Occasional musings of a Generation X Sister of St. Joseph of Peace. Read along as I live into a life of love and service as a modern day Catholic Sister (aka "nun") and continue to discern my call to "act justly, love tenderly and walk humbly with God."
Most Fridays I'm going to share a quote from the founder of my religious community, Margaret Anna Cusack, known in religion as Mother Francis Clare.
A distinguished member of the bar, who has read some of the proof-sheets of this work, tells me that my views of Political Economy are not likely to prove very acceptable to the public, and specifies the Pall Mall Gazette and the Saturday Review as probable critics. I do not wish by any means to deprecate criticism, but I do no think that the writers in these or other papers would object to a better renumeration for female labour, and that is the one point on which I have insisted. How many cases of suicide, and how many cases of real, literal starvation, arise from the greed which will not pay fair wages to the poor workwoman! How many girls are driven to a life which they abhor simply to get bread, the bread which is denied to them by those who squander on folly what is due to justice! ~ MF Cusack, Women's Work in Modern Society, 1874
Today was a settling in kind of day. First order of business was a good night's sleep in my new-to-me bed. I was so tired, I probably would have slept like a log anywhere, but it was nice to accomplish that feat in my own bed.
After making (and eating) a yummy nutritious breakfast, I joined my Sisters from afar in praying the morning office. I'm using the same book that we use in our three regional centers and in many of our houses, so that's a great way to stay connected in prayer with my CSJP Sisters even though I'm living away from home these days.
Then I went for a long walk, first over to the lake and then exploring a bit of Hyde Park, bought a few more groceries and some bits and bobs to finish up my room.When I got back from my walk my last boxes had arrived! I was able to unpack them and put the finishing touches on my corner room where I anticipate spending much time these next two years. I have to say, I'm pretty pleased with the end result. It feels like the sleep/study/prayer space of a 40 year old woman religious graduate student rather than a dorm room. I'm happy with that over all effect since that's who I am!
In the end, I didn't ship any of my artwork to adorn my walls. Today as I was window shopping at the local office supply store, I saw some acrylic plastic sign holders that can be hung with string and had a brain flash. The end result is that I now have three 8X10 photographs of my own retreat photography adorning my walls. The added bonus is that since I hung the sign holder/frames with clear fishing line, I was able to use the nails that were already in the wall (left over from the generic hotel-like art that I removed from the walls yesterday). So now as I sit in my comfy chair, I see photos of beauty and wonder that bring back memories of wonderful God moments. And if I get tired of looking at these photos, I can have some new 8X10s printed of other photos and switch them out from time to time!
So for those of you who are praying for and supporting me on this new adventure, here are some photos of my new space so you can imagine where much learning, reading, research and writing will be happening over the next two years (we hope!). As well as sleeping and other assorted activities.
Added bonus, I have a huge walk in closet with great shelving so hopefully I can keep things organized and relatively clutter free.
Well, that's all I have to report from my physical transition. Tomorrow I have my first orientation for the Bernadin Scholars program. Friday is new student orientation. Classes start Tuesday. See that top shelf of books on the bookshelf. I will be reading all of those this semester. I will certainly be busy!
I am safely settled in my new 9th floor corner room in Chicago. Originally I was supposed to be in the room next door, but there was some sort of issue with the ceiling. I must say, I'm happy it worked out this way because I LOVE my corner spot. Which of course is a good thing as I will be spending the majority of my time in this room for the next 2 years. Well, I'll also be in class and at the library of course, but since I'm located right across the street from school that will be an easy commute!
While it took me most of the summer to sort through all of my assorted "stuff" and pack, it took me just a few hours to get everything pretty much settled into its new home. My first Chicago-resident-Aunt-Susan connection has also been made, as I saw my big sister Monica and her adorable little guy Ash yesterday. We're planning to set up a regular Aunt-nephew bonding date once I sort out my schedule. They took me shopping so that I could get a few things to set up my new room. I had fun showing Ash my new digs ... he seemed most impressed by the community room and its superabundance of chairs.
Orientations start tomorrow and Friday. Today I'm going to explore the neighborhood a bit and unpack the last box or two. All in all a good physical transition ... let's hope the rest goes as smoothly!
