Sisters Night at Chiefs Game

Story and photos by Michelle Fenelon 

Syracuse, N.Y. – Two friends sat side-by-side in Patrick Mannion’s suite on Wednesday night at NBT Bank Stadium. Mannion, who is one of the longest-standing suite owners at the stadium, hosts a group of nuns from around the area once a year.

Sr. Colette Walter and Sr. E.J. Timson are two of the nuns who shared the most history with one another. They met when they were both stationed to work at St. Margaret’s School in Mattydale. And what started out as a relationship between two colleagues in 1954, blossomed into a 60-year friendship.

“Sometimes we’ll go to the movies together or we’ll go out to eat, or we’ll just hang out, talking,” Walter said. “It’s just a very comfortable, comfortable feeling to be with her.”

The Syracuse natives taught together, they’re both sisters of the St. Francis of the Neumann Communities together. And they enjoy catching an occasional Syracuse Chiefs game.

So, when the Onondaga County Legislature gave the Chiefs a new lease to secure the team for at least 10 years, Walter said she was pleased. As a long-time attendee of Chiefs games with Timson, Walter said going to the stadium, which is just seven minutes from where they first met, allows her to enjoy her beloved Chiefs and also spend time with her sister.

                                                                                        Community Service

Timson and Walter dedicate their lives to service while working as sisters of the St. Francis of Neumann communities. The St. Francis of Neumann Communities are a group of four congregations from Philadelphia, P.A., Buffalo, Syracuse, and Hastings-On-Hudson in New York. These four communities formed together to minister to the homeless, immigrants and any other needs their respective city or state requires at the time.

While both sisters belong to the same community, their ministry takes them to different places.

Carlton, who’s worked at the Francis House since 2001, provides emotional and spiritual support to people who are dying. The Francis House serves as a comfortable place for residents – regardless of race, gender and religion – to stay when they are dying.

“It’s good to be supportive for them and their families and to bring God into their lives at this time in their life,” Walter said.

“Not everybody can do that because it’s too difficult,” Carlton said in regards to caring for people who are dying. “I have never found it difficult because I can always see the progress as it happens.

Timson conducts fundraisers, such as wine and cheese tasting and golf tournaments to raise money for retired nuns.

“When they see me, they say ‘well, here comes E.J., hang onto your wallet,’” Timson joked.

Sisters

Over the years, Carlton and Timson became more than friends.

“We’re family-oriented friends,” Timson said. “We did everything as family. My family got to know her family, so we went to parties, we celebrated birthdays, anniversaries.”

As nuns, who serve the Catholic Church and the community, they say it’s important for them to have a relationship with someone who enriches their faith in God.

“There’s that support system that you have,” Walter said. “And there’s always somebody there you can go and talk to that you know God is present in her and God is present in me.”

Over the years, Carlton and Timson’s friendships has seen every aspect of each other’s lives – the good, the bad and the illnesses. And they’ve been by each other every step of the way.

The long-time friends do not live together, and they see each other on occasion, but although they don’t see each other as often as they’d like, they say it's ok because they “know the friendship is there.”