Quick Update #2

The OTHER Sister Susan has some pictures on the western province website.

You can see us leaving on a Jet Plane on Wednesday ....

... and you can see us entering the Novitiate in NJ. Not many pictures of me here though, since I sent her MY pictures and it's kind of hard to take pictures of yourself. Must remember to pass the camera to someone else in the future.

Quick Update #1

We are here ... safe and sound. Our novice director said we will take it easy until Monday. That should give us time to settle in. I already set up my prayer space and put my quilt on the bed. It's home ...

I'll check back in sometime next week for quick update #2.

Off to New Jersey ... and a brief blog fast

A week and a half ago I was received as a novice by the western province of the groovy sisters. Tomorrow morning in the wee hours I fly to New Jersey to enter the groovy sisters’ Congregational Novitiate. There will be 2 other Novices, one other from the west and one from the east.

We’ll be living on the grounds of the eastern motherhouse in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey. Although we’ll be living on the grounds of the motherhouse (which has an infirmary and assisted living for older sisters), w will be our own community, living with our Novice Director and one other Sister. There are many more unknowns than knowns, but here’s a quick summary of the purpose of Novitiate from our groovy sister constitutions:

"The canonical novitiate, spent in the novitiate house, is a period of intensive prayer and study in relative withdrawal from ministerial involvement. During this time a novice focuses primarily on her transformation in Jesus Christ. The novitiate also includes times of engagement in ministry that will evoke the faith dispositions needed by those sharing in the mission of the church as expressed through our charism."

This first year starts officially Friday and is the canonical year of time away. The second year will be a ministry year.

I plan (and have permission) to continue documenting this crazy wonderful journey here on the blog. That said, I’ve decided to take a break from blogging for the first few weeks. I want the experience to sink in before I try to filter it for an outside audience. There may be a few quick updates during this time, but check back in October for regular updates.

The irony is that my traffic these last few days has greatly increased. That’s a blip I know, but if any of you visitors are interested in following along the journey you’d be welcome as well once I return to regular blogging. In the meantime you may find the archives interesting (see the sidebar).

For regular readers, I know it seems like some sort of Catholic blogging disease. First Mark takes a break, then Jason, now me. Rather than it being a disease though, I think it's a healthy effort to integrate a regular blogging practice with the rhythm and intentions of religious life. I do plan to return to the blog in October, although in what form and frequency will depend on where my prayer and reflection takes me. In the meantime, please visit some of my bloggy friends listed on the sidebar.

Please keep me and my fellow Novices (and Novice Director!) in your prayers.

Ciao for now ... Peace Out
Susan

and the grounds

IMG_0374
Originally uploaded by susanrosecsjp.

Check out the beautiful grounds where I'll be living ... lots of great walking paths (and check out that view of NYC)!

my new home

IMG_0365
Originally uploaded by susanrosecsjp.

Here's a picture of the groovy sisters' eastern province motherhouse where I'll be living for the next year.

Happy Labor Day

"Work remains a good thing, not only because it is useful and enjoyable, but also because it expresses and increases the worker’s dignity. Through work we not only transform the world, we are transformed ourselves, becoming 'more a human being.'”

-Pope John Paul II, Laborem Exercens

May each of my bloggy friends find their way to work that is transformative of the world and themselves. A tall order I know, but a beautiful vision this Labor Day.

ex portlander turned nun

So I'm getting LOADS of traffic thanks to my friend Jack. Thought it might be a good idea to give you a few tidbits and links that answer the question ... "He can't seriously have a friend who is becoming a nun, can he?"

First ... yes. You might want to read my Frequently Asked Questions.

Second ... I know Jack from Church. I was pleased to be his daughter's Sunday School teacher for a few years. He has the cutest kids.

Third ... if you read Jack's blog then you probably follow Portland politics. Yes I used to work for the City. But I've happily followed my heart to new, exciting and different places.

Happy to have all those Rose City visitors. Take good care of my City. Remember, "Good citizens are the riches of a City." Even when we leave to follow our hearts...

UPDATE: Traffic begets more traffic. I've had even more visitors today, thanks to the Oregonian listing me as a "News Update" (slow news day I suppose - but they picked up on Jack's post): "Former City Worker Blogs About Becoming a Catholic Nun."

Truly a post-modern moment (and the bulk of my remaining 15 minutes of "fame" I think).

community phones

One thing I was asked not to bring to the Congregational Novitiate next week was a cell phone. I will admit it has been a bit strange not having this apparatus close by. For one thing I had to break down and buy a watch as I had used my phone as my watch for years. The idea I think is to not be distracted by constant communication during this year of prayer, study and reflection. People will still be able to call us, they will just need to use our community house phone. Perhaps that is why this story struck me in the Washington Post this morning ...

