I am Sr. Cora Lombardo, an Apostle of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri.  It is a pleasure to be with you.  My name is Cora, because of my love for the Sacred Heart of Jesus and, because as we look at a picture of Jesus’ heart, it reveals His great love for us.

One of the questions I always like to ask married people is: How did you meet?  To priests and religious I like to ask:  How did you know God was calling you?  To answer that question: Since second grade the seed of a religious vocation was growing in me.  At Cor Jesu Academy in St. Louis I first met the Apostles of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. (ASCJ)  In time I realized God was calling me to join them and journey with them in proclaiming the love of the Heart of Christ and reaching out to those in need.  I entered the Apostles of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Hamden, CT in 1966.  After a year postulancy — a year of checking out the community as they looked me over, and a two year novitiate I made first vows in 1969 and final vows in 1974.

Teaching is one of the gifts that God has given me, so for most of my religious life I’ve taught, from second graders through adults.  I’ve served in a variety of cities and parishes.  My family teases:  Join the convent and see the world!  I have in St. Louis, Chicago, New York’s Chinatown, Sacramento, the Bronx, and New Castle, PA as well as West Haven — and now here in Tuckahoe!

What gives me the greatest joy is to see how God uses the smallest and seemingly most insignificant of events to work in people’s lives.  It’s an extraordinary gift to watch families and teens respond and grow closer to Jesus.  That is why I am delighted to be here in the capacity of Director of Adult Faith Formation.  I look forward to meeting each of you and working with you, so that together we may draw others to a deeper awareness and knowledge of God’s love for them as revealed in the Heart of His Son.