THE BEATIFICATION OF EMILIE GAMELIN

A publication for the Sisters of Providence and Friends • WINTER 2001
THE BEATIFICATION OF EMILIE GAMELIN
In early October,
hundreds of Providence pilgrims— Sisters of Providence, Associates,
family and friends — traveled to the Vatican for the beatification of foundress Emilie Tavernier
Gamelin. Their journey was challenging, enlightening, historic, and deeply spiritual. Each pilgrim
has a story to tell, but Sister Barbara Schamber's daily e-mail missives home to the Sisters of
Mother Joseph Province who did not make the trip, reprinted in part inside Caritas, reflect the
flavor of the experience.
4 3#
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U 7:15 p.m. (4:15 a.m. Friday in Italy), Sr. Barbara called from her
hotel in Rome. She said everyone had arrived safely in Rome and that
only one piece of luggage did not arrive with the travelers.
Sr. Barbara will call each evening with an update of the activities of the
day. A summary of her calls will be sent in the next broadcast e-mail.
Sr. Barbara sends her greetings and an assurance of her prayers for
those at home during these special days of grace.
She thanks everyone for
their prayers for the safety
of the travelers.
JL he Sisters from the Philippine sector are arriving Saturday. They
are the last of the Providence pilgrims to arrive in Rome.
Sr. Bev Dunn's step-father, Johnston J. Ford, collapsed on Friday during
the tour o f St. Peter's Basilica. He is
in the hospital in Rome and may be
suffering from cardiac arrest. Please keep Mr. Ford, his wife and Sr. Bev in
your prayers.
Today, fo r the firs t time, we were able to see all of the Providence
pilgrims. We were organized into groups o f 30, each with our own tour guide.
In hot and very humid weather, we spent the entire day walking.
Our firs t tour was St. Peter's Basilica. The experience of being
there in th a t m agnificent place was overwhelming. Everywhere we
looked, we saw other groups o f Sisters of Providence, Providence
Associates, and Providence friends and family.
After touring all morning, we took a 45-m inute walk (in the mid-day heat and hum idity) to
an Italian restaurant fo r lunch - spaghetti followed by meat, potatoes, salad, f ru it and dessert!
In the afternoon, we toured the Vatican Museum, which contains the Pope's library and
collections. Then we visited the Sistine Chapel. The frescoes in this chapel have been restored and
are very beautiful. We were invited to spend about a h alf hour in quiet m editation. There are more
than 5 0 0 persons walking
......
through the chapel a t any
one time and the guards
call out periodically,
"Silence, silence . " Though
it was very quiet, the aura
of the chapel and the many people there made it
a bit difficult to enter into quiet m editation.
At 4 p.m . we were back in the buses and
returned to our hotels. In the evening, we were
served another fabulous Italian meal. During
supper, Sr. Carolyn Koreski led the English
contingent in practicing the song, "Holy Ground." We will be singing this
hymn a t the Beatification Mass.
Sr. Jacqueline Fernandes passed out the yellow gold scarves identifying
us as pilgrim s representing Mother Gamelin and the beatification medal.
I t was a moving moment as each of us received ours.
Today, we saw the huge tractor-trailers unloading thousands o f chairs in
St. Peter's fo r the 3 0 ,0 0 0 persons who will be in the square fo r the
Beatification Mass a t 9:15 on Sunday morning. Our prayers and
thoughts are with you. I t is a profoundly moving experience to share
to be here with so many Sisters o f Providence, Providence Associates,
fam ily and friends o f Providence.
Lovingly in Providence,
Sr. Barbara
PHOTO CREDITS:
Many thanks to Sisters Felma Cerezo and Rosalie Locati for
the photographs in this issue of Caritas.
oday, many of the Providence
pilgrims toured famous monuments in
Rome, including the Trevi fountain
and the piazzas, riding buses and
walking. A number of persons stayed
at their hotels in order to be rested
for tomorrow, Sunday, the day of
the Beatification.
Today, Sr. Helen Brennan fell getting
off th e bus and broke her arm. Sr. Joan
Campbell fell on th e
cobblestones and
needed stitch es for a
cu t on her head. Both
Joan and Helen were
in th e em ergency room
for a tim e.
Think you have enough
equipment there?
4 J
Follow that thing sticking up
in the air - the flag, sunflower,
rose, whatever. Just follow it
or get left behind.
'
Guess what's for dinner?
Now, how does that go?
Agua, no gas?
Careful now. As one wise
woman said, Rome is a tnppy
place. These two have the scars
to prove it
Ahhh. The end of
another perfect day.
Sr. C laudette Chenier from
Montreal fell and broke a
bone in her shoulder and
she, to o , was tre a te d in th e
emergency room.
Each evening, ju s t before we go to supper, we m eet to reflect
and share on th e experiences of our day and to pray to g eth er. This
evening, we agreed to be even more w atchful of each o th e r and
to take good care of each other. We also talked in preparation for
Sunday's B eatification. Because of th e inten se humidity, th e large
crowds and th e long service in th e sun, we will be taking our
w ater b o ttles and wearing our hats.
