Friends, colleagues, current and former students gathered on Saturday, Dec. 10, to bid farewell to Sister Matthew Marie Cummings, OP, a professor in the School of Education at Aquinas College for 25 years.
Aquinas hosted a reception for Sister Matthew Marie, who will begin a new position in January with Providence Alliance for Catholic Teachers (PACT) program at Providence College in Rhode Island.
“Sister Matthew Marie, you have poured yourself out for Aquinas College for so many years,” Aquinas President Sister Cecilia Anne Wanner, OP, said during the reception. She called Sister Matthew Marie “an ongoing example of generosity and service. You represent our college so well.”
“What I enjoyed most about teaching at Aquinas are the wonderful people with whom I came in contact, be they students, faculty, staff, or colleagues at the state level,” Sister Matthew Marie said. “It has been a gift to be at Aquinas to see the impact our college has had on Nashville, Tennessee, and the world! Some of our graduates have gone on to receive doctorates and become principals in both public and Catholic schools.
“I was also blessed to teach many of our students in the nursing and business programs,” she added. “It is a real gift to be able to help people realize their potential.”
The PACT program forms students to teach in Catholic schools. During the two-year program, PACT students serve as a full-time teacher in Catholic schools throughout Rhode Island and Massachusetts, while also participating in summer course work. While teaching, the students live in community with other PACT teachers, sharing a Catholic and Dominican spirituality.
Providence College is owned and operated by the Dominican Province of St. Joseph.
