January 6, 2023

Salesian Sisters of Tampa

Villa Madonna School | Salesian Youth Center | Alumni Association

January 2023

Alumni News Brief

Salesian Sister Corner

Sr. Colleen Clair FMA made her first vows as a Salesian Sister on August 5, 1992, after completing her Novitiate or Sister training, in the Sister's Formation house in Castel Gandolfo, Italy. During her 30 years of service, she taught in various Salesian schools in Egypt, Florida, and New Jersey, and fondly remembers her time teaching in Tampa at St. Joseph (from 2000 to 2002) and Villa Madonna (from 2002 to 2006). In addition, she served as a vocation director for ten years, during which 58 young women entered in our province. She is currently Head of School for Mary Help of Christians Academy, an all-girls Salesian high school, in North Haledon, NJ.

Sr. Colleen is one of 16 children and, at nine, asked her father why he and her mother decided to have so many children. She will always remember his response, "Your mother and I agreed that we would always welcome all of the children God sent to us." Her parents managed to love each child individually, without favorites, and without rivalry among the siblings. They taught their children God was the source of love. They had their "League of Saints" to pray to in addition to praying the rosary together daily.

She shared, "When I first entered, I remember my surprise at loving Salesian life so much. I guess I thought nun life would be boring, but nothing could be farther from the truth! St. John Bosco, our founder, once said, "If people knew how beautiful our life was, they would be knocking down the doors to get in!"

Sr. Colleen is pictured above with graduates from Mary Help of Christians Academy in Haledon, NJ.

Pictured here with Sr. Carmen Pena, now in heaven, who also worked at Villa Madonna (2003-2008).

She graduated Summa Cum Laude from Felician University with a Bachelor's in Elementary Education and Religious Studies and she also holds a Master's in Education Leadership from Montclair State University.

Sr. Colleen believes informal learning and fun activities lead us ever closer to Christ, the Way, the Truth, and the Life. You can connect with her via email and you might enjoy checking out her blog.

Here is one of Sr. Colleen's favorite quotes:

"Let nothing upset you, let nothing scare you. The one who has God lacks nothing. God alone is enough."
St. Teresa of Avila

Lightning Round with Sr. Colleen Clair

Birthday	September 11
Favorite color	Pink & Green
Schools you've worked at	Mary Help of Christians Academy (NJ), Sacred Heart School (Egypt), St. Anthony School (Hawthorne & Paterson, NJ), St. Joseph School (FL), and Villa Madonna School (FL)
Siblings	9 brothers and 6 sisters plus 11,000 Salesian Sisters
Nieces and nephews	65 nieces and nephews, 67 great nieces and nephews
Favorite food	Lasagna
Cats or dogs	Both, or to quote a niece petting a furry caterpillar, "anything with fur should be petted."
Languages	English, Italian, broken Spanish, and a few words in Arabic