Sister Kathleen McNamara, OSB, sorts toys for migrant children in Colorado.
When Sister Kathleen McNamara, OSB was ministering in Colorado, she heard about a priest who received a knock at his door on Christmas Eve. He opened it to find a man who was a local migrant worker. The man had no money to buy presents for his children and wondered if the priest might help. Sister Kathleen heard about this and began buying little gifts for children out of her own small allowance.
Over time, friends of Sister Kathleen heard what she was doing and helped donate money for the presents. Now, ten years later, Sister Kathleen has moved back to the monastery in Illinois, but her passion to help children continues.
This year, Sister Kathleen received a number of generous donations from friends of the monastery for which she is grateful. She bought hundreds of toys for the children, including puzzles, dolls, games, and more. Then, Sister Patti Cielinski and staff member Roberta Pierick helped her box and ship the gifts to Avondale, Colorado where they will be distributed to families in need. Great work, Sister Kathleen!