Meet Sister Rosenda Brady, a Sister of St. Joseph of Pembroke
|
Sister Rosenda Brady
|
"Everything I was given by my religious community
I shared with the staff in the Hospital and Home where I was
administrator. It was just a thrill for me to see each person
becoming happy to be who they really are, and to experience
their thirst for more knowledge of God."
This attitude of sharing the good things of life that come
to her with all and sundry seems to characterize the life
and ministry of Sister Rosenda Brady, a Sister of St. Joseph
of Pembroke. Florence Brady was born in Kenogami, Quebec in
1928 where her father, Bill Brady was chief of police, working
with the Price Brothers Paper Mill. She was the youngest of
nine children, seven of whom had been born in Montreal where
her parents settled after coming to Canada from Ireland on
their honeymoon. Of her mother, Rose Hearty Brady, Sister
Rosenda says:
"After being a member of the Sisters of St. Joseph
for about seven years, one special retreat suddenly made
me realize that the first Sister of St. Joseph I ever met
was my mother. She was a great promoter of unity within
the community of Kenogami, Quebec. When she died, I recall
a French woman saying at her wake: ‘There goes our
peacemaker’. I was deeply touched by that. She could
not speak French, but when there was any illness in a French
family on our street, she was always there to help them."
In Kenogami, as a child Florence was able to participate
in the many sports and cultural activities provided by the
Paper Mill. These experiences prepared her for her future
involvements in working to provide such opportunities for
the children of the Barry’s Bay area. Today, thanks to
her animation, there are two beautiful tennis courts on Lakeshore
Drive with an active tennis club. High School students play
tennis as part of their recreational activities. The whole
area around the tennis courts is developed as playgrounds
for children, with a wonderful beach and many other facilities.
Nearby, the Madawaska Valley Ski Hill has drawn skiers from
far and wide.
"Most of my religious life since 1960 has been
spent in Barry’s Bay where I became the first administrator
of St. Francis Memorial Hospital, a position I held until
1975. I served eight years on the General Council of the
Congregation and was General Treasurer for thirteen years.
In 1977 I was appointed administrator of the new Valley
Manor Seniors and Nursing Home, where I remained until January
1990."
Wherever she served and wherever she lived Sister Rosenda
brought a whole-hearted involvement in the lives of the people
and of the community. Gifted with a keen sense of humour,
a talent for music, singing and mimicry, an "ear-to-the-grassroots"
listening attitude, and an undaunted courage in initiating
whatever she believed would bring people together and improve
services, Sister Rosenda has contributed much to the sense
of community and the advancement and prosperity of the peoples
of the Madawaska Valley. This was highlighted in the surprise
Barry’s Bay Community celebration of her seventy-fifth
birthday on November 22, 2003. Some two hundred and fifty
people gathered to publicly acknowledge and celebrate the
person she has been among them and the great contribution
she has made to their village and the surrounding area. With
her usual wit Sister Rosenda remarked "Usually our
eulogy is not given until we are being waked, but I have heard
mine tonight."
"The Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph
of Pembroke has nourished my zeal to serve others in whatever
area I believed God asked me to do so. All the Sisters who
have gone ahead of me - we opened a mission in Barry’s
Bay in 1928 - paved the way for all this to happen. Now
the lay people are very capable of carrying on these services
of health and education, and they tell me that they were
given this desire to improve and to serve others by the
Sisters of St. Joseph of Pembroke."
"My heart is filled with gratitude to be part
of this great Congregation."
Back to Meet a Sister
|
