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| Sr. Hedwig Clavijo, a member of the Auxiliaries of the Blessed Sacrament, is leaving Beloit to return to her native Colombia. A farewell reception for Sister Hedwig will take place on Saturday, May 24, at St. Jude Parish Hall in Beloit from 2 to 4 p.m. (Pat Casucci photo) |
BELOIT — A farewell reception for Sr. Hedwig Clavijo will take place on Saturday, May 24, from 2 to 4 p.m. at St. Jude Parish Hall. St. Jude Marian Guild President Sandy Sarnow said the parish group is sponsoring the farewell.
Sister Hedwig, soon to be 82 years old, has been a member of the Auxiliaries of the Blessed Sacrament for more than 50 years. Presently, she serves at the Beloit convent. She is returning to the motherhouse at Chia which is near Bogata, in her native Colombia, South America.
Auxiliaries of the Blessed Sacrament
The main mission of the Auxiliaries of the Blessed Sacrament is prayer and to serve priests. Their service at the Beloit convent includes baking hosts for area parishes and visiting parishioners including the elderly.
Their well-kept convent yard adds to the serenity of the order’s purpose with gardens featuring a gorgeous floral display and a large variety of vegetables. They observe a daily holy hour.
The order is well known for its service in the Diocese of Madison.
Sister Hedwig’s background
Sister Hedwig came to Wisconsin in 1973 and served as a cook for a former St. Jude pastor, Fr. Richard Lenarz. Forty years ago, she was assigned to Holy Name Seminary in Madison, working in the dining room and laundry room from 1974 until 1984.
She came to the United States in 1951 as a novice at the order’s St. Louis convent. She’s proud to have been naturalized a U.S. citizen during that time.
After a year of renewal at the order’s convent in Canada, she returned in 1986 to Colombia to help train Sisters at the motherhouse. Ever answering the needs of her order, Sister Hedwig eventually returned to the Beloit convent.
Her early years
Smiling, Sister Hedwig said she grew up on a family farm near Chia. Among family members still residing there are four of her sisters. She said her name, Hedwig, was her grandmother’s name in the Spanish language.
Pausing a moment and closing her eyes as she recalled many years ago, she shared, “On the farm, I was my father’s special girl, I guess.” A brother had died as a baby.
She worked for the Salesian Order in her area and was a member of the Daughter of Mary group.
Reflecting on her vocation
Reflecting on her vocation, Sister Hedwig said, “I always remember the happiness that I saw and felt from the Sisters in our church and school. They were a wonderful example and made me think about becoming a Sister.”
Marian Guild President Sarnow noted that Sister Hedwig is “such a happy Sister as she devotes her time to helping make life better for the Sisters, and for everyone. That is so important.”
In her shy and serene manner, Sister Hedwig commented about her long life, “I try to live one day at a time, and I look forward to Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament every day.”
Sister Hedwig’s entire vocation has been offered in prayer and service for priests and for the Auxiliaries. She treasures the opportunity for daily prayer. She enjoys music, mainly classical, and occasionally plays the organ.
Although she looks forward to returning to Colombia to be near her family, Sister Hedwig said, “People have always been very nice to us. I like the United States of America.”