WELLS — A celebratory brunch honoring the amazing work and impact of the Good Shepherd Sisters on women and children in Maine is set for Wells on Sunday, April 30.
The gathering will be held in the Tea Room at Johnson Hall Museum on 2713 Post Road from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. All are welcome, but if you plan on attending, please RSVP by calling 207-282-3351 or by visiting www.saintandrehome.org/celebrate.
The Good Shepherd Sisters of Quebec, also known as the Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, opened St. André Home on Easter Sunday in 1940, originally as a home for unwed mothers. Since that time, they have served thousands of families through counseling, housing, parenting classes, health care and resource management, and domestic and international adoption services.
The organization currently operates CourageLIVES, Maine’s first residential treatment program for survivors of sex trafficking as well as a safe house for women 18 years and older. The program provides food, clothing, shelter, and counseling for residents, and includes an outreach program for women who live elsewhere. The program also provides outpatient services that support survivors of human trafficking, domestic violence, and sexual assault.
The sisters also oversee the Esther Residence, a home in Saco for women who are leaving incarceration or a treatment program. The residence provides a safe, nurturing community that is based on respect and dignity. It focuses on assisting each woman in identifying and celebrating her strengths and gifts. The home is a bridge that promotes healthy connections to family (when appropriate) and to the larger community. Esther Residence also provides short-term housing for women who are awaiting admission to another level of substance-abuse treatment.
The Good Shepherd Sisters of Quebec have actually been active in educating area children since the late 19th century, when they were asked to send sisters from Quebec who could speak French to Biddeford to serve as teachers at Catholic schools. As teachers, principals, and assistants, the sisters are looked upon as role models by generations of young people.
To learn more about the sisters’ work, history, or to discover ways you can help them, visit www.scimsisters.org.
