Viriditas2: Soul Greening
Interviewed by Sister Malia Dominica Wong, OP
Hawaii Catholic Herald
Sr. Malia: How long have you been at St. Ann’s?
Joseph: We have been parishioners here since the time of Father O’Malley, Father Garcia, Father Clarence, Father Herman, Father Popish, Father McNally and many other Sacred Hearts priests. Before 1996, we belonged to St. Ann’s parish in Sommerville, Massachusetts. Interestingly, that church also went through a renovation, much like St. Ann’s here. It’s nice to see those parallels.
Mary: After we retired, we joined the church choir. We sang on Sundays for about 25 years. Jerry Jardin was the music director at the time, and later Noel Jaderstrom took over. Our current music director, Rebecca, plays and sings beautifully. Even though we don’t have a regular choir anymore, we still enjoy the chances we get to sing together. I also taught CCD and helped with many other parish activities. As we’ve gotten older, it’s harder to stay as involved as we once were.
Sr. Malia: What has kept both your faith and your marriage strong?
Mary: Jesus.
Joseph: We have been married for 63 years. We were married by Father Sylvester, a Franciscan priest from Baltimore and a classmate of mine from a Harvard master’s degree program. He was orphaned at 14, but he found his calling to become a priest and minister to others.
Mary: We met in Washington, D.C. He was in the military and I was a nurse at Georgetown University Hospital. It is a Catholic hospital. We were neighbors living across the hall from each other. My roommate wanted to meet his roommate. She wanted me to go with her. She knocked on the door and suggested we play bridge.
Joseph: Which she had never played before.
Mary: And Joseph answered the door. As my roommate and I didn’t know how to play cards, we ended up playing trumps. Moving forward, I saw Joseph praying one day at Epiphany Church. It is a very small church. When I saw him there, it felt like God was pointing him out to me.
Joseph is now 89 and I am 87. We have three children.
Sr. Malia: You share the names Mary and Joseph, and Epiphany played an important role in your story. What do you hope others understand about the gift of Christmas?
Mary: We love Jesus.
Joseph: Trust in the Lord. No one else is truly reliable.
Mary: We watch EWTN, pray the rosary and participate in the church as much as we can.
Sr. Malia: Do you have any advice for others on sustaining their relationships and faith?
Mary: Pray.
Joseph: Trust in the Lord. He will carry you through hardships.