In the month of August, life at St. Anne’s home was vibrantly imbued with the spirit of our mother foundress, St. Jeanne Jugan. Each afternoon at 12:45, sisters, residents, staff and visitors joined together as a family to pray a novena to St. Jeanne Jugan. A staff member described this sacred time as “a hook to hang her day on.” One of the residents edified us by her faith in the intercession of St. Jeanne Jugan. Throughout the novena, she prayed fervently for a member of her family who was going through a difficult situation. She entrusted her loved one to St. Jeanne Jugan and towards the end of the novena, shared the joyous news that her petition had been granted beyond her expectations. Praised be Jesus Christ!
St. Jeanne Jugan’s spirit is most clearly embodied by the everyday acts of love. For as the Apostle St. John says, we must “[love not] in word or speech but in deed and in truth” (1 John 3:18). Through the collaboration of the members of St. Anne’s Home, the month was marked by opportunities to learn more about St. Jeanne Jugan and to enter into her spirit. These included a movie marathon about her life, trivia, picture bingo and a word search. Each day after the novena prayer, the residents were invited for a time of spiritual reading and reflection on the book, 15 Days of Prayer with St. Jeanne Jugan. The month culminated with a Mass in honor of St. Jeanne Jugan celebrated by Archbishop Emeritus John Quinn and was followed by a festive meal. When speaking about our foundress St. Jeanne Jugan, someone once said, “she was too little not to be great one day.” With hearts filled with gratitude, we look back on this blessed month and give thanks and glory to God for the luminous example of our humble foundress, St. Jeanne Jugan.
August – The Month of St. Jeanne Jugan at St. Anne’s Home