The American Province launched Graced Moments in 2024, a monthly series in which a Holy Child Sister shared a grace-filled experience that has influenced her life. The project flows from the Society’s mission “to help others to believe that God lives and acts in them and in our world.”

To celebrate the 2026 launch of the Holy Child Collaborative—a vibrant, interwoven community of Sisters and lay partners grounded in the Gospel and inspired by Cornelia’s charism of Incarnational Spirituality—this year’s Graced Moments will feature reflections from Sisters, Associates, Holy Child schools and ministries, staff, alumni, friends, etc.

We are delighted to feature Maureen Duffy, SHCJ, and Camille Leonowitz as they launch this year’s Graced Moments with a reflection on their work in the American Province Archives. Thank you, Sister Maureen and Camille!

Click the audio player to listen to Sister Maureen and Camille read their
reflection or see the text below. If you like to share a comment
for Sister Maureen and Camille, please see below.
Enjoy!

 

“Holy Child values don’t just mean one thing – they are
interpreted and enacted uniquely” to meet the Wants of the Age

Sister Maureen: Camille, you’re now in your second year at the Archives, and you spent a large portion of your first-year writing necrologies for over 70 Holy Child Sisters. What was that experience like?

Camille: I was so glad to take on the necrology project during my first year at the Archives, because there really was no better way for me to become acquainted with the Holy Child Sisters and the Society’s mission. By exploring individual sisters’ lives in such an intimate capacity, I not only learned exactly what Holy Child values entail but also conceptualized these values by learning in great detail how they are enacted in a multitude of ways. In doing so, the aspect of service particularly stood out to me and has inspired me to integrate Holy Child values into my own life as I begin my career.

It’s important to acknowledge that I couldn’t have been successful in the necrology project if it weren’t for your help, Maureen, or Emily’s. What was your experience like assisting me with this project?

Sister Maureen: I appreciate the openness and objectivity that you brought to the project.  I may have known a sister in a particular window of time, unaware of the many facets of her life that evolved over time.  The panoramic view of individual lives and the rich tapestry of each life that you provided is deeply appreciated. In particular, what stood out to you about the lives of service these women have lived?

Camille: What stood out to me the most is the incredible breadth of how the mission of service has been realized. For example, there are sisters like Ann-Joyce Peters and Edwina Menten, who spent years or even decades of their lives serving impoverished communities in Chile–in the midst of a military coup, no less. Meanwhile, there is no shortage of sisters who led lives of service that were just as meaningful, yet they did so very quietly. An example that comes to mind is Sr. Gemma Gargano, who spent over 40 years working in the kitchens of Holy Child convents. She was such an unassuming figure, but I found that the outpouring of love and appreciation for her upon her death was truly fantastic. It just goes to show that Holy Child values don’t just mean one thing–they are interpreted and enacted uniquely by each sister, in equally meaningful ways.

Most of the necrologies I wrote were for sisters who lived fairly recently.

Are there other sisters, perhaps from earlier eras, who you would like to mention that stand out to you?

Sister Maureen:  I would like to highlight two groups of women.  First our lay sisters.  In the 1860’s at Sharon there was no electricity, no central heat, no modern conveniences of any type.  There may have been as many as twenty lay sisters at Sharon at that time.  They labored in the kitchen, laundry, bakehouse, farm and dairy.  They managed the coal stoves which provided heat in various rooms and trimmed, filled and cleaned the paraffin lamps which provided light. They cleaned all the common rooms in the house. All were engaged in arduous manual labor in the stifling heat of summer and the bitter cold of winter.  No matter the weather, cows needed to be milked and fed.  The other animals, probably pigs and chickens,  also needed feeding and care.  Vegetables needed to be planted in the garden, tended to and harvested when ready.  Ripened fruit from the fruit trees needed to be picked.  While a few men may have been hired for some tasks, our lay sisters provided most of the labor needed at Sharon.  All that they did was in order to make things a bit easier for the sisters who went out to teach.

The second group I would like to highlight are the sisters who came from England in the early days of our province.  They came to a country and a culture quite different from that in England.  One superior suggested that the sisters, when writing letters to England, refrain from contrasting their life here with that of England, until they had been here for two years.  These early sisters came and incarnated themselves into the country, going where they were asked to go and doing what they were asked to do.   They left family and friends understanding they would probably not return to England.  They dedicated themselves to a life of service in meeting the wants of the age.

Camille serves as archives assistant for the American Province, and Sister Maureen generously shares her time as a volunteer. We’re so grateful to have them both!

 

“It is not presumption to have hope and joy
and confidence in God’s grace.”

-Venerable Cornelia Connelly

What in Sister Maureen and Camille’s graced moment resonated with you? Please share below.