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ATLANTA—The 2000 Marguerite D’Youville Award was
presented in December to the St. Vincent de Paul Society, Atlanta Council.
The award is presented annually to a person or group in the
archdiocese who exemplifies the charism of St. Marguerite D’Youville, the
foundress of the Grey Nuns of the Sacred Heart.
While presenting the award to the SVDP Dec. 9, Sister Barbara
Harrington, GNSH, drew a parallel between St. Vincent de Paul, who lived in the
17th century in France, and St. Marguerite, who lived a century later in
Canada. Both saints had a passionate concern for the poor and responded to
their needs in such a compelling way that their works spread throughout the
world and have continued even to this day, she said. It is well known that
those in need will not be turned away if they go to the St. Vincent de Paul
Society.
On behalf of the Grey Nuns, Sister Sally White, GNSH, thanked
Sheila Bissonnette, SVDP executive director, and Alan Urech, council president,
and all the volunteers throughout the archdiocese who make up the St. Vincent
de Paul Society family for all the good work that has been accomplished through
them since 1903 when the first conference began in Atlanta. The Society makes
real today the concern of Jesus for the poor and needy, she said.
Sister Mary Finnick, GNSH, coordinator of the Atlanta Grey Nuns,
presented the award to Urech at the Northeast District training meeting.
St. Marguerite, who lived in Montreal in the early 1700s, dealt
with all the realities of life, raised her children and cared for all those she
met. She had great devotion to God, the eternal Father and to divine
providence. She, as St. Vincent de Paul, lived the word of God that all people
are God’s children, that all people are children of this earth, that the
world’s goods were created for all people and that all people are called
as God’s children to give of themselves for others. She responded to the
needs of the day, oblivious to the cost it might be to her or to her
reputation, and oblivious to the opinions of others or the customs of her day.
Her giftedness and focus did not go unobserved by those around her. Some were
attracted by her goodness and ministered with her. Her group came to be known
as the Grey Nuns. Others came to her to seek refuge and solace. Her
outstretched arms were her hallmark and she was canonized as the mother of
universal charity in 1990.
Former recipients of the Marguerite D’Youville Award are
Eleanor O’Connor of Immaculate Heart of Mary Church, Atlanta; Marguerite
Oberg of the Cathedral of Christ the King, Atlanta; Jolaine Kingery of
Immaculate Heart of Mary Church; Dorothy Miller of Holy Cross Church, Atlanta;
Toni Miralles of St. Jude the Apostle Church, Atlanta; the parishioners of St.
Marguerite D’Youville Church, Lawrenceville; and Fran Nichols of St. Jude
the Apostle Church, Atlanta. |
