ROCK ISLAND — Members of the Rock Island Catholic community will offer their thanks and best wishes to three Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary who are leaving after three decades of service.

Sister Mary Paulina Sullivan, BVM, and Sister Mary Catherina Walsh, BVM, who live at Sacred Heart Convent, and Sister Margaret Keefe, BVM, who has served at the Sacred Heart Parish Food Pantry, will be honored at a Farewell Mass on Sunday, May 17. It will be held at 1 p.m. at Sacred Heart Church, 2810 Fifth Ave.

A reception will follow in the Sacred Heart gym and is open to the public.

A special invitation is being extended to the priests and women religious in the area, who will be the guests at a catered dinner in the BVM Social Room on the Sacred Heart campus. They are asked to reserve a place at the dinner by calling the Sacred Heart rectory, (309) 794-0660, by May 14.

Sister Paulina has given more than 33 years of service, with 19 of them at St. Joseph’s and Jordan Catholic School and the rest in parish ministry at Sacred Heart.

Sister Catherina has also been in the Rock Island community for more than 33 years, with 23 of them given to St. Joseph’s and Jordan Catholic School and the remainder spent in parish ministry at Sacred Heart.

Sister Margaret’s service has included more than 13 years in parish ministry at St. Joseph’s and at the Sacred Heart Parish Food Pantry.

The motherhouse of the Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary is located in Dubuque, Iowa. For more information about the BVMs, visit the community’s Web site at www.bvmcong.org.