Farewell to Tuscaloosa, Alabama

In May, after 25 years, with understandable sadness but also with deep gratitude, the FCJs left Tuscaloosa, where Sr. Ellen  fcJ in her ministry at Holy Spirit High School, had been living alone for the past three years. In her closing address, Sr Madeleine fcJ, one of the founder members of the little community, spoke of what she sees to be our true legacy: establishing the charism of companionship among students of all ages and among the people of the town. As a result, she said, we leave in our wake “… a group of vibrant, faith-filled men and women who are drawn to the spirituality of the FCJ Sisters and want to live the charism of companionship in their everyday lives. These Companions in Mission now have the task of carrying our charism – which the Sisters have been carrying for the past 200 years – to the people they meet. Their job is to spread it, extend it, and to grow the FCJ family, even as we have done while we were here.” Our heartfelt prayer is that our charism of faithful companionship with Jesus and his people may continue to be a resource for the Church in Tuscaloosa where we have been privileged to serve for more than a quarter of a century.