Sr. Sylvia Yates, MSC, is a member of the community of St. Cabrini Residence, and has been a religious for more than seventy years, most of which were spent in teaching in MSC elementary schools. Having gradually lost her hearing, she is now profoundly deaf. Communicating with her is by the written word.

When I visit her, although I may interrupt her favorite pastime of reading mystery stories, her smile is friendly and welcoming. If I ask her to show me the poems she has composed, she will comply gladly.

In my copy of the New Testament, one section of Chapter 13, of St. Paul’s First Letter to the Corinthians, is entitled Excellence of the Gift of Love. I substitute “Sylvia” in the way love is described in lines 4-7. “Sylvia is patient; Sylvia is kind. Sylvia is not jealous, she does not put on airs, she is not snobbish. Sylvia is never rude, she is not self-seeking, not prone to anger; neither does she brood over injuries…There is no limit to Sylvia’s forbearance, trust, hope and power to endure…”

This seems to be a true cameo of Sister Sylvia. She is an excellent gift to our community.

Sr. Sylvia’s Story of the Heart was written by Sr. Philippa Provenzano, MSC, a community member of the St. Cabrini Residence.

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Stories of the Heart: The Missionary Sisters are as diverse as the ministries in which we work. We are educators, nurses, social workers, campus ministers, pastoral care workers, spiritual directors, and administrators. We invite you to share in our stories.