I do believe, I can do nothing without God’s help and I do pray and trust in God in everything.

My life in this community has been a long and rewarding experience and I thank God for the spiritual journey with my Sisters and all the people of God in my life.

My family just took it for granted that I would be an Ursuline, following my two sisters.  They were surprised when I said I wanted to be a Sister of Charity of Nazareth.

As I look back at my past life, I am amazed at the way my loving God called me to this particular Congregation sixty-two years ago.

“Your many years of service have been a great blessing to us, and I am grateful to you and the SCN community for the generous gift of your talent.”

I can surely say that I am able to bring new life and energy in people with whom I come in contact with.  Whatever our ministries may be: Education, healing, counseling, comforting through listening, compassionate love, etc. we bring joy and hope to people living in a broken world. 

What drew you to our community? “Our Sisters. I loved our Sisters.”

In my fifty years of religious life, God has walked with me very closely.  I recall the many experiences of Jesus being with me and accompanying me from village to village, one tea garden to the next and from person to person wherever I went.

One might think I should be retired at my age, but I’m far from that.  There are still countless little jobs and kindnesses that give me energy and joy. 

Throughout all the changes that have occurred in my life, I have learned that I need only to trust in God and have faith in God’s love for me.

Lisa is now in the third year of the SCN transfer process. She admits, “These years have been a time of blessing, challenge and growth.”

Looking back over the years I feel proud to be an SCN, for all the growth that has taken place in me as a woman of prayer and discernment.   The SCN community is where I flourished in mission and I had the various opportunities to grow spiritually, emotionally, intellectually to develop my potentials.

I pray that I carry the Presence of Christ as I respond to all with kindness and warmth, with joy and humble service.  God grant me this gift this day and always

I find myself hopefully ready and certainly willing to continue my exciting journey as a Sister of Charity of Nazareth and as a woman in the Church. 

“Appreciate our SCN Charism and spread the word!  Celebrate community and live it out with joy and fun.  Where there is no fun going on, create some and believe in your ability to do just that.” Today marks the two year anniversary of Sister Marie Flowers’ perpetual vows.

I was fortunate to touch the lives of many people in their most vulnerable state through my presence, help and kind words.

I am grateful to God today for the gift and blessing my teaching experience has been for me. I believe I have received more than I have given. 

Sister Celine found this ministry life-giving and enjoyable.

In faith I have served our hospital for forty-seven years and I still enjoy working there because I believe I am the healing hands of Jesus. 

As a child I went to St Michael’s School in Munhall, Pennsylvania, my first assignment was St Michael’s School in Braddock, PA and I feel I have come full circle:  ending at St Michael Church in Wauchula, FL.  It is with confidence and trust in the Lord that I rise to meet the challenges of each day.

Shirley’s kindness to others and her leadership skills are evident to many SCNs.

I am very proud of our community and happy to be an SCN.  I believe that ours is the “best community” as Father Philip Poovattil told me earlier. 

My greatest blessing has been my family who started me on my faith journey and always loved and supported me no matter what!  Over the years I have lived and worked with many wonderful Vincentian Sisters and developed lasting friendships.

My life has been a happy one for the most part.  Everything in life has a few problems or things to improve.  I have gained wisdom from the SCN community…

Life has taught me to live and let live and all will be well at the end.  We do not have control over the events and we need to live the present moment meaningfully.

Sister Colette says that Sister Hugoline Sziich, librarian, gave her this advice, “I think that you have a vocation to religious life.”

I love the medical field and have never considered a career change. Nursing ministry is not easy. God has guided and cared for me all along the way and I want to keep on serving as long as I can.

Religious life has always been a joy for me.  I offer tremendous gratitude to God for calling me to the SCN Congregation.  I am very happy with the ministries in the Congregation and the Church.  I enjoy life as a religious Sister and the responsible freedom given to each one in every aspect of our life.  

Outside of her ministry, Sister enjoys a reading good book, listening to good music, relaxing while crocheting, and walking.  As she continues to answer God’s call to ministry she hopes and prays that whatever God has planned for her, “I can say ‘Yes’ like Mary…Here I am Lord I come to do Your will.”

It is truly a time of changes – a time of giving and a time of receiving. So often I think of the hymn: “Take, Lord, receive all I have and all I am.”

I love being in the quiet atmosphere of Mokama campus, enjoying God’s beautiful nature around. I enjoy meeting the Sisters, visitors and the workers.  I look forward to a life of serenity and peace and waiting for the eternal peace with the Lord of my life.

Throughout our interview, Sister Antoinette often raised her eyes to heaven and spoke to God, offering thanks for one thing or another that had come up in conversation.  Far from being in any way disruptive, these prayers were a beautiful addition.  It was as though God had joined us to listen to Sister Antoinette gratefully recount the many blessings in her life.

“Among my greatest blessings are the friends I have made, and all my ministries which I have liked. I have never been unhappy in religious life.”

Reflecting on her years in ministry Sister Mary Juliana states, “I hope to see our existing missions strengthened with the needed personnel and self-support. We need to learn from the wisdom and charism of Mother Catherine and our pioneering Sisters.”

“I have loved all of my missions but I think the highlight was the two years that I lived at Vincent Hut while working at SCN Center. The peace, tranquility, and beauty of the surroundings will always be remembered.”

We hope that everyone has had the opportunity to read and enjoy at least one interview completed by the Marie Menard Committee since they were first published in January of 2016.  This week we would like to share something a bit different: a biography of the committee’s namesake, Sister Marie Menard.  This biography was written after Sister Marie’s death in 1914 and has been left in its original form.  It can be found in a binder of several dozen brief SCN biographies in the Archival Center.  Enjoy!

Her wish is “to be ready for another adventure and look to doing God’s will in whatever capacity I’m called upon, all for the sake of the mission and the charity charism.”

“I was the youngest of six; My siblings were two brothers- Ed and Steve, and three sisters-Mary, now deceased, Anne, a Sister of Good Shepherd, and Dorothy. Ours was a close, loving and very faith-filled home. The family attended Mass, CCD classes. Wednesday services in October, Vespers on Sunday afternoon, Stations of the Cross during Lent. We never questioned going to these regular Church devotions.”

Loretta and her twin brother Norbert, Jr. “Bud”, were born in 1923 to Norbert and Marcella North Weller. Besides the twins there were three other children – Mary Clara, Margaret Alice and Robert Joseph.  All the children were born in the small Weller home in Newport, Kentucky.