Edition No. 210—June 23, 2022 |
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Mount Saint Joseph Academy
Class of 2022 Graduation
June 4, 2022
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On Saturday, June 4, 2022, Mount Saint Joseph Academy held their Commencement Ceremony at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in Andorra. During this joyous event celebrating the class of 2022, Sister Owen Patricia Bonner SSJ, a member of the leadership team of the Sisters of Saint Joseph, shared these remarks:” Mount Saint Joseph Academy was founded by the Sisters of Saint Joseph in 1858 as a college preparatory school dedicated to the empowerment of women and the realization of their fullest potential. Imbued with a spirit of unity and reconciliation and the charism of the Sisters of Saint Joseph, Mount Saint Joseph Academy fosters excellence tempered by gentleness and compassion.
Your daughters are facing many moral and ethical challenges in our world, yet we believe they have the tools to meet those challenges.Your mission statement reads: “On the education of women largely depends the future of society.” Truly, the Mount has been educating women whose lives will impact society’s future for many years to come.
On behalf of the Sisters of Saint Joseph, I thank you for entrusting us with the spiritual and academic development of your daughters. We know well that it takes a village to raise a child. We are honored to be on this journey with you, and we pray for our young women—that the gifts they have been given will guide them on whatever paths they walk. May they find grace in bringing to life the best in themselves so that all whom they encounter may see the best in one another.”
Congratulations to the Class of 2022!
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Dominican Sisters of St. Catherine of Siena
of Bui Chu, Vietnam
Profession of Perpetual Vows
June 12, 2022
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Dominican Sisters, Sisters of Saint Joseph, and friends gathered on Sunday, June 12, 2022, in the Motherhouse Chapel at Mt. St. Joseph Convent to celebrate the perpetual profession of vows of Sister Mary Khuyen Nguyen and Sister Mary Phuong Ngo.
Sisters Khuyen and Phuong were thrilled that members of their Dominican Community and friends could be with them for this significant ceremony, and their families could join from Vietnam on zoom.
Following the liturgy, everyone enjoyed a delicious lunch and entertainment in the auditorium.
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Villa Zoom—Embracing the Cycle of Life
Julie Gabell, SSJ Associate in Mission
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Rarely, if ever, is a funeral a happy time. Sisters at St. Joseph’s Villa, who have seen many Rites of Passage over the years, know this first-hand and have shared a spirit of collective sorrow. This month the Community attended funeral liturgies for two of their most respected and well-loved members—a sober reminder of one’s own mortality.
The death of Sisters who have been teachers, counselors, friends, and companions over the years can be wrenching. Their loss, and the gaping voids created by their absence, is a grim reminder of our own fleeting passage through this journey we call “life.” On the flip side, death leaves in its wake treasured reminders of persons who have touched our lives with patterned samplers of how to live. This gift the deceased leave for those who follow.
We don’t “move on” from grief; we “move with” it and recognize that death is not the opposite of life, but an integral part of it. It is a healthy shift from mortality to an immortality that ultimately comes to rest in the arms of a loving God. For those rooted in faith, therefore, death holds its promise wrapped in eternal mystery. We should embrace it with prayerful confidence.
No-one likes to think about dying, but as we age, it is normal to find such thoughts tiptoeing into our consciousness. This may be uncomfortable, but such reflections remind us that we are all part of the cycle of life--that our passing is but a natural transition, a small part of a larger picture. These thoughts lift us out of ourselves to be what God wants us to be. They are a call to reflect on our lives in terms of being One With the Creator and His faithful people.
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Associates in Mission
Commitment Ceremony
Bethlehem Village
June 16, 2022
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The Bethlehem Village SSJ Associates, sisters, and friends welcomed Anne Marie Robinson in a commitment ceremony on Thursday June 16, 2022.
The new Associate in Mission was pinned by fellow SSJ Associate, Eileen Dumsha, who served as her orientation mentor. “…
“May I always give witness and praise to the God who draws us in unity to our families, our friends and our neighbors.”
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Pictured from left: Rita Therese Kehoe SSJ, Anne Marie Robinson and
Eileen Dumsha
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Photos courtesy Dannah Addalli |
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Saint Joseph Villa
54th Anniversary
June 21, 2022
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Happy 54th anniversary, Saint Joseph Villa! The Villa celebrated the big day with Mr. Softee for residents and staff. |
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Associates in Mission
Commitment Ceremony
Longport, New Jersey
June 17, 2022
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Associates in Mission from Margate and Somers Point, sisters, family, and friends welcomed Ruth Ann Firmani, Ann Klein, Susan Nash, Kathy Zeigenfus, and Sandy McMahon (not pictured) in a commitment ceremony on Friday June 17, 2022, at Epiphany Church in Longport, New Jersey. The new SSJ Associates were pinned by Sister Dot Urban SSJ and Sister Sheila Murray SSJ, who served as their orientation mentors. What a beautiful ceremony and celebration!
We thank you, God, for the gift and grace of partnership in the mission of Jesus, strengthening us to live and work so that all people may be united with God and with one another.
Congratulations and welcome!
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Pictured from left: Ann Klein, Susan Nash, Ruth Ann Firmani and
Kathy Zeigenfus
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Looking for Inspiration?
You can find it by clicking on images below!
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"With the help of God's grace and in fidelity to our founder's expressed wish, we live and work lovingly among all persons with a special preference for those who are poor, which calls us wherever we are to be in union with them."
— SSJ Constitutions #21
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