Sister Catherine Vincie, celebrating her 50th Jubilee.
It’s all about grace – the invitation to follow Jesus Christ and this actual journey to grow into union with God through membership in a religious community, particularly for us, the Religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary. It’s all about the grace each of us has received through connections with the RSHM, whether in schools, parishes, or other social ministries, where someone personified for us what a response to God’s call could look like. It’s all about the grace each of us has received as we have lived through 75, 70, or 50 years of ministry in hospitals, social services agencies, and schools with students from toddlers through graduate school, either in our own institutions or in other settings.
So it is with enormous gratitude that we first thank our God for the gift of this life. It is with gratitude that we also thank the sisters of this Institute for the support, challenge, and joy that they have shared with us on our journey. In our vow formula we say that “we rely on God’s fidelity and the support of our sisters to be faithful to our commitment in this Institute.” We have relied on that fidelity and support, and it has brought us to today. And so, we express our gratitude to all of you – Sisters, friends and family – and pray that our lives may also witness to you the many graces we have each received.