Now off to find the park. Here's a picture of the City skyline I took from the lakeshore when I was here for a visit in March. I am going to love being able to walk to the Lake each day! I always feel better with a body of water around to keep me grounded (or watered?).
Early next morning I will be leaving Seattle after almost 4 years of calling the Emerald City home. Really, it's still the closest thing I have to home since our west coast CSJP regional center is here. I've left some of my belongings in the basement of Grace House where I've been living the past three years. I'm keeping my Washington Drivers License and planning to vote absentee while I'm at school. And I have many Sisters, Associates and some newish friends in this City who I will look forward to returning to on future adventures.
When I left the novitiate to begin ministry at the peace and justice center and continue my formation as a temporary professed Sister, Seattle was pretty much new to me. I'm a Pacific Northwest kind of girl, but was more familiar with the city to the South on the Willamette River. It's been great getting to know this city, navigating the neighborhood streets, learning the shortcuts and alternate routes, looking at the Cascades in one direction and the Olympics in the other (on a clear day). I have gotten to know some of the human landscapes as well in the Catholic, social justice and anti-human trafficking communities. Good people.
So I leave on my next adventures more a part of this City than I was when I arrived. I even know why the Space Needle is currently painted a glaring orange and that it's called "Galaxy Gold" (50th Anniversary of Seattle World's Fair and the needle's original color).
Goodbye Seattle folks (for now) ... see you on the internet and in person at some undetermined future date.
Next stop on the adventures of Susan Rose Francois, CSJP ... Chicago!
In the midst of preparation for my move one week from today, I'm taking a break to share a reflection on today's readings with our retired Sisters at their communion service. Here's what I'll be sharing with them:
When 8 year old Vivienne Harr starts school this year, she will have a great tale of "What she did this summer."
Like many 2nd graders, she's been running a lemonade stand with a little help from her mom and dad. But this isn't just any lemonade stand. She's been at her stand everyday, with a goal of raising $150,000 for Not for Sale, an ngo that works to stop human trafficking. She calls her lemonade "Make a Stand Lemonade: The Sweet Taste of Freedom," and she makes it from fair trade lemons. So far, she's raised $30,000!
How did she make so much money? First, through faithfulness. She spent everyday of her summer vacation at the stand, rain or shine. Second, through faith in the generosity of her neighbors. At first she charged $2 per glass. But then she thought, what if I leave it up to my customers what to pay? The average price went up to $18 when she made it free.
Vivienne was inspired to make a stand when she attended an art exhibit with her family that featured photos of child slaves. She decided to do something and started with what she knew ... lemonade.
Vivienne inspires me. If you watch her video on You Tube, you might be inspired too. "Gandhi was one person," she says. "Martin Luther King was one person. Mother Theresa was one person. Why can't you be one person who helps?"
In a way, Vivienne is the opposite of the Prince of Tyre in our first reading (Ezekiel 28: 1-10). Let's flip the words around to fit Vivienne:
By your wisdom and intelligence, you have made riches for others.
You have put gold and silver in the treasuries of enslaved people.
By your great wisdom applied to your trading, you have shared your riches.
Your heart has grown bigger from your sharing.
Vivienne seems to intuitively know what it means for the first to be last and the last to be first, like we hear in today's Gospel (Matthew 19: 23-30). This small little girl. By contrast, the camel is a very large animal. When Jesus talks about the camel and the eye of the needle, he could be speaking literally. But the "eye of the needle" could also describe the narrow and low gate of the city walls, used by travellers after dark when the main gate was locked. Vivienne might fit through this small gate. We would have to bend over. A camel would have to kneel, squeeze tight, and crawl through.
Through being her small self with a big heart, Vivienne in many ways embodies what Jesus is talking about. She's discovered valuable lessons on the way.
I'd like to finish with Vivienne's own words (typed on her blog by her father) about what she's discovered this summer sitting at her lemonade stand.
"I have discovered a lot.
I have discovered that there are a lot of kids, about my age, who do not get the life I get, who are scared, who need hope.
I have discovered that my heart feels the most full when I give.
I have discovered that even though we hear a lot about the bad, the world is mostly good, most people are kind and supportive, and want what's right.
