September is Friendship Month, making it a wonderful time to celebrate the relationships that bring connection, comfort and meaning to our lives. At Trinity Senior Services, friendship can be found in many forms—from lifelong friendships between residents to the special bonds shared by the Sisters who call our facilities home.
At Trinity Woods and Our Lady of the Angels (OLA), Sisters continue to nurture their relationships, share their faith and celebrate the traditions that have shaped their lives. While the Sisters may live at different locations, their connection and sense of sisterhood remain strong.
Through A Life Engaged® programming, these relationships are celebrated in meaningful ways. Our programming gives Sisters opportunities to share their stories, continue traditions, participate in faith-based activities and remain connected to the people and communities that have been an important part of their lives.
Our Lady of the Angels: A Community Rooted in Faith and Sisterhood
Our Lady of the Angels—a managed property of Trinity Senior Services—is home to Sisters from several religious communities, including the School Sisters of Notre Dame (SSND), Sisters of St. Francis, Sinsinawa Dominicans (OP), Schoenstatt Sisters, Sisters of St. Francis Third Order (TOSF), and Sisters of the Divine Savior (SDS).
For the Sisters at OLA, faith is woven into the rhythm of everyday life. Residents can attend Mass up to five times a week, participate in a daily Rosary, and take part in various spiritual traditions and activities. Other activities include Saint of the Month and the new prayer room station. Each month, a saint is highlighted through a card featuring information about their life and history, along with a video that brings their story to life. The new prayer station in the sensory room also provides a peaceful place for prayer and reflection. Sisters, residents and staff can leave prayer intentions for one another, creating another way for the community to support and care for each other.
New Prayer Station
These programming opportunities help Sisters maintain the spiritual practices that have been important throughout their lives while also creating opportunities for residents and staff to experience those traditions alongside them.
Music is a resident favorite at OLA, and this fall, a new drum circle music program will offer another meaningful way to bring residents together.
Each drum visually represents specific Sister communities (see pics below). Music from the each community will also be incorporated into the program, offering familiar songs and melodies that bring comfort, recognition and a sense of familiarity—particularly for those experiencing memory loss.
Through A Life Engaged® programming, music becomes more than an activity. It becomes an opportunity to connect with memories, identity, faith, and community.
Drums Representing Each Sister Order/Community
*If you are interested in volunteering at Our Lady of the Angels, click the button below and fill out the form.
Trinity Woods: Sharing Stories, Traditions, and Knowledge
Trinity Woods is home to a mix of Independent Living and Assisted Living residents, including women from the School Sisters of Notre Dame (SSND)—a valued partner of Trinity Senior Services. Faith remains an important part of daily life at Trinity Woods. Sisters and residents have the opportunity to attend Mass six times a week and attend prayer sessions, creating a consistent rhythm of worship, reflection, and fellowship.
For Sisters and all residents living at Trinity Woods, A Life Engaged® programming provides numerous opportunities to continue learning, serving, and sharing the experiences that have shaped their lives. One unique opportunity is the ability to take classes at Mount Mary University—another valued partner of Trinity Senior Services. For many of the Sisters specifically, Mount Mary holds a special significance, as many spent part of their careers right next door at the university.
Trinity Woods also partners with SSND on an annual Vacation Week, highlighting a different country or region where the Sisters have served a mission. In 2025, the focus was on African countries. Sisters shared stories and experiences from their missionary work while residents enjoyed cultural food, an afternoon of African bingo, and a craft inspired by the region.
These programs create moments for residents to learn from the Sisters’ experiences while allowing the faith-filled women to continue sharing their knowledge, stories and traditions with their community.
Trinity Woods Chapel
Connecting Generations Through Learning
The Sisters’ commitment to community also extends to intergenerational programming. Organized by Sister Mary Alyce Lach, Book Nook is a twice a month program where residents read with children from the daycare attached to Trinity Woods. The Rising Stars program—an SSND initiative—also brings students on campus to strengthen their math and reading skills with the support of resident tutors and volunteers. These visits provide a unique opportunity to share stories, conversation, and time together across generations.
Book Nook With Sister Mary Alyce Lach
Learn more about Sister Mary Alyce Lach in a recent publication:
While Trinity Woods and Our Lady of the Angels are separate communities, the connection between the Sisters living at each location remains strong. Regular visits, shared activities and special events help keep those relationships going. Additionally, staff and resident drivers from Trinity Woods help make these connections possible by providing transportation to OLA for weekly visits.
Trinity Woods residents also volunteer and participate in events at OLA, maintaining a sense of one connected community. At OLA, the weekly afternoon tea gives Sisters an opportunity to gather, visit and enjoy time together. Sister Mary Swanson, a Trinity Woods resident, visits OLA to lead weekly art sessions. With a different theme each week, the art classes encourage creativity and conversation.
During the summer, Trinity Senior Services sponsors ice cream float socials, providing a sweet time to bring Sisters together and celebrate the blended community that exists between Trinity Woods, OLA, and the religious orders.
OLA Ice Cream Social
OLA residents also have opportunities to visit Trinity Woods and enjoy outings outside of their residence. During the Trinity Woods State Fair, Sisters from OLA came to campus to enjoy lunch, pray together in the chapel, visit the petting zoo, and reconnect with the Trinity Woods community.
Celebrating a Lifetime of Friendship
Through A Life Engaged®, Trinity Senior Services honors the stories, traditions, faith and relationships that makes each resident who they are. For the Sisters, that means creating opportunities to continue the practices they value, share the experiences they have gained throughout their lives, and staying connected with the women who have walked alongside them. Friendship can span generations, experiences and even campuses—and sisterhood is a connection that continues no matter where they call home.
In honor of Friendship Month, check out our events calendar and find new ways to connect, make friends, and build your own community!
