Sister Mary Catherine Rogers, passed away on Wednesday May 5, 2010 following a brief illness.  After completing her novitiate, Sr. Mary Catherine, a graduate of Bon Secours School of Nursing in Baltimore, MD, served in Bon Secours Hospital’s Labor and Delivery,  her department in Baltimore before receiving a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Catholic University of America.

She went on to serve in ministries in Richmond, VA and Grosse, Point, MI. Sr. Mary Catherine later returned to Baltimore just after her 25th jubilee, and in October 1983, she was elected as a councilor to the Congregation Team in Rome, Italy.

Many will remember Sr. Mary Catherine as the Sponsor representative on the Board of Directors at St. Francis Xavier Hospital in Charleston and as Sr. Vice President of Sponsorship at Bon Secours Venice Hospital in Venice, Florida. 

Sr. Mary Catherine was a nursing instructor in the School of Nursing and many a nurse today owe their nursing license to her because  her teaching methods were so thorough. 

She loved the charism of BonSecours.  Sharing … continue reading…

though God initiates a call it’s also the personal witness of the sister’s life (or priest’s) which helps to awaken another person’s desires to generously respond to Jesus’ calling.

Sr. Rita Thomas has done it again!  Or rather, she has never stopped doing it.  What, you may ask?  Sr. Rita has never stopped providing good help to those in need.  As a Sister of Bon Secours, good help is just “who” she is!  And now, the Catholic Health Association of the United States has acknowledged her work, and awarded her with their Lifetime Achievement Award.  The award recognizes Sr. Rita’s dedication to strengthening ministries of the Sisters of Bon Secours as well as the Bon Secours Health System.  CLICK HERE to read the full article.

Contemplative, Cloistered, Semi-Cloistered, Apostolic, Nun, Sister…

These are all terms that I  find myself talking about daily.  They are also terms that many young Catholics cannot define or differentiate.

I am asked frequently, “What is the difference between a nun and a sister?”

Traditionally, there   is a clear difference, but nowadays, the lines have become a bit blurry.  Both nuns and sisters are women who have dedicated themselves to live vowed religious lives (of chastity, poverty and obedience) within the Catholic Church, following in the footsteps of Jesus in ministry.  Both have dedicated themselves to God. 

So, the difference, then, to put it simply, and traditionally, is that a nun lives her life within the walls of a monastery cloister,  serving others through contemplative prayer, while a sister shares her gifts out in the world, directly impacting those in need. 

Nuns live a cloistered life within their own community/monastery, rarely going outside of their monastery.  That is where they live, pray, work and recreate. 

Sisters, however, are never called “nuns”.  They are vowed religious sisters and are considered apostolic, or active.  Some sisters live, pray and work both within their own community and its … continue reading…

In the midst of her mission, Sr. Elaine has had the opportunity to explore South Africa and was kind enough to send me another update with pictures. 
Hi everyone,

This week we’re getting back to work (working in the clinic, delivering the nutrition to the townships, re-starting the food for the refugee shelter, etc…).  Our couple of weeks on “holiday” were nice, we got a chance to relax, visit, clean the house real good and work in the yard, and do the fun Christmas and New Year activities.   

Attached this time are pictures from our trips to look for the “big 5”  (elephant, rhino, buffalo, lion and cheetah) that Vicky talked about last November.  We learned they are called that because they are the most dangerous animals to men who are hunting them on foot.   Enjoy.

Love,

Sister Elaine
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