 |
|||||
| Today is | |||||
|
|
My name is Pat (Patricia) Porter. I have been a member of the CSJ Associate Community since 1997 and became a committed member in May 2000. I was the assistant co-ordinator for the North Bay Sister/Associate Community for 3 years, regularly attending the regional meetings in Sudbury with the co-ordinators and assistant co-ordinators of the Diocese of Sault Ste Marie. My association with the Sisters of St. Joseph actually started from early childhood. I was born at St. Joseph’s General Hospital in North Bay. My parents were a very spiritual family and I attended Catholic schools when they were available. I say that, because my father was an enlisted airman during the 2nd World War and we moved as a family several times during that period. During my high school years I became a boarder at St. Joseph’s College where I learned to love the way of life of the Sisters as they lived their charism of unity and reconciliation. After graduation, I began my training as a Registered Nurse at St. Joseph’s School of Nursing in North Bay; two of my classmates were also Novices of the CSJ. We became very close and our friendship continues to this day. After graduation, I worked for several years along side the Sisters at St. Joseph’s Hospital. I married my husband, John in 1960 and we have 5 children, who have married and given us 11 wonderful grandchildren. Both my husband and I entered the Ministries program, studying theology and in 1985, my husband was ordained a permanent deacon and I was mandated by our bishop as a Diocesan Order of Women. I have been very active in my parish over the years with Sacramental preparation, RCIA, preparing lectors and altar servers, Parish Health and Wellness, Liturgy co-ordinator and presently co-ordinator of the Generations of Faith process. After my children were grown, I went back to University and graduated in 1990 with my BscN and was employed as Nursing Co-ordinator at North Bay Psychiatric Hospital. I was introduced to the Associate program by two friends and I immediately felt that I had found the spiritual community for which I had been longing. I had been searching for the “more” in my faith life and it is with the Sisters of St. Joseph that I found it. Our gatherings are not only a prayerful, spiritual gathering but also a social gathering with dear friends. I have attended several CSJ/Associate conferences as well as working on the committee for the conference which was held in North Bay. I especially enjoyed the prayerful sessions and liturgies as well as learning more about the history and charism of the congregation. My association with the Sisters has deepened my relationship with God and neighbour and has helped me to become more faithful. It has challenged me to live the charism of love, unity and reconciliation as a wife, mother, grandmother and friend. I am helped in my commitment by the faith sharing and companionship of my fellow Associates as well as the loving support and encouragement of the Sisters of St. Joseph.
|
||||
|
|||||
|
Federation Home | What Gathers Us Together | Our Federation Story | Our Ministries | Meet a Sister | Becoming a Sister | Meet an Associate | Member Congregations | Federation Structure | Federation Committees | Office for Systemic Justice | What's New? | Contact Us |
|||||
