By Joe Barkovich, Scribbler-at-large
In one of a handful of visits over the years, I called on Mother Alba Puglia 10 years ago to write about the 50th anniversary of her religious community’s arrival in Welland. I took away a lasting image of a woman deeply rooted in her faith, forever anchored to her work for the Lord.
Mother Alba, a member of the Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Ragusa, Sicily, died in their convent on Edward Street, Welland, Sunday, June 17, aged 95. She would have celebrated the 72nd anniversary of her profession of vows this November.
Her, and their story, in Welland is legendary. About how she arrived in August, 1958 with four sisters, summoned by Monsignor Vincent J. Ferrando, then pastor of St. Mary Roman Catholic Church, to minister to the growing number of Italian immigrant families in Welland. About how their early years were marked by struggles and challenges – the sisters encountered language difficulties, they arrived with little and had little. Except faith.
“We did not know the language, we did not know the people. We had no money,” Mother Alba said during that interview in their convent parlour 10 years ago.
I wrote at the time: “She talked about being helped by the people they came to help. Often, the sisters would find pasta, rice, fruit and other groceries and donations left on their doorstep by caring and concerned Italian families. They were appreciative of the generosity then and still are now, says Mother Alba.”
But never did they lose their sense of purpose in those years of struggle. There was so much to do – they visited the sick and the elderly in hospital and in their homes. They taught weekly religion classes to children who attended public schools. They assisted in parish ministry. With Mother Alba’s prayers and guidance, they opened a day-care in a building that served as St. Mary’s parish centre, starting out with just one child in their care. They remained until 1962 when they purchased a vacant building on Edward Street, which was renovated to become their convent and new day-care. The sisters are there to this day. The day care has been a remarkable success story.
I had the sense Mother Alba had been gifted with indomitable will. When she made up her mind about something, that was it, case closed. I had the feeling the sisters, on more than one occasion, had tried talking her into slowing down over the years, but it was not to be, Mother best knew her limitations. As so wonderfully crafted in her death notice – from the day she arrived to the day she was no longer able to do so, “she visited the sick in the hospital, the elderly in their homes and went wherever she was called even during the night bringing comfort, God’s love and giving wise counsel to everyone in need. She gave of herself freely without counting the cost, and refused to be paid for her works of charity, saying that she did everything for the love of God.”
One of Mother Alba’s legacies is sure to be her work to bring the Sisters of the Sacred Heart to other countries, hopeful it would open a door to new vocations and assure the religious community firm footing into future years. She went to the Philippines in the late 1980s, opened a mission and established the first convent. She later began the process of starting a new convent in India which came to fruition in 2004. Continuing in that vein, three sisters from the Welland convent earlier this year moved to Prince Edward Island where they opened a house and have plans to start a day-care.
This is testament that Mother Alba’s life-work continues in the person of proteges, in this latest venture in Prince Edward Island, Sister Margherita Ianni, Sister Marian Limen and Sister Juliet Villaceran. I believe they, and others, bear strong witness that even in a spiritual sense, a Mother’s work is never done.
Rest In Peace, Mother Alba Puglia.
Full death notice and funeral details, please visit: https://www.arbormemorial.ca/jjpatterson/obituaries/mother-alba/20483/
(Lasting Image appears as an occasional feature on the blog)
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