A Return to Normal In Person Visits Resume - Little Sisters of the Poor Pittsburgh
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Little Sisters of the Poor
Sts. Peter and Paul Home Summer 2021
A Return to Normal
In Person Visits Resume
Over the last fifteen plus months
our Home and Residents have
endured much hardship. Our doors
were shut, our faces were covered
and our employees were frequently
tested. This has been a challenging
time for one and all, including
family and friends on the outside
who have not been able to stop in
for a visit, attend Mass in our Gloria
Chapel or interact with the Sisters at
church collections.
In early April the decision was
made with guidance of our medical
staff, to slowly open up to visitors.
While appointments still need to Resident Flo Poprocky visiting in her room with her niece Rita Catalano.
be made and limitations still exist,
right before Easter visitors started joy when she had the chance to started in the fall and continued
making their way back to their loved visit in person. Rita and Flo have through winter. Now the pair has
ones’ rooms. The photograph that journeyed through all the visiting finally been reunited in person. Flo
accompanies this article captures iterations along the way. In spring and Rita are grateful for all that the
the happiness these reunions have 2020 weekly FaceTime calls were Sisters and Staff have done to keep
brought to the Residents and their the main communication. Those them safe and connected all this time
family. were replaced by auditorium and look forward to more in person
Rita Catalano, niece of Resident window visits last summer. Socially visits in the future as we return to
Flo Poprocky, was overcome with distanced indoor auditorium visits normal.
Sts. Peter and Paul Home | 1028 Benton Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15212| www.littlesistersofthepoorpittsburgh.org
Little Sisters of the Poor
MILITARY HONORS Vocation Rosary
On April 24th, Sister Constance, Gloria Chapel near the Our Lady
National Communications Director of Fatima Statue and recited the
for the Little Sisters of the Poor, fourth decade unmuted on the
planned and organized a virtual live iPad. In this year of St. Joseph,
streamed Rosary for Vocations. we continue our prayers that
Residents and Sisters from five
Little Sisters homes participated
with each location responsible for
one decade of the rosary. Many
" While the
pandemic has been
other homes and a few hundred challenging for all,
Brian, Sr. Jean, Eric with Resident Daniel other people also joined to watch
Schrecengost and his miltiary medals. the livestream. The program began opportunities like
Daniel B Schrecengost is a new
with beautiful original music this to connect
by the Baltimore home. Sister spiritually through
Resident to the Little Sisters of the Constance spoke about the dream
Poor. This spring Sister Jean, the of a vocation, while Sister Mary prayer with other
Sister supervisor of Sacred Heart Alexandra shared a few words on homes has been a
household where Daniel lives, was service related to her vocation, and
contacted by a former military
friend of Daniel’s, Rick Shavinski.
Daniel and Rick served alongside
finally Sister Rosemary Thomas
reflect on fidelity through a
vocation.
silver lining.
—Sister Mary
Vincent, lsp,
"
Sargent Frank Burskey in Korea Prior to each decade a Little Sister
from May 1963 to June 1964 read a reflection on St. Joseph and Mother Superior &
and haven’t seen each other since. connected his life to the joyful Administrator
Rick and Frank decided to make mysteries. The live audience at
a shadow box of the medals that each of the homes and through everyday more young women are
the Sisters website enjoyed this called to religious life, especially
were awarded to Daniel during his
way of connecting and sharing. life as a Little Sister of the Poor.
time of service. Rick mailed the Here in our home Residents and For more information visit www.
box to Sister Jean so that it could Sisters gathered together in the littlesistersofthepoor.org.
be presented to Daniel in person.
On a recent afternoon, the activities
department gathered Residents and
staff of the Sacred Heart household
to sing “God Bless America” while
Daniel’s two sons, Brian and Eric
watched the presentation of the
medals.
Daniel, who never seems lost for
words, was nearly speechless. He
was very emotional receiving these
medals and grateful to his fellow
service members for remembering
him this way. Thank you all for your
service to the United States!
Residents and Sisters gathered in prayer in the Gloria Chapel during the
livestreamed Vocation Rosary.
www.littlesistersofthepoorpittsburgh.org
STS. PETER AND PAUL HOME
Spring 2021
Highmark Walk—Virtual Fun!
