As I write this article, I’m packing to come back to Harrisburg! Yes, I did say that! I am indeed coming back to my beloved Harrisburg Diocese. I have been transferred from Assumption College for Sisters by my community. As I type this, I am in the process of packing up not only my personal items but also the supplies for my artwork. What a daunting process! I knew that I had accumulated a lot of supplies, but it was far from my understanding and I had to downsize. You might be wondering what I will be doing. I have been named Vice President of Mission Integration at Penn State Health Holy Spirit Medical Center.
As I pack up and reflect on the last two years of my work here at the college, I am deeply touched not only from the joyful enthusiasm and profound love I have experienced from the Sister students, but also from the blessings God has poured upon me.
I can easily reflect on these blessings through the following words of Pope Leo XIV: “God loves us, God loves you all, and evil will not prevail! All of us are in God’s hands. So, let us move forward, without fear, together, hand in hand with God and with one another! We are followers of Christ. Christ goes before us. The world needs his light. Humanity needs him as the bridge that can lead us to God and his love.”1
Perhaps you yourselves are in a position of uncertainty or know someone who is. Knowing God’s personal love for you and knowing that he walks with you is the foundation of finding true peace in the storm of uncertainty. By walking one step at a time, leaning on the certainty of God’s love and presence, a lasting peace, and a joy that does not go away are present, even if in a very small way.
As I move back to Harrisburg, I know that God has a plan for me in my new role. Certainly, this is a journey of trust, one that I hope you can understand as well!
1Leo. Peace Be with You! My words to the Church and to the World. HarperOne, an Imprint of Harper Collins Publishers, 2026. Pg. 4
By Sister Geralyn Schmidt, SCC, The Catholic Witness
