By: Tori Kadish
“Where would I be without St. Jeanne Jugan right now?” Resident JoAnne Zurlinden states while resting after some physical therapy. “To me, she is like an Angel really taking care of those that no one else seems to want. No job was too big or hard for her.”
It is this love that St. Jeanne Jugan had for the elderly poor that runs through our Homes. JoAnne is exactly right, where would we be without her? Everyone in the home has a purpose in caring out her mission to offer the neediest elderly a home. It is through us that St. Jeanne Jugan continues to do her work for those in need and provides to the Residents here more than just a roof over their head. St. Jeanne Jugan is their inspiration, their hope, and their comfort to know that through her intercession, they will be taken care of with dignity until God calls them to himself.
Stephen Coyle, a resident who leads a volunteer group in the laundry states, “She is a good woman in the church and someone to be imitated. We pray to her for guidance.“ Some of the other laundry volunteers also chimed in, Janet Schmits shared that to know the life of St. Jeanne Jugan is very inspiring to her and Grace Harmon replied that St. Jeanne Jugan was a great help to her in this time in her life and a devoted Catholic. To Mary Jo Palm, a dedicated laundry employee, St. Jeanne Jugan is a caring person and we need more people like her in the world today.
So, who is St. Jeanne Jugan to you? With her feast day soon approaching, we invite you to think about how she has inspired your life. How do you see her presence while you walk through the home? Do you see it in the smiles of the Residence who preserve through trials we cannot comprehend? Or do you see it through the loving touch of the Sisters, staff, and volunteers as they walk by a Resident in need of love?
St. Jeanne Jugan lived completely in the present, and attentive to those around her, we should strive to do the same.
“When you will be near the poor, give yourself wholeheartedly.” ~ St. Jeanne Jugan
Who is St. Jeanne Jugan to you?