The excitem ent is growing among us. Some of us saw th e
d ifferent banners for th o se who will be beatified being hung in
St. Peter's Square, and Mother Gamelin's banner was among them .
All of th e banners are covered now, w aiting to be unveiled.
We learned today th a t yellow is a popular color and th a t we
will n o t be th e only group wearing th e yellow scarves.
Sr. Bev Dunn's
stepfather, Mr. Ford,
will remain under
observation in th e
hospital through
Sunday. Sr. Bev is
working with th e
travel agency to
make arrangem ents for her parents
to return to th e United S tates.
We are praying with and
for all of you as we celebrate
to g e th er th is wonderful,
b eau tifu l and graced ev en t in
our Providence Community.
Lovingly in Providence,
Sr. Barbara
c<o
o£3 ^,
£ 00/
ay of the Beatification of Mother Emilie
Gamelin...what a day it was! How will we ever
recount the emotion of this day —the pageantry,
the ritual, all the people gathered in St. Peter's
Basilica...and Emilie Gamelin?
Pope John Paul II waves
from his "pope-mobile."
We left for St. Peter's about 7 a.m . W hat an experience it was to see us all in black and w hite
(a few blues) w ith our yellow scarves. We boarded th e bus and sang "Providence of God".
We were m et by our guide on our arrival a t St. Peter's and we w aited in line for ab o u t te n m inutes,
th e n we w ent into th e basilica. The Sisters of Providence in wheelchairs w ent th ro u g h th e first gate
(I was w ith Sr. Carolyn Koreski) and were positioned a t th e base of th e steps leading up to th e platform
in front of th e main altar, about 14 steps from where th e Holy Father would be saying Mass.
We were th a t close!
It was b eautiful to see th e thousands of persons and th e
Sr. Barbara
many colors.
Schamber,
As we w aited, we were handed th e book for th e liturgy. It is
Team Leader/
about one inch th ick and has a picture of each one who is to be
Provincial,
beatified. The picture of Mother Emilie Gamelin th a t was chosen
joins in the
for th is book is th e one done by Sidney Lawrence w hich hangs in
processional
our houses and institu tio n s.
at a Mass of
At 8:45 a.m ., th e bells began to ring, all th e bells of St.
Thanksgiving.
Peter's! We could feel th e pulse of these bells in our bodies.
Ju st before th e liturgy began, announcem ents were made
regarding th e persons to be beatified in th e different languages - French, English, Russian, German.
The announcem ent for Mother Emilie Gamelin, th e fifth, was
The congregation
read in French by Sr. Celine Brousseau, in English by Sr. Linda Jo
thanks Sr. Therese
Frigon for her
Reynolds, and in Spanish by Sr. Maria A ntonieta Trimpay. (The
Superior General
work on the
sound system in th e basilica is as clear as a bell. W onderful!)
Sr. Gloria Keylor
beatification
of
These readings were followed by a procession (across th e
welcomes guests
Emilie
Gamelin.
platform in front of th e altar) of th e dignitaries and th eir
to the Mass of
spouses from th e various countries. The women were in long,
Thanksgiving.
black dresses w ith m antillas reaching to th e floor and held by
combs. The men were in tuxedos and w hite ties.
rrs. Gloria Keylor, Therese Frigon, Rollande Malo and Yannick
The Mass began w ith th e entrance procession. First came th e
(th e man who was cured th ro u g h th e intercession of Mother Emilie
acolytes followed by about 60 bishops in green vestm ents. They
Gamelin) received Communion from th e Holy Father.
were followed by te n bishops representing th e countries of those
At th e end of th e liturgy, th e Holy Father said again th e nam es of
to be beatified, who would be w ith th e Holy Father a t th e altar
all th e newly beatified and spoke in all th eir languages. In English,
during th e Mass. The Holy Father entered wearing a b eautiful
he spoke to us and asked us to pray for peace, to say th e Rosary in
green vestm ent and m itre, a gift of th e Sisters of Providence and
October for peace in th e world. Then we received th e Papal Blessing.
another religious com m unity who also have a person beatified
The "Pope-mobile" arrived and w ent up th e ramp to th e altar.
today. The Holy Father took his chair in th e front of th e altar.
