Yesterday was the third anniversary of the death of a young Irish nun who perished along with 5 postulants of her order in the 7.8 magnitude earthquake which struck Ecuador
As we like to say: there are no coincidences in heaven When our Abbess was here recently she told us how the youngest novice at our Abbey was given her name. Have you heard of SISTER CLARE CROCKETT, Mother Abbess asked us? Just the week before I had told the community how I had chanced on a movie recommended by Archbishop Alexander Sample of Portland
Her Order stated: “We discovered that her loss afflicted us, while her memory filled us with joy.” It became obvious that the 33-year-old had left a lasting impression on everyone she met; the Irish “live wire” was infectious with her energy, joy, and love of Jesus. Soon the Servant Sisters were inundated with messages revealing how Sr. Clare had helped them: “Strangers who spoke to us of conversions, vocations discovered or recovered, and special grace.”
As a result the Order decided to gather testimonies and stories relating to the life of Sr. Clare and make a documentary. The young Clare had a passion for acting and desire to become famous. Then as she grew older she shared with great enthusiasm how “Jesus Christ stole my heart.” It is no surprise that everybody loved her. She resonated joy and love for Christ, and a desire to share this love with everybody she met. While people gravitated towards her, one participant in the documentary simply states: “She didn’t want them to come to her but to the Lord.”
One girl says: “I owe a lot to her for the salvation of my soul.” The testimonies of the teens she worked with are gripping, as she obviously gave the youth a love of the Lord.
The documentary, All or Nothing: Sr. Clare Crockettcan be found now on Youtube. It is well worth watching and very fitting for Holy Week- a body given for her people.
