Little Sisters of the Poor celebrates 25 years in Gallup

Sister Christine helps hope Davis with her lunch at Little Sisters of the Poor on Tuesday. The organization will soon celebrate it's 25th anniversary. — © 2008 Gallup Independent / Brian Leddy

Copyright © 2008
Gallup Independent
By Elizabeth Hardin-Burrola
Staff writer

GALLUP — More than 25 years ago the Catholic sisters with the Congregation of the Little Sisters of the Poor were invited to establish a home for elderly residents in Gallup.

The sisters founded Villa Guadalupe near the Mossman neighborhood in 1983, and on Friday — the Feast Day of Our Lady of Guadalupe — they began the first of a series of yearlong celebrations in honor of their 25th anniversary in Gallup.

On Tuesday, Mother Andrea of Villa Guadalupe talked about the religious order’s local ministry. Founded in 1839 in France by Jeanne Jugan, the Little Sisters of the Poor now operate 206 homes in 32 countries, she said, and Villa Guadalupe in Gallup is one of about 30 facilities in the United States.

“We are only for the poor and elderly people,” Mother Andrea said. Former Gallup Bishop Jerome Hastrich requested the sisters establish a home here primarily to care for elderly Navajo people, she explained, and about half of Villa Guadalupe’s residents continue to be Navajo.

Residents do not have to be Catholic and they are not required to participate in Catholic services, she added. Funding for the facilities comes from legacy funds, grant money, private donations, and residents’ retirement income.

The first sisters arrived in 1983 when the Gallup facility was just two cottages, she said, and Frances Curley of Thoreau was the first resident. According to Mother Andrea, for the first few years, most Navajo residents would stay only for the winter months when the road and weather conditions were bad. That doesn’t happen as frequently, she said, as Navajo residents have come to feel more “at home” at Villa Guadalupe.

The present facility was built in 1989 and now features 39 beds for assisted living residents and 12 apartments for independent living residents. Is not a skilled nursing home, Mother Andrea explained, because Villa Guadalupe doesn’t have the required medical equipment or nursing staff.

Currently, the oldest resident is 100-year-old Jean Nez, who will celebrate her next birthday in February.

The Little Sisters of the Poor are inviting the community to share in its yearlong jubilee celebration, which will run from last Friday’s Opening Mass of the Jubilee Year to next year’s Closing Mass on Dec. 12, 2009, at Sacred Heart Cathedral. According to Mother Andrea, celebration events are planned for every month of the coming year.

Eight sisters, about 50 employees, and a group of dedicated volunteers keep the ministry of Villa Guadalupe going. Sam Joe in the maintenance department, Louise Cowboy in housekeeping, and Barbara “Bobbie” Elkins, the receptionist, are three employees with the longest years of service, Mother Andrea said.

Volunteers like Peggy Martinelli, Bernadette Swift, Lucille Martinelli, Joan DePauli, and Betty Kelley come faithfully every week, she added. Peggy Martinelli donated the first bag of groceries 25 years ago, Mother Andrea said, and now she helps in the office, keeping track of financial donations, sending out thank you notes, and helping with mailings. Swift comes every Monday to style the hair of women residents, Lucille Martinelli and DePauli and their friends come each week to serve desserts and socialize with the residents, and Kelley comes each Friday to help with laundry.

“We could use some more volunteers for activities,”

Mother Andrea said, explaining that residents enjoy doing crafts, playing bingo and board games, and taking excursions into the community. Popular excursions include watching Gallup’s nightly Indian dances in the summer or just getting out for a drive.

Peggy Martinelli, who said she has volunteered at Villa Guadalupe “since day one,” said she enjoys her time volunteering. “It’s just good for my soul,” she said. Both her mother and mother-in-law lived at Villa Guadalupe during their later years, she said, and received wonderful care. “Regardless of who you are,” Martinelli said, “you’re treated the same.”

Joan DePauli’s mother lived at Villa Guadalupe for 12 years, and now her older brother is a resident. “They are just so caring at all times,” DePauli said of the Little Sisters of the Poor. “They just treat you like you’re one of their family.”

Longtime employee Elkins said the sisters keep the home very clean and they devote their time to making sure the residents are well cared for and treated kindly. “I think it’s an asset to the community,” she said.

Villa Guadalupe’s scheduled Jubilee event for January will be an ecumenical service on Jan. 22, and the February event will be an open house on Feb. 11.

Information: (505) 863-6894 or www.littlesistersofthepoor.org