Bishops or cardinals from th e city of th e beatified persons read The Holy Father got into th is vehicle and he w ent o ut th e back. We
moved o ut of th e basilica and were placed in straig h t lines. No one
docum ents extolling th e virtues of those to be beatified. Cardinal
moved. Then, th e Holy Father came in his "Pope-mobile" to bless all
Jean-Claude Turcotte of Montreal read about Emilie Tavernier
those in th e wheelchairs. (I was w ith Sr. Carolyn, pushing her
Gamelin, religious and founder. The relics were brought up and
w heelchair.) He was close enough for us to touch him. There was a
placed on th e altar-B lessed Emilie
severely handicapped boy near us and th e Holy Father stopped right
Gamelin's by Sr. Julie Macasieb of th e
in front of him. The boy's fath er lifted him up and he was blessed and
Philippine Sector. The Holy Father spoke
kissed by th e Holy Father, who th e n left. He had stopped only to
about each person and it was an
bless those in th e wheelchairs.
em otional m om ent for us w hen he read,
:
The Sisters of Providence gathered into th e buses and w ent to th e
very clearly, in Italian: "Emilie
Canadian Embassy for a th ree-h o u r reception. (The lay persons w ent
Tavernier Gamelin."
The Eucharistic celebration was very
to a restau ran t for a m eal.) For th e first tim e, we 300 SPs were all
formal.
The
first
reading
was
in
German
to g eth er in one place and we had our picture tak en .
♦ »
After th e reception, we took buses back to our hotels. Most of th e
and Sr. Pauline Massicotte read th e
Sisters w ent to b e d ...it had been a long, em otional and b eautiful day.
second in French. The Holy Father gave
You are all in our th o u g h ts and prayers and we know th a t you are
th e homily and spoke about each of th e
praying for us. We heard a brief announcem ent of th e attacks on
beatified persons in th e language of
A fghanistan and we jo in you in prayers for an end to violence, for
th e ir country. (He spoke about Mother
Emilie Gamelin in French)
peace and for safety for everyone.
Let us give th an k s to God for Blessed Emilie Gamelin and ask her
to intercede for us for peace in th e world, for com passion and justice
for those persons who are m ost in need in our world.
s
P > * S e e s
ASach day has so much emotion!
We left our hotels at 8 a.m. for St. Peter's Square. The
audience with the Holy Father was scheduled for 11 a.m. We
were the earliest group to arrive, so we had the chairs in the
front rows. The wheelchairs were directed to the very front at
the bottom of the steps leading up to
where the Holy Father would be sitting.
This morning, the a tta r was gone an d
there were curtains on the sides. We could
only see the Holy Father's chair, which
this morning was a beige color.
( I t m atched his beige vestm ent.)
The security was very tight. All o f our
bags were exam ined and there were many
guards. /Is the hour approached, our
excitem ent grew.
The “Pope-mobile" came into the
Hank Walker, Providence Square and was driven up an d into the
Health System President basilica. The red draperies from
/CEO, pushes Sr. Carolyn yesterday's liturgy were gone, an d only
Koreski's wheelchair at
the doors to the basilica were visible.
the Papal Audience.
All o f a sudden, we could see the Swiss
guards moving around. We were told to
stay very still.
Then we saw th e "Pope-mobile" with the Holy Father standing
up in it. I t came around from the doors o f th e basilica an d drove up
the ramp. He was so close when he passed by th a t I could see his
hearing aid! The Holy Father was assisted o u t of the “Pope-m obile"
an d to his chair. He s a t down an d a podium was placed fo r him to
read his remarks.
The Holy Father spoke in Ita lia n and then in French, an d he
spoke firs t o f Emilie Tavernier Gamelin! I t was so moving to realize
th a t th e Holy Father was speaking o f her.
Then the guards began to move the wheelchairs out. We th o u g h t
they were being se n t away and th a t the audience was over.
(H ere Sr. Carolyn Koreski tells w hat happened next.)
"I was sittin g in my w heelchair with th e other persons in
chairs right in front of th e Holy Father, ab o u t 20 fe e t and 14 steps
away from him. Hank Walker (President/CEO of Providence
Health System ) had been pushing my chair and he was
with me.
"When th e secret service sta rted telling us to move,
we all unlocked our chairs and began to go. Then, as we
w ent o u t to th e left, we realized th a t all th e w heelchairs
were being directed up th e steep ramp to where th e Holy
Carolyn
Koreski
Father was sittin g . I began to cry. Hank was very moved,
to o . We w aited on th e ramp in line and could see th e
ta b les where all th e gifts being given to th e Holy Father were laid
o u t. I saw a telesco p e th e re ...so many b eautiful gifts. We w aited
and one by one moved up tow ard th e Pope's chair. I was planning to
say, when I was in front of him, th a t I was one of Emilie's d au g h ­
te rs. But th en I was there, I was right by him and he looked a t me
o u t of th e corner of his eye. I was speechless. I fe lt his hand and
kissed his ring. Hank, to o , took his hand and kissed his ring.
"I will never, ever forget this! What a joy! I Looked in to his eyes
- th e m ost pastoral, peaceful, beau tifu l blue eyes. We were given a
rosary and moved along very reverently. There are no words to
describe th is experience."
(Sr. Barbara continues her narrative.)
Hank was moved, touched. He h ad offered to push Carolyn today,
an d th a t is why he was th e re fo r this special gift.