I have discovered that the more I do this, the more I make a stand, the stronger I get.
I am moving to the windy city in just over a week for graduate studies in theology. As one of my Sister housemates said to me in the kitchen yesterday, "I can't wrap my head around the idea that you're moving." As excited as I am about next adventures, I can't quite wrap my head around it either!
For one thing, I am not packed. I hope to make good progress on that today and tomorrow as I want to ship a few boxes this week. I also have some lingering summer projects that I thought I would have so much time to work on. Not to mention all the visits with Sisters and friends here in the northwest before I begin my 2 year sojourn in the midwest.
All that to say I am going to take a little blog break as I finish up this 4 year Seattle chapter of my journey. I head to chicago August 28. See all my bloggy friends when I am in my new digs.
I slept in my own bed last night. What a treat! It will only be my bed for another 12 nights until I leave for Chicago. Strange thought.
I am back from a trip full of many blessings. While I didn't sleep in my own bed, I did enjoy the wonderful hospitality of "young nun" friends both in St Louis and in DC for my visit with my dad. I have already written some impressions about St Louis. All I have to add is that I am still filled with hope and keep Archbishop Sartain and the Sisters in LCWR leadership in my prayers as they begin their dialogue.
My visit with my dad was also good. We were able to get out to see my 18 year old niece (headed to university!) and my 21 year old nephew (finishing his NASA internship!). We also saw some friends, sorted out some paperwork, checked in on his medical situation and enjoyed some father/daughter bonding time. It was all good.
The only downside is that after my sojourn in the land of air conditioning, I am now the proud owner of a summer cold. I was prolific in my use of hand sanitizer and so am praying I did not pass it on to dad.
I am taking the cold as an invitation to ease into my giant to do list rather than jumping right into it. The countdown to Chicago is getting smaller and smaller!
I promised to post the transcript of Sister Pat Farrell's address to the LCWR Assembly when it was available. Do yourself a favor and read the whole thing when you have a chance. It is powerful and deeply rooted I suspect in her own experience as a peacemaker in Latin America. Until you have time to sink into the whole speech, here are some of the passages I found most powerful:
Some larger movement in the Church, in the world, has landed on LCWR. We are in a time of crisis and that is a very hopeful place to be.
I think It would be a mistake to make too much of the doctrinal assessment. We cannot allow it to consume an inordinate amount of our time and energy or to distract us from our mission.
I also think it would be a mistake to make too little of the doctrinal assessment. The historical impact of this moment is clear to all of us.
The human family is not served by individualism, patriarchy, a scarcity mentality, or competition. The world is outgrowing the dualistic constructs of superior/inferior, win/lose, good/bad, and domination/submission. Breaking through in their place are equality, communion, collaboration, synchronicity, expansiveness, abundance, wholeness, mutuality, intuitive knowing, and love. This shift, while painful, is good news! It heralds a hopeful future for our Church and our world.
How else can we go forward except from a place of deep prayer?
Here is one image of contemplation: the prairie. The roots of prairie grass are extraordinarily deep. Prairie grass acutally enriches the land. It produced the fertile soil of the Great Plains. The deep roots aerate the soil and decompose into rich, productive earth. Interestingly, a healthy prairie needs to be burned regularly. It needs the heat of the fire and the clearing away of the grass itself to bring the nutrients from the deep roots to the surface, supporting new growth.
As the burning of the prairie draws energy from the roots upward and outward, contemplation draws us toward fruitful action. It is the seedbed of a prophetic life. Through it, God shapes and strengthens us for what is needed now.
Considering again the large and small shifts of our time, what would a prophetic response to the doctrinal assessment look like? I think it would be humble, but not submissive; rooted in a solid sense of ourselves, but not self-righteous; truthful, but gentle and absolutely fearless.
St. Augustine expressed what is needed for civil discourse with these words: “Let us, on both sides, lay aside all arrogance. Let us not, on either side, claim that we have already discovered the truth. Let us seek it together as something which is known to neither of us. For then only may we seek it, lovingly and tranquilly, if there be no bold presumption that it is already discovered and possessed.”
