Home About Us Our Story Archives Spirituality Missionary Cenacle Family Employment Volunteer Contacts Meet a Missionary Sisters Videos In Memory Vocation Do I have a call? MSBT Way of Life Events Resources Mission Advancement About MAO Ways to Help Events Prayer Cards Special Intentions Current Appeal MAO Staff Contact Spirituality Centers Mother Boniface Sp. Ctr. Facilities Upcoming Retreats Mornings of Prayer Reservations Spiritual Direction Directions Blessed Trinity Shrine Retreat Facilities Upcoming Retreats Shrine of the Blessed Trinity Spiritual Direction Hermitage Brochure Directions Trinita Family Life Ctr. About Trinita Directions Donate Gallery

In Memory

 

Sister Helen Scanlon of the Holy Name of Jesus,
M.S.B.T. May 29, 1922 ~ October 13, 2011

Helen was born in Philadelphia on May 29, 1922. Her parents were James and Helen Scanlon. Helen was one of five children, Mary who was a Sister of St. Joseph of Chestnut Hill, Rita, James and William. Helen was a graduate of West Catholic High School. After school she worked for several years as a dental assistant.
In Sr. Helen's files there's a series of letters from the fall of 1948, the first requesting information about being interviewed for admission if it is God's will.

In the last before being accepted Helen wrote to Mother Mary Francis:
"Enclosed you will find my completed application and the required certificates. Msgr. Benjamin was good enough to write a letter of recommendation. I heartily dislike doing anything so final as this, and yet there can be no peace of mind until I make a sincere effort to do what I think is God's Will."

Helen entered on February 11, 1949. Herclassmates include Sister Marie Bernadette and Sister Alice Margaret. Sr. Helen professed FirstVows in August of 1950 and Perpetual Vows on March 25, 1954. Sister had the religious nameof Sister Rita Marie for many years.
Much of Sister's missionary life was in social services. Herfirst mission was to Crough Patrick a settlement House in Cambridge, MA for 4 years. Then 2 years in ParishSocial Ministry, in St. Rock's Parish, West Bangor, PA From 1956 - 1967 in Catholic SocialServices Philadelphia. During these years she studied at St Joseph's University for herBachelor degree. She was two years out of ministry for study at Catholic University for a MSW from1963- 1965.

From 1967 - 1972 Sister was in the Bucks County CSS office. From 1972 to 1978 she served in Catholic Social Services in Bethlehem. Then she was five years at St. Joseph Home for the Aged in Holland, PA as Social Worker. In the 80's Sr. Helen went to Catholic Social Services in the Raleigh, NC. Diocese. This was a departure from Helen's previous ministry experience of Social Work in an agency or
institution, as this was social ministry in a rural area. Working out of her cenacle in Hertford Helen served an area made up of 13 counties. The needs were varied and many. Transportation was a problem for many of the people in need, so Helen was able to connect people with resources closer to them and to cultivate many volunteers to help meet the variety of needs in the area. Helen was six years in NC.

After a time of sabbatical & study, in September 1990 Helen went to Merrimac Valley Catholic Charities in Lowell Mass. There she served as Community Network Coordinator. Again her gift for recruitment of volunteers and making connections was well used. Sr. Helen
was instrumental in creating a resource network for Grandparents raising their grandchildren called GAP. This program is still going on.

In 2001 Helen came to the Motherhouse. She was missioned to intra community service and soon began our volunteer program, which has brought so many wonderful people into connect with our sisters. Sr. Joan Marie Keller said Helen has always been a thinker and had excellent ideas. But sometimes in the presentation of her ideas she was misperceived and her ideas lost. Sometimes Sister Helen came across as critical or judgmental but she had a unique way of seeing situations and questioning methods and systems. She was always wanting to improve herself, the community and others. Sister Helen will be missed - her unique way of thinking was a gift to us. In late September Sister Helen suffered a cerebral hemorrhage and had surgery. After a stay in the hospital it became evident that Sister would not recover from this event.
She died peacefully on October 13, 2011.
May she rest in peace.