Faith of our Mothers

Written on: May 2, 2013

Sister Patricia Kelly

Like many others, my faith grew and was nurtured at home in my family. My mother came to the US from Ireland when she was 21 years old. It was her faith and trust in God that gave her the courage to leave her home.  She referred to herself as a “greenhorn”, a name given to recent immigrants. Being Irish and Catholic, she was endowed with a strong faith in God and the Blessed Mother.

My mom was widowed at a young age with 4 young girls when I was 6 years old. Her deep faith in God brought her to early Mass every morning at the nearby church. It was this living faith that gave her the strength to go out to work  everyday.    Mary worked in the neighborhood, cleaning, ironing, cooking, and sewing to provide for her children. In her later years, her faith was evident in her concern for others, visiting neighbors and serving at parish gatherings, without complaint.

My mom was so proud to have a daughter in the convent. Sometimes when we were out shopping, I was embarrassed because she would say to the person helping us, “This is my daughter, she’s a nun.”  I’m sure it was her faith that inspired me to answer the call to enter the convent.  Little did she know how proud I was of her.

Her example of enduring faith in times of loss and hardship was passed on to my sisters and to me. The faith Jesus speaks of includes trust. This trust helped my mother to believe that God will do what is best.

Thank you, dear Mom for passing that faith to me.

Sr. Patricia Kelly

Sr. Pat was a teacher, both in the U.S. and in Lima, Peru.  More recently, Sr. Pat has been a social worker for many years with Catholic Charities where she continues to serve on a part time basis.

This entry was posted in Matters of Faith and tagged: Blessed Mother, Church, convent, Faith, Family, Ireland, Jesus, Mom, Mothers, nun, trust, Widows