Bringing half the Congregation to the United States was a bold move. It was risky, but it was a leap taken with courage born of deep faith. Mother Foundress could have easily turned down this invitation to come to the United States. With such a small, budding congregation, no one would have thought twice about her decision to decline this invitation. Mother Foundress sought her decision not in reason, but in prayer, where the dream of Nazareth was unfolding. Mother Foundress later wrote, “I imagined America. I saw in my mind the spirit of the Holy Family, of charity and of the liberty of the children of God...and it seemed quite clear that Our Lord wants us there." - Bl. Mary of Jesus the Good Shepherd, January 11, 1885
And so, it was settled: not just a few Sisters would go, but twelve — including Mother Foundress herself — would embark on this mission. After a perilous journey through stormy seas, the Sisters finally arrived at New York harbor. As the ship pulled in, brilliant fireworks burst across the night sky – what a grand welcome to America they thought! In reality, these fireworks were for the American Independence Day celebrations. Yet perhaps, through these events, God was speaking to them, offering reassurance of His presence in their mission. Just as God revealed His promise of countless descendants as He told Abram to “Look up at the sky and count the stars, if you can” Gn 15:5, so too was Mother Foundress reassured of God’s plans for Nazareth, plans that would spread the Kingdom of His Love far beyond her wildest imagination.
Mother Foundress could have never imagined the countless Sisters who would one day dedicate their lives to God as Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth, nor the number of families transformed by their encounters with the spirit of the Holy Family. There was only one thing she could be certain of, that God, in His love and providence would never cease to care for them.
And care for us He has! Today we celebrate 140 years since the arrival of our Sisters on American soil. God continues to delight and surprise us with dreams and plans beyond our greatest hopes, not just in America, but across the globe. May you join us in praising and thanking God for His incredible love for us over the past 140 years and may we all continue to look with eyes of faith and trust in all He has promised.
Written by Sr. Pia Marie Shelton, CSFN
Read more about our beginnings in America and our pioneer Sisters.
