Skip to main content

February Brings Changes to St. Augustine Motherhouse

As of February 2nd this year I no longer have the responsibilities of  serving as Motherhouse Coordinator/Administrator. Sister Ann Kuhn, who is assistant General Superior of our Congregation and has been manager of the Marriage Tribunal for the Diocese of St. Augustine for many years, assumed the Motherhouse Coordinator position that evening in a special prayer service in the Motherhouse chapel. 


Sister Ann Kuhn and I stand on right side of altar as S. Kathleen Carr leads Motherhouse Community in prayer over both of us. 


After eight and a half years in this position, I was ready for a change. And, to my delight and surprise, the General Superior and leadership team have gifted me with a mini-sabbatical of two months before I begin my new full-time General Councilor position working in the areas of Congregational communications, strategic planning, and on-going formation. I will remain at the Motherhouse until our Feb. 22nd Congregational assembly and then leave for a month. I will return for a week at the end of March to attend a two-day planning meeting and get a newsletter written, then go back on sabbatical for the entire month of April. This is the first sabbatical I have ever had, so it will be all new to me. God works in surprising ways!

After the special Evening Prayer service, at which each Sister received a lit candle, they all enjoyed a supper ordered by our General Superior, Sister Kathleen Carr. 

Although I am no longer serving as Motherhouse Coordinator, I plan to keep on writing this blog, hoping to make it more frequent, if possible, after my sabbatical. 

Happy Valentine's Day from the Congregation of the Great Love of God! - Sister Carol Stovall, SSJ/General Councilor







Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

October 2018 Do you like to look at old photos? Most of us do, even though the quality of the photos may have faded over time. Here I am at about age 11 or 12 standing with my Mother and my sister Barbara's mother-in-law, Mrs. Leila Ponce, in Mrs. Ponce's front yard in north Jacksonville. My Mother, Grace Stovall, is holding my first nephew and her first grandson, Patrick Ponce, in her arms following his baptism, I believe. This was around 1960 or 1961. See the old cars behind us? My nephew had to find a copy of his baptismal certificate recently because he plans to get married in April in a Catholic church up in North Carolina. He was baptized in our home parish, Holy Rosary, in Jacksonville. At this time I was a student at Holy Rosary School. My parents allowed me to go there after it opened, which for me was when I was entering fourth grade. My first teacher in Catholic school was Sister Philip Neri, an Irish Sister of St. Joseph who died tragically in an automobile cr...
2 comments
Read more
Springbank Retreat, Kingstree, S.C . Spring Sabbatical in South Carolina during COVID-19  There are some events in one's life that you will never forget. For me, one was hearing of President John F. Kennedy's assassination in Dallas, Texas, when I was a student at Bishop Kenny High School in Jacksonville, Florida. Another was hearing of the bombing of the World Trade Centers when I was driving to Stuart, Florida from Palm Beach Gardens.  This spring I heard of the COVID-19 pandemic in our country while I was on a two-month sabbatical at Springbank Retreat in Kingstree, South Carolina, from late February to late April. The stay-at-home orders actually came while I was with my nephew Patrick and his wife Mina touring Charleston, South Carolina. We were able to do our tours of the historic district on a Saturday in March, but the Sunday tours were cancelled.  One of many lovely houses in Charleston, SC The COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic has changed dai...
Post a Comment
Read more
 Pandemic and Presence  The Catholic Health Association graphic of a woman wearing a mask (above) to demonstrate her love of her neighbors during the Covid-19 pandemic is one of the best visuals I have to symbolize what self-sacrificing love looks like right now in our world. I do not know one person who enjoys wearing a mask, especially here in Florida with our heat and humidity.  Another way to demonstrate self-sacrificing love now is staying home and avoiding risky behaviors such as optional traveling and being in crowded groups of people where others may not be wearing masks and social distancing is difficult.  As Sisters of St. Joseph who have been seized by God's love, we work in collaboration with others to bring union and reconciliation to our world "that  all may be one." (John 17;21) Looking back at all the tragic events of 2020 and even recently in our own country, the need for this mission and charism of healing and reconciliation and unity is greate...
Post a Comment
Read more