S. Mona O’Connell Honored by Good Counsel Homes
Fall, 2008
On November 6, 2008, Mona O’Connell, S.S.N.D. will be honored with the “Staff Honoree” award from Good Counsel Homes. While S. Mona appreciates the recognition, she said that the ministry itself is far more important.
Good Counsel Homes is a private Catholic agency whose primary mission is to help homeless, pregnant women by providing a loving family environment in a safe and secure shelter. Begun in 1985 by Fr. Benedict Groeschel and Chris Bell, both leaders in the pro-life movement, Good Counsel has grown to five homes in the New York greater metropolitan area.
From the time she attended St. Aedan’s parochial grammar school through her high school years at Sacred Heart Academy in Hamden, Connecticut, Sister Mona felt drawn to religious life and a life of service. Sister Mona entered the convent immediately after graduation from Sacred Heart. She pursued undergraduate and graduate studies in Missouri at Marillac College and St. Louis University and has continued ongoing education at Fordham University. Sister Mona taught English and Literature and also worked in Administration during 30 years of her religious life.
Responding to God’s invitation to minister in a particular way to the poor, Sister’s search led her to Good Counsel, where she accepted the position of live-in House Manager in their Poughkeepsie home in February of 1995. In 1997, Sister accepted the challenge of overseeing the renovations and subsequent opening of a new Good Counsel home in Norwalk, Connecticut. In 2000, Sister became the Director of Residential Operations over all the Good Counsel homes, overseeing the maintenance and day-to-day operations of the homes. Sister Mona also implements and supplements Good Counsel’s Life Skills Programs in Parenting, Nutrition, Chastity, Spirituality, Health and Social Skills. Her achievements have been recognized by numerous civic and religious organizations in the tri-state area. In 1997, the Notre Dame University Alumni Club of the Mid-Hudson Valley honored Sister Mona for Community Service in connection with their International Celebration of Notre Dame University’s Alumni Clubs throughout the world.
In these difficult economic times, Sister Mona has been faced with the unfortunate task of suspending operations in one of Good Counsel’s biggest homes. Still, four other houses are filled to capacity. “The star may be dimmed with our bad news,” Sister Mona said, “but it shines behind the clouds.”
To learn more about Good Counsel Homes, please visit www.goodcounselhomes.org.