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Women religious serve a man at the Most Holy Redeemer parish hall in San Francisco on March 10 during a garden party in honor of National Catholic Sisters Week. Women and men religious from communities throughout the archdiocese greeted people in need with a free hot meal, clean socks and even pet treats. (Photo by Debra Greenblatt/Catholic San Francisco)
March 15, 2018
Christina Gray
Two very different celebrations of Catholic sisters took place March 10-11 in the Archdiocese of San Francisco to mark the March 8-14 celebration of National Catholic Sisters Week.
At Most Holy Redeemer Church in San Francisco, women and men religious of the archdiocese stood at the door of the parish hall March 10 beckoning the local homeless community to join them for a garden party that was moved indoors due to weather. Mercy and Presentation sisters as well as religious and secular Franciscans sat with their guests – and their pets – enjoying food and conversation. Clean socks and T-shirts, toiletries, gift cards and pet treats were also offered.
The next morning at St. Patrick Parish in Larkspur, about 30 sisters representing 12 different communities of women religious were honored at a morning Mass celebrated by pastor Msgr. Michael Padazinski. The parish and local community were invited to a buffet breakfast in the school afterward.
National Catholic Sisters Week was launched in 2014 as an official component of National Women’s History Month, which runs through March. The event aims to bring greater focus to the lives of women religious and appreciation for their contributions in hospitals, schools, prisons, homeless and battered women’s shelters and more.
Men and women religious provided hospitality, a hot meal and toiletries to guests during a March 10 garden party at Most Holy Redeemer parish hall in honor of National Catholic Sisters Week. (Photos by Debra Greenblatt/Catholic San Francisco)
Women of the Daughters of Carmel community in Menlo Park are pictured after Mass at St. Patrick Church in Larkspur March 11. About 30 sisters from 12 communities gathered for a Mass and reception to celebrate National Catholic Sisters Week. (Photo by Christina Gray/Catholic San Francisco)