In this age of political correctness, it should be glaringly obvious that something is missing during the month of May. Its a time of year devoted to the celebration of motherhood. Florists and card companies increase their earnings exponentially by the second Sunday of the month as we honor our mothers, step-mothers and pregnant friends. On the other 30 days of May you can hear hymns echoing in convent gardens and Catholic church yards. Little girls dressed in blue execute the coronation ritual by placing a flower wreath on a statue of Our Lady. Yet, we simply ingnore the virtuous work of the women who fill the maternal void in the lives of orphans, the depressed or the dying by acting as a spiritual mother.
I don’t know who coined this phrase, but I’ve heard the term used by people of many denominations to describe women who mold the moral character of children who are not their own.
Every May I make a concerted effort to keep in touch with my former teacher and friend Sr. Camille D’Arienzo by attending “An Evening of Mercy” at the Yale Club. This event is one of the few award benefit/fundraisers that actually inspires humble humanitarian service. The room is always filled with people who are quietly changing the world through outreach to the poor and disenfranchised.
This year, Sr. Karen Schneider was honored for her work with children around the world. Sr. Schneider is a pediatrician from John Hopkins University who travels to the poorest countries to care for orphans with malaria and fix cleft palates.
Sr. Camille is an advocate for social justice. She’s been changing lives for generations by showing compassion to everyone, including death row prisoners.
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