A Reflection for the 2025 Senior Jubilee

Note: The following reflection was authored by General Superior Sister Dawn Tomaszewski for the 2025 Senior Jubilee Mass.

If Mary of Nazareth had been invited to one of our Come and See weekends and asked to share her vocation story, as often happens at these events, I feel quite sure that the Gospel passage we just heard is the story she would tell.

It has always made good sense to me that this day — this Feast of Mary and this passage from scripture about Mary’s encounter with the Angel Gabriel — is the day we celebrate our Senior Jubilarians.

Because in so many ways, Mary’s story is their vocation story as well. I’m pretty sure none of them had this exact encounter with the Angel Gabriel—but the ending is the same:

“Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.
May it be done to me according to your word.”

Sixty, 70, and 75 years ago, these 16 Sisters of Providence said that same yes.  For them and certainly for Mary, nothing has been the same since!

Some of them had to travel quite a distance to give birth to their new life—five of our jubilarians came to the community from out east (as we like to say)! Nonetheless, they all arrived at a place where they were immediately assigned a guardian angel, aka, a sister novice, and the rest is history.

Most importantly, what I think they all share in common with Mary of Nazareth is that they have been lifelong disciples of Jesus Christ.

Today, we thank you for your faithful discipleship to our Provident God, to our extended Providence community, and to the many people whose lives you have touched while in service to the mission of Providence.  

Another commonality among these jubilarians is that they all began their time in mission as grade school teachers.

Before long, many of you were branching out into other forms of education. Eight of you became high school teachers. Sister Mary Ann Stewart started her high school career at Cathedral in Indianapolis in 1980 and has been a mainstay there ever since.

Eventually five of these eight: Sisters Suzanne Dailey, Jean Fuqua, Ann Margaret O’Hara, Margaret Quinlan and Alice Ann Rhinesmith had significant stints at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College, ranging from teaching in the classroom or online in the WED program to administrative posts in the business office, academic and student affairs offices, and in administrative and advancement work.

Somewhere in the midst of your somewhat predictable lives as Sisters of Providence, Vatican Council II happened, and with-it sweeping changes in the Church, and in our religious life as Sisters of Providence. In fact, our 60-year jubilarians entered the year the council ended its sessions.

Indeed, the windows opened by Pope John XXIII and what followed led to a new openness in religious life and ministry. Discernment prompted our jubilarians to pursue many other avenues as their discipleship continued and they responded to the needs of the time.   

After years in parish schools, Sisters Ann Matilda Holloran, Eileen Rose Bonner, and Dorothy Wolsiffer, soon were pastoral associates in parishes, chaplains in hospitals and hospice settings, spiritual supporters in cancer centers. Sister Martha Rojo, whose educational ministry morphed into work as a director of religious education, eventually turned to hospital chaplaincy as well, and more recently, to the Spanish Bereavement Ministry.

Sister Betty Paul brought her high school teaching background into the world of youth ministry and, for 28 years, directed diocesan-level youth ministry efforts.

After her time as a high school teacher and an elementary school principal, Sister Mary Ann Phelan became a sign language interpreter.

In the post-Vatican II SP community, Sister Jo Bryan fulfilled her dream of becoming a nurse and has spent her life since as a director of nursing, of retirement and of holistic health services. A year of that nursing ministry took place in Vietnam amidst the raging war there.

As always, our sisters responded to the needs of the SP community: Sister Ann Margaret served eight years as the provincial of St. Gabriel Province, then in general administration for 15 years, as general superior for five and as general councilor and vicar the other 10. Sister Alice Ann spent seven years in administrative work in St. Gabriel Province, as secretary and treasurer; Sister Suzanne Dailey served as general secretary for five years.

Sister Kathleen Leonard was called by the Congregation to formation work. After three years of study for a Licentiate in Clinical Psychology, she became the director of postulants, and after three years, spent another five years as the director of canonical and mission novices.

Throughout this time, our Sisters Ruth Johnson and Claire Hanson were a faithful presence in elementary schools both out east and in the Midwest — Claire for 29 years and Ruth for 34 years. Claire became a home health care aide before returning to the Woods and to the ministry of care. Once Ruth returned to the Woods, she shared her artistic talent, first in caring for the church and eventually in White Violet Center.

As I reflected on the discipleship of our jubilarians, I was reminded of Gaudium et Spes, a landmark document of Vatican Council II that redefined the Catholic Church’s relationship with the world. It marked a shift from an inward-looking Church to one that embraced the “signs of the times” to work for the common good. 