All the members o f the General Council and th e provincials also
approached th e Holy Father an d g reeted him. Because my knee was
giving me a b it o f trouble an d I didn't tru st g ettin g down an d up,
I asked the m ost senior Sister in our group o f pilgrims to represent
Mother Joseph Province in greeting the Holy Father. That was
Sr. Loretta Marie Marceau. Needless to say, Sr. Loretta Marie was
so very happy an d moved by this experience.
The Holy Father h ad his p hoto taken with three different groups
o f y o u th an d he was smiling very broadly. Then, up th e drive came
a black Mercedes convertible an d the Holy Father was driven away,
waving an d blessing us. He was taken back inside St. Peter's Basilica.
t 5 p .m ., afte r an afternoon free, the Providence pilgrims
gath ered in the beautiful, large chapel behind the main a lta r in
St. Peter's fo r the Mass o f Thanksgiving. Sr. Pierrette Chevrette had
prepared this liturgy an d th e liturgy book is in three languages:
French, English an d Spanish.
Superior General Sr. Gloria Keylor g reeted everyone and spoke
ab o u t Mother Emilie Gamelin in th e three languages. Cardinal
Turcotte o f Montreal was the principal celebrant fo r the liturgy.
There were three other bishops from Montreal and 1 9 o th er bishops
an d priests, all in m atching vestments. Included in this group was
Archbishop Francis T. Hurley o f Alaska an d Fr. Emmanuel
Mbock-Mbock o f Cameroon.
The singing by th e choir o f Sisters o f Providence from Montreal,
directed by Sr. Pierrette, was ju s t beautiful. At Communion,
Sr. Carolyn Koreski led th e English-speaking Sisters in singing,
"This is Holy G round." I t was very lovely an d moving.
Sr. Marta Alvear did the firs t reading in Spanish, I did the second
reading in English, an d Cardinal Turcotte gave the homily in French.
He spoke ab o u t Blessed Emilie Gamelin an d her devotion to Our
Mother o f Sorrows, her sufferings as a young woman and, later,
her difficulties with Bishop Bourget an d the Sisters. Whatever she
suffered, he said, she was always there to serve the poor.
The intercessory prayers were offered in Spanish by Sr. Patricia
Morgado, in French by Sr. Je an n e D'Arc Dube, in Tagalog by Sr. Beth
Ray Ray, in English by Sr. Carla Montante, in Arabic by Sr. Helene
Fakhar an d in Creole by Sr. Dianne Sarasin. What a profound experi­
ence to h ear our Sisters praying in m any languages, an d w hat a
testim ony to Blessed Emilie Gamelin an d the internationality of our
community.
At th e conclusion o f the Thanksgiving liturgy, Sr. Gloria Keylor
gave a special tribute in three languages to Sr. Therese Frigon fo r
her 41 years o f d edicated service on b eh a lf o f the cause o f Mother
Emilie Gamelin.
I t was 6:45 p.m . when we boarded our buses an d returned to
the hotel fo r supper an d a good night's rest.
Blessed Mother Emilie Gamelin's p o rtra it was hanging in the
chapel where we celebrated th e Thanksgiving Mass. On the back o f
the liturgy book is a paragraph th a t says she received her Holy Habit
from Canon Price on October 8th . The Holy Father has announced
th a t th e d ate fo r Blessed Emilie Gamelin's liturgy (h e r f e a s t day)
is Septem ber 23rd.
Providence o f God, we thank you fo r all.
today in the city of artists — Florence, Italy.
n., we boarded our buses for th e four-hour trip . Some of us chose
n Rome and to spend th e day resting and relaxing.
our first o p p o rtu n ity to travel outside th e city of Rome, and on
Florence we had an o p p o rtu n ity to see th e b eau tifu l Italian
countryside — lush rolling greenery and trees. It was a b eau tifu l drive.
When we arrived a t th e outskirts of Florence, we stopped and g o t a pass to
e n te r th
e citty. The city of Florence keeps control of th e am ount of to u rist
:he
traffic t h a t een ters th e city.
The buses are not allowed to go beyond th e ir parking area, and so we made th e 45-m in u te walk in to th e city of Florence.
In th e city, th e roads are very narrow and th e re are many cars, m otorcycles and city buses. Our
guides were looking for breaks in th e traffic so th a t some of us could g et across th e stree ts. And
th e se stre e ts are made of huge cobblestones from th e 14 th century, uneven with rough edges.
The w heelchairs have special difficulty on th e se cobblestone pavem ents and th ere are
no "handicapped access curbs." People have been so good to help with th e w heelchairs, som e­
tim es for two or more miles a t a tim e.
We are in groups and each group has two to u r guides. We were free to choose where we
w anted to go afte r lunch. Some groups chose to take th e tw o-hour to u r of Florence. Others
chose to shop and others w ent directly to M ichelangelo's museum to spend tim e there.
