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Sr. James Marie Roos, FSP A Gallery of Photos and Memories
"I asked the Lord for wisdom and understanding—I now realize—He has been giving it to me. The past 7 years have been a trial for me. God only knows—and yet I have learned much. Most of all, my love for God is immense and I know—deep down in my being—it will never change—it will always be there and so will God. I rejoice in this. With inexpressible words, I rejoice. How awesome God is. How awesome life is. How awesome it can be if I can get beyond my frailty. What a pain to be human, and yet, what a challenge." Written by Sr. James Marie on Retreat
"Sr. James had the soul of an artist. She brought an adeptness, skill and creativity to the various tasks she performed. And she always shared something personal, something significant of herself along the way: from her early years running the machines in bindery and more recently, her work in the Pre-Press department; to serving God’s people in the communities of Boston, New York, and Cincinnati; to making lovely music with her voice and with those magical guitar fingers; to her paintings and rosaries and icons—even to something as mundane as repairing broken noses on statues. "Sr. James looked out at life with a quality of childlike joy. To join her for a walk in nature was to experience—almost as if for the first time—a sheer wonder and delight in God’s creation. "She had the easy ability to joke and tease—and
she could take it as well as she dished it out." "Today she would paint for us the image of
the true face of God."
"My art is inspired by creativity: creating
an image that God has made by putting my love and being into each
brush stroke and pencil line."
"Whether making icons, playing the guitar, painting or gardening, Sr. James Marie sought to make the love of God visible and tangible to those around her." "In her garden, Sr. James did much more than
plant in order to harvest; in her garden, she cultivated a listening
and patient heart, and an understanding of the seasons of life and
of death. Sr. James Marie drew nearer to God in her garden, and
felt captivated by the mystery of God’s creation. Perhaps without
being aware, Sr. James Marie mirrored the image of God as Creator.
And while she hoed and planted and tended her garden, she hoed and
planted and tended the ‘wondrous material of her own humanity,’
ripening under the warmth of God’s love and allowing herself
to live the seasons of pain and suffering with hope."
"I want my garden to be a place where they can go and be surrounded by peace," Sr. James used to say. May she enjoy forever the peace she wished upon all of us.
"Sr. James Marie’s pilgrimage of faith,
her journey in the Master, was as complex and as precious as each
one of our journeys—with one possible exception. The Lord entrusted
her with a very special and difficult vocation within her Pauline
vocation. We all carry crosses in life, but I believe Sr. James
was invited early on to embrace a special call to suffering. I know
she struggled—but her joy and love of life somehow always outweighed
the weariness and frustration. One of her doctors called her a true
‘Suffering Servant.’ The words struck me, and I couldn’t
help but connect them to the last moments of her life, and the single
tear that fell from her eye in silent self-offering. At that moment,
for me she reached the ultimate goal of all of our lives, that ‘it
is no longer I who live; Christ lives in me.’ At that moment,
in a Mass. General hospital bed, it was Christ I saw." "To the sisters of the community of Boston. I have been so impressed by the love that I have seen in you. In these days of Sr. James Marie’s great suffering you took turns going to Mass General to visit her, to pray for her and with her, or to simply be present as sisters at her bedside. But your kindness has not been limited to these last 4 or 5 days. Throughout Sr. James’ battle with leukemia, you have accompanied her with prayer and goodness, and many of you—myself included—gave of ourselves by donating blood and platelets. When she was not able to drive, some of you drove her to various appointments. In the work of the apostolate, you did her part when her illness prevented her. "The community was a gift to Sr. James, and
Sr. James in turn was a gift to community. I believe a special gift
that Sr. James brought to our community, was this: her goodness,
love and creativity evoked from the community gifts of love, goodness,
acceptance, understanding, and generosity."
"Sr. James Marie learned and taught us, in
her simple and transparent way: Everything grows with love."
"Sr. James, remember when I asked you for any
final message you might have for anyone? Well, you know my wretched
memory. Thank God you made it short and sweet. ‘Tell everybody
I love them,’ you said. I hope you know how dear you are to
us. Until we meet again face to face, we will carry you in our hearts
as you carried us—always."
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