{"id":361,"date":"2014-08-13T19:33:39","date_gmt":"2014-08-13T19:33:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shcj.org\/american\/?page_id=361"},"modified":"2014-11-06T16:24:28","modified_gmt":"2014-11-06T16:24:28","slug":"retirement-is-not-for-everyone","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.shcj.org\/american\/news-events\/press-releases\/retirement-is-not-for-everyone\/","title":{"rendered":"Retirement is Not for Everyone"},"content":{"rendered":"

SHCJ Sisters Are Happy to Make a Commitment for Life<\/h4>\n
\"SHCJ6a_000\"<\/figure>\n

You can count on children to cut to the heart of the issue. Two preschoolers were overheard discussing their grandfather\u2019s retirement: The older sister explained to her sibling, \u201cNow Grandpa has time to play.\u201d The younger child wondered aloud, \u201cDoes he know how to play?\u201d The comment, while quite sweet, is also revealing. Commitment to a job or career often eclipses all areas of life to the point where we may forget what is truly important. But career satisfaction can be short lived with a shelf life of about 25 years. Retirement is the light at the end of the tunnel.<\/p>\n

However, Sisters of the Society of the Holy Child Jesus (SHCJ), who are now in their \u201cgolden years,\u201d are finding satisfaction not from retiring, but by continuing to actively live the Society\u2019s maxim, Actions Not Words.<\/p>\n

Recently four Holy Child Sisters were interviewed about their views on ministering and retirement. New York residents Rosemary Hayes, SHCJ, and Margaret Rogers, SHCJ, and Philadelphia\u2019s Elizabeth Gehrman, SHCJ and Mary Jane Hicks, SHCJ, all in their 80s, have spent their lives serving God through their service to others and they have no intention of stopping anytime soon. These women exhibit a joy and energy that is inspirational.<\/p>\n

A Calling is for Life<\/strong>
\nAs their stories unfold, the Sisters\u2019 journeys to religious life seem to be remarkably similar. At a very young age these women felt a strong desire to devote their lives to God. As their friends married after graduating from high school, these four women prepared themselves to answer the call from God to enter religious life.<\/p>\n

For most of us, the ubiquitous question, \u201cWhat do you want to do when you grow up?\u201d can be difficult to answer. Some people meander through life and stumble into jobs and careers, lured by the salary, hours, location, benefits or other factors. The fortunate ones find professions and engage in work from which they derive personal satisfaction and are able to contribute to the greater good.<\/p>\n

Holy Child Sisters who have answered the call may hold jobs, have careers or enter professions. But above all else, they are women of service and prayer who share a commitment to God — a commitment to do God\u2019s work and serve others.<\/p>\n

\"SHCJ6b_000\"<\/figure>\n

Generous and Great Hearts Know No Bounds<\/strong>
\nThe Society\u2019s Foundress, Cornelia Connelly, once said, \u201cTo do anything well we must do it with our hearts, with our mind and with our strength for the love of God, of ourselves and of our neighbors.\u201d The sentiment aptly describes the Sisters\u2019 calls to religious life. Although they have followed different paths in their work, they have exhibited the love and commitment of which Cornelia Connelly spoke.<\/p>\n

Immediately following her Profession of Vows, Sister Margaret assumed her teaching duties in the U.S. She was then assigned to Nigeria where she spent 22 years. Sister Rosemary\u2019s path was similar. Starting as a teacher in the States, her next stop was Ghana, then Nigeria, then Lesotho. These remarkable women, upon returning to the U.S., were eager to continue the missionary work they loved. Their commitment to the Society\u2019s mission of helping others to believe that God lives and acts in them, and to rejoice in God\u2019s presence, energized the Sisters as they assumed new responsibilities in the States. Eventually assigned to Dalton Center for Mission, Sisters Margaret and Rosemary continue to direct the center, which supports Holy Child Sisters who are serving in Africa, Chile, and the Dominican Republic.<\/p>\n

Although Dalton Center for Mission is based in New York, the Sisters crisscross the country speaking in parishes and classrooms about the Society\u2019s work, underscoring the importance of missionary work. They are also responsible for coordinating mission appeals. Dalton Center for Mission provides a base for mission education across the country and is a hub for solicitation and distribution of funds for overseas ministries. In 2010, Sisters Rosemary and Margaret coordinated the schedules of 11 Sisters who visited 63 parishes in 11 states and spoke at 236 Masses, reminding many that they, too, are missionaries right where they are.<\/p>\n