We all m et a t 4 p.m . a t th e museum and viewed th e work of Michelangelo, especially
"David," which is truly m agnificent. In th e museum, th ere are huge marble blocks of
carvings never finished or, some say, th ey are finished. In th is la tte r view, th e carvings
portray "man coming o u t of a block of marble."
We took tax is or made th e 55-m in u te walk back to where th e buses were parked, boarded
th e buses and made th e trip back to Rome. We arrived a t our hotel a t 9:30
p.m .and were a t
our resta u ran t by 10 p.m . Every other tim e we have been a t th e restau ran t around 7:30 p.m.
and th e re w eren't many people there. Tonight, a t th is
hour, th e restaurant was very crowded. This is the supper
hour in Italy! We had ordered a light supper of pizza and
salad and so were able to e a t w ithout much w aiting and
return to th e h otel for a short night's sleep.
Once again, we are remembering you in our prayers
and though we do not have much access to the
he trip to Assisi was beautiful and not without its anxious
"news of th e world," we are with you in prayer for an end
moments. We boarded our buses and left the hotels at 7 a.m.
to violence and for peace with ju stic e in our world.
for the three-hour drive. We were on the main highway for a
Providence of God, we hope in you.
Lovingly in Providence,
Sr. Barbara
time and then we were on back roads that took us through
some beautiful countryside.
Assisi is up on the top o f a m ountain and the city has a
lower and an upper p art. The buses took us to the Santa
Maria section of the city, where there is a very large basilica,
built in 1211, with an imposing and huge dome. Inside this
basilica is another, sm aller church, and the place where St.
Clare received the veil from St. Francis. This church is called
"The P ortiuncula."
There are beautiful paintings in this huge cathedral. I t is
so large and the a lta r so f a r back th a t television screens are
used to show the altar during Mass.
Our Mass was celebrated by Bishop Gean-Juy Hamelin from
Quebec. He greeted us in English, French and Spanish, but he
gave the homily in French.
Sr. Pierrette Chevrette had prepared this liturgy. The logistics,
the m aterials and the remote and imm ediate preparations are
am azing - the large picture o f Mother Gamelin in the basilica fo r
this liturgy, the liturgical books in three languages, the vestments,
the music...
At the conclusion of this liturgy, Gloria thanked Sr. Rollande
M alofor all she had done to make this pilgrim age possible.
There was a long and enthusiastic applause of thanks.
After the liturgy, all of the Providence pilgrim s gathered fo r
a lunch together. This was the firs t jo in t meal fo r all o f the
language groups together and it was a grand occasion.
Then we took the buses up to the upper level of Assisi.
The 15-m inute bus ride was like going up to Snoqualmie Pass.
What a view o f the valley below! Then we walked or took
the escalators up to the Monastery o f St. Clare and the Church
of St. Clare. All of these buildings still have the scaffoldings
around them. I t is three years since earthquakes did
significant dam age to these structures. St. Clare is buried
in this church.
Then we walked down very steep steps or took one of the
taxis to the Basilica of St. Francis. The entire roof o f this
church is caved in and is under repair. There is a second chapel
one level below the main church and a third chapel below that.
This third-level chapel is in honor of St. Francis. One more
level down and we were a t the tomb o f St. Francis. I t is hard
to explain the feelings a t being present a t the tomb of
St. Francis o f Assisi.
We left the basilica and boarded our buses, ready fo r the trip
back to Rome. The count was taken and two persons, Billy Jo
and Jerry Cooper, Providence Associates from Great Falls, were
missing. We waited, waited, and they didn't come. Some o f us
wanted to go and look fo r them but the guides would not let us
off the buses. Sister Roberta Rorke said, "Let's ask Mother
Gamelin to fin d th e m ," and we prayed. At 5 p.m . the buses left
w ithout them. Our tour guides said the buses m ust go on
schedule. Needless to say, we all were quite worried about them
and could not imagine w hat had happened. The Coopers had
been more than prom pt on every other occasion and it was not
typical fo r them to miss a departure time.
About an hour into our return trip, I received a cell phone
call. I t was from the Coopers. Billie Jo had h u rt her back and
they had stopped in a restaurant fo r her to rest. By the time
they got a taxi and made it to the bus parking area, the buses
had left. They said they would catch a train, transfer once and,
after arriving in Rome, take a taxi to the hotel.
We arrived in Rome and were in the restaurant fo r supper
about 10:30 p.m . when Jerry walked in. What a relief it was to
see him and to know th a t they were okay and back with us!
We returned to our hotel, grateful fo r the wonderful day and
especially grateful th a t the Coopers were back, safe an d sound.
(Billie Jo is doing well.)
Everyone is doing well through the activity-packed days.
We are staying in 12 different hotels here in Rome. For example,
some o f us are in a hotel on the outskirts o f Rome, about an
hour's travel from the center o f the city, and others are in the
h eart of the city.
We had a USA Today p aper
today and were able to read some
o f the stories about the attacks on
Afghanistan and related news.
Let us continue to thank God
fo r the blessings o f these days and
fo r peace and ju stice fo r all in
our world.
