Standing in solidarity with the powerless

by Sister Julia McMurrough, CSC

"Compassion moves us to reflect on the signs of the times, discern needs, and respond.  We stand in solidarity  with the poor and powerless."   ~ from the Mission Statement of the Sisters of the Holy Cross

 "The providence of God is very clear in the work I do," says Holy Cross Sister Julia McMurrough.

For the past 45 years Sister Julia has reflected, discerned and responded to the needs of the poor and powerless in the Washington, D.C., area. A compassionate problem solver, she has distributed food and clothing, information and assistance, love and comfort to the people in her neighborhood.

In an article written about Sister Julia in the Silver Spring, Maryland, Mettro from March 1981, Mary Farrell writes, "Her strength lies in being able to step back and see people as they are, not as she would like them to be. Those who come to her receive not just a handout, but a learning experience. She tries to acquaint them with community resources and empower them to use those resources. At her fingertips is a list of personal contacts in government, church-based and other social service programs in the area."

	Sister Julie knows how to treat people with dignity in all circumstances. And the people in Washington, D.C., know it. She received the Washingtonian of the Year award in 1979 from the Downtown Jaycees and the Washingtonian magazine, and was honored in 1984 with the papal award, Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice, for her work among the underprivileged in Washington, D.C.
Sister Julia with packages of food ready for distribution to families at Assumption Church in Washington, D.C., where she served from 1974-84.

One of seven children born to a coal miner and his wife, Julia always wanted to become a sister even as a young girl. Educated in elementary school by the Sisters of St. Joseph near Uniontown, Pennsylvania, she admired their way of life, their calm demeanor, their self-possession and their grace.

Later the family moved to Chevy Chase, Maryland, and Julia attended high school at the Academy of the Holy Cross. There she became acquainted with the Sisters of the Holy Cross.

"The Sisters of the Holy Cross influenced my thinking a great deal," says Sister Julia. "What impressed me the most was the way that they had of being good and godly, but at the same time a lot of fun. They all retained their own characters and personalities, somehow, even with all the regimentation."

After graduation she entered the Congregation of the Sisters of the Holy Cross in 1954. Her first assignment as a sister was to teach at St. Joseph's Home for Boys in Washington, D.C.  Sister Julia remembers, "I was group sister for 15 boys, ranging in age from 11 to 15. It was especially disillusioning to me, because I had always said what I wanted to do in life was work in an orphanage. And when I had my chance, I found I wasn't very good at it. Nothing in my life experience had prepared me for this responsibility." After 10 years of teaching, she began to minister in her true calling – social work.

1988 - Children from the Head Start Program at Bethesda Senior Source listen attentively to Sister Julia's presentation.

"I have a talent for making people feel comfortable with me," Sister Julia notes.

Sister Julia's social work career began in 1969 when she entered parish ministry at Holy Spirit Parish in Forestville, Maryland. She worked for five years with the rural poor, many of whom lived in shacks in the woods without electricity or indoor plumbing. Then she was named coordinator of social services at Assumption Parish in Anacostia, where two-thirds of Washington, D.C.'s welfare recipients lived. For the next 10 years she helped particularly those in crisis and the recently released mental patients from St. Elizabeth's Hospital. Later she became coordinator of parish programs at St. Francis de Sales Catholic Church in Kilmarnock, Virginia.

After a yearlong study by the Sisters of the Holy Cross Committee on the Elderly, the Congregation made the needs of caregivers for older adults a priority. In 1986 Sister Julia was named director of Holy Cross Outreach, a program whose purpose was to meet the emotional and practical needs of people who care for elderly relatives.

The program consisted of small group workshops. "The goals of the sessions were to give participants information on the aging process, teach coping skills, improve communications, show available resources, and enable them through peer discussion to see how other people have handled particular situations," says Sister Julia.

Holy Cross Outreach also included a drop-in center where individuals could obtain resources or speak face-to-face with someone. Sister Julia believes that the most important function is to listen. "Usually the answer is within the person. They just need to take the time to verbalize it."

"I always find that if you let God run the show, things will fall into place one way or another," explains Sister Julia. "In fact, one of the most fascinating things about life is waiting and watching to see how he's going to work it out each time."

Her present calling is retirement, with a philosophy of living this "third age" of life. She sees this time as an opportunity to relinquish some things so as to have room for new and exciting experiences.

Sister Julia presently undergoes kidney-dialysis three days a week. On her good days she revels in the time to read, reflect and dream. She says she now has the time to read all the books that have been piling up through the years.

She also believes that this is a time for her to learn to accept being ministered to by others.

"I am deeply touched by the caring compassion of the other recipients of dialysis. Their courage and acceptance of their health traumas is remarkable. The staff is a strong, well-trained group of 'tough love' people who are so gentle in their care. I'm learning to receive the love and care of others. This is also true at home; everyone is so helpful.

"It is important for me to accept this time – and live it well, doing all that I can to bring good to these days."