News and Events: Memorial Day

Happy Memorial Day! Thank you to all the men and women who have served our country in the Armed Forces.  Today we remember the sacrifices and the hardships they endured.

I remember talking to one of our residents at Taylor Manor Nursing Home.  He had fought in World War II and had worked behind the lines with the resistance fighters in various countries.  He would only share a few stories about his time during the war.  I made the comment that it must have been an exciting time for him.  He replied with a smile, "The most exciting thing about it was that I made it out alive."

There are many stories that can be told by our elders.  When I visit Taylor Manor, I love to listen to the stories they have to tell.  They have so many memories and words of wisdom to impart. Even if the words may sometimes be confused and their train of thought gets a bit off track, they still have so much to teach us.  We live in a busy, noisy world.  While we are making our summer plans, wouldn't it be nice to include a visit to a nursing home to listen?

Make this Memorial Day something to remember.  Pray for those who lost their lives in the service of our country.  Visit veterans and thank them for their service.  Place flowers on the grave sites of those who served in the Armed Forces.  And if your town has a Memorial Day Parade, show your appreciation to the servicemen and women when they march past.

God bless each of you and God bless America.

News and Events: Last day of School

Do you remember the excitement you used to have when the last day of school was close?  This week is the last day of school for our students at Saint Joseph Academy.  The sisters, teachers and students are looking forward to the summer.  When you are a student, you look forward to having a break from studying and doing homework.  For them, summer means no more tests, assignments, book reports, or science projects.

Sister Patricia Jean teaching the students of Saint Joseph Academy.

As we get older and have finished our education, the summer can be a time for relaxing.  Maybe we spend more time with our families, work in the yard or take a well earned vacation.  We may still have to work to do but we try to enjoy the beautiful summer days when we are able.

But the summer can also be a time to learn new things.  Our Catholic faith is so deep and God is so awesome that we can never learn everything.  Summer can be a great time to deepen our faith and draw closer to God.

Do you remember those summer reading assignments your teachers used to give you?  Why not come up with your own summer reading list? We are blessed to have so many good books available to us.  Find a book about a saint you've never heard of before or a book explaining the parables in the Bible.  Anything you would like to know about or that you would like to deepen your knowledge of.  Find a comfortable chair under a tree or on a porch and enjoy!

I hope you have a wonderful, relaxing summer.   And I hope that you find a good book to inspire you to grow deeper in your faith.

News and Events: Graduation and Vocations

This week our 8th grade students will graduate.  They are looking forward to having a relaxing summer and moving on to the next step in their educational journey.  We have been privileged to be able to help them learn not only reading, writing and math, but also to help them deepen their faith.  They and their families have become a part of our lives. Some of the students have been with Saint Joseph Academy since their pre-school days! They have grown up in so many ways during their time with us.

Sister Therese Marie talking at the first "Called to Love Retreat".

At the end of the week, we are sponsoring  a "Called to Love" vocation retreat.  This retreat is open to women from the ages of 18-30.  We have 7 women coming from all over the country.. They will spend time praying with us and learning about religious life.  These women are looking for God's will in their lives.  They are willing to spend some time away from their busy lives to be silent and prayerful so they can listen to God's will. They will not only have time for prayer but also time to work with the sisters, play with us and learn about our day.  They will also spend some time with the Passionist Nuns in Erlanger to learn about the Cloister vocation.

Just like our 8th grade students, these women are looking forward to follow God's will in their lives. Please pray for  our students and the women on the Called to Love Retreat.

News and Events: The month of May

This month is a very special time for the Sisters of St. Joseph the Worker.  The month begins with our feast day in memory of St. Joseph, May 1st.  We always have a special celebration of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and renew our vows during the Mass.

May is also dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary.  We have a great devotion of Our Lady. This May there is an additional reason to celebrate since it is the 100th anniversary of her appearance in Fatima, Portugal.  On May 13, 1917, Jacinta, Fransicso and Lucia saw a lady dressed in white and brighter than the sun.  Our Lady visited the three children in the Cova de Iria near Fatima on the 13th day of each month for 6 months.  I remember as a child driving past a shrine dedicated to Our Lady of Fatima with my parents when we drove to visit family.  Each time we passed the shrine my mother would say "Our Lady of Fatima..." and we children would respond, ..."Pray for us."  That was my first introduction to the devotion of Our Lady of Fatima.

The last day of May is the Feast of the Visitation.  The Visitation celebrates the Blessed Virgin Mary's visit to her cousin Elizabeth as told in Luke 1:39.  Another important and beautiful Marian Feast Day.

I hope each of you have a blessed and graced month of May.