There is important wisdom to be gleaned from those on the margins. Vulnerable human beings put us more in touch with the truth of our limited and messy human condition, marked as it is by fragility, incompleteness, and inevitable struggle. The experience of God from that place is one of absolutely gratuitous mercy and empowering love.
We have effectively moved from a hierarchically structured lifestyle in our congregations to a more horizontal model. It is quite amazing, considering the rigidity from which we evolved. The participative structures and collaborative leadership models we have developed have been empowering, lifegiving. These models may very well be the gift we now bring to the Church and the world.
The breaking down and breaking through of massive paradigm shift is a violent sort of process. It invites the inner strength of a non-violent response. Jesus is our model in this.
What, then, does non-violence look like for us? It is certainly not the passivity of the victim. It entails resisting rather than colluding with abusive power. It does mean, however, accepting suffering rather than passing it on. It refuses to shame, blame, threaten or demonize. In fact, non-violence requires that we befriend our own darkness and brokenness rather than projecting it onto another.
We can absorb a certain degree of negativity without drama or fanfare, choosing not to escalate or lash out in return. My hope is that at least some measure of violence can stop with us. Here I offer the image of a lightning rod. Lightning, the electrical charge generated by the clash of cold and warm air, is potentially destructive to whatever it strikes. A lightning rod draws the charge to itself, channels and grounds it, providing protection. A lightning rod doesn't hold onto the destructive energy but allows it to flow into the earth to be transformed.
Jesus describes that coming reign in the parable of the mustard seed. Let us consider for a moment what we know about mustard. Though it can also be cultivated, mustard is an invasive plant, essentially a weed. ... Granted, it’s a beautiful and medicinal weed. Mustard is flavorful and has wonderful healing properties. It can be harvested for healing, and its greatest value is in that. But mustard is usually a weed. It crops up anywhere, without permission. And most notably of all, it is uncontainable.
We can, indeed, live in joyful hope because there is no political or ecclesiastical herbicide that can wipe out the movement of God’s Spirit. Our hope is in the absolutely uncontainable power of God. We who pledge our lives to a radical following of Jesus can expect to be seen as pesty weeds that need to be fenced in. 18 If the weeds of God’s Reign are stomped out in one place they will crop up in another. I can hear, in that, the words of Archbishop Oscar Romero “If I am killed, I will arise in the Salvadoran people.”
And so, we live in joyful hope, willing to be weeds one and all. We stand in the power of the dying and rising of Jesus. I hold forever in my heart an expression of that from the days of the dictatorship in Chile: “Pueden aplastar algunas flores, pero no pueden detener la primavera.” “They can crush a few flowers but they can’t hold back the springtime.”
Amen. I'm going to be praying with these images of the prairie, lightning rod, and mustard seed for a long time.
Sisters in LCWR leadership being blessed by St Louis
Catholics at vigil outside Old St Louis Cathedral
This week, I have been a very lucky fly on the wall at the LCWR Assembly. I was there representing Giving Voice. Our core team had a booth in the exhibit hall so that we could share information with leaders of women's religious communities about how their younger sisters might connect with other age-peers in religious life through Giving Voice gatherings and virtual connections. That part alone was a wonderful experience. On the one hand, when a Provincial or Congregation Leader would come to the booth and I knew one of their younger Sisters, I was able to say to them, "Oh, you are in [insert Sister's name here] community. She is a wonderful woman. She brings so much to our gatherings" ... or some variation thereof. On the other hand, it was equally cool to tell the story of Giving Voice to Sisters who weren't aware of us. I look forward to the fruits of those connections, namely new faces and voices joining our growing network of younger women religious! What grace.
As if that wasn't exciting enough, here I was a just-perpetually-professed Sister at the LCWR assembly, in the midst of 900+ deeply prayerful, faith-filled, hopeful and prophetic women. Not only that, I was in their midst at this history-making moment just months after making my own life-long commitment to religious life. I have long felt that I am standing on the shoulders of our founders, pioneer Sisters, and those who have gone before us. This week however made me realize that I also stand both on the shoulders and at the same time stand with this generation of women who have embodied the vision of the Second Vatican Council. This is a blessed time to be a woman religious--a time with great responsibility and risk, but much grace.
