By Carol De Angelo, SC

For the past four years, Sr. Florence Mallon, SC, has been Pastoral Associate for Special Ministries at St. Joseph Parish, Bronxville, NY. For fourteen previous years, St. Joseph’s Parish employed Sr. Florence as hospital chaplain at Lawrence Hospital. When asked about her lifelong ministry in healing, Sr. Florence talks about the gifts she has received from the people she has come to know and admire. They have been role models for her in living the Charism of Charity. When remembering them, she especially recalls their resiliency in the face of insurmountable health and personal challenges and the ways in which they have shown forgiveness. Her own faith and relationship with God and others have been enhanced through accompanying people. One aspect of her current ministry is co-leading a bereavement group. The faith of these people in their loss has gotten them through difficult times.

Sr. Florence has seen this faith, courage, and goodness in her father and other family members. She hopes that as those she has accompanied have been role models for her, she and the Sisters of Charity will be role models for them. She has found that our senior Sisters have been role models for her, especially these past few years. They accepted the change in their lives when they left the Convent of Mary Queen and made the most of their new homes and have readily ministered to fellow residents. Sr. Florence says, “as I get older and changes occur in my life, I hope I have the strength and gracefulness to accept change as our Sisters have!”