We're pleased to start our fourth year of "Called to Be..." with a recent "My Story" talk from Sr. Barbara Walsh. This talk was given to our Holy Union Associates Community earlier in 2024, but we were unable to be there to record it. Happily, Sr. Barbara was kind enough to share it privately for use as a podcast episode. She has had a truly remarkable life as a Holy Union Sister, marked by a creative problem-solving approach to helping those in need. Sr. Barbara's charisma has drawn people to her many ministries and inspired them to help as volunteers, financial supporters, or simply to be gently swept up by her subtle evangelization. Her story brings to mind the statement attributed to St. Francis of Assisi, " Preach the Gospel always, and when necessary, use words."

As advent begins, we're so pleased to share this episode with you. Sr. Alice Michael moderates a joyful discussion with Holy Union Associate, Tina Silvestro, Sr. Mary Ellen Ryan and Sr. Kathee Corrigan about the various ways Advent and Christmas are celebrated in parishes they are in, or from days gone by. We all remember the days when our parish was the center of so much in our lives: baptisms, funerals, marriages, holidays, and social events like dances, CYO, and Bingo! So we thought discussing the ways Christmas and Advent are celebrated in some very creative ways in our parishes would be both fun and perhaps share some ideas for you and your own parishes today to embrace or breathe new life into! We hope you enjoy this discussion as much as we did!

As the Liturgical Year comes to a close and we prepare to start a new Liturgical Year in December, we pause to take a look back on the wide range of discussions and topics we covered this past year. Called to Be's producer, Ken Gustin, reviews the last twelve months of episodes and encourages you to listen to your favorites a second time right from our website at www.holyunionsisters.org, or take the time to listen to episodes you may have missed.

Sr. Fran Cavey and Ken Gustin, Called to Be..'s producer, discuss a thought-provoking video by Irshad Manji, a former self-proclaimed "culture warrior" who has changed her perspective and now offers five strategies to overcome division and ultimately help understand where others are coming from while being better understood by them. In an increasingly polarized nation and world, these strategies can help bring down the temperature and help us better understand one another. To watch the actual video, click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i0d087daOZY . Also, a reference is made during the discussion to a scene in The Chosen (Episode 2, Season 4) ... Peter forgives Matthew. The link to this scene is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AFRt5SI9F0k

This month's episode is the second installment of our "My Story" series, wherein a Holy Union Sister shares her story which brought her to our congregation and the ministries she has dedicated her life to. This installment features Sr. Ann Kernan, a colorful story teller. She starts by sharing a unique family history which has many links to Holy Union starting in Ireland in the 1800's. During her talk to our Associates, she shared a number of family photos which we have posted on our Facebook page for you to see. We hope you enjoy this facsinating and unique account.

Today's episode is hosted by Sr. Alice Arsenault, who speaks with our current and previous Archivist, Sam McAdoo and Sr. Christine Lacroix about a true milestone in Holy Union's history here in the United States: preparing our archives to be sent to a new and permanent home at Santa Clara University in Santa Clara, CA. They discuss what our archives contain, the work that was necessary to organize and catalog their contents, and the process that was used in selecting Santa Clara University as their permanent home. A topic that some may expect to be dry or technical is actually moving and wonderful as together we reflect on the impact of Holy Union in the United States and the steps taken to preserve our stories and history.

We are blessed to find, every now and then, deeply caring people who, inspired by a conversation or interaction with one of our Sisters, decides to commit their time and effort to join us in our mission. Dr. Thomas Krahn, MD, is one of those special people. This discussion, moderated by Sr. Fran Cavey, reunites Dr. Krahn with Sr. Josephine Nko and Sr. Sylvia Mepha who are both from Cameroon, and who worked closely with him to help create a clinic, blood bank, and other medical services for the people they serve in several areas of Cameroon. Dr. Kahn is a physician who practices medicine in New England and who has taken repeated extended trips to Cameroon to help our Sisters address a series of serious medical needs in their communities.

Sr. Maryellen Ryan moderates this helpful discussion between Fr. Eddie Coriea, Sr. Joan Guertin, and podcast producer, Ken Gustin on the Synod on Synodality. Most Catholics have heard of the Synod, some have participated in it, and many are filled with questions about it. What is a synod?...why are we doing it?...what is the goal of it?...how does it work?...what are the anticipated fruits of the effort? Our hope with this discussion is to answer many of the questions we've heard and help people understand the deep roots and tradition of synods in our Church's history, and how important this effort by Pope Francis is for us all.