At the beginning of November, we celebrate the feast of All Saints followed by the feast of All Souls. We remember those who have gone before us, named by the Church and those myriads of ordinary people who have lived their lives loving God and building His Kingdom on earth in everyday ways. At St. Angela Merici Parish in Brown County, Fr. Bolte used the Feast of All Souls to bless the cemeteries in the parish, including the cemetery for the Ursulines of Brown County, in St. Martin.
The sun was bright and warm although the wind reminded us that it was the 2nd of November. November 2nd also stands out because it is the anniversary of the death of Mother Julia Chatfield in 1878. So the blessing of our graves was a reminder of the gift Mother Julia was to this Community and to the Legacy of the Ursulines in Brown County.
Walking through the graves triggered memories of the Sisters I knew who also carried the legacy, and the connection I had with them. The Sisters who taught at St. Louis where I went to grade school: Sr. Benedict, Sr. Martha, Sr. Regina Winters, Sr. Aloysius, to name a few. Those I lived with while I was teaching at Catholic Central in Springfield: Sr. Mary Paul, Sr. Ursula, Sr. Bernadette. These were women who supported my vocation, challenged and changed me, who prayed and played with me.
As I stood among those courageous, innovative, faith-filled women I experienced deep gratitude for our Community and the members who have lived their lives in service to God and His people. It is a privilege and life-giving gift to be part of this group of Ursulines who make a difference in the Southwestern part of Ohio by their presence.
May their souls and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.
Click here to see more photos, courtesy of Chatfield College.