I of course was not in the executive sessions, but as an exhibitor I was able to join in the opening prayer sessions each day and heard the keynote address, the panel on the future of religious life including a talk by my friend Sister Jennifer Gordon, SCL--and the powerful Presidential Address by Sister Pat Farrell. I am still reflecting on and processing all that I heard and look forward to hopefully reading transcripts in the future.
While I was not privy to their discernment or discussions, I was able to soak in the energy and general vibe of the gathering. This is hard to describe, but it was combination of love, hope, creativity and passion. Yes there was some frustration and pain underneath, but at no point did I sense overwhelming anger or fear. Instead, the presence of the Holy Spirit was palatable. In her address, Sister Pat said that a prophetic response to the doctinal assessment should be "humble, but not submissive ... rooted in a solid sense of ourselves, but not self-righteous; truthful, but gentle and absolutely fearless." From the perspective of this not so impartial observer, I would say that the women gathered in St Louis embodied the best of this ideal.
Aside from the serious and historic elements of the experience, it was also just fun to be there soaking it all in. At one point on the first day I found myself playing "Spot the famous nun." Simone Campbell. Joan Chittister. Sandra Schneiders. Teresa Kane. Just to name a few. I even got to talk with some and have my picture taken with others. My high school principal Sister Janet Stolba, in leadership for her community the Religious of Jesus of Mary, was there. I find it so funny how our paths in life take such interesting turns! I also got to see my own Sisters in leadership connecting with their peers, and felt deep love, gratitude and a dash of pride for all they do for our Congregation. And I did all of this with my own Giving Voice companions, sharing the experience, soaking it all in, filled with joy and hope for the future of religious life.
I am indeed a very lucky fly on the wall. Next up, I'm headed to spend a few days with my Dad. Most likely I won't be blogging for a few days, but I wanted to share these impressions for those who are curious what it was like to be here.
For those who want actual news and other opinions about the goings on in St Louis, I recommend checking out the SisterNews website.
There's been a lot bandied about of late about religious life and the women who follow Jesus through the vowed life. In the midst of it all, there have been many blanket observations about women entering religious life these days. As someone who is relatively new to religious life and still not entirely sure how God managed to break through all the noise to get me to listen to the wonderful possibility that this might be the life for me, I am particularly attuned to these conversations. I am so grateful of course that my gracious and crafty God did indeed lead me to this life.
The Holy Spirit is at work in our world in new and yet eternal ways. This is very clear to me through my own lived experience, chock full of moments that can only be described as of God and carry the calling card of the Spirit. If you look closely enough in your life, in the Church and in the world around you, I suspect you will see some of the fruits of the Spirit. Charity. Joy. Peace. Patience. Kindness. Goodness. Generosity. Faithfulness. Modesty. Self-Control. Chastity.
One of my Sisters often says that the Holy Spirit is "sneaky." This is a good description I think! Despite our best efforts to ignore the Spirit and be God ourselves, the Holy Spirit is there breathing new life into the world.
I was reflecting on this today as I read an article in the newest issue of America about vocations to religious life. It is a very interesting report and reflection on a new study about recent vocations to religious life. It affirms my experience that women are hearing the call and answering it. Not in huge numbers, but they are coming both to communities that belong to LCWR and communities that belong to the CMSWR. In other words, some women are attracted to a more "progressive" flavor of religious life. Others are attracted to a more "traditional" flavor. The study points out that in 2009 at least, this attraction led them to enter the two types of communities in relatively equal numbers. Yes, there are more communities of the first type and fewer of the second type. This leads to several experiences and assumptions.
One the one hand, my experience of only a few younger women in each community of the LCWR flavor is a reality. There are so many of these communities which represent roughly 80% of the 55,000 or so Sisters in the US today. This is why my connections through Giving Voice are so important! Each of us is drawn to the spirit and charism of our particular community, but we have more in common than anything that divides us. On the other hand, the smaller number of communities that belong to CMSWR are receiving larger groups of younger women. This leads to the observations by many I suspect that these are the only communities receiving vocations. It's easier to see.
I made the mistake last night of reading some of the comments to the article online. Folks are splitting hairs and getting into debates about what the numbers mean. This caused me to reflect in prayer today, is religious life a numbers game? Does the Holy Spirit work that way? In my community I often joke it's about quality not quantity. But there is so much truth to that.
