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April 26
In Memoriam. Sr. Dolores Strah entered eternal life on Saturday, April 23. Services and burial will be private and a memorial Mass will be celebrated at a later date. Vespers with sharing of memories will take place via Zoom on Wednesday, May 11 at 7 p.m. Please email info@humilityofmary.org to receive the link. You can read her tribute on our In Memoriam page.
March 14
Catholic Sisters Week 2022. Sr. Elaine Schindler is our final Sister Spotlight as we wrap up Catholic Sisters Week. Sr. Elaine has made some adjustments during the pandemic, but she continues to be a supportive presence to all she meets. She visits with sisters in the healthcare unit, keeps up with telephone calls and notes to raise spirits, and mentors young women through Girls Hope of Pittsburgh. Read the full story here. #sistersofhm #catholicsistersweek #villamariapa
Today's Caring for Earth Reflection is provided by the Villa Maria Land Committee. We join our voices in prayer with others who are gathered around bodies of water—to give thinks for the gifts God has given us. Pray with us from wherever you are today at 1:00 p.m.—the beginning of the public witness gathering at Alleghany Landing at the confluence of Pittsburgh’s three rivers. The Villa Maria Land Committee has put together a prayer service honoring water that is available here if you would like to join your voice with ours.
March 13
Catholic Sisters Week 2022. We learn more about Sr. Maryann Golonka in today's Sister Spotlight. Sr. Maryann has plenty to keep her busy these days. She serves on several boards of directors, contributes to spiritual life and liturgies at the Villa, and dabbles in writing her own music. She is currently the sponsor director for Mercy Health Youngstown, serves on the Laurel Lake Foundation board, and assists with liturgies and services at Magnificat Chapel. Read the full story here. #sistersofhm #catholicsistersweek #villamariapa
Sr. Mary Slattery provides today's Caring for Earth Reflection on hearing the cry of the poor and what you can do to help.
March 12
Catholic Sisters Week 2022. Sr. Ardath Blake is in the spotlight today. Sr. Ardath has served in several ministries over the years. She began as an educator and then moved into parish pastoral ministry. It was while she was serving in pastoral ministry that she became aware of the importance providing people a space to reflect on things going on in their lives, so she began training to be a spiritual director. A sabbatical after leaving parish ministry reinforced that decision. She currently serves at Villa Maria Education and Spirituality Center where she coordinates directed retreats and offers one-on-one spiritual direction. Read the full story here. #sistersofhm #catholicsistersweek #villamariapa
Today's Caring for Earth Reflection from Sr. Barbara O'Donnell addresses Ecological Spirituality and its importance to the HM Sisters.
March 11
Catholic Sisters Week 2022. We learn more about Sr. Janet Burkhart today in our Sister Spotlight. Sr. Janet has always been an educator. From teaching her younger brothers to teaching in schools on Native American reservations in Arizona, her ministry has taken her to many different places and different people over the years. When she entered the HM Community, Sr. Janet thought she would serve in grade-school education her entire ministry. But she soon learned that God had other plans for her. Read the full story here. #sistersofhm #catholicsistersweek #villamariapa
Sr. Janet also provides today's Caring for Earth Reflection on the sacredness of land.
March 10
Catholic Sisters Week 2022. Sr. Maureen Piersol is today's Sister Spotlight. Sr. Maureen currently ministers at Cleveland Clinic Mercy Hospital in Canton, Ohio. She is a nurse and serves as an RN Transitional Care Coordinator where she helps patients and their families arrange for the care they need after a hospital stay. Read the full story here. #sistersofhm #catholicsistersweek #villamariapa
Today's Caring for Earth Reflection from Sr. Mary Pat Cook touches on Ecological Spirituality and how all of creation is connected.
March 9
Catholic Sisters Week 2022. Sr. Mary Catherine Blooming is in the spotlight today. A chance encounter has led Sr. Mary Catherine to walk with a family through their homelessness for the past three years. But it wasn’t a chance encounter she says—God put her there at the right time to help. She also volunteers with the St. Vincent de Paul Society in Pittsburgh and a local women’s shelter. Read the full story here. #sistersofhm #catholicsistersweek #villamariapa
Reflect on words from the HM Land Ethic and ponder ways you can garden more sustainably in your own space in today's Caring for Earth Reflection from Sr. Sharon Cahill.
March 8
Catholic Sisters Week 2022. Happy International Women’s Day! Join us as we celebrate Catholic Sisters Week 2022 by highlighting a sister and her ministry everyday through March 14. Today we learn a little more about Sr. Jeanne Thurin.
Sr. Jeanne was working in parish office administration when she felt God nudging her to consider a new ministry. Conversations around the future of religious life and think tanks with young adults set up by her house mate, Sr. Mary Ann Spangler, led Sr. Jeanne to discern whether she should move into young adult ministry. The answer to that question was yes, and she began a spiritual direction formation program last summer to facilitate that goal. Read the full story here.
As part of Catholic Sisters Week and inspired by Pope Francis’ Laudato Si’, the sisters of LCWR Region IV have issued a challenge to draw focus to Caring for Earth initiatives. Join us this week as we bring awareness to some of the Laudato Si’ Action Platform goals and what the Sisters of the Humility of Mary are doing to address those goals with special reflections contributed by members of the HM Laudato Si’ and HM Land Committees. These reflections will be posted on our social media and collected on the Caring for Earth Reflections page.