This Providence Sister lets no grass grow under her feet!  Some say she is like the Energizer Bunny because she is always going and going.  This article gives us a brief glimpse of just some of her accomplishments.

“Sister Mary Caritas Geary, SP, always has been a force to be reckoned with.  As she completed her term at the Trinity Health of New England (THONE) Board of Trustees in 2019, she was asked to speak to the health system’s Leadership Conference, where she, at age 96, amazed the colleagues with her insights and anecdotes.

For her outstanding service to the health care field, Dr. Reginald Eadie, THONE Presideent/CEO decided to honor Sister Mary Caritas by establishing the Sr. Caritas Excellence in Leadership Award for colleagues in the regional health system.  For the first time in November, 2020, six awards were given recognizing the following characteristics in these colleagues:

• Outstanding commitment to our Core Values
• Support for our Mission
• Excellence in job performance, and the
• Ability to embrace change to assure Trinity Health of New England is truly a Transforming influence in the communities we serve.

Recovering from knee surgery, Sr. Caritas was unable to attend the ceremony but sent a heartfelt message to the awardees:  “I wish I could tell you in person how proud I am of each one of you.  Moreover, I would encourage you to continue to be open to new possibilities and to embrace change as an opportunity to improve care and service to all whom we are privileged to serve.”

Sr. Mary Caritas’ very long health career includes 17 years as CEO of Mercy Medical Center in Springfield, MA; President of the Sisters of Providence; Chair of the Board of the Catholic Health Association; member of other health system boards; honorary degrees; CHA Lifetime Achievement Award; and multiple national and local board committees and task forces.  She continues her active engagement on many Congregational, diocesan, and civic organizations boards.

Not much keeps Sr. Caritas down, as you can see from this sample of her always working for excellence in whatever she does.  I wonder how many of us will be this active at 96!  We congratulate her as a Woman of Providence!

Barbara McMullen, CDP