Reflection for St. Marguerite’s Feast Day and Celebration of 2026 Jubilee

Written on: November 3, 2026

By Sister Rita Margraff, GNSH

As I look around the room today, I see my sister Grey Nuns, our Grey Nun Associates, our colleagues in mission, and family and friends of our seven sisters celebrating 75, 70 and 60 years as Grey Nuns of the Sacred Heart: Mary Teresa, Diane, Marlene, Dolores, Ellie, Pierrette and Cathy.

We are gathered today for two special reasons. Today is the Feast Day of St. Marguerite d’Youville, the woman who was the first Grey Nun, and for almost 400 years has been the inspiration to many to follow in her footsteps. We celebrate her and give thanks to God for her and for the gift of her charism. We lovingly refer to her as “the woman with her heart in her hand”. This is the woman that our sisters celebrating today have come to love.

And it is, of course, a day to celebrate years of faithfulness as Grey Nuns.

In 1951, Mary Teresa left a small farm near Ogdensburg, NY, to come to 7500 West Avenue in Melrose Park: in 1956, Marlene and Diane left Buffalo to make that same journey. Pierrette from Peru, NY, Dolores from Philadelphia, and Ellie from Jackson Heights followed that same path. In 1966, Cathy arrived at 1750 Quarry Road in Yardley from her home in Philadelphia. The beginning of years of faithfulness to their vocation.

If these women are anything like me, they have spent time remembering and perhaps reminiscing about their lives as Grey Nuns and as women beloved by God.

I am drawn to a song by Monica Brown, titled A Remembering Heart.

The first verse is this:

God grant to me a heart that remembers

The life in the seed that is buried in dark night.

All the mystery You have revealed to me

In the tapestry of my life, a heart that remembers.

In the song, we ask that God grant us a remembering heart. We might remember first that God also has a remembering heart. God loves us and God’s love for us is beyond what our hearts can imagine. God has loved us and  carried us on this journey of life – always present as the tapestry of our lives unfold. Sometimes the things that we remember along the path of our lives are things that “changed our hearts”.

Our 2026 Jubilarians. Click on the photo to enlarge it. Seated in front lower left, Sister Mary Teresa LaBrake. Middle photo, first row: Sister Marlene Butler, Sister Dolores Beatty, Sister Ellie Martinez. Back row: Sister Cathy Bleiler, Sister Pierrette Remillard, Sister Diane Bardol.

In the spring of this year, we published a booklet telling the story of each of these sister’s remembrances. I’d like to quote for you what they have said about this journey and their lives as Grey Nuns.

Mary Teresa: I began to realize that God was strengthening me to help others to grow spiritually. I’ve been blessed to walk with adults that are becoming Catholic and to be present with people in times of illness and sorrow.”

Diane: “Religious life, like all of life, is a journey without a very detailed map. Call it mystery to be lived. There is only One Life lived by all and in all, and of course that is God”

Dolores: “I have truly experienced blessings, gratitude and thanksgiving for all that God has done and continues to do for me in my life.  How fortunate we are!”

Marlene: “I was privileged to serve in many different ministries. In each one, I experienced many graces and blessings, for which I am grateful.

Ellie: “There have been many special moments and relationships in my life. Perhaps the most powerful is the peace that comes from witnessing young people awaken to a better, drug-free life. Over the years, my gratitude has grown greatly. I find myself counting my blessings daily.”

Pierrette: “I am grateful that God called me and gave me the grace to respond to the invitation. Prayer and the example of St. Marguerite have enriched my life. Marguerite’s confidence that everything comes to us from God’s providence gives me the desire to serve others as she did.”

Cathy: “One of the greatest joys of my journey as a Grey Nun has been staying in touch with my former students. I once taught a dear little girl named Nicole in first grade, and years later I taught her children. What a blessing to witness generations grow.”

The next verse of the song, asks God for a heart that is thankful. Certainly, the testimony of these women is evidence of their thankful hearts. Their gratitude for the blessings, the gifts, the people who have been part of the tapestry of their lives is very evident.

Another verse asks for a heart that is faithful. We have gathered to witness the fidelity of 75, 70 and 60 years lived as a Grey Nun of the Sacred Heart, faithful to the call to religious life and to the living out of the charism of Marguerite.

And the final verse:

God grant to me a heart that truly loves,

As the one who surrendered his life for his friends,

That I may dare to be more true to you

In the face of all who need, a loving heart.

Is there any doubt that Mary Teresa, Diane, Marlene, Ellie, Dolores, Pierrette, and Cathy have been women of love – women like Marguerite – the woman with her heart in her hand.

In the reading from Philippians that we heard today, Paul counsels the Philippians that “your attitude must be that of Christ”. He urges them to be of one mind and have one love. St. Marguerite, in the last days of her life, is said to have said these words of encouragement to her Sisters: “Let the most perfect union reign among you.” One mind, one love, one heart, one attitude: that of Christ. We are grateful to these women who have throughout their lives sought to be as Paul and Marguerite urge.

How blessed we are to know and love these women.

Let us congratulate them with a round of applause.

This entry was posted in News and tagged: Jubilee 2026, Saint Marguerite D'Youville Feast Day, Sister Cathy Bleiler 60th Jubilee, Sister Diane Bardol 70th Jubilee, Sister Dolores Beatty 70th Jubilee, Sister Ellie Martinez 70th Jubilee, Sister Marlene Butler 70th Jubilee, Sister Mary Teresa LaBrake 75th Jubilee, Sister Pierrette Remillard 70th Jubilee, Sister Rita Margraff