‘Keep Their Mission Alive’: Holy Family Community Members Connect With Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth During Pilgrimage

Two members of the Holy Family University community recently received the opportunity to connect with the history, mission and charism of the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth and reflect on ways the University can continue to carry out the Sisters’ mission for many years to come.

Stephanie McCarthy, Director of Campus Ministry, and Lisa Radecke, Director of Human Resources, represented Holy Family University on a three-day Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth pilgrimage in Chicago in November. McCarthy and Radecke attended the pilgrimage from Nov. 8 to Nov. 10 with about 20 people from other sponsored ministries, including two staff members from Nazareth Academy High School.

Upon returning from Chicago, McCarthy and Radecke reflected on the pilgrimage, what they learned during the trip and how they hope to utilize the experience to positively impact the Holy Family community.

Preparing for a ‘Transformative Journey’

Before leaving, the Sisters shared with McCarthy and Radecke how a pilgrimage is not a vacation, but instead “a soulful travel, a transformative journey, a spiritual exercise and a time to look at ourselves and what surrounds us with new eyes.” McCarthy said the Sisters encouraged them to be open to be changed by the experience and to give the experience the “intention of attention.”

“Personally, my intention was to fully soak in the mission and charism of our Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth with an open mind and an open heart, allowing whatever graces God wanted me to take from this experience to be planted within so that their fruits become a part of the ministry here at Holy Family University,” McCarthy said.

McCarthy and Radecke arrived in Chicago on Friday. They were warmly greeted by Sister Marta, who transported them to the Sisters’ Provincial home in Des Plaines, Illinois. Upon their arrival, McCarthy and Radecke were greeted by a group of Sisters who showed them to their rooms and had lunch waiting for them.

After lunch, the pilgrims and some of the Sisters visited the shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe. The shrine was preparing for the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe on Dec. 12. The group spent time praying at the outside shrine and the chapel.

In the evening, the pilgrims got to know each other over dinner, through prayerful reflections on Mission, and the way each person felt connected to the organization they were representing.

“It was so interesting to hear about the amazing work of the other ministries, and their dedication to the mission of the Sisters,” Radecke said.

Following the Footsteps of Mother Foundress

On Saturday, the group of pilgrims went on a bus tour of several sites that Mother Foundress Frances Siedliska and 11 other Sisters ministered when they first arrived in the Chicagoland area. Sister Marie, the pilgrimage tour guide, talked about all of the sites and provided historical information about Chicago and the founding years of the Sisters.

The first stop of the trip was at St. Josaphat Church. Mass was celebrated with a Resurrectionist Father, an order of priests that has been connected with the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth since Blessed Mary of Jesus the Good Shepherd's early days in the U.S.

The group also learned about Mother Foundress’ spiritual director, Father Lechert, who helped make sure the Sisters were welcomed during their early years in the U.S. Father Lechert and Mother Foundress corresponded through letters, which allowed the Sisters to document many details regarding the early years of the order.

The pilgrimage continued through Chicago, where participants saw various locations where the Sisters previously had ministries. Lunch took place at St. Mary of Nazareth Hospital, which was started by the Sisters in 1894. Despite going through many transitions due to mergers of different health systems, the Sisters have been able to maintain a sense of their charism within the hospital’s culture. The pilgrims next visited a legacy room with artifacts from the hospital and the Sisters’ work there over the years.

“What impressed me most about this ministry was the reminder that our Sisters truly have shared their mission with the laity in each and every ministry they founded and worked in,” McCarthy said. “Even when the number of Sisters physically present in a sponsored ministry has declined, their charism has lived on—this is a testament to their willingness to be partners in mission and their surrender to God’s providence.”

The tour concluded at a cemetery in Des Plaines where hundreds of the Sisters were buried, including Sister Philomena, the first Sister to pass away in the U.S. in 1885.

McCarthy recalled it started to rain when they arrived at the cemetery, and the dreary provided a somber reminder of the holy ground the group stood on.

“Being at the cemetery filled me with the gratitude of all those Sisters whom I have never met, but whose spirit and purpose lives on through the work of our Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth and all those who work at their sponsored missions,” McCarthy said. “We, the laity, have the honor and privilege to carry out their mission each and every day. While partnering to expand the mission we, too, are working to build up the kingdom of God. We may be physically apart, but we are always spiritually connected and rooted in this mission, charism, and purpose.”

Radecke marveled about the magnitude of the impact the Sisters had shortly after their arrival in the U.S.

“I was amazed at the vast amount of work that was started by Mother Foundress Frances Siedliska and 11 other Sisters in their first few years in America,” Radecke said of the experience. “Those Sisters, most in their early 20s, were so brave to leave their families and homes to come to another country to fill a need.”

‘We Have a Responsibility’

After departing Chicago, McCarthy and Radecke both reflected on the impact the pilgrimage had on them. McCarthy described the trip as something she will remember for the rest of her life.

“Mother Foundress was a woman of deep discernment,” McCarthy said. “It was shared that she took three months to respond to the request to come to America. She used this time to prayerfully discern where it was that God was calling her. Ultimately, she felt that call and acted upon it. I can’t help but think about all the lives that have been touched over the last 150 years of the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth—both in America and across the world—because of a response to a call, a vocation that was rooted deep in faith and love and community.”

Radecke believes the Sisters set an example that should be followed by everyone and encouraged all Holy Family community members to learn more about the Sisters, their history and the amazing impact they have had on so many people and communities.

“As partners in mission, we have a responsibility to not only carry on the work of the Sisters, but also to share their stories and keep their mission alive,” Radecke said.