[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 135 (Thursday, July 30, 2020)]
[House]
[Pages H3990-H3991]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       IN REMEMBRANCE OF THE FELICIAN SISTERS LOST TO CORONAVIRUS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
Michigan (Ms. Stevens) for 4\1/2\ minutes.
  Ms. STEVENS. Mr. Speaker, I am here today to memorialize the 
beautiful lives of 13 nuns taken from Michigan's 11th District by the 
scourge of coronavirus between April and June of this year.
  We honor the memory of:
  Sister Mary Luiza,
  Sister Celine Marie,
  Sister Mary Estelle,
  Sister Thomas Marie,
  Sister Mary Patricia,
  Sister Mary Clarence,
  Sister Rose Mary Wolak,
  Sister Mary Janice,
  Sister Mary Alice Ann,
  Sister Victoria Marie,
  Sister Mary Martinez,
  Sister Mary Madeleine,
  And Sister Mary Danatha ``Lottie.''
  These righteous women spent their days working and living together as 
members of the Felician Sisters of the Presentation of the Blessed 
Virgin Mary convent in Livonia, Michigan, some for more than half a 
century. At the time of their deaths, they ranged from age 69 to 99 
years old, still wholly committed to serving the most vulnerable among 
us. They would call it ``from the womb to the tomb,'' the dedication of 
their service to the community.
  Prior to the pandemic, the Sisters could be found working in our 
local schools, libraries, and medical facilities, providing enrichment 
to our students and care for our sick. Many of them pursued degrees in 
higher education during their lifetimes, always seeking new ways to 
instill a sense of peace, justice, dignity, and truth in the world 
around them. My heart aches for the harm done to the soul of our 
community and with the loss of these incredible lives.

[[Page H3991]]

  Since this news has broken and spread throughout the world, they have 
heard from the world. From Alaska to Arizona, to as far away as Taiwan, 
people reaching out and sending them masks, sending them Hershey 
chocolate bars.
  This distinguished group has been responsible for the founding of 
multiple schools and care centers in Michigan's 11th District, 
including our beloved Madonna University, which has become one of the 
Nation's largest Franciscan universities, with a student body of 
approximately 3,000 students. We, in Michigan's 11th District, are 
forever indebted to these beloved nuns for their mission and their 
impact. We grieve for the virtuous lives lost, and we hold their 
extended community in our prayers.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues today to join me in reflecting on 
the indelible mark left by these Sisters on our community, our country, 
the soul of our country, and this world. May the grieving find comfort 
in the extraordinary legacies of faith and service that they leave.

                          ____________________