I for one do not feel like playing the numbers game today. Instead, I am going to rejoice that so many are responding to God's call in whatever way the Spirit is calling them! All vocations truly lived out with open hearts and a love of God and God's people are good in my book.
I'm in transit on my way to St. Louis, Missouri--by way of Albuquerque which is a new airport hub to me. I'm meeting the other members of the Giving Voice core team in St. Louis. We're scattered hither and yon and normally do most of our business virtually via skype conference calls, but it is important to gather together in the same space from time to time for prayer, conversation, and planning.
For newer readers of the blog, Giving Voice is an organization made up of younger Catholic Sisters in their 20s, 30s, and 40s. Most of us are in a decided age minority in our own religious congregations, so having the opportunity to build relationships with age-peers across congregations is so important! I've written about Giving Voice before here on the blog. Let's just say that my vocation is strengthened and my belief in the future of religious life renewed every time I have the chance to connect with my Giving Voice Sisters.
Last year I was invited to join the Giving Voice Core Team. We do the behind the scenes work that makes our yearly retreat for Sisters in their 20s and 30s, national conference every two years, and online connections via Facebook, our website and Skype possible. It's a great group of women and I'm really looking forward to the chance to spend some time with them in the same room as we plan our activities for the next few months.
While we're in St. Louis for our own "young nun" meetings, we will also be staffing a booth for Giving Voice at the nun meetings. All of the elected leaders of the communities that belong to the Leadership Conference of Women Religious will be gathering for their annual assembly this week in St Louis. We are there to make connections and share information about our opportunities for their newer and younger Sisters. I'll be spending most of my time in the exhibit hall rather than in the meeting rooms. Still, given the historic moment that we are in at this point in religious life it is a unique opportunity to be there and able to provide support and prayer in person! I'm looking forward to seeing our own Sisters in leadership as well as some others I know.
This meeting of LCWR is very important. If you are the praying sort, please pray for an openness to the Spirit for all involved. While you are at it, some prayers for our Giving Voice core team would also be appreciated!
I grew up with a very sacred text in my family. Yes, we had a family bible, but being Catholics that wasn't read very often. No, the sacred text I refer to is the Washington Post, the Francois family paper of record. We were a political family which placed a deep value on keeping abreast of world and national issues. Dinner table conversations were often prompted by an article or editorial someone had read. My Dad still reads most of the paper each day and as a result keeps his pulse on what is happening in the world from his assisted living appartment.
In my world of course, one of the biggest happenings of late has been the recent hullabaloo between the men who make up the hierarchy of the Roman Catholic Church and the women called to leadership of religious communities like my own. Regular readers of the blog will know that I've not written much here about that situation here, mostly because I want to respect the process and place my trust in our leadership and the Holy Spirit.
The Church for the most part moves slowly, and women religious tend to make decisions through consultation, dialogue and consensus which is also a pretty slow process. I keep waiting for the mainstream media to loose interest in this slow as molasses process. It's not your typical conflict and doesn't readily meet the mold of our 24 hour news cycle. And yet, I think there is also a certain level of fascination with a conflict where there are not quick flash points and he said she said accusations. Yes, there are inevitably elements of that, which the media latches on to and broadcasts widely whenever it does happen, but I think for the most part people from the outside-looking-in sense the love that all involved have for the Church and the deep level of prayer and commitment to a resolution that is worthy of the followers of Christ. How that plays out is different for the various players involved of course.
I continue to be impressed by the commitment to nonviolent engagement on the part of the Sisters in leadership. My guess is that those on the outside-looking-in are also intrigued by this rarity, as illustrated by last month's Fresh Air interview Sister Pat Farrell and today's profile of Sister Pat in the Francois family paper of record, aka the Washington Post.
Today's WaPo story focuses on Sister Pat's life of ministry with people who are poor and oppressed, much of it in a Latin American context. Truly I think this does give her, and many women religious, a unique experience to draw upon. The article highlights her experience in Chile, where she took over a ministry from Maryknoll Sister Ita Ford who was moving to a new ministry in El Salvador. A few months later, Ita was of course one of the 4 church women who were tortured, raped and murded by death squads in El Salvador in 1980.
