A Poet's Voice from the Past

Rediscovering Sister Mary Evelyn Connor: A Poet’s Voice from the Past

Sister Mary Evelyn (Marie Noella), was a member of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Hamilton. Beyond her dedication to education and healthcare, she was also a gifted poet. Her poems offer a glimpse into her spiritual journey and the contemplative life she led.

In a rare archival recording, Sister Mary Evelyn recites two of her poems, providing a personal and intimate connection to her work. This audio, preserved from an oral history interview, allows us to hear her voice and experience her poetry as she intended.

Here, she recites some of her poetry:

Last Times, July 1930

When I sew on a lace for the last time

When the postulate dress I doff

Then I'll wear the habit forever, never to put it off

When Miss Connor I'm called for the last time

When Evelyn I'll hear no more

Then I'll have a new name forever, till I reach the eternal shore

When I leave my class for the last time

When I give up teaching at last

Then I'll rest from my labors forever

Death will become in Christ

When I receive my God for the last time

When he comes midst faced chimes

Then I’ll rest (audio recording ends, but the remainder of the poem is:)

Then I’ll rest in His Bosom forever

And then there’ll be no more last times.

Novitiate ABC, September 1930

A for the Angelus, three times a day

B for the bell, when you hear it, don't stay

C for canonicals, five of us here

D for our duties, to each of us, dear

E for eternity, a model you'll find

F for the furniture, ours, not mine

G for good, which we try to be

H for holy and happy are we

I for “I mustn't!” I sometimes hear

J for St. Joseph, our patron so dear

K for the kitchen, a place to have bees

L for lecture, don't fall asleep, please

M for our Mother in heaven above

N for Novenas, they make many of

O for the orphans, there are quite a few

P for permission and penances too

Q for questions they must not ask

R, recreation, a real pleasant task

S for sewing, we each have some

T for tomorrow, which may never come

U, it's unnecessary, then we turn

To V for the virtues, we all must learn

W, the waiting to the floor we do

X, the unknown which may happen to you

Y, we all yearn for our heavenly home

And Z, is the zenith of glory will come

This audio recording was able to be digitized in part thanks to the Library and Archives Canada’s Documentary Heritage Communities Program.

Feed My Strength: A New Way to See Ourselves

The other day the Greek yogurt Oikos tagline, “Feed My Strength” caught my attention. At first, the phrase struck me as counter to the usual human modus operandi. Most often, inner dialogue tends to center more around shortcomings, vulnerabilities, and areas for enrichment. This tagline advocates for a completely different approach. Instead of being overly conscious of my weaker suits, why not put greater attention on my strong suit?

It made me pause and wonder:

What if my personal strengths also deserve my attention?

What might happen if I shifted even slightly how I saw myself?

What if my strong, capable, and consistent parts need just as much attention and nourishment as the parts I'm trying to strengthen?

The more I reflected, the more sense it made. Recognizing my strengths is not about being boastful. It's about finding equilibrium, recognizing  and embracing my whole self, not focusing only on what needs improvement.

“Strength doesn’t come from what you can do. It comes from overcoming the things you once thought you couldn’t. ”
— Rikki Rogers

I then recalled a personal experience. Years ago, I took part in a summer leadership training program. In a particular class, the presenter wrote down and discussed all the internal skills that come into play before a single word is uttered. Skills like determining a purpose, forming ideas, understanding one’s audience, choosing one’s words, and constructing the message.

Formally, I often found myself shying away from speaking in public and feeling quite incapable of doing so. That day, to my surprise ranking myself on those inner speaking abilities, my score was quite respectable. I realized that I had never really valued those abilities before. Suddenly, I discovered I had been overlooking my strengths. I acknowledged that I had a good start in delivering an oral message. That shift in perspective made a significant difference. I became more confident. Not because I was suddenly “better,” but because I was finally recognizing and nurturing what was already strong within me.

““The privilege of a lifetime is to become who you truly are.””
— Carl Jung

Of course, I am still mindful of areas for improvement. However, I am becoming  more fully aware that my strengths and weaknesses are partners. All my personal traits deserve my attention. Thank you, Oikos, for the reminder that our strengths are worth feeding too.

Here’s  a question worth asking: What strength in you is quietly waiting to be fed?

-Sister Nancy Wales, CSJ

IMAGE: Vicky Sim/ @speckfechta | Unsplash