It was 1952 when I first saw Sr. Christine, as she glided up the aisle to receive Holy Communion in the chapel at the Sacred Heart Orphanage in West Park, New York. I had been with the Missionary Sisters for eight years but had never actually been with them at Mass and seen them receive Holy Communion. I stood in the balcony as she played the organ for the Profession Ceremony to which we had been invited. I was really affected by Sr. Christine’s serenity. Her demeanor and the fact that she was ministering to the orphans intensified my secret longing to become a Missionary Sister and to care for orphans.

Little did I know that nine years later I would be on mission with Sister Christine at Cabrini High School in New Orleans. It was there that my first impressions were confirmed as I observed her interactions with the sisters, faculty and students. The more vulnerable and needy an individual, the more Christine reached out to that person. It could be just to listen, to give some firm direction, to offer encouragement or to show acceptance of a person rejected by others.

In the ensuing years, the Institute asked much of Christine. However, she trusted that if she lived out the vow of obedience, Jesus would take care of the rest. Her favorite quote from St. Paul has always been, “I live, no longer I, but Christ lives in me.” I truly believe that Christine emptied herself and renounced her own desires to let Jesus take over and to do whatever she was asked despite the cost.

I will be forever grateful for Christine’s listening to me. I suspect that there are many other MSCs who found the same support during those years. Thanks, “Chrisy” for letting Jesus take over your life and for all you have given to us.

This Story of the Heart was written by Sr. Catherine Garry, MSC, now, a member of the Provincial Council.

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