In the Prayer of St.
Francis, we hear the words…. ”it is in giving that we receive.” This was a
true reality for a few of us Sisters, family and friends that had the privilege
to join one of our Associate members as she made her permanent Covenant with
our Congregation.
Our first contact with Tori was as a young nurse in one of
our sponsored hospitals. At that time, we were recruiting nurses to assist our
mission in Senegal ,
which was attempting to cope with the demand of basic health needs in rural
settings. This was no easy task! Being at our mission in Senegal meant living
very simply, learning to best identify with another culture and acquiring the
skill of speaking French. Tori all the same stepped forward and volunteered a
year of her young life to the cause.
Now, move the clock of time several years forward . . . Tori
is now a wife, mother and one who is coping with Lou Gehrig’s Disease. Despite
the diagnosis, Tori continues to radiate love to all who encounter her. She has
in her room a small card on her wall that says, All things are possible,” which
she lives by with each new day. As she made her life Covenant in our presence
and surrounded by people her life has touched in nursing, parish and
neighborhood, the question arose in all of our hearts: who is blessing who here
at this moment?
