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Hanging out with Nuns
This past weekend I had the honor of being part of a gathering of the Oblate Sisters of Providence and the 3 Immaculate Heart of Mary congregations (Monroe, Scranton, Immaculata). We met at the Immaculata Motherhouse in Pennsylvania. From Chicago this should be a mere 2 hour flight. But due to mechanical problems, our plane was delayed 7 hours (yes, 7 hours). It was pretty bad, but I actually got along quite well as I had Teresa of Avila‘s Life with me. So aside from the increasingly irate grumblings of fellow passengers, I had a rather nice time. It was like spending the day with a dear friend. We conversed, shared our experiences of prayer and of God, and had nasty airport food. Good times! (Well, except for the last thing … and fyi, Teresa may be a Doctor of the Church, but not so great at helping me with Sudoku.)
When I finally made it into Philadelphia, my dear friend Mary Anne (Immaculata IHM) picked me up and we headed to the motherhouse. Most of the other nuns we were meeting with had already gone to bed after cheering on the Phillies to victory over the Nationals. But they saved dinner for us and we chatted with a couple sisters before heading to bed. In the morning I went for a walk. Our founder Mother Theresa Maxis Duchemin is buried at Immaculata, and so I went to the cemetery to spend some time at her grave and at the grave of a dear IHM. When I returned to the motherhouse, I got ready for Mass and was thrilled to see the sisters from my Monroe congregation and the other 3 congregations. This is a group that I met with last year (here’s my post about that gathering and the history that binds our 4 congregations together). As with the last gathering, this one was joyful, prayerful, and so thoughtful. These women are just amazing. I am in awe as I experience the Spirit moving among us.
After being out and about in the world and being involved in my ministry, it was so nice to be “home” among sisters. There is a certain energy, a certain spirit that exists “whenever two or more are gathered” (to be biblical). These women are truly family to me and just being with them lifts my spirit, encourages me on the journey, and helps me be present to God who is always with us. I wish I could better articulate what this experience is like but words ellude me.
Teresa of Avila seemed to be with us that weekend too. I ran into some beautiful paintings of her at the motherhouse. I’ll have to share with you some of her writing especially on religious life. Stay tuned!
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{ 9 comments }
Thanks Julie for sharing your experience. I have that same feeling about community when I am able to get together with the other sisters. I feel the energy and get a uplifting spirit.
I don’t know if one can explain to someone who does not experience it. I head off this weekend for our community days and I am looking forward to being with everyone and hanging out with my sister friends. I am glad you had a good experience!
I’m trying to think who’d be better for sudoku. It’s more of a logic puzzle than anything. Hildegard of Bingen, maybe?
I used to love it when I’d have a long layover in Minneapolis, when people could meet me at the gate. Great excuse to say “hi” to some family.
For logic puzzles I think it would be Catherine of Sienna… at the very least she could argue the puzzle into submission! LOL
I am glad that you had a good time… I wonder at people who don’t have something with them to keep themselves entertained while traveling…
You are quite on target, Julie, with the awesome experience of ‘connectedness’ with our companions in ministry and focus. It will be great having you come from Chicago to Michigan joining members of our Gleaners IHM Mission Unit the to pray, reflect, play and enjoy someone else’s culinary expertise. See you on the weekend, Julie.
Julie, I know just how you feel! It is so great getting together with sisters and there is that special connectedness…it is hard to explain, but there is so much joy and happiness.
Thanks for your posts and all that you do, I enjoy reading them very much!
I’ll let you know next time I fly if Hildegard and/or Catherine are of any help with Sudoku!
It is pretty cool to be with one another, isn’t it?! Blessings to Gayle and Joyce on your community weekends! And Joycie … I look forward to seeing you and my other dear nuns!
Oh, had I known you’d be in Philly we could have said “hello” at the Philadelphia Airport! Perhaps another time.
Thank you for sharing with us about this encounter. I think that the work of this inter-community (common heritage) project is so inspiring and so full of promise. It’s an honest engagement in the hard work of eradicating racism (and other -isms consequently) from the INSIDE out. May the IHMs and OSPs all be blessed abundantly because of it and may we find in all of you the courage to do the same in our own individual lives and worlds!!
if you are into Sudoku you shall check out soduko which is a new puzzle game that’s getting popular lately