What has been cooking in the CDN?   

The last few weeks have seen us celebrate and keep some of the Maryknoll sisters’ festivities. We celebrated Mother Mary Joseph’s anniversary on the 9th of October.

Mother Mary Joseph, the foundress of Maryknoll Sisters was born on October 27, 1882, in Roxbury, Massachusetts as the fourth child in a family of eight siblings. She founded the congregation in1912. As Sister Camilla Kennedy, MM writes in her book, "They were the first American community of women religious devoted exclusively to the worldwide mission of the Catholic Church." 

Mother Mary Joseph died on October 9, 1955, at the age of 73. Her anniversary is celebrated by her sisters wherever they are, thanking God for the woman who shaped them…. It’s because of her that we are! These celebrations were extended to the CDN community this year. Annie Killian did a lovely dessert and I read my favorite stories of Mary Joseph as told by sisters who lived with her. The stories were compiled by Sister Jennie Natividad, MM.

 

                     Community warming up for dessert                        sharing Mother Mary Joseph story

On the feast of St Teresa, we kept the famous tradition of having Ice-Cream Sodas. We at the CDN celebrated with Coke or Gingerale with either chocolate or mint ice-creams. This tradition was first introduced by Mollie when the sisters moved from Hawthorne to Ossining Maryknoll. 

Theresa Baldini, MM, and Madeline McHugh MM write in their book, Mollie's Legacy of Love’, "On October 15, 1915, Mother Mary Joseph started a Maryknoll tradition by celebrating St. Teresa’s Feast Day with ice cream sodas. She secretly set up a soda fountain and booths in the garden, but Margaret Shea, unaccustomed to handling such a large bottle of soda, managed to spray it all over the kitchen before the party started, and another had to be purchased. The soda fountain offered such tempting concoctions as Ningpo Sundae and Chop Suey, with Mary Joseph (a.k.a Mollie by then) and Margaret serving as soda jerks. In what also became a Maryknoll custom, the party was followed by three-legged sack races and dancing. There were birthday parties, plays, picnics, and outings to Rye Beach, where the women went swimming in the tank suits of the time!" 

What a perfect example of service and love for others from Mother Mary Joseph! She reminds me that Joy is found in serving others in the ordinary. It is not how much I give, but how much love I put into giving.