Of the three girls in the family of Margaret and Leon Miller two became Sisters of Providence. Sr. Virginia Miller’s own calling was strengthened when she witnessed the joy of her older sister, Sr. Mary Leona, and the other women who ministered with her.
Sr. Virginia entered the congregation in July 1948 but, just before her final vows, Sr. Virginia was diagnosed with tuberculosis. The condition did not prevent her from taking vows, which she did in Sacred Heart Hospital, Montreal, but it did prevent her from having family and friends with her for the occasion.
This many years later she still cherishes the support she received from the Sisters at the hospital, who knew what the absence of family and friends at the vows meant. She recovered from her illness and was soon teaching at schools in Walla Walla, Moxee, Yakima and Vancouver, Washington.
When Providence Academy in Vancouver closed in 1966, Sr. Virginia was asked to stay in the city as a presence for the former students who would be moving into the public school system. Her next ministry turned out to be her true passion.
In 1967, as the Church was going through many changes, Sr. Virginia and Sr. Elizabeth Joyce inaugurated the Vancouver Apostolate, an outreach program to train volunteers in five rural parishes. They expanded the ministry to Snohomish, Monroe and Poulsbo, Washington, as well.
In 1978 they became the first rural ministry team in the Archdiocese of Seattle. For eight years they served in 12 parishes and 10 mission churches. Again, Sr. Virginia pointed to the importance of support from the community:
The unique needs and schedules of Rural Ministry made it impossible to attend many community events. It was hard for some of the sister to understand why we were not there.
“In order to serve in the different areas, Sr. Elizabeth and I lived in a 23 -foot trailer for three years,” remembers Sr. Virginia. “Sr. Lucille Dean, who was then Provincial Leader, came to visit us and was shocked that we had to convert the table in the trailer to a bed so that she could spend the night. After that, she did not choose to stay overnight.”
In 1995, Archbishop Raymond Hunthausen appointed Sr. Virginia as pastoral life director of in St. Joseph, Pe Ell, and Holy Family, Frances, and as a team member in St. Lawrence, Raymond, and St. Mary, Seaview, Washington. She spent the next 11 years serving the people of the parishes.
“One of the parishes, with a large number of elderly, had a really hard time not having a priest every Sunday. But over time they came to accept and love us. We became part of their lives,” she recalls.
Following the parish ministry, Sr. Virginia became director of the Upper Room, which provided spiritual, emotional and psychological support to women and married couples.
As the Congregation once again enters a time of change, Sr. Virginia had one piece of advice of the community:
“Love one another. We’re all in this together and support will be very important.”