Around the Abbey

Sr. Joan Garrity

On October 2nd, the Feast of the Guardian Angels, our beloved Sr. Joan Garrity passed from this earthly life to eternal life. We celebrated her funeral two days later on a beautiful autumn morning.

Sr. Joan entered monastic life at our Motherhouse in Wrentham, Massachusetts in 1961 at the age of 21. Shortly after her First Profession of Vows in 1964, Joan was sent with twelve other Sisters to found Our Lady of the Mississippi. Here her life unfolded in faithfulness and simplicity, totally given to God in prayer and humble kitchen, garden, and candy work.

In 1980, ten years after her Solemn Profession, Sr. Joan became a hermit, living in a hermitage in a wooded area of our grounds. During her 32 years as a hermit Joan had several memorable dogs as companions. When encountering Sr. Joan and her dog on a walk, one was always graciously received by her warm, welcoming smile that somehow drew you close in shared communal bond while preserving her eremitical solitude. Sr. Joan remained very much part of community during these years, joining us at our daily Eucharist and contributing to our candy work. Regarding the latter, she was renowned among us as shrink wrapper par excellence.

It seems rather fitting that Joan’s funeral was on October 4th, the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, because she, like St. Francis, lived close to nature, finding joy in the wonders of creation.

Joan had a “green thumb” if there ever was one. She seemed to just know how to nurture plant life, as evident in the growth around her hermitage and in the gorgeous rose garden that she tended in the back yard of the abbey.

Because of aging, in 2014 Sr. Joan was asked to return to the abbey. Now in the senior wing she continued her simple life of prayer and work. Most often when one stopped by to visit her, she was praying her rosary or the Office. She shared the work of the community by making stacks of mailing boxes at candy and peeling all manner of vegetables in the kitchen. And, yes, canine companions remained in Sr. Joan’s life. The last was Sammy who often sat close to her as she prayed, as if praying with her.

Characteristic of Sr. Joan was her sense of profound gratitude that seemed to just flow from her heart in continual expression of thanksgiving. As one of our younger sisters commented, “Sr. Joan taught me that you can grow holy by doing simple things with thanksgiving.” This is Sr. Joan’s legacy to her community.