On 15 April, Maria Josepha Hsu turned 100. Brigidine House, like all our Aged Care Facilities, has been and was in lockdown and has had no cases of Covid-19. And we are happy and want to keep it that way. It is hard, though, for someone to have her 100th birthday at such a time.
The Manager gave plenty of thought to how to make it special for Maria Josepha. There is a priest among the residents there, and while he does not often say Mass, he has started to do so only on Sundays since the lockdown. He agreed to say a Mass for Maria Josepha on the birthday and invited her to plan it with him and choose her own hymns.
Mass at 9.30am was followed by a special morning tea and dinner at midday had a very special cake as the dessert.
At 2.00pm any RSCJ who were able could this once come to the outside of the facility, and, keeping a careful social distance, to sing Happy Birthday to Maria Josepha. She was allowed to come just outside the door as long as we all kept a safe distance from her. We were joined by some Brigidine Sisters who had heard of our arrangement. Kath Ragg, another RSCJ who is a resident there, also came to the door with her.
It was a lovely sunny day standing there, but we did not stay very long in due deference to the present regulations protecting our older citizens in particular and ourselves also.
Diana Hayes rscj
Section |International News
Province |Australia/New Zealand
Tags |Covid-19