Employees Katie Bocka and Megan McMinn Employee Deb Smith and Volunteer Resident Anna DeSimone is escorted by
escort Residents Marianne Heidish, Anne Judy Benstden walk with Residents Joe Activities Assistant Rhiannon Rieger.
Dolansky and Virgina Harberth. Bethoski and Anna Pastin.
May 13th was a busy day here participating Resident outside for nearly $5,000 was raised to help
at the home. It was Ascension a walk around the campus. support the Little Sisters.
Thursday and we also had our While it was a sunny day, it Thanks to Highmark, to the
annual May Crowning in the was also still slightly chilly, so donors who contributed and to
chapel. In the afternoon our sunglasses and crocheted shawls the participants. The donation
virtual Highmark Walk was were offered to any interested portal will remain active until
held on the property. Seventeen Residents. Everyone enjoyed early July, so if you missed the
Residents participated from the walking the grounds, seeing spring chance to donate visit our website
nursing home along with some in full bloom (some even snagged to contribute to this collective
of the apartment Residents. Staff some lilacs as souvenirs to take effort.
and Sisters helped to take each back to their rooms). Altogether
Celebrating 40!
Laura Graeber will be turning the big 4-0 later this
year. She decided that each month of this momentous
year she would help a non-profit. She reached out to
see what she could do for our home as part of this
yearlong celebration. Laura’s history with the Little
Sisters dates back more than 30 years—while in grade
school at Reserve Elementary Laura would visit at
Christmas with her classmates with small gifts for the
Residents. The class would sing and enjoy cookies and
punch during this annual visit. These happy memories
stuck with Laura all these years later and she knew that
she wanted to reconnect with the Little Sisters.
Laura and her family sponsored a wonderful
accordion player who performed on the front lawn Laura Graeber on the front lawn during the accordion
concert.
outside of the nursing households. Residents on the
porches and some on the sidewalk were able to enjoy a for Bingo prizes to be used at a future date.
socially distance concert. Laura was able to attend along Thanks Laura for remembering our home all
with her young son Ben. She also collected new stuffed these years later in this special way and Happy
animals and chocolate bars along with one dollar bills Birthday!
Serving the elderly poor in Pittsburgh since 1872.
MOTHER’S MESSAGE
Resident Cathy Vonderau proudly displays a painting she painted during the
Dear Friends, pandemic.
{ }
As promised in the previous
newsletter, we continue sharing You Can Help
stories of the Little Sisters of the There are many ways to help our mission: donations can be
Poor and St. Joseph in this year sent directly to our Home through the mail or online, you
devoted to him. Looking back into can look for an item we need through our Amazon wish list,
our Pittsburgh archives we found or you can even donate a used vehicle through the “Vehicles
another connection in our history. for Charity” program.
Several decades after arriving and Remember the Little Sisters of the Poor are an eligible
settling into a small house close to charity to accept your Qualified Charitable Distribution
from your IRA. Distributions made directly from an IRA
the Allegheny river on the current
to us will reduce your 2021 taxable income. Visit www.
North Side, the Sisters realized that littlesistersofthepoorpittsburgh.org or call (412) 307-1268 for
they could welcome more elderly more details on any of these ways to help.
poor in a larger home. On St.
Joseph’s Day March 19th, 1921 the
Sisters began a monthly Novena for Please help keep the
this specific prayer intention. Two SAVE THE DATES Little Sisters going by
months later Patrick Wall arrived at
the door, asking how he could help July 31st Motorcycle remembering us in your
our mission. Soon after, Patrick and Ride with the Teamster
his wife Catherine Wall purchased will or estate plans.
Horsemen
the farmland our current location
was built on and provided funds to
August 3rd The Pittsburgh
OUR MISSION
build this main building in memory Continuing the work of Saint
of their only son James. The work Foundation Critical Needs Jeanne Jugan, our MISSION
was finished by 1923. Those novena Match Day, visit: is to offer the neediest elderly of
prayers to St. Joseph were heard litttlesistersofthepoorpittsburgh.org every race and religion a home
and were an inspiration to the where they will be welcomed as
Wall Family to help our work in an Christ, cared for as family and
August 6-7 Rummage Sale accompanied with dignity until
extraordinary way.
May St. Joseph continue to hear God calls them to himself.
our prayers and those of all our September 18th Take Out
benefactors! God bless you! Spaghetti Dinner
www.littlesistersofthepoorpittsburgh.org
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