Lovingly in Providence,
Sr. Barbara
oday was a "do whatever you want to do" day,
and it was most welcome!
Some of us visited the churches of Rome and
the catacombs. Others took taxis and visited special
places of interest, and some of us took time to do
some shopping.
Those who visited the catacombs
of San Sebastian said that there are
about 40 miles of underground
caverns in this catacomb. It is dark
and very cool there, like a coal
mine, and it is very important to
stay close together while touring.
The guides insisted that no one
wander away from the group, as it
would be very easy to become lost
in one or another of the tunnels.
On the sides of the tunnels are
platforms where the Christians are buried. Some of
these tombs are marked with a marble slab and others
are open. This is truly the site of "the underground
church of the martyrs."
I learned today that we had a couple of mishaps
yesterday in Assisi. Sr. Lillian DesLauriers was hit by a
car and is black and blue. Another sister from Quebec
was hit by a motorcycle. Both Lillian and the other
sister are bruised but otherwise are doing fine.
Sr. Roberta Rorke w ill leave a day early and w ill
be back in Seattle on Saturday evening. She w ill go
directly to Yakima to be with her mother, who has
been ill, and with other members of her family who
are there.
Tomorrow, we start our day a bit later. At 9:30 a.m.
we w ill board the buses for a visit to the Tivoli Gardens
and we'll spend part of the day preparing for our
departure early Saturday morning. We'll leave for the
airport at 5:30 a.m. Saturday and are scheduled to
arrive at SeaTac on Saturday evening.
It has been a blessed and wonderful pilgrimage.
We are so very grateful and we are looking forward to
being home once again. We are ready to come home!
We are united with you in a prayer of gratitude
to our Provident God and we thank you for your
prayers. Please pray for a safe return trip for the
Providence pilgrims.
A publication for the Sisters of Providence and Friends • WINTER 2001
CARITAS is published
by The Office of
Communications,
Sisters of Providence,
Mother Joseph
Province.
Jennifer E. Roseman,
Director of
Communications
Sisters Have an
Audience with the
Holy Father
wo Sisters from Mother J o se p h Province
were among th o se who received a papal
ble ss in g - Sr. Loretta Marie Marceau (a b o v e )
of Spokane, and Sr. Carolyn Koreski of
Olympia (le f t), a ssisted by Providence
Health System President/CEO Hank Walker.
Photos courtesy of Servizio Fotografico De "L'O.R."
www.sistersofprovidence.net
R
e
s t
i n
Peace
Jo Marie
Einen, PA
Jo Marie
Einen, a Provi­
dence Associate
from Great Falls, Mont., died
October 26 of complications
from diabetes.
Jo Marie served as co­
director for the Providence
Associates in Great Falls, and
was campus minister at the
University of Great Falls until
she retired in 2000. She also
served as chaplain for the
St. Vincent de Paul Society in
Great Falls.
She became a Providence
Associate in 1995 and was
joined in 1999 by her husband,
John, and her mother Stella
Janosov.
Vigil Service was held
October 28 at O'Connor's
Funeral Home in Great Falls
and the funeral liturgy was on
October 29 at St. Luke's Parish
Church in Great Falls. Inurn­
ment was at Mount Olivet
Cemetery. •
Julian
Moran, SP
Sister
Julian Moran,
age 93, died
November 10 at Mount St.
Joseph, Spokane. She had been
a Sister of Providence for
74 years.
Sarah Marie Moran was born
January 6, 1908, in Moore,
Mont., the only girl among five
children of Timothy J. and Sarah
(Clark) Moran. For a time she
attended the Ursuline Sisters
school in Great Falls and also
lived at St. Thomas Home. In
1923, she and her family moved
to St. Ignatius, Mont. She
graduated from Sacred Heart
Academy in Missoula in 1927.
That same year, she entered
the novitiate of the Sisters of
Providence in Seattle, profess­
ing first vows in 1928 and
receiving Sister Julian of the
Blessed Sacrament as her name
in religion. She made final
vows in 1931.
Sister Julian earned a B.A.
in education from the University
of Great Falls and an M.A. in
English from DePaul University
in Chicago. She also attended
the CREDO program at Gonzaga
University.
Sister Julian taught in
Montana at Sacred Heart
Academy and St. Francis Xavier
School, Missoula; St. Thomas
Home, Great Falls; and
Rose Dolores
Reisenauer,
SP
Sister
Rose Dolores
Reisenauer died
October 3 at Mount St. Joseph,
Spokane, at the age of 87.
She had been a Sister of
Providence for 67 years.
She was born Mildred Mary
Reisenauer on July 7, 1914, in
various ministries over the
past 100 years in Alaska and
into the future."
