It’s the “Source and Summit” of our faith, yet how often is the Holy Eucharist taken for granted as a concept and a reality received at Mass? Privileged to welcome Sr. Anna Rose to St. Colette on Sunday October 16th, she reminded all in attendance about the beauty and simplicity in how something so small as a piece of bread carries the significance that is everything one could want or need in life. To be planted in the richness of Christ’s love is to bloom the most beautiful and fragrant of flowers. Sr. Anna Rose, an ordinary girl from Parma with ordinary dreams, responded to God’s call to serve him, and as her name suggests, stands a beautiful flower through her witness of His love in the Eucharist.
She began the evening as “Anna Ciarrone”, describing her upbringing and path to her vocation. The oldest of three sisters, Anna grew up with her family in Parma, attending St. Charles parish and school and Holy Name High School. It was there that she met Fr. Krizner and became active in Campus Ministry. She’d never describe herself as extraordinarily spiritual, though she was a good student and did enjoy theology class. As a sacristan in Campus Ministry, Fr. Krizner encouraged her to pursue a vocation as a religious sister. While the thought made her uncomfortable at first, it did initiate what would be realized in the not-so-distant future. Anna also described her relationship with the Eucharist as nothing extraordinary until one day in her junior year of high school. Fr. Krizner had and evening of Adoration, and it was in that quiet moment of seeing Jesus in the Holy Sacrament that changed her life. She realized that tiny piece of bread was a person who loved her so much, a person who died for her. The moment brought her to tears and closer to the decision of giving her life to that person. Anna attended Franciscan University of Steubenville where she was eventually inspired to consider the Franciscan Sisters T.O.R. (Third Order Regulars of the Penance of the Sorrowful Mother).
Sr. Anna described some of the scriptural and historical roots of the Holy Eucharist, but it was her personal witness that was the most inspiring. Sr. Anna’s relationship with the Holy Eucharist is not only her source of spiritual, mental, emotional, and social growth, but physical growth as well. Maintaining physical health is vital in her role as a sister to glorify God through her body. As a religious sister, she took to running, initially to try something new, but eventually it became her favorite physical pastime. She compared the need for sustenance and nourishment as runner training for marathons to her need for the Eucharist in the marathon of life. Catholicism is an incarnational faith. One needs the presence of the Eucharist to be freed from venial sin and strengthened against mortal sin. Even in the absence of such feelings, so to speak, the Eucharist is “food for the journey.”
She went on to express her relationship with Jesus in the Eucharist as one of honesty. She can be completely vulnerable, and that He in turn will “take her as she is.” Sr. Anna talked about how being vulnerable with others is one of the most difficult things to do, but not for Jesus. He loves all people for all of the parts that are unloved or remain suppressed and hidden from others. In that one, small host, he desires to go right to those vulnerable places and love them the most. Sr. Anna ended her witness with an opportunity for silent prayer where she called upon all present to be vulnerable to Jesus in the presence of the Eucharist.
Thank you, Sr. Anna for blessing us with your smile, faith and love! May we, like you, take root in the rich soil of the Holy Eucharist to bloom into a flower as beautiful as you! Come back again soon!
Accompanying Sr. Anna were Sr. Mariam, and the Reverend Mother. God bless your ministry!
To support the Franciscan T.O.Rs please visit www.FranciscanSistersTOR.org
