Sr. Dolorita Colianni celebrated her 85th Jubilee this year, making her the first Apostle in the 122-year history of the U.S. Province to reach that milestone. (Photo by Vanessa Pereira)
By Sr. Rebecca Goldberger
(This story was originally published in the Fall 2024 edition of “Caritas” magazine.)
Since entering the Apostles of the Sacred Heart of Jesus two years ago, I have learned many things about our way of life. One lesson I’ve learned is that summers at Mount Sacred Heart, our Provincialate, are bustling. Sisters come and go for gatherings, various summer ministries and celebrations. This summer we celebrated the jubilees of nine wonderful Sisters. One in particular, Sr. Dolorita Colianni, reached a monumental milestone: 85 years of religious profession. While she does not like to make a fuss about herself, I think she and this historic milestone are definitely worth the fuss!
At 102 years old, Sr. Dolorita has spent more than 80% of her life as a religious sister. I entered the Novitiate in July, which makes me the newest Sister in our province, and I can’t help but marvel at her incredible witness. She is an inspiration to me, partly for her beautiful crocheted blankets and scarves, but mostly for her steadfast faith, her warm smile and her sense of humor. While teaching me how to crochet, Sr. Dolorita has imparted other valuable lessons, such as her unique way of praying the rosary. She believes we should talk to the Blessed Mother as a close friend, and so on each bead, she says something spontaneous. My favorite is, “Hey, Mary! We need girls for the mission. Send some!”
Sr. Dolorita and I have some things in common, including our calling to Mother Clelia’s charism, but we came to religious life in very different ways. I found the Apostles online; Sr. Dolorita met the Apostles as a child a few years after her mother died. Because her father was unable to both work and care for her and her brothers, the boys went to live at an orphanage where the Apostles ministered. Eventually, Sr. Dolorita asked to live at the orphanage with her brothers. It was there that she discovered a calling to join the Apostles through their kindness and their shared prayer. She entered at just 14 years old! I was much older when I entered, but I, too, found the Apostles after a difficult time and was attracted to their kindness.
At 17, Sr. Dolorita professed First Vows as an Apostle and started her ministerial life in elementary education as a teacher at St. Michael School in New Haven, Conn. She originally wanted to be a nurse but there was a great demand for teachers, so she faithfully served the needs of the Church and of the Congregation, and she ended up loving it. By the time she was my age, she was running Santa Maria School in the Bronx. This would be the first of several schools where she served as principal.
As much as she enjoyed elementary education, she found her passion in special education and went on to become a highly-qualified special education teacher. She lovingly ministered for 13 years at Morning Star School in Pinellas Park, Fla., and a total of 23 years at Clelian Heights, our mission in Greensburg, Pa., for children and adults with special needs.
She has shared many stories with me about her religious life, and—while she has experienced countless graces— it wasn’t all easy. I asked her once how she endured a particularly hard year, and she answered with only one word: prayer. She said that she could always find comfort sitting in chapel with the Blessed Sacrament.
As I continue through formation and beyond, this is the lesson that I will always keep in the front of my mind. Regardless of where I find myself, Jesus is waiting for me in the Blessed Sacrament to comfort and refresh me, just as He has done for Sr. Dolorita for the past 85 years. May we all follow her example and find our strength in the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus.