Nunday is back and to celebrate we have my own IHM Sister Sharon Holland. Sister Sharon is not only a legend, but a holy and gentle woman of God.
Sister Sharon, one of the first female lawyers to work at the Vatican, was recently presented with an award (a bronze statue created by sculptor Clay Enoch) from the Catholic Health Association (CHA) on April 23 in Rome. Sister Carol Keehan, president and CEO of CHA, presented the award, saying Sister Sharon was the association’s “greatest asset in Rome.”
The CHA Board of Trustees passed a resolution honoring Sister Sharon for her years of assistance to CHA and the U.S. health ministry at large. According to Ed Giganti, vice president of communications and marketing for the United States’ CHA, the board’s resolution proclaimed Sister Sharon “a champion of American religious congregations and their ministries” throughout her time in Rome.
Since 1988 Sister Sharon has worked as bureau chief of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life at the Vatican. In 2007 Sister Sharon was awarded the International Medal from St. John’s University in Rome. In the citation for that award , St. John’s called Sister Sharon one of the world’s leading canon lawyers and said she “models what is best about religious life.”
After getting word about Sister Sharon’s CHA award, journalist John L. Allen, a senior correspondent for the National Catholic Reporter and analyst for CNN and NPR, wrote, “Aside from being an accomplished canon lawyer and trailblazer for women at the Vatican, Holland is also a legend in religious life.” (source; hyperlinks mine)
Sister Sharon is retiring from her ministry in Rome and returning to Michigan this month.
Pictured: Lloyd H. Dean (CHA Board), Sister Carol Keehan, DC, and Sister Sharon Holland, IHM, holding the award.
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{ 11 comments… read them below or add one }
A very warm welcome back, Sr Julie, and thank you for introducing us to your amazing Sr Sharon, whose countenance looks radiant. And what about that sculpture by Clay Enoch? (Fancy a sculptor being called Clay!) It looks stunning. I’ve just gone in search of Clay Enoch on the web and found some of his work here:
http://www.leiperscreekgallery.com/ClayEnoch.html
His Nativity, pictured on this website, looks sublimely beautiful.
It’s great to hear that some brillant female minds are well respected at the Vatican! dee
Totally awesome.
welcome back, sister julie. i heaved a big sigh of relief on seeing you back.
could dave and i [caz] ,please add our welecome home too,sister julie you and all your nuns are prayed for every single day by us MAY GOD BLESS YOU ALL EVERY DAY ,SISTERS and we are so glad you have moved
all our warmest best wishes to you all ,and we have soooooooooooooo missed you caz and dave ,holyhead,anglesey ,north wales ,uk
and thank you so very much for your nunday photo ,sister is truly a special religous
ps ,i have been a CATHOLIC for two years three days now [tuesday ]
and i feel so extremly blessed not bad at 57 years young
love cazx
Those sure don’t look like nuns.
Where are their habits?
Mary Constance — there are many good comments on the thread “is the habit the answer to vocation discernment?” I’d suggest reading that over for an answer to your question.
http://anunslife.org/2009/04/28/is-the-habit-the-answer-to-vocations-recruitment/
While I respect nuns that don’t wear the habit, I find it discouraging that they don’t wear it. It makes it -hard- to tell who is Consecrated and who is not. Even some Secular/Lay orders wear a habit, which helps show us who is in the Consecrated Life. Its refreshing to see even a humble star, John Michael Talbot, wearing his Secular Franciscan habit. And without sparkles.
If it hadn’t been for the blog entry, I never would’ve guessed the wonderful canon lawyerin (female lawyer) was a Sister, just by looking at the picture. So I can understand where Mary Constance comes from.
Congratulations, Sr. Carol Keehan, IHM! God bless and pass me the tooty horn! *blasts it joyfully*
Dear Sister Julie,
I called Rome this morning because I have some business there next week. Instead of hearing “Pronto” like I usually hear, an answering machine came on. That is how I found out Sister Sharon was no longer there, I searched and your blog confirmed it.
I have made retreats at your convent and will for September as usual, but in the meantime will you tell Sister Sharon that she has made as big of an impact for the Church as a St. Catherine of Siena. Of couse, she will not admit to it, but anyone who has had the honor of crossing her path knows this is true. I will be in Rome from July 3 to July 11 my trip will include dropping off a letter to the institute to let them know how she literally saved my vocation.
Peace, and all good,
Sister Agnes
Thanks, Sister Agnes. I will pass the message along to Sharon. I know many are sad that she retired from the Vatican, but we are so happy to have her home! It’s good to see her around the house!
I went to grade school with Sr. Sharon Holland. I remember her as a kind girl with long beautiful braids who always was late for school an Holy Days. I did not even know what a Holy Day was then, however it must have been very special because our teachers always excused the tardy. Who would know that after all this time I would come across her her name again. My classmate from ST. Mary Academy and also an IHM Sister knows her. Small world. I live in Texas and have been here for 41 years.