Silver Jubilee of Sister Kelly Connors

July 16, 1995 – July 16, 2020

25 years of religious life

On July 16, the feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, we were united in thanksgiving with Sister Kelly Connors, General Councilor, as she celebrated 25 years of religious life. We belong to an international family to which we have given ourselves totally by dedicating ourselves to the Lord and to the service of the Church (D3).  Our festive day began with an international Mass presided by Father Henry Lemoncelli, OMI (Oblate of Mary Immaculate). The Ordinary of the Mass was in Italian and the songs were in French, English and Portuguese. To the rhythm of the tam-tam, we sang our praise and gratitude to God who initiates the call… who inspires the response… who gives at the same time the capacity to surrender to his mystery and to consent, with joyful freedom, to all the detachments that the acceptance of this gift implies (C 114).

At the beginning of the Eucharistic celebration, we listened to a summary of the journey of the chosen one of the day.  It was at the end of her undergraduate studies that Kelly was admitted to postulancy. On April 25, 1993, she entered the novitiate in Hudson.  On July 16, 1995, she made her first profession. She became involved in the apostolate at Rivier University and studied at the Weston Jesuit School of Theology in Cambridge, Massachusetts. In 1998, she obtained a Master’s degree in Theology. From 1998 to 2001, she had various community experiences and taught theology.

2001-2002 was her year of spiritual renewal. She participated in the international program in Castel and lived the pilgrimage in the footsteps of Marie Rivier in France. On August 15, 2003, she made her perpetual profession in the chapel of our convent in Hudson. In August 2005, she participated as an aide at the General Chapter in Sherbrooke, Canada and in 2011 as a delegate in Arricia, Italy.

In September 2005, she was sent to Canada to study Canon Law at Saint Paul University in Ottawa. She defended her doctoral thesis there in 2011.

A convinced and convincing canonist, Sr. Kelly has been able to put her skills at the service of our Religious Family and the Church. She has worked for dioceses as Delegate for Consecrated Life and Vicar for Religious Life as well as Canonical Consultant for various congregations and institutions.

In 2016, she began a new service, far from her province, in Saint Louis. The General Chapter of 2017 interrupted this captivating and rewarding experience. Thus, in November 2017, she arrived at Castel Gandolfo for her term as General Councilor. With a valiant heart, nothing is impossible! With courage and determination, she faces the challenge of learning French and Italian.

With a good head on her shoulders, a compassionate heart and nimble hands, Sr. Kelly is Availability.com! She can always be reached online at www.generosity-simplicity.org! A woman with 12 jobs, we can count on her, every day and in many areas. Her corn soup is very much appreciated…  Sr. Kelly is not a morning person but for the happiness of her sisters, she can be a driver at any time, cup of coffee in hand.

God fills the hungry with good things. Lk 1:53 is the Word of God that stimulates her day after day. That is why she chose an empty bowl as the symbol for her Jubilee celebration.

At the end of this presentation, Sr. Kelly walked to the altar with a lighted candle a gesture meant to give thanks to the Lord for 25 years of fidelity.

In his homily Fr. Hank used the image of a silver spoon — silver, for a Silver Jubilee — it is at this point in our lives that we might need to do some polishing. Over the years, some signs of tarnish may have set in so it is time to take a look and bring out the polish in order to restore the beauty and luster of the person and their consecration.

Fr. Hank also gave four pieces of advice to take into the next 25 years:

1. Choose your battles. Let things go and save your energy for the things that matter and are important.
2. Always be ready to forgive and forgive often, never tire of forgiving and of seeking forgiveness.
3. Seek peace. Bring peace, be a bearer of peace, build peace, attract peace, promote peace.
4. Love the liturgy — with the Word and the Eucharist we are nourished, sustained, and challenged. We are immersed in the life of Jesus anew each day, through love of the liturgy.

Before offering the bread and wine, Sr. Kelly renewed her vows, accompanied by our prayers.

Blessed are you Lord!

Blessed art You, Lord, for having created me.

Hallelujah! Amen! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

My soul sings the Lord

And in my heart, there is nothing but joy. Hallelujah!