NEWSLETTER Ladies of Charity—Archdiocese of Washington - Humility, Simplicity, Charity July 2014 Spiritual Advisor Archdiocese of Washington Reverend Carl F. Dianda Spiritual Moderator Ladies of Charity Sr. Sandra Goldsborough, D.C. [email protected] “To Serve Rather Than Be Served” BOARD OF DIRECTORS In Humility, Simplicity and Charity President Mary Louise Hand [email protected] Message from the President 1st Vice President Vacant On June 7 following a Mass by Reverend Carl F. 2nd Vice President Dianda in the chapel at Providence Hospital, Wash- Gloria A. Lessington ington, DC, I was installed as Executive Board Presi- [email protected] dent for the Archdiocese of Washington (ADW) La- Secretary dies of Charity (LOC), along with the other ADW Mary Ann Tretler LOC Executive Board members for 2014-2016. I [email protected] vowed to serve as President for the next two years to Treasurer the best of my ability. Though I am relatively new to Toni K. Gaines the LOC, after attending the first ADW LOC Execu- [email protected] tive Board meeting, I was heartened that I will be Advisor serving with a highly dedicated and experienced Ex- Dr. Rita L. Robinson ecutive Board. I am privileged and humbled to serve. [email protected] Junior LOC Moderator By way of introduction, I am a native of St. Paul, Gloria Rose [email protected] Minnesota and moved to Bethesda, MD in 1988. I was fortunate to meet my husband, David J. Hand, at a Montgomery County Catholic singles home Mass. We have been married for 21 years LCUSA Past President and live in Bethesda. Lucy Saunders [email protected] I am a Registered Nurse by background and I retired from the National Institutes of Health in June Newsletter Editor 2013. The focus of my professional work has been in the area of heart attack prevention and early Jacqueline Bates [email protected] recognition and treatment of heart attacks. I also served in the Army Reserves as a member of the Army Nurse Corps for 22 years and retired in 2003, having achieved the rank of Colonel. Website Manager Toni K. Gaines [email protected] I have been a member of St. Jane Frances de Chantal parish, Bethesda, MD, for over 25 years where I sing in the parish’s Contemporary Ensemble and participate in the St. Jane Frances de LOCAL PRESIDENTS: Chantal Sodality. I served as my Sodality Unit’s (St. John Neumann’s) co-chair for two years and Calvert County I coordinated the Parish’s Anniversary Brunch for four years with assistance from other Unit/ Susan Wilson Sodality members. [email protected] Charles County After my retirement last year, I became involved with the Montgomery County LOC through the Judy Fisher encouragement of Maryann Rooney who is a member of my Sodality Unit and President of the [email protected] Montgomery County LOC. I joined Maryann and several other Montgomery County LOC mem- District of Columbia bers at the Bethesda Health and Rehabilitation facility where we assist with our Parish’s weekly Bertha Guerra [email protected] Masses communion services, for the residents. I am also a new Extraordinary Minister of Holy Eucharist and will be assisting with administering Holy Communion at the Bethesda Health and Montgomery County Rehabilitation facility and at Suburban Hospital in Bethesda. Maryann Rooney [email protected] This spring (prior to assuming the ADW LOC Board President duties), I was able to attend the Prince George’s County beautiful ADW LOC Annual Mass and Communion Brunch that was held on the feast of St. Beverly Motley [email protected] Louise de Marillac on March 15, 2014 at St. Anthony of Padua, North Beach, MD. What a lovely setting and event! I was pleased to attended the Annual May Day Celebration and Crowning of Providence Hospital rd Theresa Cullinane the Blessed Mother at St. Ann’s Center for Children, Youth, and Families, Hyattsville on May 3 [email protected] and to meet Sister Mary Bader, DC. NEWSLETTER Ladies of Charity—Archdiocese of Washington - Humility, Simplicity, Charity July 2014 As the new Board President I wish to extend a heartfelt Archdiocese Executive Board thanks to Dr. Rita L. Robinson for her extraordinary ser- 2014—2016 vice as ADW LOC President for the last two years. Among her last activities as President was to ensure a Mary Louise Hand, President smooth transition with the Executive Board. I am pleased st Dr. Robinson will continue as Board Advisor, in addition Vacant, 1 Vice President to her important role as Vice President for the Middle At- Gloria A. Lessington, 2nd Vice President lantic Region for the Ladies of Charity of the United States Mary Ann Tretler, Secretary (LCUSA). Dr. Robinson has written a beautiful