By Sr. Melissa Moxley
Marian Sisters of the Diocese of Lincoln
Advocate, St. Gianna Women’s Home
It has been a joy for us to be welcomed to the Catholic Social Services family as we begin our work for Jesus at St. Gianna Women’s Home. We have deep gratitude in our hearts for Sisters Bernadette, Karen, and Carol for paving the way for us here. We are grateful to Sister Bernadette and Sister Karen for helping the program to get started and for their many years of service to make this all possible. They truly are trail blazers! As we join Sister Carol in this mission, she has proved invaluable in leading us forward in this new apostolate and teaching us the ropes.
We each have our own journey as Marian Sisters and the work the Lord has called us to. I was born in Cape Girardeau, Mo., but I grew up in Lincoln. I was blessed to attend Cathedral of the Risen Christ Elementary and then I met the Marian Sisters at Pius X High School. I felt the call from God and entered the Marian Sisters after one year of college at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
As a Marian Sister, I have served as a preschool aid at North American Martyrs School in Lincoln, as the vocation director, then as a formation director for our community, and last year, in Springfield, Mo., I had the opportunity to do pastoral care at Cox Hospital and give spiritual direction at the Newman Center at Missouri State University.
Alongside me as we begin this new adventure is Sister Gabriel. She grew up in a suburb of Las Vegas and after converting to the Catholic faith in her early 20s, she entered the Marian Sisters in 2018. At that time, I had the privilege of being her formation director. Over the last five years, she has enjoyed teaching math and religion, but recently felt inspired by God to serve Him in a new way.
We are thankful for each experience the Lord has given us throughout our lives and the new experiences He has given us here. God uses everything. We have learned in our short time here that, as St. Teresa of Calcutta said, “It is not the magnitude of our actions but the amount of love that is put into them that matters.”
As Mother Teresa so beautifully stated, it is the love of Christ that matters most. This is the main message we want to communicate to the women and children we serve: that they are loved and treasured by Jesus. In my weekly meetings with the women, I have the opportunity to pray with them and I have seen the Holy Spirit touch their hearts. He lets them know that they are loved, cherished, and cared for by God. When I see their faces light up with a new hope, it makes my heart rejoice! Despite the hardships and struggles of their current situation, the truth of God permeates the darkness. Jesus has the victory!
We are tremendously humbled by the opportunity to meet these women at this time in their lives. Within each day and each encounter, may we strive to fulfill the mission statement of Catholic Social Services, “to perform the Works of Mercy in response to the call of God. Working together, we will build and grow Hope in the Good life.”
