The Valley Catholic September 25, 2018 | Page 16

Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary Celebrating 150 Years of Service
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COMMUNITY
September 25 , 2018 | The Valley Catholic

Finding the Path

Carolina Scipioni
Endowment & Planned Giving Program Manager , Catholic Community Foundation of Santa Clara County
A couple of months ago , I met with one of our donors over lunch . I had been looking forward to getting together with her to hear about her pilgrimage experience walking El Camino de Santiago in Spain . She walked me through an amazing slide show , sharing details about her journey with such excitement that , at times , I felt that I was there walking with her .
Interestingly , I learned that there are many “ caminos ,” or paths , to Santiago de Compostela . At least nine main Caminos are considered official routes and there are many other secondary routes that lead to the main Caminos . She shared how she walked with pilgrims from all over the world and how fascinating each of their stories was . People begin at different
starting points across Europe , they all have their own reasons for walking , yet the common bond shared by all pilgrims is they are all heading towards the same destination .
Going through the pictures , it was hard not to notice the presence of a distinctive symbol : the scallop shell . It is the symbol of the pilgrim , she told me , and you can see it everywhere from churches and distance markers to traffic signs and backpacks . Some local residents even decorate their gardens and houses with shells in solidarity with the pilgrims . They say that the scallop shell represents the converging of people from all over the world . Its lines symbolize the different routes pilgrims travel , all leading to one point at the base of the shell : the tomb of Saint James in Santiago de Compostela . Being a visual person , I knew that I would never look at a scallop shell in the same way again .
A few weeks after our lunch , I was in the office printing certificates to be signed by the Bishop . These were not
ordinary certificates . They represented a heartfelt thank you and recognition for the first 25 parishioners that became members of the Society of Saint Joseph -- the newly established legacy society that recognizes those who have taken their stewardship one step further by including a gift to support the Church in their estate plans .
As I held these certificates in my hands , a question entered my mind : Is there a pattern here ? Are these people alike in some way ? A quick look at the records left me scratching my head . Some of them were elderly , some were younger , some were single , some were married , some were clergy , some were lay people , some were men , some were women , some were from parishes in the east side , some were from parishes in the west , but ALL were planning to leave a legacy of support for a parish , school or ministry that was important in their life .
The scallop shell , I thought . These faithful couldn ’ t be more different from each other , the routes of their
faith journeys must have been different as well ; and yet they were somehow all bound together by tremendous hope in the future of our Catholic faith and a desire to support the Church beyond their lifetime .
What started as a routine office task , turned into an opportunity for reflection and prayer . That day I prayed for each of these new Founding members of the Society of Saint Joseph . I also prayed for many more Catholics to be inspired to follow their steps so that we could leave for the next generation the resources to continue to build , and in many ways , rebuild the Church that has guided us through our own “ camino ” of sorts , our own faith journey .

Join The Society of Saint Joseph

Already named the Church in your will ? Please fill out the confidential Legacy Gift Intention Form . We want to thank you for your generosity and welcome you as a member of the Society of Saint Joseph . Download the form on the Foundation ’ s website or ask your parish to print one .
SAVE THE DATE : First Annual Legacy Mass & Reception October 14 , 3:00pm Mass with Bishop McGrath Formal invitation for Society memebers to follow
in partnership with
Remember the Church in your will or trust To learn more : visit cfoscc . org / societyofsaintjoseph call 408.995.5219 email info @ cfoscc . org
Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary Celebrating 150 Years of Service
On May 10 , 1868 , six Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary ( SNJM ) disembarked after a long sea voyage from Montreal , Canada to the bustling port of San Francisco . They came in response to Father Michael King ’ s request for Sisters to staff the school he would build his sprawling Oakland parish and to establish a novitiate as soon as it was feasible . Within a few weeks , the Sisters were welcoming students to Sacred Heart Convent on the shores of Lake Merritt . Eventually this school developed into today ’ s Holy Names High School and Holy Names University .
In the ensuing 150 years , Sisters of the Holy Names staffed numerous schools in what eventually became the Diocese of Oakland . In addition to the Holy Names schools they founded , they served at Sacred Heart ( 1876 ), St . Francis de Sales ( 1886 ), St . Augustine ( 1918 ), Our Lady of Lourdes ( 1918 ), Marylrose ( 1931 ), Assumption , Hayward ( 1952 ), Holy Spirit , Fremont ( 1956 ), St . Theresa ( 1958 ); St . Bede , Hayward ( 1964 ), and schools and other ministries in the dioceses of San Francisco , Sacramento , San Jose , Monterey and Los Angeles .
As the Sisters celebrate their 150th anniversary in California , they also give thanks to God for another milestone : 175 years ago , Marie Rose Durocher and several companions gathered in a small town near Montreal to form first religious congregation established in North America for the purpose of education . Today , Holy Names Sisters are found in Quebec , Ontario and Manitoba , Canada ; on both coasts of the United States ; and in Peru and Lesotho .
All are cordially invited to share the SNJM celebration with a Mass and Reception on October 6 , the feast day of Blessed Marie Rose , at the Cathedral of Christ the Light in Oakland . Learn more at www . snjmca150 . org .