It is with great pleasure that Bishop Joseph recently celebrated the 60th Anniversary of the Religious Profession of Sr. Margherita Ianni of the Sisters of the Sacred Heart at St. Paul’s in Summerside.
Mass was concelebrated by Fr. Chris, Fr. Peter, Fr. Jim, Fr. Benedict, Fr. Walter, and Fr. Stuart MacDonald. The Sisters of the Sacred Heart community in Welland, Ontario were also present to celebrate with Sr. Margherita and many of the Catholic faithful from around the Island.
Sr. Margherita decided to enter religious life at the age of 15. Very few knew about it, yet among those few ones, some advised her not to enter in the Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Ragusa, since they were poor and just started in North America.
But she felt the call to be one of the Sisters of the Sacred Heart. In her first attempt to enter, the Superior of the Community in Welland, Ontario did not accept her on the basis of her young age. Sister Margherita did not get discouraged, instead she wrote to the Mother General of the Institute in Rome and was accepted as a candidate for religious life.
In that first community of the Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Ontario, she spent her entire religious formation. During the period of her postulancy, she continued her high school education and put it on hold only when she became a novice.
Renewal of Vows I, Sister Mary Margherita, moved by a firm will to consecrate myself more intimately to the honour of God, to follow Christ more closely for all my life, and to propagate the love of the Heart of Jesus for souls, before my fellow sisters who surround me renew the vows of chastity, poverty and obedience according to the constitutions of the Sisters of the Sacred heart. I entrust myself with all my heart to this family so that with the grace of the Holy Spirit, the aid of Mary most holy, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart and of the Holy Rosary and of the patron saints of the Congregation, I may acquire perfect charity in the service of God and of the Church.
At 18 years of age she did her first Religious Profession, after which she continued her studies, went to Teacher’s College, taught one year, and then was sent to Italy for one year. During this time, she attended a school of Theology. After a year in Italy she returned to Welland, Ontario where she continued to teach in the Catholic School System.
She was, for a long time, a formator for new candidates and also was a Superior of the community. After 31 years of teaching with the Catholic School Board in Niagara Region, she retired from teaching but not in doing the apostolic works of the Institute.
She was chosen to be the Superior of the new established convent in Summerside when it opened in April of 2018. She and the other sisters of the Summerside community continue to perform their apostolates among the people of Prince Edward Island.
In particular, Sr. Margherita visits the sick in the hospital and the elderly in their homes. As a Community, they visit families and actively participate in parish activities, particularly in the area of catechism and liturgy with the children and youth. They run a small home-based childcare and hope to expand as a faith-based childcare centre in which more families and young children can benefit.
Under Sr. Margherita’s leadership, the sisters continue to promote devotion to the Most Blessed Virgin Mary and to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus on Prince Edward Island, especially among Filipino community. From childhood, Sr. Margherita’s devotion to Mary and the Sacred Heart of Jesus were instilled in her by her mother, who was a very pious woman. Referring to her late mother, Sr. Margherita says, “When in difficulties or problem she would always repeat, “Sacred Heart of Jesus, I trust in you. Mary, my mother, help me.”
Sr. Margherita Ianni’s favorite Scripture passage: Isaiah 49:16 “I have carved you, in the palms of my hands, you are mine.”
The History of Sr. Margherita shared by Sr. Marian.