By Laura Dodson
ORLANDO, Fla. (CNS) – “Where are you all from?” Bishop John G. Noonan of Orlando, himself from Ireland asked the religious sisters, brothers, priests and the more than 500 people gathered to celebrate the gift of consecrated life.
Salesians, LaSalettes, Carmelites, Franciscans and Salvatorians, members of the Mercy, Precious Blood and Blessed Sacrament orders – and more – called out, “Vietnam, Africa, Mexico, Tanzania, Ireland, Argentina, Philippines,” and then “Miami!” and everyone laughed.
At the bishop’s invitation, they had come to the Basilica of the National Shrine of Mary, Queen of the Universe in Orlando for a Jan. 31 Mass for the World Day of Consecrated Life.” The basilica itself is the fruit of a 1970’s missionary apostolate to the millions of Catholic tourists who come to Orlando to visit Disney World every year.
“All of us were touched somewhere in our lives by religious brothers or sisters or priests,” Bishop Noonan said in the homily. “Like St. John Bosco, whose feast day we celebrate today, we don’t just touch minds, but the very hearts and souls. For that we are very grateful.”
A Fruitful Future
Jose Monico, a 15-year-old high school sophomore from Mexico, was part of a contingent of 42 men, women, children, youth and young adults from the Hope CommUnity Center in Apopka who came to honor Sisters Ann Kendrick and Gail Grimes, both Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, who founded the ministry.
“The sisters help me by encouraging me to do my work – many times they have to encourage me,” Monico said. “I want to teach ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) someday but now I will do whatever they ask me to do to help.”
The Hope CommUnity Center, or HCC, is also the fruit of a 1970’s missionary apostolate – this one to the immigrant farmworkers who come to grow, tend and harvest the produce of the Florida fields.
“One of the hallmarks of the commitment to religious vocation is our vision of our mission,” said Sister Ann. “It’s a mutual partnership with the people we serve. We evangelize each other. I learn generosity, humility, courage and community service every day from them.
“Any of the great things we have done at HCC have been in collaboration with the local community. We have at the entrance of our center, a saying by our foundress, St. Julie Billiart: ‘Let your hearts be as wide as the world.’ That’s our founding purpose, our value.”
And that quote, with a graphic of a heart-shaped world and the center’s logos graced a 6-foot banner created by members of the community specifically to honor the sisters and the event.
“I came from Puerto Rico 10 years ago to serve in the AmeriCorps program,” said Nilka Melendez, the center’s director of youth services. “It changed my life. The Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur created the Hope CommUnity Center dedicated to education of the immigrant community to empower women, men, children and youth to learn English, to build community and to serve in the community.”
Right now, she said, there are 124 children in the youth program and 26 high school teens who come to volun-
June 13, 2015 11A teer during the week. There are other programs for adult men and women.
‘God in My Work’
“I can see God in my work and that makes a difference,” Melendez said in an interview for Catholic News Service. “What we are doing is living the Gospel – they learn, they start to serve and they transform their lives.”
Mariana Romero is 23, a sophomore at Seminole State College. She, too, was an AmeriCorps volunteer for two years serving in elementary programs. “Since I served, I liked it and am going for a degree in early education,” Romero explained.
Josie Torres said she supports the sisters “for always helping my family. My husband didn’t have work, now he’s a handyman.”
Torres said she has volunteered at the center for two years, in a child care program, and her husband now volunteers, as do the couple’s three children.
“You have touched our lives and we come together to give thanks to you,” Bishop Noonan told the priests, brothers and women religious at the Mass.
“You the consecrated religious of our diocese are messengers of hope, messengers of joy and the instruments of peace. We need your presence in our lives to remind us that you are the witnesses to the living Gospel of Jesus Christ.”
