Called to Be...

Sisters Alice Michael and Nancy Stiles reached out to ten Sisters and Associates and asked them what their favorite scripture passage is and why it is meaningful to them. This discussion is a sharing of how those Sisters and Associates responded. The richness and direct applicability of scripture to our lives in 2023 is amazing. This discussion makes it clear that God's word is timeless and very much alive in our world today.

We hope you enjoy this first installment of a new series within "Called to Be', which we are calling My Story. We hope to bring you these episodes periodically wherein one of our Sisters shares her journey to and through religious life. Sr. Pat Heath was kind enough to share her story with a group of Holy Union Associates at their meeting in St. Jude's parish hall in Taunton, MA in September, 2023.

Sr. Nancy Stiles moderates a discussion about a much-discussed topic in the church today, evangelization. Sisters Barbara Walsh, Loraine Sirois, and Rita Theresa Goulet discuss how we are called "to preach the Gospel always, and when necessary, use words", as St. Frances of Assisi is rumored to have said. Helping people to draw themselves closer to God can be as simple as a kind word or gesture. Striving to live a life marked by kindness and love may be the most effective form of evangelization there is.

Our Sisters are taking a well-deserved summer break this month, but wanted to share with you a talk given by Sr. Rita Beaudoin, one of our beloved Sisters who died on January 18th of this year. In 2003 Sr. Rita delivered this talk to a group of Holy Union Associates about her pilgrimage to Douai, France where the order was founded. Its purpose was to educate them on our congregation's history and to bring it to life, as only she could. She references a number of photographs in her talk, and we regret this podcast medium does not accommodate visually sharing them with you. Regardless, we hope you enjoy this wonderful lesson from a masterful teacher who so many remember with great fondness. Note: the technology used to record this talk twenty years ago has resulted in a somewhat grainy quality by today's standards.

In 2003 a tragic accident in Cameroon triggered an international call for assistance from our Generalate in Rome. In this episode, Sr. Fran Cavey moderates a discussion with Sr. Caroline Njah of Cameroon and Sisters Joan Guertin and MaryEllen Ryan of the US who all played a role in this critical period as our Cameroonian Sisters faced what could have been a crisis for the future of Holy Union in that part of the world. We are so grateful for Sr. Caroline's participation and important perspective on this time in our history.

Once again, Sisters Laurette DeChamplain, Pat Mulryan, and Barbara Kirkman sit down to share their experiences and insights as they discuss the celebrations of life. Sitting in for Sr. MaryEllen Ryan this month is our podcast's producer, Ken Gustin. The Sisters discuss life's celebrations of events and experiences large and small, and how grateful they are for the richness of their lives, and the gifts we have all been given.

Sr. Nancy Stiles moderates this discussion with Sisters Barbara Walsh, Ann Kernan, and Fran Cavey about their continued work in Appalachia. This is our second episode on the works done in this unique part of our country. The Sisters served multiple populations including hispanic immigrants, the uneducated, rural women, a self perpetuating corps of youth volunteers, and more. Sr. Ann summed up her experience there, "We didn't have to look for ministries, the ministries found US." We hope you enjoy this discussion as much as we did.

As we prepare to welcome new Catholics into our Church at the. Easter Vigil, Sister Alice Arsenault leads a discussion with Sisters MaryEllen Ryan and Alice Michael about their experiences adapting RCIA to the specific community in which it was being offered. While the experience is based on scripture and Church teachings, the way it is implemented is adjusted to best reach those going through it. They also discuss the rich beauty and symbolism of the Easter Vigil, and the profound impact in has on those present.

With Easter approaching, we are taking some time to help people (Catholic and non-Catholic) to understand the process of becoming a Catholic through RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults). This episode is moderated by Sr. Nancy Stiles and features Sisters Alice Arsenault, Fran Cavey and MaryEllen Ryan. This discussion may be especially interesting to "cradle Catholics", who often have had little visibility to the steps a non-Catholic follows before being welcomed into the church.

This wonderful discussion is moderated by Sr. MaryEllen Ryan, as she speaks with Sisters Pat Mulryan, Barbara Kirkman, and Laurette DeChamplain about the experiences and lessons of living a full life. Sister Laurette celebrated her one hundredth birthday last year, and all share their experiences as women religious from years gone by as well as those which are still giving them opportunities to grow today. This remarkable discussion is poignant, funny, inspiring and even includes some gentle trash talk between these Red Sox and Yankee fans! We hope you enjoy it.