The Sisters\u2019 strong belief in their service motivates them and they hope to continue to share their mission with others as long as they are able. Their desire is to increase awareness of the role that each and every one of us can play as missionaries. Through prayer and financial support it is possible for all of us to extend love to those in need throughout the world. It\u2019s a message the Sisters live every day.<\/p>\n

Taking God\u2019s View<\/strong>
\nSisters Elizabeth and Mary Jane have spent decades doing for others. As teachers and principals, they ministered to their students, their families, and the community. As Sister Elizabeth observed, \u201cI\u2019m happiest when I\u2019m doing for others.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sister Mary Jane echoes this sentiment. She experienced great joy as an educator. Years later, when she entered parish work, she found tremendous satisfaction responding to the diverse needs of the parish she served.<\/p>\n

The joy derived from doing for others has permeated their lives and left them with a desire to continue their good works. Underlying their commitment to live as a Sister of the Holy Child Jesus is the principle of Actions Not Words, also the motto of the Society of the Holy Child Jesus.<\/p>\n

Sister Mary Jane delivers meals to a homebound woman and visits with her weekly. \u201cThe contact adds richness to her life \u2013 and to mine,\u201d she said. Several times a year, she attends a dinner for homeless families. \u201cSpeaking with these women and their children allows me to share God\u2019s love with them and to listen to them with an open heart.\u201d In addition to these activities, Sister Mary Jane is very active in assisting at the Rosemont School of the Holy Child by serving as a receptionist.<\/p>\n

Sister Elizabeth\u2019s life has been and continues to be defined by service to others and filling needs \u2013 needs that present themselves at different levels. On the individual level, it may involve being a driving resource for Sisters who are no longer driving. On a larger scale, it involves being active in EcoSpirituality, a group that seeks to grow in light of new scientific findings about creation. Sister Elizabeth also volunteers in the Society\u2019s American Province Offices by assisting in maintaining the health records of the Sisters.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t Call Me Retired<\/strong>
\nThe call to religious life is a lifetime commitment. The accountant can trade in her spreadsheets for a tennis racket; a carpenter can swap his tools for a prime spot on the beach. But the Sisters commitment is deeper and all-encompassing: It is a commitment to action and meeting the wants of the age. In whatever capacity a Sister of the Holy Child Jesus chooses to do this, the commitment remains for life. And this commitment changes the lives of those it touches.<\/p>\n

Is Retirement in Their Future?<\/strong>
\nWhen asked what they will be doing in the next few years, the Sisters agreed, \u201cWhatever\u2026whatever the need.\u201d Thankful for good health, they believe their vocation will afford them opportunities to be occupied, active, and making a difference. They look to the future with confidence, certain they will discover ways God is calling them to meet the wants of the age. And because they are women of prayer, if there comes a time when they are unable to physically serve others, they will continue to play a viable role assisting others through their prayers.<\/p>\n

Lessons for the Laity<\/strong>
\nWhether your retirement plans include travel, recreation, family time, or volunteer work, the Sisters offer inspiration for a post-retirement lifestyle that nurtures body, mind, and soul. Discovering a \u201ccalling\u201d in retirement involves listening, seeing, and believing: listening to those around you to discern how you can help; seeing the possibilities; and knowing that God\u2019s path for you will allow you to make use of your talents to help others. A calling does not require a commitment to religious life, but it does require a commitment to the principle of doing for others.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

SHCJ Sisters Are Happy to Make a Commitment for Life You can count on children to cut to the heart of the issue. Two preschoolers were overheard discussing their grandfather\u2019s retirement: The older sister explained to her sibling, \u201cNow Grandpa has time to play.\u201d The younger child wondered aloud, \u201cDoes he know how to play?\u201d […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":385,"featured_media":0,"parent":45,"menu_order":40,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-361","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shcj.org\/american\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/361","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shcj.org\/american\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shcj.org\/american\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shcj.org\/american\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/385"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shcj.org\/american\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=361"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.shcj.org\/american\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/361\/revisions"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shcj.org\/american\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/45"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shcj.org\/american\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=361"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}