Arlington Bishop Paul S. Loverde celebrated Mass with the Little Sisters of the Poor Sunday at the Cathedral of St. Thomas More in Arlington. The Mass was offered in honor of the order’s newly canonized foundress, St. Jeanne Jugan.

St. Jugan lived in 19th-century France with the religious name, Sister Mary of the Cross. She dedicated her life to teaching the catechism and working with the poor, especially those who were elderly and alone. To perform those tasks, she founded the Little Sisters of the Poor community and spent the rest of her life caring for women in need and going door-to-door asking for food, clothing and monetary donations. She was canonized Oct. 11 in Rome.

Before Sunday’s Mass, Bishop Loverde spoke of his experience with the Little Sisters of the Poor when they helped take care of his mother during the last three years of her life.

“It is a debt I can never repay,” he said.

During his homily, he spoke of the need for Christian heroes and heroines — or saints —who Catholics can look up to as role models.

“We need heroes, people like us who inspire us and remind us by example that through God’s grace, we can achieve eternal life,” he said.

The bishop called St. Jugan a source of inspiration and suggested that Catholics can follow her saintly example by taking care of their neighbors — especially the elderly poor — and placing their trust in God’s divine providence.

He quoted St. Jugan, saying, “Jesus is waiting for you in the chapel. Go and find Him when your strength and patience are giving out, when you feel lonely and helpless. Say to him: ‘You know well what is happening, my dear Jesus. I have only you. Come to my aid ...’ And then go your way. And don’t worry about knowing how you are going to manage. It is enough to have told our good Lord. He has an excellent memory.”

After the Mass, Little Sister of the Poor Loraine Marie Clare, provincial superior in Baltimore, spoke about St. Jugan’s legacy with the order.

“The elderly are often overlooked, forgotten and treated without the respect they deserve,” Sister Loraine said. “No one can top (St. Jugan’s) savvy for meeting their needs.”

Sister Loraine said the order has been celebrating a Mass of thanksgiving in all of the dioceses where they work.

“It’s an opportunity for us to celebrate with the people of God, the joy of being Catholic and our founder being canonized,” she said. “In many ways, this is a new era for us — an opportunity for renewal and to make her known.”