Little Sisters of the poor
Earlier this year I visited a ninety-three-year-old Sister in a rest home. We spoke of her work in Vietnam during the war and how she was captured and detained for a few weeks. Yet the thing that really stayed with me long after I had left, was what she said of her experience now, being cared for in a home. She looked sadly at me and said;
“This is the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do.”
A paramedic friend of mine once told me that emergency services get a lot of calls around Christmas time from lonely elderly people who just want company.
We live in a society that stretches the meaning of respect for life to one that includes choosing when and how a life ends.
Sadly many people today - not excluding those that care for the elderly - see the aged as an inconvenience, a source of income, or a lost cause. Not as human beings worthy of love and respect.
In the nineteenth century, Saint Jeanne Jugan, foundress of the Little Sisters of the Poor, was moved to action by the plight of an abandoned elderly women she encountered one day. She discovered that there were many people who had no place to call home and no one to support them, and took it upon herself to find a way to care for these elderly poor. Eleven years after their foundation, the Little Sisters of the Poor numbered 100 Sisters running 11 homes and caring for 11,000 residents. Four years later, there were 500 Sisters running 36 homes.
The work of the Little Sisters is characterised by the example of Jeanne Jugan, who ‘spent herself for the poor.’ She never got caught up in seeking praise or fame, and even humbly stepped into the background when her role as foundress was not acknowledged, and leadership was taken from her. Her mission is summed up beautifully in Éloi Leclerc’s book, Saint Jeanne Jugan: God’s Tenderness for the World;
The Dunedin Little Sisters of the Poor
“Through the care they are given, they see that they are loved and worthy of consideration. Without this close relationship of love, which alone can lift someone out of loneliness and give them a name and a face, the home, however well organised it may be, is a sad place, sometimes deathly sad. A poor person is not just a medical file to be referred to from a distance…”
Page 57 God’s Tenderness for the World by Éloi Leclerc
You can learn more about her amazing story here:
As someone who has worked in youth ministry for a while now, I’ve often heard people say things like ‘just be authentic because young people know if you’re faking it!’ So I was surprised to hear Sister Marguerite say the same thing of the elderly:
“The old people know if you love them, or if you’re just looking after them.”
It was so beautiful to witness the love and dedication of the Little Sisters of the Poor. At their home in Dunedin (and in their homes around the world), they not only care for the aged, but willingly take in those who can’t afford such support or whom other rest homes won’t accept.
Folding residents’ laundry
All dressed up for the Spring Dance!
This vision rubs off on other members of staff at their homes too. While I was visiting, a staff member arranged a Spring Dance for the residents - beautifully decorating the hall, arranging finger food, and even working with each resident to pick out their best clothing for the event. Many residents are unable to move freely or for long periods of time, and there were some who wouldn’t even remember the dance the following day - but it was beautiful to see the love and care that went into it’s preparation, and the smiles on the residents faces as they partied!
Jeanne Jugan’s vision was revolutionary in it’s approach to caring for the elderly poor, giving many the love and respect no one else would. And in a society that’s lost touch with the beauty and wisdom the elderly have to offer, the work of the Little Sisters of the Poor continues to be of great need to this day.
Further Resources:
Getting to know Saint Jeanne Jugan📚 - Foundress of the Little Sisters of the Poor - by Didier Chardez. A graphic novel for children on the life of Jeanne Jugan
Saint Jeanne Jugan: God’s Tenderness for the World📚 - by Éloi Leclerc. Quoted in this blog post.
Sayings of Jeanne Jugan📚- by Sr. Elisabeth Allard LSP. A beautiful compilation of sayings and images, providing an insight into who Jeanne Jugan was
15 Days of Prayer with Saint Jeanne Jugan 📚
A Hidden Pearl - Spirituality of St. Jeanne Jugan 📚