Sister Maria Goretti Weldon began her journey as a Sister of Mercy just over 50 years ago.
“I followed a call from God that I discerned as a young person.
I had married brothers
and sisters, but felt
God was calling me to
be a Sister,” said Sister Maria Goretti.
Margaret Mary Weldon was born the eighth child of Arthur Patrick Weldon and Anna Theresa Came Weldon in Conshocken, Pennsylvania. When she was five years old, the family moved to Shelby, North Carolina. Because there was limited opportunity for Catholic education there, her oldest sister, Miriam, entered Sacred Heart Academy in Belmont, North Carolina to finish her high school studies.
Within five years Miriam
entered the Sisters
of Mercy at Belmont and took the name Sister Mary Gertrude.
By the time she was in the eighth grade, Margaret also felt the
stirrings of a calling to religious life. Even so, she completed
high school and began working. In January 1951, while attending
her godfather’s funeral, God’s call to her became crystal
clear. She returned to her job, gave her two-weeks notice and arrived
in Belmont on February 15. She took the name of Sister Maria Goretti
at the time of her reception.
Throughout the years Sister Maria Goretti maintained an unshakeable belief that she was exactly where she was supposed to be. “I guess I always felt I was where God wanted me, doing what God would have me do, becoming who God created me to be,” she said.
Sister Maria Goretti earned a bachelor’s degree in business from Belmont Abbey College, did graduate studies at Manhattanville College and later studied scripture and spirituality in Rome, Italy, an education that served her well in the various capacities in which she has served, including:
-
Superior
General of the Regional Community of North Carolina
-
Vicar
for Religious for the Diocese of Charlotte
-
Retreat
Minister
-
Ministering
to individuals living with AIDS
-
Pastoral
Associate at St. Raphael’s Parish, Raleigh, North Carolina
“Being part of
a group, a regional community, and the Institute of the Sisters
of Mercy of the Americas and emulating the charism of Catherine
McAuley in our world today is a remarkable opportunity. Speaking
as a voice for women and those who are poor, strengthened by
the number and wisdom of many, makes me appreciate my membership
even more.”
Today Sister Maria Goretti
serves as mission and
values advocate, staff
and patient chaplain
and director of volunteers
for Sisters of Mercy
Services Corporation
in Asheville, North Carolina.
Her duties are numerous
and include:
-
Promoting
the mission and values of Sisters of Mercy throughout the
organization
-
Participating
in corporate, directors and staff meetings including
staff
orientations
-
Visiting
patients and staff at Urgent Care
Centers, ARP/Phoenix,
the Women’s Unit at Buncombe County Jail, Juvenile
Detention Center, Emma Clinic and industrial sites
-
Organizing
planning retreats at the Biltmore Avenue convent and
elsewhere
-
Counseling
and praying with those who request it or are in need
-
Visiting
and ministering to staff during times of illness or bereavement
If one thing is certain
for Sister Maria Goretti,
it is the realization that
living means changing. The
life of a Sister 50 years
ago was vastly different
from the life of a Sister today.
“I loved what I embraced 50 years ago,” she said. “I expected that was the way it always was and always would be, but I have loved the changes too. We are all God's children, and I think God has a lot of surprises ahead for us."
|
