Celebrating 100 Years with Sister Olga

Olga’s birthday cake with edible flowers

On April 20, 2023, our dining room was set in festive array to celebrate Sister Olga’s 100th birthday. The tables were adorned with white tablecloths and yellow roses. Nearby, on a long table stood an impressive display of congratulatory framed messages from Pope Francis, Governor General Mary Simon, Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, and Ontario Premier Doug Ford. Being born and raised in Edmonton, the Alberta government agencies also sent official greetings to Sr. Olga.

Special guests included members of Sister’s family from Edmonton and Mississauga.  It was beautiful to see Olga engaged in lively conversation with two of her young great- grand nieces. In addition, close friends and our sisters filled the dining room as the party continued throughout the afternoon.

Heartwarming pictures of Sister Olga as well as accompanying documents, indicated the life of love and service that was hers. The photos attested to Sister  being a woman of love in action. As a young woman, she was a teacher and loved sports and many other activities. Sometime later, she joined the air force and served on the East Coast.  Before entering the Sisters of St. Joseph, in 1959, Olga earned a degree in psychology which later led to a doctorate.  This enabled her as a woman of great faith and compassion to pour out her love in varied service throughout her many years in ministry.  Included in her postings were teaching and counselling at Brescia College, St. Joseph’s School of Nursing London, Faro Yukon, McKenzie Diocese YK, and healing ministry among Indigenous peoples.

Sister’s final seventeen years of ministry were at London Psych Hospital where she ministered to vulnerable people in need of a healing presence and as Carl Rogers taught, with “unconditional positive regard”. This Sr. Olga did with gentleness, peace, and joy.  How wonderful to gather and praise our newest centenarian.

Congratulations, Sister Olga!

  -Sister Jean Moylan

The Good Shepherd

In Sacred Scripture, Jesus refers to himself as the Good Shepherd.  What is Jesus’ experience of shepherds?  Wasn’t Jesus a carpenter and the son of a carpenter?  Have you wondered why he calls himself a shepherd?  I have and I can only imagine that he had admiration for the simplicity of life of this humble yet essential profession.  Also, Jesus would have been familiar with the prophet of old who promised a messianic shepherd to the people in the new Israel. (See Ezekiel 34)

Image: Unsplash/Patrick Schneider

We know from Luke’s Gospel that the shepherds were the first to witness the message of the angels and that they would find “in a manger an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes.”  These shepherds were also the first to be abused for spreading the good news in and around Bethlehem.(Luke 2)  They suffered because the good news they spread resulted in the deaths of their own babies in Bethlehem, at the command of Herod. (Matt.2) 

““I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep””
— JOHN 10:11

I can imagine Jesus listening to his mother Mary telling him about the place of his birth and of the shepherds who brought them assistance in their time of great need in Bethlehem.  Maria Valtorta, a modern day mystic, records in her visions that Jesus returned to the place of his birth as a young man where he met some of the shepherds who were still living and who remembered his mother and the unforgettable message of the angels. Maria Valtorta also wrote of seeing these same faithful shepherds mingling helplessly among the crowds in Jerusalem on the day of the crucifixion. They knew Jesus was the Messiah but were as confused as the apostles at what was taking place in Jerusalem.

Image: Unsplash/mahyar motebassem

Jesus loved the faithful shepherds who thought only of their flocks and of keeping them well fed and safe from harm.  Sheep being defenseless and in need of a shepherd is a beautiful image we have inherited of the relationship between God and God’s people. We, like sheep, are free to stay with the shepherd and graze on good food or are free to wander off, losing ourselves in the brambles of selfish endeavours.  It’s all about choosing to have a relationship with a Good Shepherd.  The Good Shepherd says,

“. . .love one another as I have loved you.” (John 15:12, 15:17)

 -Sister Elaine Cole, CSJ

Header Image: Unsplash/Greg Rosenke