I dare say these women have embraced that call; I did not even enumerate all they have been and done in these last years as volunteers. Their lives reflect the theme of our 2026 General Chapter so well. They have been sowing seeds of hope for the life of the world throughout their lives.

And the witness of their lives provides hope for the future of religious life as well. In a recent book, Reseeding Religious Life Through Global Sisterhood, Sister Susan Francois, a Sister of St. Joseph of Peace, has suggested that we are inheriting a significant legacy from generations of religious women who faithfully answered the call of the Second Vatican Council to read the signs of the times.

It seems to me that you, who are present with us today as senior jubilarians, know something about reseeding religious life. Seeding is NOT a one-and-done proposition. You have plowed the fields and planted over and over. Throughout all the turmoil of those post-Vatican II years, you have stayed the course. You have cultivated the soil, and we are better for it — not just we, your sisters, but all who have been touched by the charism of Providence as it breathes in you.

What sustained you during this time? Why did you stay? I asked each of our jubilarians that very question: Why did you stay?

Though each answered in her own inimitable way, in a word, they all referred to RELATIONSHIPS.

Relationships — with God, with one another as Sisters of Providence, with the people of God with whom and for whom they ministered — are at the heart of their ongoing vocation. These relationships made a difference in their lives and those relationships enabled them to make a difference in the lives of others.

Ann Matilda said, “I will always be grateful for wonderful relationships.” And then she named a host of sisters for whom she is grateful.

Jean Fuqua said, “My sister companions are and have been the best!”

Margaret Quinlan practically took the words out of Ann Matilda and Jean’s mouths, “I stayed because of the good company: my band, the community of sisters, but also the co-workers, and the parents and children, and others who supported us and our work.”

Jo Bryan also talked about sisters and the people of her ministries, “I stayed because the sisters and ministries fed my soul.”

Ditto for Dorothy Wolsiffer: “I stayed because of the support of other people and my supporting them.”

Why did Ruth Johnson stay? “You don’t depart from something where you are growing and making a difference.”

Ann Margaret echoed that sentiment, “I was needed, and I really did make a difference.”

As did Mary Ann Stewart, “I could make a difference in the lives of the kids that I taught.”

Similarly, Martha Rojo said, “I stay to continue to collaborate with others to be love, mercy and justice wherever Providence leads me/us.”

Claire Hanson and Betty Paul also spoke of the support of their SP sisters. Additionally, Claire mentioned, “It is our God’s grace and care that allows me to witness daily the Gospel message of love to one person at a time.” And Betty added, “My personal relationship with Jesus Christ has grown each year.”

Mary Ann Phelan likewise referred to her relationship with Christ. “There have been ups and downs, but the same Christ who first invited me to become a sister and helped me decide it was a Sister of Providence I wanted to be has been with me through all these times.”

Suzanne Dailey spoke of spiritual growth, “I took my final vows very seriously. I made a life commitment to keeping them as well as I could. So far, I hope I have done that.” 

Alice Ann expressed gratitude for the many opportunities to deepen her spirituality individually and communally. She also made it clear in her all-caps enthusiasm why she has stayed a Sister of Providence. “Whether we are serving on the frontline or back home in the galleys, we are SPs!!!”

Eileen Rose said it most succinctly, “It IS my life!”

Kathleen Leonard did not know I would refer to the Second Vatican Council so prominently in these reflections. Her response really sums up for me the meaning of this day for these jubilarians. She wrote:

Since we entered just after Vatican II closed, many externals were still the same, but change was in the very air we were breathing.

In that process, I came to believe that religious life was essential to the life of the Church, and we were the curators of that life. It was up to us to carry it forward into the future. So, I stayed because I believed I was called to this mission. 

As I have said, at various times and in multiple reflections, the world needs us for this. The world needs us to be signs of God’s Providence. The reseeding of religious life will continue because of the faithfulness of women like our jubilarians — rooted in Providence, sowing seeds of love, mercy, and justice, reseeding for the next generation to grow and flourish.

Once again, hear our Saint Mother Theodore Guerin say:

Ours is the preparation for the generation that will succeed us, and eminent good will be done this way by us. You may not live to see it, but you will have sown the seed, and your Sisters will come to reap what will have been sown.

Eminent good has already been done by you, my sister jubilarians. We trust that the wonderful relationships of your life will hold you fast, and that you, like Mary of Nazareth, will continue to offer your yes for the reseeding of religious life and for the sake of the life of our world.

AMEN.

* * *

As a sign of your ongoing yes to sow seeds of hope, Jubilarians, will you please stand and renew your vows as Sisters of Providence. And the jubilarians have asked that all Sisters of Providence stand and join them in this recommitment.