2

Wallkill Valley Times , Wednesday , May 4 , 2016

PUBLIC AGENDA

THURSDAY , MAY 5

Montgomery Town Board , 7 p . m . Town Government Center , 110 Bracken Road , Montgomery . Shawangunk Town Board , 7 p . m . Town Hall , 14 Central Ave ., Wallkill

MONDAY , MAY 9 Valley Central Board of Education , 7:15 p . m . School district office , 944 , Route 17K , Montgomery Town of Montgomery Planning Board , 7:30 p . m . Town Government Center , 110 Bracken Road , Montgomery .

TUESDAY , MAY 10 Walden Village Board of Trustees , 6:30 p . m . Village Hall , 1 Municipal Square . Pine Bush Board of Education , 7 p . m ., Pine Bush High School . Montgomery Village Board , 7:30 p . m ., Village Hall , 133 Clinton Street .

HOW TO REACH US

OFFICE : 300 Stony Brook Court Newburgh , N . Y . 12550

PHONE : ( 845 ) 561-0170 , FAX : ( 845 ) 561-3967

E-Mails may be directed to the following : ADVERTISING advertising @ tcnewspapers . com

CALENDAR SUBMISSIONS calendar @ tcnewspapers . com

TO REACH THE EDITOR editor @ tcnewspapers . com

FOR THE SPORTS DEPARTMENT sports @ tcnewspapers . com

PUBLIC NOTICES legals @ tcnewspapers . com

WEBSITE www . timescommunitypapers . com

The Wallkill Valley Times , ( USPS 699-490 ) is a weekly newspaper published every Wednesday at Newburgh , N . Y . 12550 , with offices at 300 Stony Brook Court , Newburgh , N . Y . . Single copy : $ 1 at newsstand . By mail in Orange , Ulster or Sullivan Counties : $ 40 annually , $ 44 out of county . Periodicals permit at Newburgh , N . Y . POSTMASTER : Send address changes to Wallkill Valley Times , 300 Stony Brook Court , Newburgh , N . Y . 12550

Continued from page 1

and 42 bedrooms in the attached 20,000-square-foot brick building offered plenty of space for the hard-working nuns to rest and rejuvenate . As time went on , and the nuns aged , the building became a rest home for older sisters . Not that all the sisters wanted to rest : McCormack recalls the story of Sister Helen , who “ had a lot of life , but her body was not going along with that ” – she was infirm enough to need a wheelchair . One day , there was a knock at the door and a man was on the doorstep with a bicycle . “ I ’ m here to see Sister Helen ,” the man explained . Apparently , Sister Helen thought she ’ d try a new set of wheels , McCormack said , laughing .

The buildings are empty now , except for a couple of bedrooms for LSA members . But it ’ s not hard to imagine the beauty of life there : As one enters the farmhouse ’ s hall , bright beams beckon from the sunlit chapel that was added in 1941 . Original wood floors gleam throughout , and pristine white crown molding curves around corners and decorates the ceilings . The farmhouse ’ s covered back porch overlooks a fencedin meditation garden , where a donated swimming pool used to be ( every vacation house needs a swimming pool !). The side yard is beautifully landscaped – including a weeping cherry tree planted in memory of the cyclist-to-be Sister Helen – and is highlighted by a large Grotto of Lourdes , as well as a Peace Pole installed by the sisters in 1991 .

The Little Sisters always had an opendoor policy , and welcomed local neighbors as well as visiting nuns . The chapel in the farmhouse ( and , later , the larger chapel in the brick building that was built in 1962 ) hosted Christmas Eve Mass each year .

“ We have a family spirit here ,” McCormack said . “ This house is a place of welcome . I think people knew that they were welcomed . That says we ’ ve accomplished our mission .”

The sisters didn ’ t just take it easy here , however , McCormack remarked . “ We did nursing , home visits , some of the sisters delivered Meals on Wheels while they were here ,” she said . “ During World War II , the sisters were a part of the Red Cross . We ’ ve hosted craft groups from the community , a quilting group ; we ’ ve held a lot of maternal health programs …. We were linked to the city programs even though we were in the country .”

Neighbor Maryalice Spencer started working as a part-time cook for the Little Sisters 21 years ago , when her youngest

An archive photo of nuns on the back porch at 100 Gladstone Ave . in Walden .

son was three years old .

“ He used to come to work with me ,” recalled Spencer , who is now employed as the LSA archivist and member of the International Laity Commission . “ He became best friends with a sister who had Alzheimer ’ s ; they would always play together . When he was four years old , he broke his arm , and all the Little Sisters signed his cast . He had , like , a zillion grandmothers !”

Spencer said she ’ s loved every minute that she ’ s worked with the Little Sisters .

“ I was drawn to that family spirit ,” she said . “ The spirituality , and the ability to change the world , to change things starting right where we are .”

How do she and her family feel about having to let go of the property ? “ No one wants to talk about it ,” Spencer said with a sad smile . “ It was like going to your grandparents for the weekend . It always felt like home .”

The property is in contract with Chapel Field Christian School ; McCormack is happy that the spiritual legacy of 100 Gladstone Ave . will apparently continue .

“ It is never easy to leave a place where deep friendships have been forged and where there are so many wonderful memories ,” she said . “ All along this journey we have been gifted with so many dear friends and neighbors in the village of Walden . You will always be a part of our Little Sister Family . Words cannot express our gratitude for your generosity , care , support and love . As we prepare to turn over the keys , our thoughts turn to you and the memories this property holds for us all . Know you are forever in our hearts and prayers .

“ This year marks the 125th anniversary of our arrival in the United States from France . It is a moment to gather together , old and new friends , sisters , coworkers , and the many families we have served over the years to give thanks for the gifts received over these 125 years . During the months leading up to our celebration on Oct . 1 , we will be posting stories on our Little Sisters of the Assumption Family in Mission website and Facebook page about our history , our mission sites and the events that our sisters have responded to over the years . If you would like to share a story about the sisters in Walden , you can email it to lsa125 @ littlesisters . org , or mail it to Norma Benitez , 475 East 115th St ., 1st Floor , New York , NY 10029 .”

Although they will no longer call Walden home , the Little Sisters won ’ t stop their mission of helping families in crisis , McCormack stressed . “ We ’ re very small in number as a religious community , but we have a huge network of people we work with to provide services ,” she explained . Those services – which include advocacy , housing issues , food pantries , early intervention , nursing care , parenting groups and GED studies - circle around the idea of working with families who need reunification .

“ We ’ re all about bringing people back together from their brokenness to wholeness ,” McCormack concluded .