Rosanna’s journey into life began some years ago when she heard the Lord call her name and she said, “Yes!” We begin to realize that God, in His merciful love and kindness, gives us many companions along our journey. I know you, her family, were part of this journey, as were her friends. We, her local community, felt so privileged to be the ones who were chosen to journey daily with her.

Around this time last year, Rosanna entered a new phase of her journey. She had not been feeling well, and she made an appointment with her oncologist. I companioned her to the doctor. She invited me into the room for the examination, and after she shared what she had been experiencing, the doctor examined her. As he was checking the area of the liver, he said: “Oh, this is bad, Sister. It’s the liver.” But he then proceeded to tell her that there were new, more aggressive chemos and he would begin getting the ball rolling for her. He immediately left the room to make an appointment for her with the doctor who would insert the port into her chest for the chemo. Again, I companioned her when she went for that consultation. The next visit on her journey was with the gastro-internist. God was so good. All of these doctors were so gentle, so compassionate, and so sensitive to Rosanna.

Rosanna was a woman of strong, gentle, quiet faith. This journey was difficult for her, and there were times when she questioned “Why?” In the beginning she held on to hope, and so did we, but as the cancer progressed and the weakness was constant, her hope- was in being able to let go. In our first reading today, we heard that “We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; struck down, but not destroyed.” Rosanna’s faith told her that she was being held in the loving embrace and healing light of God. She knew !!!!! - in her heart and held onto that no matter what the days and nights brought to her.

Sr. Margaret, a Sister of St. Joseph of the Peace, lives across the street from us and worked with Rosanna in the ESL program. One day when Rosanna was having a difficult time with everything, Margaret asked her if she could pray over her for the light of God to surround her and embrace her and give her peace. Rosanna said "yes." Rosanna had these times of trying to “walk in the light” and so did we. But because Rosanna was a woman of strong faith, and one who always brought peace with her, she was not “struck down or driven to despair.”

Today, we celebrate the feast of the Seven Holy Founders of the Servite Order. This is one community recognized by the church that always boasts that they just didn’t have ONE founder - they had SEVEN! A COMMUNITY of men came together and felt called to serve and honor the Mother of God in special ways. At this phase of Rosanna’s life journey, we, again, felt the blessing of being her community of support.

In today’s Gospel, we heard the story of the paralytic who was carried by friends and brought to the feet of Jesus for healing. They couldn’t get in the door because the crowd was so big. We saw that in our chapel last night and this morning. It was difficult at times to get into our door because the crowd was so big. That was the impact Rosanna had on so many. And at the time of our reflection and sharing Friday night so many said how they always felt the peace and presence of God when they were with Rosanna. She brought the light of Christ to them.

We, her local community, felt so privileged to be the ones carrying the pallet on which Rosanna lay. We felt privileged to minister to her even though, in the beginning, she fought that. We felt privileged to carry her to the feet of Jesus and ask for healing.

The words of the Gospel say: "He said to the paralytic - 'I say to you, stand up, take your mat and go to your home.' " We carried Rosanna and placed her at the feet of Jesus. Rosanna heard the words. She stood up and walked and went home! It wasn’t to be this home in Jersey City; it was her heavenly home. She entered her home healed, surrounded by the light that gave her the peace given to the blessed of God.

Rosanna, we have loved you with an everlasting love...we have loved you and you are OURS!

Maryann Ronneburger, OP

Vigil Service Reflection

Jeremiah reminds us that each one of us is loved with an everlasting love and that this love is faithful. God has been faithful to each of us sitting here from our birth; and specifically God has been faithful to our Sister Rosanna from her birth to her death into her new life.

Each of us has journeyed with Rosanna in our own way these last few months and she has shared with you some of her struggle. She has struggled with her illness. She has struggled with her diminishment. She has struggled with her fears. And she has struggled with her God who has been faithful to her.

Rosanna has a rocking chair in her bedroom and it faces her window. She has sat in that chair each day when she talks to her God. Her chair has been her holy place.

In the past few months we have moved her chair from her bedroom on the third floor to a new bedroom on the second floor because the stairs became too arduous for her. Her rocking chair remained her holy place.

You would find Rosanna in her rocker when she was resting and in the middle of the night when she could not sleep. It was truly her holy space; the space in which her God continued to be faithful to her. And it was in this space that Rosanna was faithful to her God.

Time is a phenomenon that controls our life. We live by it. We set our clocks by it. We count our age by it. But in God there is no time. In God there is only everlasting love. And so, when Rosanna’s struggle became too great, her God in everlasting love showed her his faithfulness and took her to new life.

I think Rosanna was ready. I am not sure we were.

Veronica Miller, OP

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