As the sadness of Pope Francis' death fades, it has been replaced by the joy of a new Pope from the United States of America. And this month we share our thoughts on our new Pope, our hopes, our first impressions, and our reflections on what the future may hold given this new reality. Sister Nancy Stiles leads a discussion which includes Holy Union Associate, Tina Silvestro, and podcast producer, Ken Gustin. Then we open the discussion to include Sisters Christine Lacroix, and Fran Cavey as well as Fall River Associate, Nancy Dube and New York Associate, Leida Toro. We are filled with hope for this new shepherd, chosen under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

This month we explore the story of Lighthouse School, originally known as the Holy Union Special School. From its founding by Sr. Theodora Martel, SUSC (Sr. Gabrielle Lucie) in 1967 in the basement of the Holy Union Sisters' retirement home in Lowell, MA to its current incarnation serving 225 children and their families on their N. Chelmsford campus, Lighthouse has provided specialized services for students who struggled to fit within a traditional learning environment. Sr. Joan Guertin, SUSC is joined by Scott Bartis, CEO of Lighthouse School in N. Chelmsford, MA, and his Director of Operations, "Jeep" Tarmey, to discuss the remarkable journey of this wonderful school. Sr. Theodora's deep empathy for children with learning challenges set a tone which continues today, based on kindness, patience, and a commitment to creating a place of belonging for so many children for nearly fifty years.

Are you one of many Catholics who have questions about the Jubilee Year of the Church (2025)? What is a Jubilee Year? Why is it significant? What is asked of us during this year? How can we participate in it? Well, in our April episode, Called to Be... 's producer, Ken Gustin, talks with Fr. Edmund Derosier and Sr. Joan Guertin to explore these and other questions. Fr. Derosier is a longtime friend of Holy Union and his former parish in Ayer / Shirley, MA has been a major source of support for Holy Union's schools in Cameroon, Africa. We're so grateful for his participation in this rich discussion.

As Lent approaches we're pleased to share with you this discussion among Sisters Fran Cavey, Joan Guertin, and Rita Theresa Goulet on the topic of Silence and Solitude. We invite you to sit back, close your eyes and be still as you listen to this insightful exchange. May it bring you some new ways to embrace silence and solitude, not just during Lent but as a part of your everyday spirituality and relationship with God. Note: Due to circumstance beyond our control we needed to slightly change the order in which our episodes were published (at the last minute) and so please disregard the reference made early on in this episode as to where we are in Lent and Holy Week's closeness.

This month, Sr. Alice Michael shares the story of her vocation and eclectic ministries throughout the years as a Holy Union Sister with our Taunton Associates. Her very first assignment in New York City was a major adjustment after growing up on the family farm in Rhode Island. Again and again Sr. Alice placed her trust in God's plan for her, though she often didn't understand why she was being placed on this path or that one. Her ministries in New York placed her in a culturally rich environment, working with adults and children in a variety of roles, and ultimately traveling extensively nationally and internationally in support of the work being done by our congregation. We hope you enjoy this story of trust and dedication to the work she was chosen to do.

We're pleased to begin 2025, our fourth year of "Called to Be..." with a recent "My Story" talk from Sr. Barbara Walsh. This talk was given to our Holy Union Associates Community earlier in 2024, but we were unable to be there to record it. Happily, Sr. Barbara was kind enough to share it privately for use as a podcast episode. She has had a truly remarkable life as a Holy Union Sister, marked by a creative problem solving approach to helping those in need. Sr. Barbara's charisma has drawn people to her many ministries and inspired them to help as volunteers, financial supporters, or simply to be gently swept up by her invitation to draw themselves closer to Jesus. Her story brings to mind the statement atttributed to St. Francis of Assisi, "Preach the Gospel always, and when necesary, use words."

As advent begins, we're so pleased to share this episode with you. Sr. Alice Michael moderates a joyful discussion with Holy Union Associate, Tina Silvestro, Sr. Mary Ellen Ryan and Sr. Kathee Corrigan about the various ways Advent and Christmas are celebrated in parishes they are in, or from days gone by. We all remember the days when our parish was the center of so much in our lives: baptisms, funerals, marriages, holidays, and social events like dances, CYO, and Bingo! So we thought discussing the ways Christmas and Advent are celebrated in some very creative ways in our parishes would be both fun and perhaps share some ideas for you and your own parishes today to embrace or breathe new life into! We hope you enjoy this discussion as much as we did!

As the Liturgical Year comes to a close and we prepare to start a new Liturgical Year in December, we pause to take a look back on the wide range of discussions and topics we covered this past year. Called to Be's producer, Ken Gustin, reviews the last twelve months of episodes and encourages you to listen to your favorites a second time right from our website at www.holyunionsisters.org, or take the time to listen to episodes you may have missed.