2020 Jubilarians from left: Sister Yvette Girard (60 years), Sister Judith Ann Murphy (60 years) and Sister Rita Gleason (60 years).
Not photographed but celebrating:
Sister Nöella Séguin (2020, 70 years), and Sister Sara Jiménez Angulo (2020, 25 years).
BY SISTER JEANNETTE FILTHAUT
“This is the day the Lord has made, let us be glad and rejoice in it.”
On Saturday Sept. 18th the Sisters of Providence of St. Vincent de Paul came together at Providence Motherhouse to celebrate the 5 delayed Jubilarians of 2020 and the 6 Jubilarians of 2021.
Jubilee is usually a time of celebrating with family and friends the 25, 50, 60 or 70 years of service of our religious women. However, Covid-19 changed all of this for us. The 2020 Jubilarians were delayed a year in celebrating and this year’s celebration was delayed from June to September in the hopes that we would be able to gather together. No family or friends were invited into the Motherhouse, but our Eucharistic celebration was live-streamed so that family members and friends across Canada would be able to share some of this occasion with us. This year’s celebration was creatively simplified.
Eight of the 11 Jubilarians were greeted in the Sisters Dining room where photos were taken prior to a delicious dinner at noon hour. This was followed by a Eucharistic celebration at 1:30 to which our outside Sisters were also invited into the Chapel – physically distanced. We knew some of our friends and family would be observing us via livestream, so we made a point after our renewal of vows to face the camera filming us. Because of limits on numbers, the other two religious congregations – CND and RHSJ joined us only for the main meal at noon hour and for the Eucharistic celebration. Only the outside Sisters of Providence were able to join us for the Simple Reception following the Eucharist.
We are currently in changing times, but we still desire to come together on these joyous occasions to celebrate the many years of ministry of our Sisters. This year’s total comprised 615 years of service by the 11 Jubilarians. For all this we offer our Gratefulness for these women and their service with and for the people of God in Canada, Guatemala and Peru. Our gratefulness extends to all those Sisters who mentored us and have gone before us. We are eternally grateful for all those who have supported us in our ministerial efforts throughout these 615 years. Thank you Sisters!