June 30, 2021

AKWESASNE – Parishioners and friends from St. Regis Church and Akwesasne honored, celebrated, and thanked Sister Mary Christine Taylor, a Sister of St. Joseph, at the Rouke home on Saturday, June 19.

Sister Mary Christine was honored as a devoted servant of our Lord who responded to the call of the Holy Spirit, to serve the people of Akwesasne. The people responded greatly through the past 47 years of her dedicated and loving service to the community of St. Regis Parish and to the community of Akwesasne.

Father Jerome Pastores, pastor of St. Regis Church, began with a prayer welcoming everyone and giving thanks for the dedication and service Sister Mary Christine gave to the parish and to the community. A delicious meal, prepared by the people, was served.

Following the meal, Bishop Terry R. LaValley spoke of Sister Mary Christine’s dedicated spirit because of her prayer and passion for serving the people by bringing the love of God to them.

Grand Chief Abram Benedict of the Mohawk Council of Akwesasne and Chief Michael Conners of the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe presented Sister Mary Christine with a plaque recognizing her achievements for the people.

Minerva White shared the background and history of Mater Dei College responding to the call to open an extension of Mater Dei for the people. Sister Mary Christine was responsible for the beginning of the Mater Dei Extension and its many years of educating the people of Akwesasne.

The Mater Dei Extension educated hundreds of students from the Reservation.

The people have expressed their gratitude for their education in their service given back to their community and beyond. Former Chief Alma Ransom, who praised Sister Mary Christine’s tenacity, expressed this deep appreciation.

Sister encouraged the people to become educated, and the strength of her faith in God spurred them forward. Her prayer and efforts bore fruit as they would carry forward their hopes and dreams to build a better world.

Matt Rouke, Sister Mary Christine’s first secretary at Mater Dei College, also praised sister for her faith and guidance. He called her the second “Lily of the Mohawks” because of her love for God and for the people of Akwesasne. Matt invited the choir from St. Regis to sing the Our Father in Mohawk and the people joined in prayer and song.

The program concluded with the gift from the people of Akwesasne, a quilt of many colors of the people of Akwesasne and three white Crosses expressing God’s love for His people.

Sister Mary Christine spoke to her people expressing her gratitude to them for her service. Above all, she thanked God for her gift of being with the people of Akwesasne and the parish at St. Regis.

Sister Mary Christine promised continued prayer for them, especially those she wished to visit again, the people in the Nursing Homes.

Her final words were: “All for the honor and glory of God and for the ‘dear neighbor.’” She closed with the prayer to Saint Kateri.

“O Saint Kateri, Lily of the Mohawks, Your love for Jesus, so strong, so steadfast, pray that we may become like you. Your short and painful life showed us your strength and humility. Pray that we may become forever humble like you. Like the bright and shining stars at night, we pray that your light may forever shine down upon us, giving light, hope, peacefulness, and serenity in our darkest moments. Fill our hearts, Saint Kateri Tekakwitha with your same love for Jesus and pray that we have the strength and courage to become one like you in Heaven. Amen.”