Dear Sisters Servants of the Holy Heart of Mary
of the Province of the Holy Family of the United States,
Family and friends of Sister Agnes, and the staff of the Bella Residence in Clifton:

From all corners of the world where there is a Servant of the Holy Heart of Mary or a layperson who shares our spiritual heritage, we join you today, sharing the pain of the physical departure of our beloved Sister Agnes. Mixed with this sorrow is a profound sense of thanksgiving for her fruitful and joyful life. Sister Agnes belongs to all of us, not only because she was a sister in faith and shared the same fire of our charism, but also because her heart and mind were universal. Many of us had the joy of getting to know her personally and being nourished by her wisdom during meetings, retreats, general chapters, or simple personal encounters full of humanity. Others came to know and love her through her magnificent, vital, and inspiring books. However we came to know her, she kindled an inner fire that made us better people, stronger believers, and more ardent Servants of the Holy Heart of Mary.

Thank you, dear sisters, and to her family, for having allowed sister Agnes to be a gift to the entire congregation, for you were able to nurture her brilliant intelligence, her fervent heart, her delicate human and spiritual sensitivity. She knew and confessed it: “All that I am, comes from the love of God.” She is certainly a gift of God's love, for which we thank Him today.

Many among us have said, "It’s worth aging like this." From her, we learn that mission has no age, that each person is precious in God's eyes and deserves to know it, that there is always time to cultivate openness of mind and heart, and that a smile, a sincere "thank you," a suffering offered, or a humble prayer is also "mission." Thanks to all of you and to each person who accompanied and cared for our sister Agnes during these years of greater fragility, insecurity, and suffering.

Dear sister Agnes, I received your last letter dated January 3rd. In your trembling handwriting, you assured me of your prayers and the offering of your daily sufferings for the entire congregation, especially for the new mission in Madagascar. Dear sister Agnes, continue to accompany us from the embrace of God, in the fullness of your mission of intercession. May we inherit your humble wisdom, your sensitivity to all that is human and divine, and to the heartbeat of every person and every event, your passion for Jesus, the Church, our Founders, and the fire of your heart until the very last moment of your life. Continue to be an inspiration, a gift of God's love, for the Servants of today and tomorrow. Rest in peace, faithful servant.

María Margarita Hernández, SSCM
Superior General
On behalf of the General Councilors and the entire SSCM Family