We love celebrating milestone birthdays, and it was especially exciting for us to celebrate Marion Z.’s 105th birthday in July. She was happy to have her son Paul and her daughter Sr. Toni present for the festivities.
On July 22, two novices made their profession as Little Sisters of the Poor at our novitiate in Queens Village, New York. Sister Mary Gerard (left) had spent a few weeks at Holy Family Home early in the year for her apostolic experience. After profession, Sister Faustina Clare (right) was assigned to our Home, where she is working on the second floor nursing unit. Please continue to pray for vocations to our Congregation.
On August 30, we joyously celebrated the feast of Saint Jeanne Jugan, with Bishop Michael Fitzgerald as the main celebrant. In his homily, Bishop Fitzgerald focused on three elements in Jeanne Jugan’s life – the example others, such as her mother, set for her and the good example she gives to us; the role of prayer in her life, bringing her work to God for his help and direction; and her great trust in Divine Providence, knowing that if she did her part and prayed, God would be with her. He concluded his homily by summarizing, “The Little Sisters of the Poor and their collaborators continue the mission of Saint Jeanne Jugan to offer the neediest elderly of every race and religion a home where they will be welcomed as Christ, cared for as family, and accompanied with dignity until God calls them to Himself.”
On Labor Day we finally had perfect weather for having an outdoor barbecue! The front entrance and side veranda held tables full of food and chairs filled with Residents. Music filled the air and everyone sighed in contentment.
At the end of the barbecue, Mother Catherine announced the winner of the annual St. Jeanne Jugan Award, given to an employee who exemplifies the giving spirit of St. Jeanne Jugan. This year’s recipient is Robert Hart, one of our cooks, who has been with us for over 19 years.
Our big fundraiser, St. Jeanne Jugan – Pot of Gold Raffle Event, was held on September 10 at Drexelbrook and was a big success. We sold over 1,900 tickets and about 800 people attended the reception, where we honored Father William Kaufman, Pat Zubyk, and Don Hopkins, pictured below. We are most grateful to all of you who purchased a ticket, were a sponsor, sold tickets, donated bottles of wine or auction items, and/or volunteered to help the day of the event. Thank you so much! (Click here to see the list of winners and sponsors.)
Finally, the wait is over! Thanks to the efforts of the Knights of Columbus, who raised the funds, our new begging van was delivered. Sisters, Residents, and staff gathered outside to thank members of the Knights of Columbus, led by Stephen Finley, and to join in prayer as our chaplain, Father Jim Sullivan, blessed the van. The van is our most heavily used vehicle, as it is used every week to pick up produce from the market, as well as picking up other donations such as flowers, office supplies, printed materials for our mailings, etc. We are most grateful to the Knights of Columbus for joining us in our efforts to provide for the needs of our Residents. To read more about this in CatholicPhilly.com, click here>>
