On Sunday, July 23, four Sisters of St Joseph of Cluny celebrated their Jubilees of Religious Profession.

Sisters Emeria Grace and Eugene Herrera, 65 years, and Sisters Pia Maria Babb and Goretti Cherebin, 50 years. Together, 230 years of service have been given to God and His Church through the Congregation. Because of serious illness Sr Goretti was unable to be present at the celebration.

Presiding over the very beautiful ceremony, consisting of Holy Mass with Renewal of Vows, was Archbishop Edward Gilbert, in the presence of His Excellency, the Papal Nuncio, Archbishop Thomas Gullickson. Concelebrating were Frs Arthur Lai Fook, Neil Rodriguez, Gregory Augustine CSSp and Fr Hugh Joyeau.

A great number of Sisters of the Province were present and many relatives, friends and past pupils of the Jubilarians. Sister Maureen Alexander, Assistant Provincial, warmly welcomed all.

The Archbishop, in his homily, acknowledged, and thanked the Jubilarians for the service rendered. The message he affirmed was that age was of no importance in God’s service, what really mattered was the witness given by lives of dedication and commitment and that one was never too old to continue to work for the reign of God’s Kingdom on earth by prayer and sacrifice.

He exhorted the jubilarians and the congregation to remember that “being” comes before doing “You are not important just because you do things but because you are – a creation of God.”

Congratulations, love and blessings were showered on these Sisters and good wishes that they will continue for many years.

The following citations were read at the start of the Eucharistic celebration:

Sister Pia Maria Babb

In 1981, Sr Pia Maria Babb celebrated 25 years of Religious Profession as a Sister of St Joseph of Cluny. Today she celebrates 50.

These have been years of faithful commitment to the vows made on the first day of her Religious Profession in response to Jesus’ call to sacrifice and love, on the part of those who seek to follow him. She can be described as a woman of great faith and determination – a woman of tremendous strength.

She believes in a God in whom nothing is impossible, the source of all her strength. Her quiet efficiency, dependability, generosity and gentle humour creates a peaceful and joyful atmosphere in community – quick to render service, to make a witty and wise comment and “to pull you up” if you are, in her opinion, not following “the Rule”.

“Remain where Providence has placed you. It is God’s Will that there you sanctify yourself and help those who claim your devotedness. It is for you the appointed field of apostolate.”

This was a recommendation of Blessed Anne Marie to her Sisters and was lived out in faith by Sr Pia Maria.

Her love for the Church and Christ’s representatives – bishops and priests – manifests itself in her respect and readiness to serve. She gives of herself unreservedly through parish ministry, visiting the prisons, the sick and housebound.

She prepares children and adults for the reception of the sacraments and is always ready to listen to those who confide in her and ask for prayers.

The people of Grenada and of St Vincent in particular, where most of her religious life was spent, have benefited from the services rendered to them through Sr Pia Maria. It is evident that they love her very much. This is reciprocal.

Congratulations, dear Sr Pia Maria. Thank you for your loyalty to the Church and to the Congregation. You have been an example to us of fidelity to the commitment you made 50 years ago.
May God bless you.

Sr Goretti Cherebin

Someone who is able to sing and laugh her way through trials and difficulties is Sr Maria Goretti Cherebin whose Religious Life we celebrate today. She has a resilience that enables her to conquer physical difficulties and is determined never to lose faith and trust in God.

Sr Maria Goretti Cherebin was born on December 11, 1933 in Grenada. She attended St Joseph’s Convent secondary school in St George’s and graduated in 1951. Three years later she expressed her desire for religious life in our Congregation and was admitted to the Novitiate House in Arouca, Trinidad on February 2, 1954. She completed her religious formation in 1956 and made her first profession on September 1, and was finally professed in 1963.

In order to prepare for her apostolate of teaching Sr Goretti was sent to the Catholic Teacher’s Training College where she obtained her Training College Diploma. A few years later she did a refresher course in England at the Southbend College in Sussex and obtained a Certificate in Professional Studies.

Sr Goretti began her teaching career as an assistant teacher in her native land – Grenada and from there came to Trinidad. She served as Vice Principal in the Catholic primary schools of St Vincent and St Lucia.

From 1966 to 1998 she held the position of principal of St Andrew’s and St Louis Primary Schools in Grenada and fulfilled her task cheerfully and conscientiously.

Sister Goretti has always been thoughtful of others, especially priests. Visitors to the Community admire her very simple and gracious manner.

She is always ready to refresh them with a mid-morning drink or a cup of tea. As proof of these patterns of personal attention it was sometimes surprising to see the letters delivered by the postman – “thank you”, “God bless you” and the like coming from those who paid us visits.

She is a great sharer in community life, especially at prayer time. She loves singing. She would sing all of Morning Prayer when the other Sisters would be anxious to leave the Chapel in order to be on time for Mass in the parish church.

It is very sad to think that on the verge of her Golden Jubilee, she seems to be preparing to spend it in heaven with her spouse. All her emotions are remarkably present in her conduct – weeping, smiling, singing with her visitors.

A revision of her lifestyle seems to be taking place, even planning a party for the nurses around her and listing the delicious punch de crème, cake, ice cream and naming all those to be invited.

May the good Lord be with her to bless her and make her Golden Jubilee an occasion of spiritual delight.

Sr Eugene Herrera

One word that describes Sr Eugene’s character and life is “irrepressible”. She would like to solve any problem, console every person, convert every soul, read every book, and attend every meeting.

Sr Eugene’s life remains filled to overflowing with all that Christ asks in the Gospel. She keeps track of many past pupils. She talks to every person she meets and wants to know about them, and she usually knows the grandmother, uncle or aunt already, or taught the mother at school or had her in her Catechism class.

Sr Eugene has a special place in her heart for priests and would not hesitate to say what she thinks if she does not agree with them.

There is openness to life about her; she is not shocked or surprised about what she hears, yet always tries to bring the person around to acting like Christ.

The interesting thing about her is that she is always ready to laugh at her own foibles, her sense of humour never lets her down, and she is he first to burst out laughing. She loves every single member of her family and keeps track of everyone and what they are doing, where they are going and what are their plans.

We congratulate you today as you celebrate 65 years of dedicated service to the Church and Congregation. May your missionary zeal live on! God bless you.
 

Sr Emeria Grace

In 1941 Sr Emeria Grace responded in obedience and trust to the call to leave her native Ireland to come to Trinidad.

She immediately embarked on a teaching career for which she was already prepared. Efficiency, simplicity and sincerity are some of the qualities for which she is well known.

Being a perfectionist she readily passed on to her pupils the quality of striving for excellence in all that they do. She inculcated in them a genuine love of duty, a fidelity to the practice of their religious duties and a willingness to be of service to all in need.

With the establishment of the first Nunciature in Trinidad in 1980, she willingly agreed when asked to take care of the household and spent 11 years in this service, three of which were Lagos Nigeria, by special request of the Nuncio.

Her service was recognised by our Holy Father the Pope when she received the award “Pro Ecclesia et Pontiface” in 1996.

Sister Emeria has a great sense of beauty, evident in the lovely flower gardens and landscaping which enhanced the community and school premises where she worked and lived.

This overflows in the manner in which she presents a meal or keeps house. Her gracious and gentle disposition creates a peaceful atmosphere in the community. Always pleasant, accommodating, available and approachable to community living and building.

At present, Sr Emeria is at Lourdes House where her special apostolate is now one of prayer and sacrifice, which we all know to be powerful.

May Jesus and His blessed Mother to whom you have a great devotion, dear Sr Emeria, continue to walk with you as you journey onwards.
Congratulations.