Maya
Angelou once said, “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people
will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
This truth certainly applies to Sr. Philomene Glotzbach, who died on July 18.
Sr.
Philomene epitomized Benedictine hospitality; it’s hard to believe she could
have welcomed Jesus himself with any more warmth and wholeheartedness than she
offered to those who came through the doors of Mount St. Scholastica. She had a
grandmotherly spirit in that she delighted in the people she met and was very encouraging
and affirming. This characteristic was a wonderful gift for her primary school
students, because it gave them a foun-dation of being valued and cared for. It was a
gift to the community’s postulants and novices as well, as I can attest.
In
addition to beaming at me every time she encountered me in the hallway, Sr.
Philomene lifted my spirits, and those of the community and our guests, through
the flower arrangements she placed on each table in the dining room in the
summer and fall months. This simple act (which entailed more work than we can
imagine) added graciousness and beauty to our daily lives and reminded us of
the goodness of God’s creation.
We
will never forget how Sr. Philomene made us feel—like we are beloved children
of God. I’m happy that she is now basking in the beams of God’s love herself.
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