Praying our goodbyes is part and parcel of the missionary activities of the Company of the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul. Just as the concept of “coming and going” is for us dating back to the period of the Lumiere of Mademoiselle le Gras in 1624. We do not have a permanent mission in life, we come and go wherever and whenever to where the Divine Providence wishes to place us; always with the gift of faith and total dependence in the God who called us into the Company. A situation which is not often understood by those who observe us from outside. However, because we made a pact to go wherever the providence of God may send us, whenever the call comes, we pick up our tent and move. Today, it is a special privilege to write about our “Thank You” and “Well done” to Sr. Bernadette Macmahon, a formidable Sister and mentor from the Irish Province of the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent De Paul who served on the Advisory Board to the Sisters serving at the United Nations between 2006 and 2024.
Sr. Bernadette served in the Advisory Board as a bearer of history and sharer of patrimonies. Her presence and contributions at meetings were always full of insights with historical connotations. You could not go wrong as Sr. Bernadette was in one way like a gate keeper reminding us of the Company’s expectation of members in the group and what it meant to be representing the Company at the United Nations. For example, “being an advocate at the UN means being constantly aware of and seizing opportunities to raise awareness and to seeking commitments from influencers and decision makers. It also entails keeping up to date regarding facts and figures and of being very familiar with the ways the U.N. operates at Geneva and New York. These activities are important elements of the role of Daughters of Charity at the United Nations”
How important it is for us to be able to pay attention to the gift that each sister is to the Company, the Church and the Society. For it is in such treasured members and memories, uncountable in the company that we have been able to keep records of events and milestones for posterity.
After 18 years of generous sharing of time and wisdom, we cannot forget to say our ‘thank you’ to Sr. Bernadette and to all our Sisters who have served the Company and those who are poor in whatever capacity they have been asked to do. In the same vein, we add our “Thank You” and “well done” to Sr. Marie Raw, Sr. Catherine Prendergast, Sr. Monique Javouey, Sr. Maria Ligia Hernandez, and “hearty welcome” to Sr. Zofia Daniscakova and Sr. Luz Elena Medina who come with their gifts to enrich the group and to mentor for advocacy.
We are the better when we learn to open our spaces and allow ourselves to be graced by the special gifts that we are to each other and to our brothers and sisters who live in poverty. Finally, we pray eternal rest and thank God for the lives and times of our Sisters Evelyn Franc, Kathleen Appler and Margaret O’Dwyer who have gone before us and graced us with their vision, zeal and commitment to ensuring that everyone counts.
By Sr. Francesca Edet, DC.
