On Aug. 15, the Sisters of Charity gathered in Halifax, Nova Scotia, to remember where we've been, to celebrate the extravagance of God's blessings in our congregation's life, and to reaffirm our commitment to move forward on the uncharted road of new beginnings that we know will lead us to find more and more ways to give joyful witness to God's love in our world.

The day opened with a call to prayer, giving thanks for the beginnings -- all the beginnings the congregation and we, ourselves, have been called to. Reflecting on St. Vincent de Paul's words, "Cherish the gifts and dispositions which God has given us. By God's grace, we will be able to do whatever is asked of us," we knew that the Spirit had led us to this blest moment in our history.

Trusting always in Divine Providence and St. Elizabeth Seton's exhortation: "As Sisters of Charity, we should fear nothing," we pondered the many places throughout North and South America, Africa, and Bermuda, where God called us to serve. Truly, in every age, in every way through these 175 years, God has been our refuge and our hope.

The invitation to embrace the future is an invitation to transformation. We hear this in the words of Louise de Marillac, who encouraged her little Company of Charity and us today to "Go then, courageously advancing moment by moment along the path on which God has placed you." And so, we find ourselves on the threshold of a new beginning.

After enjoying some time to reconnect with sisters and associates who traveled from far and near, we celebrated a vibrant, joyous Eucharist with colleagues and friends and Archbishop Brian Dunn, Archbishop Emeritus Martin Curry, and Father James Richards. No anniversary would be complete without a wonderful banquet, during which we were treated to a rousing performance by Heather Rankin, a renowned Canadian singer and songwriter from Cape Breton, Nova Scotia.

As the day ended, we offered a prayer that our mission of charity, which has seen so many responses to the needs of God's people, will continue to challenge us. We prayed that we may daily lean into the heart of a loving God and then, by our presence in ordinary places and unexpected encounters, may show the world how much it is loved. And we prayed that we and the world may be ablaze with the fire of compassion, healing, and love and that our continued joyful witness to God's love will make a difference. While we have had the joy of "coming home" and taking a long, loving look at the past 175 years, we have set our hearts for the way forward to what may be the best and most significant years in our congregation's life.