5th Annual Rock for the Aged

On April 21, 2012, the Jeanne Jugan Residence celebrated another great friend raiser day at their 5^th Annual Rock for the Aged. This year we were rocking for much needed medical equipment. With a 50's theme the auditorium and mall area were decorated and ready for our rockers and friends. Our MC for the day was Bob Piane, Jr. and he kept the auditorium hopping the entire time with the music provided by our own AJJ DJ’s Ron and Con Bright. Our dance floor was really swinging to the oldies and we had a wonderful dance group from a nearby senior center that kept everyone up and dancing.

In addition to rocking and rolling we had karaoke contests and cake walks every hour and well as our door prize drawings. Our food court served up bubba burgers and hotdogs hot from the grill. The Chick Fil A cow paid us a visit and joined right in with the dancing and cake walk. We had lovely donated baskets on the tombola table as well as a few items that we began taking chances on a few weeks in advance that were made by a couple of our Residents, i.e. wishing well, counted cross stitch picture and a cat condo. We also had a fantastic baked table with delectable homemade items for sale. Many of our guests played the wheel and our plinko game to win nice prizes and/or plants. For the children we had ring toss, duck pond pull and bean bag toss all set up in the courtyard and they too won tickets to cash in for prizes tailored just for them. The time went quickly, as we anxiously awaited the drawings from the tombola table as well as our raffles and 50/50.  Everyone was pleased with their winnings and really had a fun-filled day.

Special thanks went out to many of our Association members, employees and volunteers that pulled off the day without a hitch. We raised over $10,000 thanks to our many family members, staff and friends that either sponsored someone or got friends to sponsor them. A special shout out to our Resident, Thelma Brasure, who once again raised the most money for a resident.Way to go Thelma!

Postulants reflect

It’s Off to Work We Go

by Casey Cole

Yesterday our lives as Franciscan postulants got busy. After a month of a sort of “grace period, (but of course, all periods with the friars are graced…) we were let loose from the house, sent forth into the world to minister. Three days a week, Edgardo will meet with the Legion of Mary where he will be visiting the sick and bringing communion to the housebound parishioners; Ramon and Sergio will drive up to Philadelphia to work at the St. Francis Inn where they will be serving the poor directly; and Dennis and I will be going to a nursing home in Newark to visit the sick and elderly.

Unlike most nursing homes, Jeanne Jugan Residence is a warm, inviting place where almost all of its Residents are happy to be there, and there is a waiting list of a few years to be admitted. This home offers a dignity and respect to each of its residents that I have never seen before: there are two full-time activity coordinators who run games and events every day, the Residents are visited on a daily basis by the Sisters, the food is honestly very good, and the facilities feel more like a big comfortable home than a drafty hospital. The Sisters who run the home actually take a forth vow (along with poverty, chastity, and obedience) of hospitality, vowing to never let anyone feel unwelcome or lonely, caring for those especially on their deathbed. Besides serving those who can no longer serve themselves, the Sisters have a whole wing of the building set aside as apartments for more active and independent people, free to come and go as they please.

All in all, pretty boring job right? Listen to old folks ramble on about the “good ol’ days” and about how “kids these days” are ruining society, right? Yesterday, I played a card game called Tri-Virsity with three sassy women that had me on my toes and laughing the whole time (who also beat me), got a chance to go to mass, ate ribs with the residents living in the apartments, played host to a number of game shows such as “Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader?” then rounded out the day by getting my butt kicked in Wii bowling by someone three times my age (seriously, I bowled a 223 and this old lady beat me by more than 20 pins!)

Because there’s such a range in activity levels, I’m excited to run a Bible study for some, but also be a pair of ears for the lonely ones who never get visitors; play competitive card games, but also push someone’s wheelchair outside so they can get fresh air; listen to some tell me about how I’m “exactly like my grandson” or “perfect for my granddaughter” but also talk without response to others so they know someone’s with them.

For Dennis and I, work looks a bit more like leisure: we play games, we sit and talk, and we enjoy a meal together. But in the end, even though it may not be very “difficult” to do what we’re doing, does it make it any less significant for the person to which we’re ministering? If we want to uphold the dignity of all human life and foster the authentic development of all human life, I think it’s equally as important to play Wii with a lonely old woman as it is to give bread to a hungry young man. Don’t you? When I look at it this way, and realize that God needs help in many different ways, it’s pretty easy to just let go, take a vow of obedience, and minister wherever it is I’m told to go… even if that place is a nursing home.

The Charism of Preaching

Dennis and I hold a bible study every Wednesday.

While acting as Retreat Coordinator and Program Director for my Catholic Campus Ministry in college, I was able to recognize and develop a charism of speaking/preaching. Though difficult and uncomfortable at first, many years of practice helped me to develop confidence, and eventually find great joy in each experience. I can’t say that I’m ready to stand up and give a sermon everyday in front of a church full of people, but given my experience so far, it’s definitely charism that I would like discern for the future. As a postulant, I’ve been given two great opportunities to do just that.

