ST. PAUL’S SPIRITUAL ENHANCEMENT SERIES – SESSION 7, December 16, 2020, “The Gift of Christmas: Jesus, Mary & Joseph” By Tom Leavens
On December 16, 2020, the seventh session of the St. Paul’s Spiritual Enhancement Series was held over Zoom conferencing. Our guest speaker with Joe Amato was Sr. Marie Mackey. And this session was called, “The Gift of Christmas: Jesus, Mary & Joseph.”
Sr. Marie Mackey, CSJ, made her Christian Awakening in February of 1979 while she was a Junior at the Mary Louis Academy and an active parishioner at Nativity BVM parish in Ozone Park. After her CA weekend she received an invitation to be a Table Team Member and her first CA Talk was Christian Community in Action – an apropos talk for a woman who, like St. Paul, is tireless in spreading the message of God’s Love to others – especially the young. She continued as a Team Member and Rectora during her 4 years at St. Joseph’s College. Sr. Marie taught at Bishop Kearney High School (where she stepped up to be a Moderator/Recruiter of the Girls Christian Awakening), St. Francis Prep (where again, she took leadership as Moderator and Recruiter for the program) and The Mary Louis Academy. She entered the Sisters of St. Joseph in 1998. In her 32 years of high school teaching she has doubled as a Campus Minister and Retreat Leader. In 2016 she became the first Director of Young Adult Ministry for her Congregation in addition to her role as Vocation Director. Since 2019, S. Marie has also been working 3 days a week as Director of Campus Ministry at St. Joseph’s College- Brooklyn Campus. Since 2003, S. Marie has petitioned her community to allow her to create a residential intentional faith community of young adults as well as a space for youth and young adult overnight retreats. In July 2020, with the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Marie, once again wrote a proposal to her Leadership Team aware that a local Convent of her sisters was going to be vacant as of mid-September. Finally, 17 years and four proposals later, she was given a green light.
Joe Amato & Sr. Marie had a great discussion about the challenges that Mary & Joseph faced. Sr. Marie posed this very interesting question: “What does it mean to say ‘yes’ in an unknown future.” This was a great reflection question for Advent and all of us right now!
If you were unable to join us that night, I highly recommend watching it. The session has been posted on our YouTube channel (“St. Paul’s Cursillo Community”) at the link below. Take some time to watch our previously recorded sessions as well and please share it with others!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_lb1RSwft8