See more photos below by Mary Cottingham | STC
The Sisters of the Incarnate Word and Blessed Sacrament (IWBS) have been teaching, evangelizing, and accompanying people in Corpus Christi and surrounding areas for the past 150 years. In celebration of this incredible milestone, Bishop Michael Mulvey presided over their 150th Anniversary Mass and the anniversary of their school, Incarnate Word Academy (IWA), at Corpus Christi Cathedral on Nov. 5.
Cathedral pews were filled with graduating classes of IWA Elementary, Middle, and High School Levels. They were represented by students in the 5th, 8th, and 12th grades, while the rest watched online from school. IWBS lay associates were also in attendance, and friends and families of students from preschool to high school (age three to the 12th grade.) Many priests joined Bishop Mulvey on the altar, concelebrating this special Mass with him.
Mayor Paulette Guajardo, her mother and sister, were also in attendance and standing in a place of honor next to Sammy Grunwald, president and CEO of IWA.
In his homily, Bishop Mulvey said three words that came to his mind during the anniversary celebration, “gratitude, awe and wonder.” He said we are “grateful” not only for the sisters here today, but for those sisters who left France so many years ago to come to south Texas: Corpus Christi, Brownsville, Victoria, Houston, San Antonio and other parts of the United States to give Jesus Christ to young boys and girls, men and women whom they would serve in the classroom and other forms of ministry.
Bishop said “awe’ for the challenges they had to overcome for the sake of their mission. Some of those challenges included making their home in undeveloped land, experiencing new and different cultures, and learning Spanish and English—living through wars, the Great Depression and natural disasters to carry out their mission. And “wonder” – “because of Jesus Christ, the Incarnate Word today. He is here among us; He is in our midst; He’s in our hearts. He is the one that drives us.”
Sister Annette Wagner, Superior General for the IWBS Sisters in the Diocese of Corpus Christi, said that looking back over the past 150 years, she has seen major changes – thanks to Vatican II – major growth and expansion of what sisters understand their call to be.
“I have been very excited and blessed to be part of that response through the years,” she said. “We are also blessed to have the bishop join us in this celebration and many priest friends. And those that have joined us through the years.
“Being here in the church and looking around, we recognize generations of people that have gone through the Catholic education process, and we recognize the sacred legacy that we have been entrusted with the sisters that are here today. It also gives us a real focus of hope moving into the future,” she said.
“Our sesquicentennial is an opportunity for us Sisters to invite others to join us in thanking God for the countless blessings we have received individually and as a community these past 150 years. We celebrate with joyful gratitude all those who have shared in our efforts to proclaim the unconditional love of God for all. And we commit ourselves to continue our efforts to be a loving presence for the Church of Corpus Christi,” Sister Annette said.
“My experience of ministry and service has been that I have been the one gifted and that my time with others has given them a chance to invite me to grow. Hopefully, I’ve been able to do that. Any sister will you tell you that we receive more than we give,” she added. “You might say that’s the secret of service in the name of Christ – God is not outdone in generosity.”
The sisters are famous for IWA, but they have also served as religious education teachers in many parishes, chaplains in hospitals, chaplains in prisons, and visiting the homeless.
The first Incarnate Word Convent and Academy in Corpus Christi, opened Mar. 19, 1871. It stood on the northwest corner of Leopard and Carancahua Streets. To view the history of the Sisters of the Incarnate Word and Blessed Sacrament visit www.iwbscc.org/our-story.
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