The first opportunity is a shared bible study that Dennis and I run each week at our ministry site, Jeanne Jugan Residence. Usually attended by about 15-20 Residents, Dennis and I spend an hour reading and preaching about a number of passages related to an overall theme, trying to engage the residents in a discussion about their own experiences. So far we’ve looked at women in the Bible, images of God, parables related to the kingdom of heaven, forgiveness and humility, and Christ the King.

Because of the laid-back nature of the Bible study, we’ve enjoyed the chance to preach in an almost pressure-free atmosphere to see what it might be like at a larger venue. The consistency of a weekly Bible study helps to simulate a weekly homily and to get in the habit of preparing beforehand with well written thoughts. On the other hand, it also gives us the opportunity to speak a bit more extemporaneously, honing in our ability to come up with fruitful responses with little preparation.

The second opportunity occurred yesterday when Ramon and I traveled down to Rehoboth Beach, DE, to help with a parish mission. Speaking to some of the 7th, 8th, and 9th graders in religious education, we were given an hour to share about our experience of Church at that age in order to promote a more active involvement. Our tandem speech had three parts, each beginning with participation from the students: 1) what is Church? 2) What can a middle schooler do to be a part of Church? and 3) What does it mean to be an adult in the Church?

Not unlike the bible studies with Dennis, this opportunity allowed us to speak in front of a small group of people on topic of which we are very passionate, gauging the responsiveness of the listeners and adapting our styles based on their questions and responses. But unlike the Bible study, the parish mission required us to prepare a bit more beforehand, and to coordinate our speeches so as to present a common message. Having never given a partner speech such as this, it was certainly a challenging but fruitful experience in teamwork.

If for nothing else, these two experiences have (and will continue) to help me discern the charism of preaching in my own life. I realize that I’ve been given at least a mustard seed worth of this charism, and through practice and prayer will have to wait and see if it grows into a full-sized vocation. As a supplement to my discernment, I’ve also been reading a lot about St. Anthony of Padua: besides being great at finding things, he is noted as being one of the greatest preachers the Church has ever known, and a truly inspirational figure. Hopefully through his intercession I will be able to discern this charism a bit more fully and maybe even have a little bit of his ability rub off on me!

The Luck of the Irish Comes To Our Home!

You could feel the excitement. It had been building up for weeks. Who would be the winner of our 3^rd Annual Luck of the Irish Sweepstakes? St. Patrick’s Day was the day for the winners to be revealed and one lucky person got a phone call from Mother Joseph telling them they had won the $5,000 grand prize! The lucky winners of the $2,000 and $500 prizes also received special calls.

The Luck of the Irish Sweepstakes makes a huge impact on our home. It provides the means to cover our natural gas and electric bills which cost roughly—a whopping $20,000 per month! As you can imagine, this is such an important fundraiser. It helps us to give our Residents the care and comfort they need and deserve.

The sweepstakes drawing certainly wasn’t the only festivities of the day. Residents, guests and staff alike donned their green and enjoyed a bit of fun and some Irish blarney with the Sisters. The festivities began in the morning with a special St. Patrick’s Day breakfast. Everyone enjoyed delicious waffles with some beautiful fresh fruit. It was a perfect way to start a day full of friends, fun, leprechauns, and for some, a pot of “gold.”

The Little Sisters Welcome Father Anthony to Jeanne Jugan Residence

The Reverend Anthony Pileggi has been appointed our new chaplain effective April 1, 2011.

Prior to coming to our home, Father Anthony was Associate Pastor at Immaculate Conception Church in Elkton, Maryland. Father graduated from Neumann College with a degree in communications and attended seminary at Immaculate Conception Seminary at Seton Hall University. Father Anthony was ordained on May 19, 2007 by Bishop Michael Saltarelli.

During a recent conversation with Father Anthony, he offered his thoughts on sharing his life with our elderly Residents. “As a priest, I am concerned for those whose health has been seriously impaired by illness or old age. By the Amazing Grace of God, I will offer them a new sign of hope by the Anointing of the Sick accompanied by the prayer of the faithful (James 5:14). I look forward to celebrating the Eucharist with everyone at Jeanne Jugan Residence. In helping them to receive the Body and Blood of Christ, the bread from heaven, will help them find hope that only God can give.”

Quoting Blessed Pope John Paul II, “Old age is a gift for which we are called to give thanks … life is always a gift.” We asked Father how, as the new chaplain he expects to share this enrichment with our Residents, staff and the Little Sisters of the Poor. Father Anthony answered: “I hope to develop a better understanding of God’s love for all of us through weekly bible study groups or book clubs for those who might be interested in learning more about their faith.”

Father Anthony has a God-given talent with his affinity for music and hopes to share this passion through liturgical music. He has been a church organist since he was very young and looks forward to incorporating liturgical music in the celebration of the Mass. By singing the Kyrie, Gloria and Agnus Dei during Mass, Father Anthony feels this musical expression will enhance the liturgy and provide a beautiful experience for all who attend the celebration of the Eucharist in our chapel.

During our most recent Rock for the Aged event, Father Anthony joined in the Karaoke contest with a version of “That’s Life.” After this unique performance, Father Anthony said, “I don’t have a lot of talent, I don’t have a lot of skills but I do have a lot of love for you (Residents), and that’s what it is all about.”