July 16, 2012 - Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown

The Catholic Register, July 16, 2012 Page 15
Carmelite Sisters Recall Memories Of Foundress
(Continued From Page 16.) noted that the decree conferring
1965). “She was a true daughter
“Everything Mother did
the title “Venerable” on Mother
of the Church,” said Sister was based on her commitment
Saying “yes” to a Bishop’s Angeline Teresa recognizes her
Joachim. “Her loyalty to the to God and to the Church,” Sister
invitation to staff or open a “heroic virtues.” She reflected
Church is something else that
Joachim continued. “You
home for the elderly came easily
to their foundress, according
to the five Carmelite Sisters who
serve at Garvey Manor today.
“Our first charism is the service
of the elderly,” explained
Sister Jacinta, “but our second
charism, our second purpose, is
the service of priests.”
“we lived with her heroic virtues,
we experienced them everyday
in her presence, without
even knowing it.”
The Sisters said that it was
possible to live with someone
who exemplified the heroic virtues,
and yet not be bowled over
by her example, because Mother
she taught us. Mother taught us
that being faithful to the Church
will keep you on track with
where you need to be.”
According to Sister Jacinta
“Mother always was concerned
with the spiritual formation of
her Sisters. She wanted them to
be grounded in love of God and
always felt better when you left
her than when you came into her
presence. And even in her declining
years there was a gentleness
about her, a faithfulness to
God that was tangible - - a real
acceptance of His will. Mother
was a model of what it means to
age gracefully.”
According to Sister Joachim Angeline was a simple, humble
in Carmelite spirituality. She Sister Joachim said that
“Mother had such a phenomenal
regard for priests and for the
priesthood. She would do anything
to help a priest. She treated
them like royalty, and that’s
how she regarded them.” She
explained that sometimes Mother
person.
“She didn’t like to be in the
limelight,” said Sister Brendan.
“She preferred to be in the background.
She was humble and
shy.”
“There was a striking gen-
VENERABLE
MOTHER ANGELINE
believed that excellent care of
the residents would flow from
that..
“She believed that Sisters
needed to be well grounded
spiritually and physically in order
to be able to do the work of
Mother Angeline Teresa, foundress
of a Carmelite Sisterhood
dedicated to an active apostolate,
resembled Saint Therese,
the Little Flower of Jesus, who
lived her life as a Carmelite contemplative.
Angeline, hoping to establish tleness in Mother,” said Sister
TERESA
our community. She stressed “Just like the Little Flower,
a home for the aged in a particularly
Joachim. “You never felt that
the value of our prayer life, of Mother Angeline knew that you
locality, would accept an she was someone aloof. You
silence and contemplation, of don’t need to do big things, in
invitation to work in a seminary
or a Bishop’s residence first, as a
never felt uncomfortable in her
presence. She was never anything
adhered too wherever the Little
Sisters served. “They did not
work and of recreation. Mother
knew the value of living a bal-
order to make a difference. You
can do small things, and do them
way of opening a door in a Diocese,
other than truly a Mother serve butter. There was no anced life.”
in an extraordinary way, and
with a home for the aged to us all.”
Thanksgiving dinner. Mother Sister Joachim remembered those little things will make a
to follow.
And from her high regard
for the priesthood, there flowed
Mother Angeline’s deep devotion
to the Blessed Sacrament,
her Sisters said.
“She was a Eucharistically
Each of the Sisters stressed
that Mother Angeline had a great
love for people - - the elderly
to whom her community ministered
and their families, her
own religious Sisters and their
families, and a host of other
Angeline saw the necessity of
changing customs so as to better
serve the elderly in the American
culture,” Sister Jacinta said.
She went on to explain
“Mother wanted to create a true
home for the residents - - not an
that Mother Angeline Teresa
told her Sisters “that we should
be ‘kinder than kindness itself.’
Well, she certainly lived her life
that way.
difference in someone’s life, in a
Christ - centered environment.”
minded person,” Sister Joachim friends. “Mother had a great institution. She wanted there
said, “and her devotion to the
Blessed Sacrament was instilled
solicitude for all people,” said
Sister Joachim, adding “She was
to be a place where an elderly
woman could have a corner of
in us.
always asking ‘Are you getting her own to hang her husband’s
“That devotion to the enough to eat? Would you like picture, and put a piece or two
Blessed Sacrament was the a cup of tea? How is your family?’
of furniture from her own home.
Her hospitality to people She insisted that the people who
strength of her life, and it was
passed on to us. Our service to is part of her great legacy to our lived in our homes be called
the elderly is not just clinical, it community.”
‘residents’ not ‘patients’ and that
is Eucharistic.”
That legacy of hospitality they be treated as if they were
The five Carmelite Sisters is part of the founding charism living in their own home.”
at Garvey Manor all knew their of the Carmelite Sisters for the To achieve that goal, Mother
Angeline Teresa and six com-
Venerable foundress. Sister Jacinta
served as mistress of novland
in 1893, Mother Angeline panions left the Little Sisters of
Aged and Infirm. Born in Ire-
ices when Mother Angeline was began her religious life with the Poor in 1929 and established
Mother General. Each of them the Little Sisters of the Poor, the Carmelite Sisters for the
was struck by the evident holiness
of their Mother.
gious superiors sent her to the nity now staffs 17 homes for the
in France, in 1912. Her reli-
Aged and Infirm. The commu-
Sister Christine, who entered
the community in 1950, convinced that life in the New one in Ireland.
United States, and she became elderly in the United States, and
recalled the day she was interviewed
by Mother Angeline. “I ing for the elderly.
or characterize Mother Angeline
World meant a new way of car-
The Sisters at Garvey Man-
went home and just kept saying
‘I met a saint today. I met a Poor provided very good care gressive in embracing changes
“The Little Sisters of the Teresa as a woman who was pro-
saint today.’ When you were in in their homes,” said Sister Jacinta,
that would lead to better care
her presence, you could feel that
“but those homes were for the elderly, and cautious and
sanctity.”
very institutional.” In addition, prudent in facing the changes
Sister Joachim, who joined customs followed by the community
in France were rigidly Second Vatican Council (1962
in the Church ushered in by the
the Carmelite Sisters in 1967
-