Sister Anna (Mary Arthur) Raimon

Sister Anna (Mary Arthur) Raimon learned at a young age through the example of her mother that she should trust in God, who is always faithful. Educated by the Sisters of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary in grades one through 12, she put that faith into practice when she heeded the called to be a sister.
 
“I felt called at an early age to be a sister. The Presentation Sisters were my inspiration, and it was through them that my vocation blossomed,” she explains.
 
After joining the congregation in 1954, Sister has spent the past 70 years living the call to the Presentation mission, first as a teacher in Massachusetts for over 20 years and then through a variety of ministry experiences. Anna was called to congregational ministry as both treasurer and personnel director before beginning ministry as a missionary in Ghana, West Africa.
 
Sister had always wanted to be a missionary, but felt called to the Presentation congregation, whose members were historically teachers. When the congregation began to reach out in new ways, she saw her opportunity to fulfill this call. After completing a workshop in San Antonio, Texas, Anna traveled to Ghana in January 1998.
 
Her experience in Ghana with a new culture brought a new perspective, as she had little previous experience with other cultures. This also helped her to prepare for future ministry at Lantern Light Collaborative Ministry in New Orleans with Presentation Sisters from across North America. She served here until retirement in 2014.
 
“At Lantern Light I was able to see what it meant to be truly homeless. But I learned so much from the people with whom we ministered and learned so many lessons from them. They took pride in what they had and appreciated the little things,” she shares.
 
Anna has fond memories of all her ministry experiences, but points to two instances, one in Ghana and one while teaching in Fitchburg, when a student addressed her as “mommy,” as meaningful. It was powerful for Sister to think of herself in this nurturing role for these young people through her call to live for the moment in which she was ministering.
 
Community life has allowed Sister to be herself in “a spirit of love, support and respect and with the encouragement of her sisters.” She would urge anyone looking at how to live their sacred call to remember the words from the book of Esther, reminding them to “remember who you are. Perhaps it is for this very moment that you were created.”
 
“I feel truly blessed in every aspect of my life,” she says.
 
Now retired, Sister spends time writing notes to sisters and associates, of which she is aware, that are living in nursing homes and to those who are homebound, remembering that no matter where we are in life, we must recall who we are and that “perhaps it is for this very moment that we were created.”
 
She continues to be a light to those around her. “Your daily presence to others and who you are in the world are important,” she says. “Listening to people and showing compassion are a part of who you are.”