Golden Jubilee

GOLDEN JUBILEE  Sister of Charity Merris Larkin, (right) principal of Assumption School in Morristown, renews her vows before Sister of Charity Rosemary Moynihan, general superior of the order based in Convent Station, on the occasion of Sister Larkin’s 50th anniversary in religious life.

MORRISTOWN  During the golden jubilee Mass for Sister of Charity Merris Larkin, principal of Assumption School, Msgr. John Hart, pastor and celebrant of the Mass in Assumption Church Sept. 16, asked students “What are the ways Sister Merris shows us the face of Jesus?”

Hands immediately popped up in the air to answer the pastor’s question.

One student answered, “She always comes to our classes and says hello.” Another answered, “She makes us smile, knows everyone’s name and who we are.”

The love Sister Merris gives to her students was evident in every answer students gave to their pastor’s question — showing their admiration and respect for their principal, who is marking her 50th anniversary this year as a Sister of Charity of St. Elizabeth.

Sister Merris made her solemn profession as a Sister of Charity on Sept. 6, 1966 and has served at Assumption School for 37 years — the last 22 years as its principal.

In the church, full to capacity, with all the students of the school, faculty and parents, Msgr. Hart said in his homily, “When Sister Merris made her solemn profession 50 years ago, she promised to be the presence of Jesus and to bring the presence of Jesus to people she encountered as a Sister of Charity. Primarily, as an educator, I think we realize the countless ways Sister Merris does that by her love, by her service and by her dedication. She shows us the face of Jesus.”

Msgr. Hart recalled a story about a student who didn’t want to go to school and how Sister Merris went to his home to get him to come to school. Msgr. Hart said, “When he found out Sister Merris was coming, he climbed up a tree. With a bullhorn, Sister Merris tried to talk to him to come down from the tree. He didn’t, so Sister Merris climbed up the tree because she was determined to have a conversation with the young boy. Eventually, they both came down from the tree and he went to school. That was one of the beautiful ways Sister Merris shows the love of Jesus. She is very dedicated to this school. She is the first one here and the last one out every day.”

During the Mass, Sister Merris made her renewal of vows before Sister of Charity of St. Elizabeth Rosemary Moynihan, general superior. Before the congregation Sister Merris promised to continue to follow the charism of her order and said, “I renew my promises of Baptism and vow chastity, poverty and obedience in the spirit of ‘Toward Boundless Charity,’ the Constitution of the Sisters of Charity of St. Elizabeth.”

Following her renewal of vows, Sister Merris said, “I thank you all for being here. It has been a wonderful and charmed life. Fifty years ago I was happy and I’m happier today. The most amazing part of my life is that I get to spend my days with you (my students). Almost all of my 50 years have been spent at Assumption so there’s got to be something special here. Like I always say to you, it’s not an accident that we are here. It’s God’s plan. So let us continue to build up God’s kingdom and help one another.”

Since the establishment of Assumption School in 1850, the Sisters of Charity have staffed the school along with lay faculty members. It is the second oldest Catholic school in the Paterson Diocese.

After the Mass, students and parents took time to personally congratulate Sister Merris on her golden jubilee and 50 years of service to the Church.

Andrew Sullivan, an eighth-grader, who was an altar server at the Mass, said, “Sister Merris is smart, funny and she’s just awesome. Every enjoys this school because of her and everyone is friends with everyone here.”