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Marilyn Gooley, SNJM

“Thank you!” is the last prayer of the day and the first prayer of the morning.

This 60-year anniversary brings for her a long gratitude list stretching over graced years that are blessed with amazing friendships, supportive family and community, ministry opportunities, education, travel and enrichment.

Jesus’ “mission statement” in Chapter 4 of the Gospel of Luke, with the passage from Isaiah, “I have come to proclaim the good news,” now fulfilled abundantly in Jesus’ life and ministry, continues to animate Marilyn as she lives the Holy Names charism as it unfolds for her today.

A quote Marilyn has carried for over 50 years gives context for the way ministry was shaped in her life: “To ground back into experience the meaning of God, grace, Jesus, Church — the tremendous moment of spiritual renewal is for this purpose, so that we might find symbols to articulate, liberate, bear our experience.”

For many years, providing meaningful integration of life and faith framed the passion Marilyn brought to adult faith formation ministry as she volunteered at the two Jesuit parishes in Tacoma, Washington. Her home parish of St. Leo’s resonated with her deepest values, while intercommunity living for 20+ years gave her rich graces and blessings from life shared across diverse cultures, traditions and backgrounds.

Now living in Lake Oswego, Oregon, as part of Mary’s Woods continuing care retirement community, Marilyn brings these same energies to her life and the people she encounters daily. Blessings of good friends, good books, poetry, music and the beauty of God’s world continue to give her joy.

While physical challenges bring limitations along with life’s inevitable losses, nothing eclipses her simple daily prayer, “Thank you.” It seems too small to hold all the gratitude for the day’s blessings, the incredible blessings woven through these 60 years.