The Sisters of Providence
have served in ministry in
Alaska since being called to
Nome in 1902. The religious
community will celebrate its
100 years of ministry in Alaska
with speciaL events in April. •
Anchorage Chamber
honors SPs with Gold
Pan Award
The Anchorage Chamber of
Commerce has presented the
Sisters of Providence with its
prestigious Gold Pan Award for
distinguished community
service by an organization. The
award was presented on
September 22, on the eve of
the anniversary of the death of
foundress Mother Emilie
Gamelin, and ju st two weeks
before her beatification
ceremony in Rome.
The Sisters of Providence
were one of three nominees for
the annual award. Sister Kaye
St. Benedict School, Roundup, in
addition to St. Mary's Training
School, Des Plaines, III., and
St. Joseph Academy, Yakima.
She also was novice director at
Mount St. Vincent, Seattle, from
1953 to 1962, and principal at
St. Louis School, Winooski,
Vermont, and St. Patrick School,
Walla Walla.
Other assignments included
director of admissions at the
University of Great Falls,
administrator and superior at
Mount St. Joseph, Spokane, and
receptionist for the Provincial
Administration and later for
Mount St. Joseph before she
retired in 1989.
Sister Julian was preceded
in death by her four brothers.
Vigil Service was held
November 16 and the funeral
Mass was celebrated November
17, both at Mount St. Joseph.
Burial was at Holy Cross
Cemetery. •
Belcher accepted the honor
"on behalf of the hundreds of
Sisters of Providence who have
ministered in Alaska and on
behalf of the thousands of
Sisters of Providence minister­
ing around the world!"
She also thanked "the
people of Providence and the
people of Anchorage who have
partnered with us in our
Colton, Wash., to John and
Margaret (Becker) Reisenauer.
She graduated from Colton High
School and began nurses'
training at Sacred Heart School
of Nursing in Spokane in 1932.
She entered the novitiate as a
postulant in 1933.
Sister Rose Dolores resumed
her nurses' training at St. Patrick
School of Nursing in Missoula,
Mont., and graduated as a
registered nurse in 1938. She
earned a bachelor's degree in
nursing education from the
College of Great Falls (Mont.) in
1952 and also studied at
Gonzaga University and Seattle
University.
She professed first vows in
1935 and perpetual vows in
1938. Her ministry assignments
were chiefly in health care in
Great Falls, Mont.; Colfax, Wash.;
Wallace, Idaho; and Walla Walla,
Wash. She retired in 1971 at
Mount St. Joseph, where she
was a switchboard operator
until 1981.
Survivors include two
brothers, Edmund and Mark
Reisenauer, both of Colton,
Wash.; a sister, Bernadine Greiser
of Genesee, Idaho; and a
brother-in-law, George Scharbach
of Colton. The Vigil Service was
held at Mount St. Joseph on
October 5, and the funeral Mass
was celebrated there October 6.
Burial was at Holy Cross
Cemetery, Spokane. •
her life to giving to people
and serves as a role model for
countless teachers, administra­
tors, students and parents."
Sr. Rebecca Berghoff
named 2001 Woman
of Achievement
Sister Rebecca Berghoff,
vice principal of St. Joseph
Marquette School in Yakima,
has been named a recipient
of the YWCA's 2001 Women
of Achievement Award for
community service, with
recognition for her more then
50 years in education. The
awards program notes that
Sister Rebecca "has dedicated
www.sistersofprovidence.net
Her community involve­
ment also includes service as a
Camp Fire board member and
as a presenter at the YWCA
Week Without Violence. •
Leon Ward, father and
father-in-law of Mike & Becky
Ward, PA, died November 3 in
Redmond, Wash.
Francis Bouffard, brother of
Sister Claire Bouffard, SP, died
August 30 in Battle Creek, Mich.
Dr. Ed Weaver, husband of
Marian Julum-Weaver, PA, died
September 22 in Burien, Wash.
Mary Ellen Turley, aunt of
Sister Chauncey Boyle, SP, died
September 22 in Seattle.
Ray Gott, uncle of Sister
Donna Burkhart, SP, died
September 25 in Lafayette, Ind.
Elizabeth Tyrrell, aunt of
Sister Clare Lentz, SP, and Marilyn
Sendek, PA, and mother of Father
Michael Tyrrell, SJ, died October
14 in Yakima.
R
e
s t
i n
Peace
Conrad Mary
Bomer, SP
Sister
Conrad Mary
Bomer, age 85,
died November 2 at St. Joseph
Residence in Seattle. She had
been a Sister of Providence for
66 years.
Born Margelet Bomer on
December 18, 1915, in
Portland, she was one of four
children of George Grover and
Katherine (Fox) Bomer. In
1935, Margelet entered the
novitiate of the Sisters of
Providence in Seattle. In 1937,
she made her first profession of
vows and received Sister Conrad
Mary as her name in religion.
She made final vows in 1940.
Sister Conrad Mary gradu­
ated from Seattle University
with a B.A. in nursing in 1941.
She had a long career in the
nursing field, with assignments
at Providence Seattle Medical
Center, Providence St. Peter
Hospital in Olympia, Mount St.
