Amazing Grace, Gracie, Radar, Sister Frances Miriam, Sister Grace, daughter, sister, aunt and dear, dear friend.

Grace Reeder was a great woman among many great women. Many of you here tonight are of her generation. You are a generation of women – a generation of the Sisters of the Holy Names - who served the People of God for decades and decades. I especially acknowledge and honor the sisters in the infirmary who are participating in the liturgy via television. Grace, with you, participated in the historic changes and brought the Church into the 21^st century. Grace and you were the educational leaders of the Catholic Church as you taught generations of Catholic children.

It is a privilege and an awesome task to reflect on the life of Grace with you. My reflections this evening incorporate comments and conversations from many sisters and friends of Grace. Particularly I want to mention her dear and loyal friend, Mary Rogers, who helped me with these reflections.

The overriding comment from many about Grace was that she was a fun-loving, humorous person who always had a beautiful smile for whomever she met. This humor was coupled with a deep desire to be with her God.

I met Grace 41 years ago. She made a special trip in September, 1965, to visit the new postulants. Earlier that month she had hired my oldest sister Kathy as a first-year teacher at Our Lady of Lourdes in Oakland. Her brother-in-law, Jim Prindiville, had graduated from St. Mary’s College with our father. So Grace wanted to meet another member of the Maloney family. She was welcoming to me and the friendship flourished. Grace and I lived together at St. Augustine’s; later we made a pilgrimage to the Holy Land together. She was warm and in the words of another person, "She was hip." She understood young people and enjoyed their company. At a time of turmoil and dramatic changes in religious life she set an example of dignity, graciousness, and humor -- traits that were evident all her life.

Last week Grace celebrated her 90^th birthday. In those nine decades she led a life filled with talent, love, creativity and sometimes great suffering. Born in Wahpeton, North Dakota, she was the first child of Marie and George Reeder. She, her sister Georgene (Jeannie) Reeder Prindiville, and parents were a close-knit Catholic family. This strong family bond lasted all her life. It is still evident by the participation of her nieces and grand-nieces and nephew with us this evening.

Grace traveled with her family. This allowed her to be open to a variety of experiences and people. Educated by the Benedictine Sisters in the mid-west, Grace at an early age was introduced into the appreciation of art, poetry and literature. Since her family spent many winters in Oakland they were familiar with the Holy Names Community. Attendance at Holy Names College was a natural choice for higher education that her parents readily approved. Many times Grace would recount that in her third year of college she felt the strong call from God to become a Sister of the Holy Names. In 1937 she entered the community and received her BA at the end of her first year as a postulant. Later on she received her Master’s in Art Education.

Grace was in active ministry for sixty-one years. Her years of dedicated service reflect Grace’s wide variety of interest and her multiple talents. For thirty-four years she taught in elementary education. For nine of those years she was principal at Our Lady of Lourdes and St. Theresa’s in Oakland. For thirteen years of her life she taught at various high schools and was the art supervisor for Holy Names’ schools. The last 14 years of her ministry she taught adults. This included teaching adult literacy at Next Step Learning Center; establishing a reading program at Holy Names High School; tutoring at the Oakland Public Library, teaching art to mentally challenged adults and giving art lessons to the elderly at Hillhaven Convalescent Hospital. She was a member of an artists’ group which became a significant circle of friends for her. These friends remained loyal to her and some are with us this evening. The record of her public service is remarkable if not overwhelming. Grace never shied away from work.

One person remarked to me that Grace rolled with the punches but then went forward. She was ahead of her time. As a principal she supported and valued each teacher. Another person who worked with Grace shared her admiration for Grace’s care and concern for each of her students. She appreciated differences and delighted in the every-day struggle of teaching. The alive and vibrant Grace brought humor into all facets of her life.

One humorous episode which Grace readily shared was during a high school English/ reading class. The particular lesson for the day was poetry. Grace was struggling to teach the concept of poetic license. While Grace struggled to answer the question, "why were famous poets allowed to ‘break’ the rules of English while writing poetry?" A young student looked at Grace and said, "Sister Grace, where can I buy me one of those licenses? "

But who really was this remarkable woman – this amazing Grace? For those who did not know her well she was a shy person yet she always gave a smile and had a good sense of humor. On her birthday this year one well-wisher wrote, "Thank you, Grace, for your vibrant smile, your quick intellect, artistic sense of beauty and the wise sense of understanding you bring to the community." She was a community woman. She was very attentive and participatory. Up until the last weeks of her life she longed to know all the news and current events of both the larger world and the Holy Names community.

Grace was an artist. Her art work graces the halls of this our regional home. Her stationery is well known beyond SNJM circles.

For those of us who knew her well she called forth a dynamic and passionate sense of the love of God and love of life. The word "grace" means blessing, thanksgiving and favored one of God. In many ways Grace knew she was a favorite one of God.

She was an avid reader of spiritual and theological books. She listened to tapes on new theology and participated in many offerings which expanded her spiritual life. She was a graduate of the Institute of Creation Centered Spirituality and attended the Theology of the Arts program for years. Grace’s art expressed her union with God - God was Artist, Creator and Friend for her.

Through the years, when her close friends would visit Grace she was not shy in sharing the latest Scripture passage, poem, or art work which brought her closer to her God. I can easily say she had a passion for God. Especially as she aged her longing for the Divine increased. She viewed God as a compassionate and loving friend.

Friendship was important to Grace. She was loyal and loving. We remember her dear friends, who have gone before her, Sisters Andrea Biggi, Maria Luisa Wolfskill, and Monica Perry.

One friend shared with me that when she (the friend) came to the infirmary very ill Grace would come every day to see her. These visits were her life-line to wellness. Like all of us, Grace had her flaws and faults. Yet she understood the need to ask for forgiveness or to apologize for any hurt or misunderstanding.

Friendship for Grace was a gift from God. She opened her heart to friendship and saw this gift as part of her spirituality. In the same conversation she would discuss her gratitude for God and the latest baseball score. She was an avid fan of the Oakland A’s. Grace loved life; she was simply fun to be with.

Grace was no stranger to pain; she suffered greatly the last years of her life. Even in this trial of pain and suffering, Grace did not lose her humor. A few days before she died, she woke from a deep sleep and asked Mary, "Have I died yet?"

Rarely did I or any of her friends walk away from a visit with her without some small gift. She has left a gift for all of us this evening. Mary Rogers and I selected this poem – a gift from Grace to all of us.

Symptoms of Being at Peace with Christ * (author unknown)

An unmistakable ability to enjoy each moment

A loss of interest in judging other people

A loss of interest in judging yourself

A loss of interest in interpreting the actions of others

A loss of interest in the ability to worry

Frequent, overwhelming episodes of appreciation

Centered feelings of connectedness with others and nature

Frequent attacks of smiling

An increased susceptibility to embrace the love extended by others, and not judge nor criticize, or compare it to your own expectations

An increased extending of love to others without expectations nor qualifications