How Good is the Good God

The Religious of Jesus and Mary celebrate the completion of   Bicentennial Anniversary Year of their foundation this weekend. Sisters from around the world, including our own Sister Diane, gathered at the Mother House in the City of Lyons in France, for the major celebration on Saturday, October 5, 2018.  The observances of the Bicentennial Year have commemorated the myriad contributions of  the  Sisters of Jesus  and Mary to the mission of  the Church for the past 200 years. The completion of  the  Bicentennial Year was also celebrated  at the Saturday Morning Mass on October 5 ^th  at the Mission House of the Sisters of Jesus and Mary on School Street, Plainville.

The congregation was founded by Saint Claudine Thévenet, a woman of ‘high courage’ living as a Catholic amidst the terrors of the French Revolution. She experienced the execution of two of her brothers, and from that time on, Claudine dedicated her life and resources to alleviating the ravages left in the chaotic wake of that period. She came to have but one conviction: that the greatest misfortune is to live and die without knowing God. To address these practical and spiritual needs, she gathered friends around her to offer shelter and basic education for poor girls at risk. Her trust in God’s goodness gave her the courage to undertake works that seemed foolhardy. Her last words remain a legacy to her sisters: "How good God is"!  In time, St. Claudine’s congregation grew and spread, to the point that today there are 1300 Religious of Jesus and Mary ministering in 28 countries (symbolized in their logo on our bulletin cover this week), sharing the goodness and forgiving love Claudine wanted so much to offer the children of her time. When Father Matthew visited our parishes during August he noticed the flags of his home country, India, and his mission country, Cameroon, on the emblem of the congregation. As Father Michael chatted with Sister Michelle they shared stories of the mission of the Sisters in both India and Cameroon.

The Jesus and Mary sisters have continued to live the charism of St. Claudine, many of them through education, but also through other pastoral, social, and spiritual ministries. We are blessed by the presence of a community of ‘mostly retired sisters’ at the Jesus and Mary Mission Center on School Street, Plainville.  Referring to them as ‘mostly retired’ because even after they have served diligently for many years in their various ministries and deserve the chance to slow down a bit in their later years,  they continue to remain active in prayer and ministry in our community. They serve as parish lectors, praying for our pastoral needs and programs, bringing Communion to the sick, and providing faith formation for children in special circumstances.

Sister Carmel served for many years as Sacristan and Choir Director at Saint Martha Parish and continues to serve as a lector at Sunday Mass along with Sister Michelle. Sister Diane has undertaken pastoral visits as a Eucharistic Minister to the residents of Pond Meadow and Serenity Hill Nursing Home in Wrentham.

Sister Pauline Joyal has responded readily to our regular requests for her assistance in the instruction of children and adults in preparation for the Sacraments. The Sisters graciously host the Parish Mass for both parishes each Saturday morning at 9 o’clock, offering refreshments and warm hospitality following the Mass.  Sister Bea has been somewhat of a celebrity in Plainville over the years ‘as the tiny nun in the black veil’ with her energetic walks up and down the steep School Street Hill and through Plainville Center. We have been blessed by the presence of the Sisters of Jesus and Mary in our parishes in more ways than we can acknowledge.

Suffice it to say as they complete their 200 ^th year as a religious congregation we can echo the words of their foundress, Saint Claudine, “Ah! qu’il est bon le bon Dieu.” Translated, “Ah! How good is the good God!”