farewell message as the ADW LOC outgoing President in this issue Toni K. Gaines, Treasurer of the newsletter. I want to also thank the ADW LOC Board for their re- Prince George’s County Executive Board Beverly Motley, President newed commitment at the June meeting, for their hospital- Veronica Neal, 1st Vice President ity toward me as the new President, including Fr. Dianda Regina Barrett, 2nd Vice President for his support of the ADW LOC. I wish to welcome as Donna Fisher, Secretary well, Sister Sandra Goldsborough, DC as our new Spiritual Mary Ann Tretler, Treasurer Moderator. I recently experienced the ADW LOCs “in Evelyn Poole, Corresponding Recording Secretary action” when they responded quickly and generously to a request from TASSC (Torture, Abolition and Survivor Support Coalition) for items for six survivors moving to TASSC’s transitional housing. Within a day, TASSC said their need had been met! I wish to thank Ms. Toni Gaines Prince George’s County Ladies of Charity Quarterly for disseminating this request to the ADW LOC, resulting Meeting. The LOC of St. Hugh Church will host the in such an overwhelming response. TASSC was deeply quarterly meeting on Sunday the 7th of December, at grateful, as am I, for supporting this request. 2:00 PM Looking ahead, I plan to attend the 2014 National Assem- bly in Milwaukee, September 11-13 with the theme of “Just Care! Vincentian Women in Action,” highlighting “Just Care! Vincentian Women in Action” how we as Ladies of Charity can support family caregiv- Is the theme this year for the National Assembly held in ers. Attending the National Assembly will help me to bet- Milwaukee, Wisconsin from September 11-13 at the Hilton ter understand and support the LCUSA’s goals, as well as Milwaukee City Center at 5th Street and Wisconsin Ave- those of our ADW LOC. I hope to say more about these nue. goals in my next message. I look forward to meeting many of you in the future. Until then, I wish you all a blessed and relaxing summer. Mary Louise Hand President ADW LOC Let us pray for one another On MONDAY at 9:00 am, remember to pray for Ladies of Charity as they continue the good works of their min- istry. My God, I humbly beg you to make me an instru- ment of your love, give me the grace of performing all my actions to help my neighbor with charity, humility, and simplicity. “While we do our good works let us not forget that the real solution lies in a world in which charity will It is my hope, Lord, that fidelity in the practice of these have become unnecessary.” virtues may obtain the reward which you have promised ― Chinua Achebe, Anthills of the Savannah to those who serve you in the person of the poor. 2 NEWSLETTER Ladies of Charity—Archdiocese of Washington - Humility, Simplicity, Charity July 2014 Farewell Message from the Past President—Dr. Rita L. Robinson I leave the position by serving the material and spiritual needs of the sick, as President of the the poor and the marginalized of our society. Our Ladies of Charity charitable works include but are not limited to, feed- of the Archdiocese ing the hungry, operating food pantries, offering of Washington monetary donations to victims of natural disasters, with mixed feel- visiting the sick, distributing the Eucharist to the ings. In some re- Home Bound, supplying clothing and shoes for those spects, it seems in need and supporting the work of other like minded that my installation organizations. We Ladies of Charity are workers! as President, on June 2, 2012 was As I leave my role as President, I would strongly urge just yesterday. Yet, us as an association to spend more time getting to here we are two know and appreciate our History and to make a con- years later. There certed effort to incorporate Vincentian Spirituality in is some sadness every thing that we do. I think that so often we get (small), but, to be perfectly honest, there is also a feel- caught up in the “doing” and sometimes the bigger ing of relief knowing that there is another very capa- picture gets lost, that is, “To provide Vincentian ble woman ready to take over the reins as our new leadership to women acting together against all President. I am more than happy to turn the gavel forms of poverty.” St. Vincent came to the conclu- over the Ms. Mary Louise Hand, the newly installed sion that in serving those living in poverty one serves President. She comes highly recommended and has a Jesus Christ. wealth of leadership experience. In 2017, we will be celebrating the 400th anniversary It truly has been a real joy working with the ladies and of the Founding of the Ladies of Charity. Now is an gentlemen of the Archdiocese.