Nuns in the Family

We were blessed in our family to have two nuns.  Sr. Edna and Sr. Hilda were my dad's sisters and they had celebrity status in our family. My dad was one of 13.  The two nuns were Sisters of St. Agnes whose motherhouse is in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin and while the religious community has moved into a variety of ministries, my aunts were hard core, devoted to the Church, gifted teachers, and full of joy and fun.  They spent several weeks each year with a our family and actually travelled with us on family vacations. My aunts always wore a habit and never paid for anything - bus drivers refused to take any fare, museums gave them free admission, someone in the restaurant always payed their bill.  It was like magic.  I learned early on how much respect and love so many people have for nuns - women of faith who gave their lives for Jesus Christ and the Church. 

I am thinking of my Aunt Barb and Aunt Helen as we enter this month of May.  They had a tremendous devotion to Our Lady. We prayed the rosary together every day. We would also play scrabble for hours into the wee hours of the night - competitive and hard hitting. These were not softies. I didnt realize they were teaching me lessons I would never forget. Both of my aunts had a special devotion to Our Lady of Fatima and Our Lady of Lourdes.  Sr. Hilda served as  principal in Harlem in the 1960s and was revered by everyone. She walked the streets of Harlem at 5 foot 1 with no worries. Everyone knew her and respected her. They knew she cared deeply. They were fearless and loved helping their students.  She ran the Leo House in Chelsea, New York City for years before Chelsea was upscale.  She met countless people who were her life long friends including Cardinal Cooke and Cardinal O'Connor.  One of her dear friends was Father Walter Peyton, the rosary priest, and I will remember the times I had the privilege of meeting him.  They went every year to Fatima and Lourdes with a group of sick pilgrims thanks to the generosity of a wealthy patron in New York City where my aunt lived and he had a special love for her.  I had the privilege of taking two pilgrimages with them - once to Lourdes and once to Fatima.  We spent every day for 2 weeks taking the sick to the shrines and Mass, tending the suffering and being present to those who were in need. I remember the faith and devotion, the compassion and love, the evening candlelight vigils, Masses, lines of sick pilgrims seeking our Lady's intercession.

What was in full force was a tremendous love for the Church, strong faith, and a devotion to Our Lady that left a lasting impression. They were full of life, always laughing full of joy, they loved their family,  they loved the Church, they loved the Lord and gave their lives in loving service to the Church.  All of us in our family were in awe of these two women.  They had a commanding presence. I know that my own vocation to the priesthood was helped by their own witness and I think of them in this month of May.  Strong, intelligent, faithful, committed woman of the Church, who joyfully gave their lives to the Church and always seemed to be quite content with whatever came along.  May they rest in peace. We can only hope to carry on the family name.