"Still Called by Faith To the Phone Booth: As Companies Cut Back, Amish and Mennonites Are Building Their Own"

It used to be that Old Order Mennonite and Amish families in St. Mary's [County, Maryland] relied on public, coin-operated pay phones. But as people migrated to cellphones, telecommunications companies took notice. On average, they remove more than 1,000 pay phones a year in Maryland, according to state records. Verizon, for example, plans to take out two pay phones along heavily-Amish Thompson Corner and Budds Creek roads in St. Mary's. ...

There are rules. Families can't post phones too close to homes, and they can't outfit them with amplified ringers that effectively would make them house phones. Some Amish don't cotton to voice mail, but Old Order Mennonites seem more accepting of the feature. For both groups, the idea is to limit forces they think will distract them from faith and family.

"The telephone, and the use of the telephone, is not something we're opposed to. We just don't want it to be the main part of our lives," said Ethan Brubacher, 31, a nephew of Elmer, who owns Quiet Valley Structures, a shed-building business in Loveville. He and 11 neighbors share a community phone booth that is screened off by a row of 20 evergreen hedges.

Which I guess is the point. My blogging and e-mail practices will also need to change a bit. They shouldn't be the main part of my life. I head to New Jersey Wednesday. I'm planning to take a blogging hiatus then to let this experience seep in. There will probably be periodic short updates, but I don't plan to return to regular blogging until October. That should give me time to pray and reflect on how to integrate blogging in to this new life in a healthy way.

the color purple

I've been watching a wee bit of Oprah this week since I've been around a tv in the afternoon. Which brings us to this quiz ...

Dark Purple

To others, you seem a bit dark, mysterious, and moody. In truth, you are just a very unique person who doesn't care what others think. And you really enjoy your offbeat interests and friends. You've decided that life is about living for yourself - simple as that.

What Color Purple Are You?

By the way, Oprah was the local newscaster (she must have been 18) in Baltimore when I was growing up.

Heading off for a picnic/mini-road trip with my sister housemates today. I know it's raining everywhere else, but in the Northwest it's 85 degrees, sunny and no humidity!

cookie ministry

I made some more chocolate chip cookies this morning upon request (we're going on a picnic tomorrow afternoon). Which led to the following moment ...

Me: (taking cookies out of oven).

Mail Carrier: (making LOTS of noise putting mail in the slot.

Me: (walking over to door, oven mit in hand) "Hello."

Mail Carrier: "Here's your mail" (taking out of slot and handing mail to me). "What's that delicious smell?"

Me: "Cookies, I just took them out of the oven. Would you like one?" (I took his hints and, well, I am a nun).

Mail Carrier: "I'd love one."

So I gave him two cookies. He was most appreciative. Of course there wasn't even any mail for me!! :( ... Mine is all being forwarded from Portland to New Jersey and will be awaiting me on my arrival next Wednesday evening.

it's september

It's September 1st. HOW on earth did that happen???????????

This time last year I was getting ready to become a candidate, but wasn't planning to become a Novice for a few years. You see I had this pesky personal debt that was slowly but surely going away. Then a miracle happened and it went "poof." Now I'm set to leave the Northwest in a mere 5 days to head back to New Jersey for the Congregational Novitiate.

Amazing what God can do with this little thing we call time. I know the next 2 years will fly by.

new identity

So I'm adjusting to this whole being a Sister thing. I'm totally digging having people to pray with every day! Community prayer rocks, in all its simplicity and regularity. It's also nice being "under orders" to rest. I've taken a nap EACH DAY!! Except for yesterday when I baked cookies during my nap time, but that was resting in its own way.

I shipped one last box to myself in New Jersey today. Mostly gifts I got at my rite of reception on Saturday, plus some clothes that were just a little too much for my suitcase. Both Chero (the other west coast novice) and I went to the UPS store together this afternoon. She had more boxes to send so it was quite the excursion. I gave the clerk my Seattle phone number. He punched the numbers in and said "We have a Kathleen at that number, is that an old roommate?" "It's a convent," I found myself saying. He looked up, raised his eyebrows and said ... "Cool." I think he actually meant it.

It's also been an interesting experience to sign my name "Susan Francois, CSJP" on the return address for all my thank you cards. I've got LOADS more thank you cards to write. Portland friends, work people, sisters & associates. Folks have been so generous these past few weeks. Anyway, everytime I wrote my name that way I thought, "Wow, I'm really doing this." God is indeed good ... and mischevious.