Wondering how God is calling you? Are you curious about how your job or set of relationships is really a vocation? Do you want some awesome discussions around faith in real-life and more? Think hanging out with Catholic sisters and a fun thoughtful, faith community is cool? Then you are in the right place! Welcome! Explore and be sure to visit with us every weekday at 6 pm CT in our chat room.
Celebrating Life
Greetings, friends. I’ve been out and about for the last few days. I was able to make it home for my dear Sister Annunciata’s funeral and burial. Celebrating the Resurrection Liturgy for a Sister is one of the most amazing things — again and again I am reminded by my nuns that though we grieve we celebrate the life of our Sister and her new life in the Presence of God. I miss Nuncie quite a bit. It was great to hear stories about her from the old days all the way up to her last moments.There were some pretty amazing moments while I was home … here are a few of them.
- Outside the closed door of Nuncie’s room is a table with a flower and notebook. Inside the notebook nuns, nurses, staff, and others leave notes addressed to Nuncie about what she meant to them. We do this for all of our sisters.
- We have the wake for our Sisters at the Motherhouse in our chapel. Often sisters will sit vigil with the body at different times during the night and day. I arrived too late for the formal wake, and wanted to be sure to spend some time alone with Annunciata. Early in the morning I walked over to the Motherhouse and into the dark chapel. No one was there. In the back of the chapel was the casket, and on either side of the casket were two beautiful lamps yielding a pink glow. Nuncie wore the blue suit from her Jubilee celebration. I pulled a chair over and just sat vigil with her and talked with her. I pray that she watch over me and the congregation.
- Following the funeral, we got in our cars and headed out the back part of our campus to our cemetary. As we went, we passed by our IHM organic farm. There was a young man working in the field. When he saw the procession, he stood, immediately took off his hat and held it at his chest until well after we had passed by.
- A Sister recounted a story from after Annunciata had died. She had said a prayer to Nuncie and asked her for a sign that everything was okay. Within seconds the bell for the Angelus began ringing — the Angelus is a Catholic prayer about the Annunciation, Nuncie’s namesake. The Annunciation is the story of the angel of God announcing to Mary that she would bear the Son of God.
When I returned home, I happened upon this article about another person’s experience at the funeral of a beloved nun. Be sure to check it out.
Thank God for Sister Matthew and Those Like Her
by Eddie McGuire for the Australian newspaper Herald Sun (July 13, 2008)
Previous post: Nun Currency — Sister Mary MacKillop
Next post: Nuncie
Get your nun schwag! -- We've got cool nunly items including this awesome mug at 
{ 4 comments }
I’m sorry for your loss…but thankful for your blessing you had of knowing and loving your nuncie. I was touched by the article in the Australian newspaper, he sure got it right when he wrote There are people who dedicate their lives to serving others, either in the name of their God or because they are of amazing heart.
These are important times for community. Glad you could be there!
I can’t say that I am sorry for your loss. Heaven is our goal, and you have sent your sister lovingly on her way.
My sisters do much the same as yours, except we have our sister laid out in front of the tabernacle overnight, the coffin open as if she is having her last adoration. This is after an all-day vigil of continuous rosaries and evening prayer for the dead, with the microphone passed around as the sisters share their thoughts and stories. It’s no surprise to see the sisters come back after the others have left to do just as you did and share private time with the deceased.
I wonder if “my” Nuncie was anything like yours. Nuncie, Mother (later Sister) Mary Annunciata, PBVM, was the Kindergarten teacher for many years. She would take our first grade class into her room twice a week for music class. Mind you, there were 64 of us, and 36 of the Kinders, making 100 little children with one teacher, no aid (My first grade teacher was resting her head on her desk at this time, at least the one time I saw her, she was). Many years later, when I was searching religious orders, Nuncie invited me to carpool with her and another sister to the Los Angeles CCD Congress (A huge annual affair for catechists, school teachers, etc.) She and the sister would pray the Divine Office in the car during the long trip there and back. Each day she would tell me, “You’re 10% a nun today!” She was very important in my vocation walk, even though I entered a different order. I remember when she finally retired and went back to Ireland, the people put a fancy chair on a dais, looking very much like a throne, and had Nuncie sit there as they told her how wonderful she was and how we would all miss her. Nuncie got the last word. “I don’t know what all the fuss is about. All I did was do me work and say me prayers.”
A sister’s funeral puts a whole new face on death. “Life has changed, not ended” become very, very real. heaven is our goal, and this is only our training ground.
Peace be with you and your sisters, Sister Julie!
How fascinating! We live in Melbourne (Aust) and read the arcicle to which you refer. The writer, Eddie McGuire, is very well know here. In fact my husband went to the same school, CBC St Kilda. This led us to talk about the nuns we had known at school and what a huge influence they had on our lives. We were so lucky to have them. We have to explain to our children (who attend Catholic schools) what nuns are!
Good luck and god bless you all.
Kate