Bishop William Lori visits Motherhouse community

MERIDEN, CT (December 19, 2004) - Most Reverend William Lori, Bishop of Bridgeport, celebrated Mass and joined the Franciscan Sisters and Brothers for dinner on the Fourth Sunday of Advent. In his homily, Bishop Lori reflected on the Annunciation of Mary as presented by St. Bernard in the Advent Office of Readings, and encouraged the Community to ponder the "annunciation moments" present in daily life.

At dinner, Bishop Lori thanked the Community for its mission in the Church. He particularly thanked Mother Rosemae Pender, Mother General. He said, "I want to thank especially Mother Rosemae for her leadership of this religious community. She is truly one of the great leaders of religious life in our country today. Her influence on religious life extends beyond this community to the Church in our nation. In the name of the Church, I want to acknowledge the gift she is to the future of religious life."