“My absolute favorite week of the year is the week of the bazaar in August. I’m in the kitchen baking all the cookies,” says Becky Mitchell of Portland.

Many of the volunteers, like Mitchell, have more in common than their baking skills. They are members of the St. Peter’s Women’s Sodality, which, like the bazaar itself, is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, an achievement that was commemorated with a Mass and dinner on June 27, the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus.

The Mass was celebrated by Bishop James Ruggieri who, on behalf of the parish, accepted the gift of a beautiful cope donated by the sodality.

“For a century, this women’s sodality has been a beautiful expression of fellowship, service, and prayerful dedication. The Sacred Heart Sodality has united women of faith in spiritual devotion, works of mercy, and the building up of the Church,” the bishop said during his homily. “Today, we not only honor the living members of the sodality but also those who have gone before us: our mothers, our grandmothers, aunts, sisters, and dear friends who helped contribute to the history of this parish community.”

From the beginning, the Sacred Heart Sodality has been a family affair, with mothers, daughters, and sisters all participating.

“What was most special was the fact that I participated with my mother beside me, my aunts, my grandmother. It’s deeply rooted in family togetherness,” says Lucille Chiasson of Portland. 

“My mother, who has passed, was a member. My sister Joanne was a member,” says Mary Russo Taliento of Portland. “We were just automatically part of the sodality.”

While the sodality continues to welcome new members, some of the women have been part of the group for decades.

“I’ve been a member forever,” says Chiasson, age 85. “When I was in high school, the sodality was called St. Theresa’s Sodality. That was for young ladies in high school. And then, from St. Theresa’s, we moved on to the Children of Mary. That was for gals who had graduated and were out in the working world. And then, from the Children of Mary, we moved on to the Sacred Heart Sodality.”

The Sacred Heart Sodality was originally only for married women, a rule that no longer exists. When it started, dues were 10 cents a month, and you could attend the sodality’s community breakfast for 50 cents. Today, annual dues are $10.

Sodality members are committed to promoting devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, to supporting St. Peter Parish, along with the other Portland Peninsula & Island Parishes, and to helping one another.

“Fidelity to the Sacred Heart of Jesus is what we’re all about. We do many corporal works of mercy, and we’re all about promoting good deeds and making wonderful, long-term friendships,” says Chiasson.

“It’s just the love for each other, the love for Jesus, our faith,” says Linda Asali Earley of Portland. “These are good people.”

“We all have the same interests and goals and faith and the belief that we need to help others and do the best we can for everybody, be kind to everybody,” says Nancy Taliento Goodwin of Portland.

While the cookie baking is one of their most visible activities, sodality members support the community and the parish in many other ways, from visiting and bringing Communion to the homebound to donating to various charitable causes.

“We give to the soup kitchen. We have a stocking collection in the fall to be given to the homeless. We give to the Church all the time,” says Josephine Mangino Dulac of Portland.

“We do a couple of fundraisers a year, and with the funds we raise, we give back to the community. Just this last week, we gave about $4,000 to St. Brigid School. We gave to the diaper bank. We gave to Gary’s House. We gave to the St. Vincent de Paul Soup Kitchen. We gave to the Sacred Heart Food Pantry. We gave to Milestone Recovery,” says Linda Earley. “Everyone contributes a little bit.”

“Basically, when there’s a need, we look to fill it,” says Maria DiMillo of Falmouth, a past president of the sodality.

The sodality’s regular meetings are the second Sunday of the month following the 9 a.m. Mass at St. Peter. You don’t have to belong to St. Peter Parish to join. Carolyn Mitchell of Scarborough says after attending a meeting, she was hooked.

“It’s faith. It’s family. It’s togetherness. It’s women being together, which is really special,” she says.

“They’re a great group of ladies, and they’ve become great friends. We just have a lot of fun, and we do good work at the same time,” says Becky Mitchell.

“It’s fun. I like to do the events,” says Madison Mitchell, Becky’s daughter, who joined a couple years ago and who now leads a Zumba class for members. “Everybody is just so kind. I’ve been part of this church since I was born, so it’s nice. They just kind of feel like your people, so it’s nice to be with my people.”

“We’re very close, very close-knit,” says Lucy Sesto, a past president from Portland. “It’s a time to get out, to socialize with everybody, and to say our prayers.”

“It’s a wonderful way to keep the Sacred Heart of Jesus right in front of us, always,” says Chiasson.

“It’s just a way to be connected with the Church and then to do positive things,” says Taliento. “We enjoy the banquet. We enjoy the Christmas party. We enjoy making breakfast.”

“It is personally enriching to be part of a community, but it also feels good to give to the community. I’ve enjoyed the activities that go along with the meetings,” says DiMillo. “It’s a great organization. I highly recommend it to any lady considering it.”