“Ita, Maura, Dorothy and Jean offered freely their lives to the Lord and others… And what do their lives and deaths say to you and to me, what is the challenge of these beautiful women and martyrs to us as we live out our daily lives? It seems to be that the basic challenges to you and me are four:

  1. Absolute commitment to the cause of the poor, and the defense of human rights, even when or especially when it leads to suffering;
  2. That in a consumerist, materialistic society we live a simple lifestyle;
  3. That we have the courage to denounce injustice where we see it;
  4. That we learn to live totally for others, as these valiant women did.

Thank you Ita, Maura, Dorothy, Jean and Carol for the gift of your lives and deaths to us… Your lives are truly for us lights on the mountain, beacons of hope for all and harbingers of the day when we on this American Continent will truly relate to each other with respect and dignity as brothers and sisters.”

Excerpt from December 2, 1982 talk by Sr. Joan Ratermann, MM