The third installment in our week of presentations focused on St. Jeanne Jugan’s spiritual poverty and trust in God. This group focused on the idea of begging, which is the tradition of the Little Sisters to retrieve goods and supplies for the Residents. Residents from the fifth floor, staff from maintenance and administrative offices, as well as some Sisters read a story from the point of view of the begging basket.
When the Little Sisters first began, Jeanne Jugan would take a basket out to different surrounding businesses and “beg” for the people she cared for on a daily basis. We as an audience got see the triumph, despair, success, and failure of St. Jeanne Jugan as she would go door to door asking others to help her in her mission caring for the sick and poor elderly. As the story continued we were able to gain a different understanding of the tradition of begging for the Little Sisters. The woven basket became historic for the Little Sisters and a symbol of the humble beginnings of begging.
The group went on to discuss how the tradition of begging continues today. Every home today has a “begging” Sister that goes around to surrounding businesses to share our mission and ask for any contributions to care for the residents of the home. Staff member Neil and two Sisters demonstrated how we no longer carry around baskets, but simply share our mission and ask for supplies or money. Jeanne Jugan said, “If God is with us, it will be accomplished…God will help us; the work is his.”
Up next we will share the exciting and different presentation based on Jeanne Jugan’s love of God. Stay tuned!
Life of Jeanne Jugan Presentations: Part 3