Each November, we have the opportunity to show our gratitude to the many retired religious sisters who chose long ago to invest in our futures rather than their own. These faithful women have served so many people throughout their lifetimes; now it is our blessed opportunity to care for them.

I recently had the pleasure of visiting the Alliance Health at Marie Esther Rest Home in Marlborough, a senior living community that began with the Sisters of St. Anne (SSA) but has since grown to include many religious communities.

"We have six different communities all living here," said Carly Ring, director of marketing and sales. "We're very inclusive, that's our special thing."

This care facility is a special gem among other local nursing care facilities in that many residents are drawn to it because of the faith-based focus. The SSA's large presence contributes to the dichotomic feel of both energy and serenity.

"The sisters come together every single day for Mass, six days a week," Carly continues. "They're also very active in social justice issues and many of them participate in letter-writing campaigns and even protests. Many of them are former educators so they're always up to speed on local and national issues."

Whether strolling the hallways, contesting for a Bingo prize, or quietly praying in the chapel, the women religious living here share one important trait in common: they have been walking a journey of great faith and consecration to God for many years. Their lives -- like those of all women religious -- express a distinct discipleship of sacrifice and joy. And although each of them has walked a similar path, their journeys have been individual and unique.

Sister Elaine Caron, for example, always wanted to be a missionary. So, when years ago, she was asked to travel to Montana and participate in the annual Tekakwitha Conference to discuss pastoral concerns about Northern Plains native communities, she jumped at the opportunity.

"I worked there for four years and fell in love with the Native American people, with their culture, with their love of Mother Earth," she recalls. "They don't understand a throw-away culture. It was so nice to see the respect they had for their elders. 'Elder' is a title of love to them. The highlight of my life was the time I spent in Montana, and it was as close as I ever came to being a missionary."

Across the hall, Sister Lucille Pleau considers her own journey.

"My mother wouldn't let me join a religious order after high school because I was only 17. I went to work at the American Optical Company in Southbridge and worked there for a year and a half until I was old enough to enter. When I told my coworkers my plan and because I was very outgoing, they all said, 'You'll be back in two weeks.' Well, here I am, 70 years later!"

Those 70 years were spent largely in the classroom as an elementary teacher and eventually as a principal. "I'm so grateful for the teachers who led me to the path of sisterhood," reflects Sister Lucille. "Two were particularly special in pointing me in this direction. Neither of them pushed me but they were inspirational and so encouraging. They were holy women, women of God. They treated everyone with such decency and respect. They planted a seed that just grew and grew."

A similar seed was also planted in Sister Pat Garneau, who is from the Sisters of St. Chretienne, a French community. Like Sister Lucille, she, too, fondly remembers the nuns she had as teachers and attributes her vocation to her Catholic education. "I remember asking my parents if I could go to the Catholic high school. There were eight of us in our family. If they had said no or that they couldn't afford it (which they probably couldn't), I wouldn't have become a sister. They both said yes. I was the only one of the eight to go to Catholic school!"

As the self-declared "gamer" of the Marie Esther community, Sister Pat coordinates the card games every night after dinner. She also lives each day with abundant gratitude.

"I'm a very positive person," she says. "I have a grateful heart. I am most grateful for my religious life because I have had the opportunity to feel loved, truly loved, and if you don't have that in your life, it is very hard to be joyful."

With joy and gratitude fueling their perspective on life, it is easy to see why the women religious at Marie Esther have a positive impact on all those they meet. Their mindfulness of life's goodness and beauty are seeds of God's grace in a world thirsting for tender care.

Please join me in supporting these lovely women and all our wonderful retired sisters through the Nov. 23-24 Retired Sisters Collection to be taken up in the parishes of our archdiocese.



MOLLY M. WADE IS SENIOR DIRECTOR OF MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OFFICE OF THE ARCHDIOCESE OF BOSTON.