Some people see Sister Pauline Kelly as a beggar, and some see her as a saint. The 69-year-old Little Sister of the Poor has spent the past 48 years devoted to her order’s call to serve the elderly poor. For most of that time, she has been the “begging sister,” traveling daily to churches, markets and public places in the Archdiocese of Washington asking for donations to fund the Sisters’ cause, which includes a home near Catholic University for 100 low-income seniors. Sister Pauline shared with The Washington Examiner thoughts on her faith, and the joy and fulfillment she receives in begging so that others may rest. Do you consider yourself to be of a specific faith?

I am a Roman Catholic and a religious sister. It was from the example of my parents’ deep faith that I learned to love God. Receiving Eucharist, the body of Christ, is for me both nourishment and my most cherished gift. My great happiness is to be a Little Sister of the Poor. We Little Sisters care for the elderly poor in the spirit of humble service which we have received from our founderess Jeanne Jugan. We welcome the elderly as we would Jesus Christ himself, and serve them with love and respect until death.