Little Sisters of the Assumption visit Pernet

By Tanya Connor
 The Catholic Free Press

WORCESTER – Little Sisters of the Assumption came from Paris recently to see their congregation’s members, and to visit the ministries which aging sisters are passing on to lay people.
The visitors, who went to Pernet Family Health Service on May 16, were Sister Nathalie Lafforgue, superior general, and Sister Bernadette “Bernie” O’Donovan, the general councilor who is the link to Little Sisters’ communities in the United States, Ireland and New Zealand.
As members of the congregation’s new leadership team, elected last year, they were making their first trip to the United States and Canada to see Little Sisters of the Assumption, and the agencies which the sisters started.
The agencies in the United States are Pernet, Project HOPE Boston (House Open People Enter) and LSA Family Health Service in New York City, said Worcester resident Sister Jean McCormack, treasurer of the Little Sisters’ U.S. region, which includes Worcester, Boston and New York City. In Canada, laity run Maison d’Orleans, a social service project, she said.
The sisters’ role at the various projects has changed because they are aging and fewer in number, she said.
“We’re only six of us in the United States,” Sister Jean said.     
She said two sisters are in nursing homes – Sister Adell Harvey at Notre Dame Long Term Care Center in Worcester and Sister Carole Costello at Alliance Health at Marie Esther in Marlborough.
Four sisters still work, even though three of them are age 70 or older, Sister Jean said. Sister Annette Allain is region leader, Sister Deysi Martinez works at LSA Family Health. No sisters work at Pernet or Project HOPE. However, Sister Jean is vice chairwoman of Pernet’s board of directors, and Sister Margaret Leonard is on Pernet’s board and is a consultant for Project HOPE.
The sisters try to designate lay people who have been with them a long time to serve on the boards.
The sisters view the lay staff working at the agencies as “an extension of our mission” and try to help them understand the Little Sisters’ spirituality “and the core of the mission, which is ... strengthening families,” Sister Jean said. She said staff members develop relationships with families, stay with them over the years, and help them identify their own strengths and strengthen their family life.
People at Pernet aim “to be what we wish to create – family,” she noted, and “we see our role as sisters to encourage that.” That way, the staff can continue the mission when the sisters cannot.
Sister Bernadette said she and Sister Nathalie came to North America to see what their sisters have been doing and how lay people continue that work.
The two leaders left Paris in late April and went to Montreal, New York and Boston before arriving in Worcester May 15. They  returned to Paris May 20.
“We’re visiting the different sisters in community to kind of see the life (and) what gives life,” Sister Bernadette said. “We’re … making plans for their life care” as they age.
She said there are about 430 Little Sisters in 21 countries, the majority of them older than 70. In addition, there are about 15 women worldwide discerning a vocation with the congregation, she said.
The countries where they have the most new vocations are Vietnam, Madagascar, and Democratic Republic of the Congo, she said.
At Pernet, Sheilah H. Dooley, executive director, embraced Sister Bernadette and Sister Nathalie, who were accompanied by Sister Jean. Serving as translator was Sister Nuala Cotter, the provincial treasurer for the Religious of the Assumption and a Worcester resident.
The sisters got an overview of Pernet’s services from Mrs. Dooley and learned about its youth programs from Joel Wallen, associate executive director. Mellisa Wenderoth, director of early intervention, told them – via Zoom from her home in Florida – how her team in Worcester helps children and parents, becoming like family to them and each other. The visitors also met other staff members.
Mrs. Dooley said the sisters observed clients receiving food from Pernet’s food pantry and children arriving for the homework club. Parent aide Denise Rowan took Sister Nathalie and Sister Nuala to visit a family she services.
“I could see that they were really moved by the work that we do, and that we are carrying on the mission of the Little Sisters of the Assumption,” Mrs. Dooley said. “I think it’s really nice for our staff to see” the agency’s connection with the sisters.