April 14, 1917 – August 17, 2013

We gather today to celebrate the life of Sister Colette Kenney, to remember the gift she was to her family, to the Sisters of St. Joseph and to the people of God and to confirm our own belief in the promise of eternal life that Sister Colette now enjoys.

Sister Colette requested that we do not give reflections or share memories on her life this morning and so I will honor her request.

As Sisters of St. Joseph we give thanks for Colette’s service to our Congregation and to the” dear neighbor” for seventy – four years.

We share with Sister Colette’s family the sadness they feel at her passing and offer them our prayerful support.

The section of our Constitution on Prayer which we read this morning when Sister Colette returned home to Bethany states:

“Our prayer is nourished by the constant revelation of God in Scripture, nature, and in the people and circumstances of our lives”. It was apparent to me that the Scripture and songs of today’s funeral Liturgy which Sister Colette prepared for us was the fruit of her prayer life and her deep intimacy with God. Throughout our Liturgy this morning we will sing and hear words of Scripture which portray Sister Colette’s trust in God’s love for her and her abiding love for God.

The prophet Jeremiah tells us that the one who trusts in the Lord is like a tree planted by water and we need not fear the heat that comes because the stream of living water is no one else but the Lord. Sister Colette’s life was rooted in Christ, the living water and the one who is planted in the living water puts their Faith in God’s promise of eternal life and trust in God’s unconditional love for us.

In the Gospel, John affirms the promise that Jesus made to all of us who believe, that is, the promise of eternal life. Sister Colette responded to this promise by believing in and living the Gospel and has now received the gift of eternal life. As the Gospel tells us God will raise us up at the last day and our death will be followed by a glorious resurrection. We can be confident of God’s promise because of our belief in Christ.

And so we pray, Sister Colette, may your loving God who called you as his own in Baptism and by religious profession as a Sister of St. Joseph, now enfold you in love and grant you eternal peace and joy.

Given by Sister Patricia E. McCarthy, CSJ