Bishop praises religious sisters

By Tanya Connor | The Catholic Free Press

Religious sisters received praise from Bishop McManus Sunday for being on fire with a passion to bring Christ to others.
He was preaching at St. Paul Cathedral at the annual Mass during which Retired Religious awards are presented.
At the end of Mass he gave awards to Sister Julia Ciccolini, a Sister of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary; Sister Hilda Ponte, a Religious Venerini Sister, and Sister Maria Luisa Dallari, with the Xaverian Missionaries of Mary.
Awardees who were not present and were to be taken their awards later were Sister Frances Barry, a Sister of St. Joseph, and Sister Kathleen Carroll, a Sister of Mercy of the Americas.     
Sister Frances was celebrating her sister’s 95th birthday and Sister Kathleen’s award was a surprise not announced with the others last week, said Sister Paula Kelleher, a Sister of St. Joseph and interim episcopal liaison for religious. Sister Kathleen celebrated her 60th jubilee Sept. 14, and served in several places in Archdiocese of New York and the Diocese of Worcester.
Each of the awardees made a sizable contribution to the diocese, Sister Paula said. Through them, all the religious communities were being honored.
Among supporters there for the award recipients were their fellow sisters, and laity who have worked with them. Concelebrating Mass were Father Mark Marangone and Father Carl Chudy, Xaverian Missionaries, a brother congregation to Sister Maria Luisa’s congregation. The men’s congregation operates Our Lady of Fatima Shrine in Holliston. Father Marangone is provincial superior.
In his homily Bishop McManus said the theme “faithful and dedicated discipleship” tied together the second reading (2 Tm 1:6-8, 13-14) and the Gospel (Lk 17:5-10). Christian discipleship is rooted in faith, hope and love, he said.
He said Pope Francis calls the Church a community of Christian disciples, constantly on mission, introducing people to Christ and welcoming them into the Church.
Bishop McManus said that they were honoring sisters who desire to bring Christ to others, and that, altogether, they’ve served 265 years.
“That, my friends, is something to celebrate,” he said, and asked how many people they have touched. They could not have lived their vows of poverty, chastity and obedience unless they were involved in a love story, he said, adding that Jesus became their spouse.
He thanked them for their example and said he echoed the words they probably heard on the day of their religious profession: “May God, who has begun the good work in you, bring it to completion on the day of Christ Jesus.”