Sister Pat spent a few years in Chile, and then moved to work in a refugee camp in El Salvador. This is where her story touches mine tangentially. You see, she went to work in the refugee camp where some of our CSJP Sisters had been living in solidarity with refugees of the brutal civil war. Later, she moved to Suchitoto to minister with the people. This is a town that I have visited and where two of our CSJP Sisters, Sister Susan Dewitt and Sister Margaret Jane Kling, live today. Sister Susan runs our health care mission in El Salvador and Sister Margaret Jane, who had lived at the refugee camp, now teaches English to children and grandchildren of those she had known in the camp during the war.
When I was a novice, I had the opportunity to visit El Salvador in the company of two of our Sisters who were there during the war. The visit moved me deeply and gave me great insights into the call of women religious today. Countless times during our tour, we would drive by a police station or other sight that would prompt a humorous story of close misses, where our Sisters were arrested or threatened by the powers that be simply because they were standing with the oppressed people they lived and ministered to. I hear echoes of those stories in the WaPo profile of Sister Pat. "We had some scary moments with the military ..." she says. Indeed. I can't help but think how well this has prepared her to engage conflict nonviolently. She had daily training for years on end in learning how to live with integrity in the face of oppression.
The current hullabloo is not about one person and by no means do I intend to compare it to a civil war. But it is still part of the shared experience of women religious in the past half century. Sharing is a key element here that I think outsiders might not quite understand. In fact, given the unique shared leadership structure of LCWR, Sister Pat will still be involved in leading the group over the next year, but there will be a new President and a new woman elected next week who will become President after her.
So while it's not about one person, it is about shared experience and approaches to life, ministry and faith. Over the past 40 years, many women religious have lived and ministered with people on the margins of society, whether that is with AIDS patients or homeless urban Native Americans, with children with multiple disabilities or families without health insurance. We have a saying in our community that wherever one of our Sisters is, we are all there. So while I have not had these ministry experiences, my Sisters have, and this in turn has informed our shared experience of life as followers of Jesus who pay special attention to the "little ones."
Toward the end of the profile, Sister Pat is quoted as saying: "For me, that spirituality and the work of justice are entirely inseparable. If either one is authentic, it leads to the other."
This rings so true to me and speaks of authentic experience. In our CSJP Constitutions, we say:
Our history calls us to a special love
for those who are poor.
The weight of suffering and oppression
borne by so many people today ...
cries out to us for action.
Our response demands a firm commitment
to work for justice
in solidarity with our sisters and brothers. (21)
Our intimacy with God
unifies our prayer and activity
so that we are moved to action by prayer
while action urges us to pray.
In unity with the Church
and with all of creation
we give praise and thanks to the Giver of all gifts.
We open ourselves to the liberating power of God
whose Sprit in us leads to peace. (28).
Amen. Please join me in praying for our Church, for the Bishops appointed by Rome to engage with LCWR, for the women in leadership who will meet in St Louis next week, and for all of God's people. That we may learn to follow Jesus with integrity and love, open to the call and presence of the Holy Spirit, living the good news in service of God and all of God's people, especially the most vulnerable.
Remember when you were looking at colleges and you would get glossy magazines in the mail with pictures of beaming students and articles about college life? In case you were wondering, there's a religious life version as well. It's called Vision and contains glossy pictures, articles, and ads about the smorgarsborg that is religious life today. You want options, you've got options! Just flip through this magazine and you will see representations of the wide variety of ways of following Jesus in contemporary religious life, from cloistered monasteries to working directly with people who are poor.
It was great to have the opportunity to write for Vision, given that the magazine played a role in my own discernment. Back in the day, after I'd had the talk with my pastor that led me to explore the possibilities, he handed me my very first copy of Vision. I flipped through. I marvelled at the variety. I turned corners of pages with ads or descriptions of communities that I thought looked interesting. And I did a little excercise which helped me to discover my personal charism, which in turn helped lead me to the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace.
So, if you fall into the category of person who has wondered if maybe quite possibly you might have a vocation to this wonderful thing we call religious life, check out the latest issue! You can order a free print copy or just read it online. You never know what or who you might discover!
