GOLDEN JUBILEE OF SISTER MARIE CLAVER LSP
ST JOSEPH’S HOME - LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR
HOMILY PREACHED BY KEITH PATRICK CARDINAL O’BRIEN
SATURDAY 10TH DECEMBER 2011
INTRODUCTION:
It is indeed a pleasure being with you here at St Joseph’s Home as we celebrate the golden jubilee of Sister Marie Claver, the Mother of this Community and Home.
Although it has been a relatively short time out of those fifty years that Sister Marie has been with us I must say that she immediately endeared herself to all here at St Joseph’s and has very much been out “Mother” since that happy date.
Now we celebrate with joy the Golden Jubilee of her profession realising that in so many ways we have been caught up in the love of the Lord and of all who are here – being led in her own special way by Sister Marie.
BACKGROUND TO LIFE OF SISTER MARIE CLAVER:
As so many of you know Sister Marie was born and brought up in Dundee being baptised there in the Parish of St Patrick’s. She was the youngest of four children having two brothers and one sister – sadly all are now deceased but of course there are representatives of her family here with us today.
Sister Marie received her education in Dundee – at SS Peter and Paul’s Primary School and then Lawside Academy before going to Seymour Lodge Pre- Nursing College. Like so many young girls of her time she helped as a Marian Aid at the Little Sisters in Wellburn Home Dundee and no doubt there the seeds of her vocation sown in her Catholic home were nourished with the Little Sisters.
Consequently it was of little surprise to anyone when she entered the Little Sisters of the Poor in Glasgow in 1958 and completed her novitiate in St Bridget’s Dublin in 1961 making her first profession on 12th December that very year.
However her training was to continue in Liverpool and Dublin before she was moved to the Mother House at La Tour Saint Joseph for her final profession on 15th October 1967. She was then Nurse in Charge of frail elderly residents in the houses of Waterford and Dublin before returning to St Joseph’s in Glasgow where she cared for the residents as well as being assistant to Reverend Mother.
I was going to say those first fourteen years of her life were the easy years – when she was a young nun and then preparing for her professions.
What then am I to say about the remaining thirty six years? Quite simply as a Mother Superior those last thirty six years must have been the difficult years. I say this quite simply because it is never easy being in a position of responsibility – and certainly not in our present time when more and more problems seem to arise, and when one’s love fro Christ and other people is so often absorbed in bookwork, completing forms, waiting for inspections – all of one kind or another and apparently distracting one from one’s real vocation with people.
VOCATION OF SISTER MARIE:
However I know that I speak for everyone here at St Joseph’s when I say that Sister Marie has combined her love of Jesus and her love of all here at St Joseph’s with the daily grind of paperwork and administration in a very wonderful way.
From 1975 right up to this present day Sister Marie has been Mother Superior in various homes for the Little Sisters in Stoke on Trent, Liverpool, Dundee, Leeds, Bristol, Preston – and now here in Edinburgh. I do not think I have known a Mother Superior with the Little Sisters of the Poor so well travelled!
However I am sure I am right in saying that Sister’s life has been based on her love of God and of others through her appreciation of the teachings of God in Sacred Scripture.
I think the two readings chosen for today’s Mass adequately sum up the vocation of Sister Marie:
In the reading from the Book of the Apocalypse we read that very beautiful passage when we can imagine Christ at the door in person or Christ at the door in one of the poor and less abled people and uttering those same words: “Look, I am standing at the door, knocking. If one of you hears me calling and opened the door, I will come in to share his meal, side by side with him”. I see this as the very Christ like action of Sister Marie in so very many ways on so very many occasions.
Priest or lay person stands at the door of St Joseph’s knocking – the door is opened wide if at all possible by Sister Marie herself – and the person seeking admittance is readily welcomed to come in to share her meal and to receive the hospitality of St Joseph’s for a short or indeed for a very long time.
And then that beautiful Gospel passage reminds us of our very beautiful union with Jesus himself – in Sister Marie’s case once we have welcomed a guest or a new resident into our home in the guise of the poor and the downcast, then Jesus states: “Whoever remains in me, with me in him, bears fruit in plenty”.
And that is the lesson which Sister Marie also teaches us. She welcomes Jesus “under her roof” and Jesus remains with her, helping her and guiding her in her heavy responsibilities.
CONCLUSION:
When preparing for our celebration today I was wondering just what Sister Marie and her fellow novices thought when they knew that their profession was to be in December 1961. Just what was the weather like, could their family and friends come to the profession, what would the liturgy be like during Advent when it is more penitential as we prepare for Christmas – and perhaps a host of other questions.
However I do hope that it had been a happy and memorable occasion.
Now some fifty years later we thank God for all that happened at that first profession with the solemn commitment from Sister Marie to serve God and his people especially in the poor. Those fifty years have seen a magnificent roll call of service especially here in Scotland including Sister Marie’s beloved Dundee as well now her equally beloved Edinburgh.
May she enjoy this occasion relaxing with her family and friends and realising also that wonderful teaching of Jesus – that whatever we do unto others that we do unto him.
May God indeed bless you Sister Marie and reward you for the way in which you try day by day to repay the Lord for all his love for you in answering his call.