By Sister Marlene Panko, SSND
The Province Jubilee Celebration on May 17, 2025, was a wonderful opportunity for Sisters in Assisted Living and Independent Living at Marian Village, Homer Glen, IL, to come together.
We moved tables and chairs, put up TV trays, and gathered in the Community Room of the North Building mid-morning for viewing.
A quiet murmur of conversation could be heard before the program began, as printed copies of the entire liturgy were handed out.
When the arrow appeared on the big screen and the choir started singing, the room grew quiet. There was a feeling of sacred attention, perhaps in gratitude for our own call, or in remembering our first or final vows, or in recalling one of our own special jubilees.
For this one sacred event, whether in a wheelchair or toting a walker, it seemed we, at Marian Village, were reliving those core moments of our own life. We were, during this special time, “of one mind and one heart,” as Augustine would say.
Seeing the gratitude, love, and peace in the faces of the jubilarians was inspiring.
After the Province Jubilee Celebration, we remarked on the perfect technology and the beautiful celebration.
We enjoyed some leisurely conversation, cookies of all sorts, and a healthy bowl of fruit.
All the Chicago Area Sisters will gather on June 1, at Marian Village, to celebrate our Diamond Jubilarian Sister Shirley Stockus with her choice of pizza and probably a few other surprises.
