Sr. B celebration and other McCorry news

It’s either feast or famine for the McCorry Family Blog. Months go by without a post and this week three things may interest you.

Sister Acquinice asked me to post this to the blog for all of you to see. Sister Benedicta, who is doing well, is celebrating 75 years as a Mercy nun and a celebration is in order. He’s the letter Aunt Rita mailed to me:

Easter is approaching with all the great signs of spring. We need it, especially this year.

This year, Sr. Benedicta is celebrating 75 years as a Sister of Mercy. She is aware of all the preparations. There are going to be two celebrations: One in Aurora, (Ill.) where she lives and one here at Mercy Convent. The celebration at Aurora is set for April 28. There will be a mass and a dinner. Some of you will receive an invitation. What I did was put your names in a hat and picked two from each family. If you are one of the lucky ones, come if you can – you are most welcome – and if you can’t make it, we’ll understand.

It is a weekday in the middle of the week. And all of you are welcome to send cards any time. Sr. Benedicta’s address is:

Provena McAuley Manor

400 W. Sullivan Road

Aurora, IL 60506-1452

The other celebration at the convent is just for the sisters on May 1. She will be brought there on that day in a special van.

Blessed Easter to all of you. I think about you often and pray for you daily.

Love,

Aunt Rita

Whichever of you do attend, send me digital photos if you bring a camera.

A couple other notes since my last post: Pat Werth’s daughter Megan and her husband Nino Rabbaa gave birth to their second daughter, Danielle Angele, Jan. 12. The couple already have a daughter, Julianna, who’s about 5. Pat tells us an interesting story of the significance of Danielle’s middle name:

Angele is the name of Nino's great grandmother who at 7 years old was the only survivor of the Armenian massacre in Turkey. She was saved by a Muslim family who swept her away from the lineup. She was blond, blue eyed and so I am told very beautiful. They took her into their family but every time they could not find her she was back at the place where her family was killed. When she was 14 they bought her a horse and sent her along with several Armenians that were traveling to Lebanon. She fell off her horse and was saved by a young man who ended up marrying her eventually. So romantic isn't it? I have met one of Nino's cousins from that side of the family and he is blond and has blue eyes.

Pat also tells us that her sister Wendy and her two children, recently visited Aunt Betty and Uncle Carroll in Florida. They took Mom to the Dali museum which was on her list of things to do. She also had another surgery in early April to remove a blockage in a vein in her leg; last year she had the other leg done.

Members of my family had the opportunity to have lunch at Nino’s Santa Rosa, Calif., restaurant Rendezvous Bistro on New Year’s Eve day. We were joined by Pat, her husband Jay, granddaughter Juliana and Megan and Nino.

Also, what might be news to you is that St. Pius X Parish, which we attended for many years when we lived in Wauwatosa, is closing. I enjoyed a 40^th reunion with classmates from my Class of 1969 two years ago and have stayed in touch with some of them via e-mail and Facebook. One of them, Tom Brost, who still lives in the parish, wrote that St. Pius X is being merged with St. Bernard’s, which is in the Village section of Wauwatosa. Oddly, the new name for the combined parishes is Wauwatosa Catholic.

When I was there for the reunion I saw that they still have the photos of each graduating class (starting in 1955) along a hallway. But I noticed the recent graduating classes were tiny, fewer than a dozen students versus 30-40 when we attended. The current principal told us they didn’t start instruction until the third grade. The consolidation is likely related to the decision of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee to file for Ch. 11 bankruptcy protection in January in the wake of the filing of multiple lawsuits over priest sexual abuse cases.

St. Pius will always be a fond memory for the Mullinses. It’s where most of us received all the sacraments over the years – First Communion, Confirmation – where Kathy’s wedding and mom’s and dad’s funerals were held. Ironically, Tom tells me that the roller rink will continue operating. The future of the rest of the property is – no pun intended – in limbo.

Happy Easter to all of you.

Love,

Robert Mullins