Vincent in West Seattle, St.
John Hospital in Port
Townsend, Providence Everett
Aurore Baker, oldest sister
of Sisters Annette and Jeanette
Parent, SP, died October 16 in a
nursing home in Baker, Mont.
Bob Tormaschy, brother-inlaw of Sister Charlene Hudon, SP,
died October 30 at Providence
Yakima Medical Center.
Sister Nora St. Denis, SP, of
Holy Angels Province, died
October 18 a t University of
Alberta Hospital.
Frederic Fortier, grand
nephew of Sister Madeleine
Monica Fortier, SP, died Novem­
ber 2 in Australia.
Jim Kurtz, brother of
Kathryn Kurtz, died October 25 in
Puyallup, Wash.
Barbara Depenbrock,
mother-in-law of the uncle of
Adrienne McKenzie, Seattle
Provincial Administration, died
November 3 in her home in
Washington, DC.
Hospital, Providence Hospital
in Anchorage, St. Joseph
Hospital in Fairbanks, and
Providence Hospital in
Medford, Ore. During her last
ten years in Medford, she was
director of the Pastoral Care
Department. She retired to St.
Joseph Residence in West
Seattle in 1991.
She was the last surviving
sibling in her family.
Vigil Service was held
November 5 and the funeral
Mass was celebrated November
6, both at St. Joseph Resi­
dence, Seattle. Burial was at
Calvary Cemetery, Seattle. •
Chrysanthe as her name in
religion, and was missioned
to Spokane. She professed
perpetual vows in 1931.
Sister Rosalie's ministries
were primarily in the dietary
field, at Sacred Heart Medical
Center, St. Joseph Care Center
and Mount St. Joseph,
Spokane; Sacred Heart
Academy, Missoula, Mont.; St.
Thomas Home and Columbus
Hospital, Great Falls, Mont.;
Our Lady of Lourdes Academy,
Wallace, Idaho; and Mary
Immaculate School, DeSmet,
Idaho. She also did social
service work in Spokane,
including at Catholic Charities.
Sister Rosalie was the last
surviving sibling in her family.
Vigil service was Nov. 2 at
Mount St. Joseph, followed by
the funeral Mass on Nov. 3.
Burial was at Holy Cross
Cemetery. •
Rosalie
Dionne, SP
Sister
Rosalie
Dionne, age
96, died October 30 at Mount
St. Joseph, Spokane. She h
been a Sister of Providence
74 years.
The youngest of 12 chil­
dren, she was born Rosalie
Blanche Dionne on April 16,
1905, at St. Epiphane, Quebec,
Canada, the daughter of Amable
and Emma (Bouche) Dionne.
In 1927, she entered the
novitiate of the Sisters of
Providence at the Motherhouse
in Montreal. In 1928, she made
her first profession of vows,
received Sister Marie
Esther
Dufault, SP
Sister
Esther Dufault,
age 84, died
November 8 at
St. Joseph Residence in
Seattle. She had been a Sister
of Providence for 63 years.
One of five children of
Peter Noel and Dulcina
(Beaulaurier Dufault), Esther
Mary Dufault was born
February 1, 1917, in Yakima.
Mrs. Jeannette Drouin,
cousin of Sister Madeleine
Monica Fortier, SP, died Novem­
ber 7 in Quebec.
Bill Markel, nephew of Sister
Katherine Ann Markel, SP, died
November 8 in Portland.
Kathleen Seifert, cousin of
Sister Clare Lentz, SP, and
Marilyn Sendek, PA, died
November 13 in Seattle.
Sister Pearl Herard, SP, of
Holy Angels Province, died
November 15 in the infirmary at
Providence Centre, Edmonton.
In 1938, she entered the
novitiate of the Sisters of
Providence in Seattle. She
professed first vows in 1939 and
received Sister Marcella Ann as
her name in religion. She made
perpetual vows in 1942.
Sister Esther graduated from
the University of Great Falls
with a B.A. in education in
1944, then began a long career
in the education field. Her
assignments included Sacred
Heart School, Tacoma; St.
Patrick School, Walla Walla; St.
Joseph Academy and School,
Yakima; Holy Family School,
Seattle; Providence Academy,
Vancouver; St. Finbar School,
Burbank, Calif.; St. Michael
School, Olympia; Holy Rosary
School, Sun Valley, Calif.; and
Providence Child Center,
Portland. She also served in
pastoral care at Providence
Yakima Medical Center. She
retired to St. Joseph Residence
in West Seattle in 1987.
Sister Esther is survived by
her sister and four brothers:
Annette Sorenson, Leon Dufault,
and Conrad Dufault, all of
Prosser, Wash.; Marcel Dufault,
Moxee, Wash., and Emile
Dufault, San Carlos, Calif.
Vigil Service was held
November 12 at St. Joseph
Residence. Funeral Mass was
celebrated November 13
followed by burial at Calvary
Cemetary, Seattle. •