We commend to your charity the soul of our beloved Funeral: Tuesday, February 12, 2008, at 3:30 p.m. As members of the community were participating in a perpetual vow liturgy in Kingston , Massachusetts , Sister Mary Amadeus was taking leave of us, completing the journey toward God that she had begun when she entered the community. In the first verse of You are Mine , the processional song at the perpetual vow liturgy, God assures us, I will come to you in the silence; I will lift you from all your fear. You will hear my voice; I claim you as my choice; be still and know I am here. Sister Amadeus lived in that silence for a long time, unable to speak, to share her faith, her feelings or her deeper thoughts with others. But during those days and years, she greeted her sisters, friends and visitors with a joyful spirit, a loving smile and a warm embrace. In 1932, Theresa Bauer, from St. Mary Parish in McKees Rocks, left her parents and her only sister, Margaret, when, with her two childhood friends, Sisters Rosaria Bednar and Ancilla Taus, she joined the Sisters of Divine Providence. Together, these friends and their other classmates deepened, maturing as they learned to live and minister to those in need, growing stronger in their faith and openness to God and in their relationships with all their sisters in community. For forty years, Sister Amadeus, who was educated as a nurse, conscientiously fulfilled the commitment she had made to God and to her sisters, striving always to make God's compassion, justice and peace more visible in the world through her witness and service. Ministering in three area hospitals, Sister Amadeus lived her days consciously and lovingly, bringing God's healing to the sick and suffering through her meticulous efforts and her gentle, skilled presence. While Sister Amadeus served primarily in health care, she also had some experience teaching and serving as a CCD teacher and coordinator. Through these ministries, she sought to offer her gifts and wisdom to young people. Sharing life with many sisters in community during her years of ministry and after her retirement, Sister Amadeus met life with an attitude both positive and undemanding. She was a peaceful woman, quietly offering love and support to those who were her special companions on life's journey. As she neared the end of her time on earth, Sister Amadeus suffered many losses and patiently endured these through days of struggle and silence. In her heart, she must have heard Jesus' words, found in the chorus of You are Mine , Do not be afraid, I am with you. I have called you each by name. Come and follow me; I will bring you home; I love you and you are mine. Birthday: November 18 SMFF
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