Mother Ellen was a prodigious letter writer. In the days before social media, she kept in touch with her family, the sisters in the community, priests and friends. Her letters range from deep spiritual thoughts to sharing news about her family.
Mother Ellen was totally convinced that God had called the Sisters of St. Joseph the Worker into being. And she was equally convinced that He had called them to Northern Kentucky. In a letter written in 1975 she wrote, “I am daily more positive that God had us come to Northern Kentucky for a reason and He will see to its fulfillment in His good time. It may be more for His glory and my sanctification not to live to see it to fruition”
She had no doubt about God's love and protection for her and the sisters. Even in the times when there seemed to be difficulties and crisis. Reading her letters taught me that she was a woman of deep faith.
We can learn and grow in our faith and trust in God by trying to follow Mother Ellen's lead. She was always thankful to God for everything that happened. In her letters she writes that she may not see God's purpose in the events that were happening around her. But she also trusted that those events, whether easy to deal with nor not, were from the loving hand of her Divine Spouse. She wrote in a letter to a priest who was a long time friend, “There are many things in this life that we will never understand, but, if with God’s grace we bear crosses lovingly, we will always be the better for it.”
Eternal rest grant unto Mother Ellen, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon her. May her soul and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.
