Sister Laurel, erem dio
Stillsong Hermitage
email: SRLAUREL — (at) — aol — (dot) — com

I often wished to write you but cannot find an email to write you on the Nun’s Life or here at your blog/site.
Suggestions, point 4: anything on prayer, meditation, contemplation, spiritual practices & life and vocations are always welcome as interested to the 450 members of my list.

Myself a priest and hermit for many years.

john

Jo Ann K. McNamara, Sisters in Arms: Catholic Nuns Through Two Millennia (Harvard University Press, 1996).

Building Sisterhood: A Feminist History of the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary of Monroe, Michigan (Syracuse University Press, 1997). I mention this with the caveat that I was one of the authors–and it is “our” Julie’s community (and mine–I’m an associate). But it is a remarkable piece of work in that it was done cooperatively by a collective of women in the community who tried (and, for the most part, succeeded) to explore understudied and misunderstood aspects of the history of religious life. MOST importantly, it is a work in which women speak for themselves. It is hardly a work of glorification, but it IS a work of real insight (don’t even bother with my essay–the rest are what make it special!

Maybe, when Julie gets back from Jubilee, we can ask her to start a thread on this subject….?

What struck you as ignorant about the list of books this man proposed?

It seemed like a bit of an olive branch to me. The writer was also very clear that it was *his* specific list, which is kind of cool: a man – who did not identify as a cleric, religious or theology scholar – has a list a favorite “nun books” that runs to SEVEN books? I thought it looked like a pretty good list for starting any “newbie” off in the world of nuns around the world and in history. Mother Teresa and Sister Wendy – I would say that is a fine taste of both “ends of the spectrum” of modern nun-life; Teresa of Avila is timeless as a thinker, as a mystic, as a foundress, as a feminist, as a woman of Jesus; and the others are undeniable biggies, too. I thought he did really well in choosing classics, in widely accepted and embraced nun stories.

I can imagine that the poem is likely to cause some upset because of the sexual imagery but ecstatic and romantic language about religious life, particularly by and about the mystics, is very much a part of our own tradition. It also made sense to me that he refers to Rudnick’s piece as humor: that’s what it was, even if in the eyes of many it failed as tasteful humor.

That’s my take on it and would like to understand what seemed to problematic in your eyes. Jean

I have never published any outside of my high school and hometown newspaper my senior year of high school 1977!
I am not an educated or very formal poet. I write from my heart. I have shared it with friends, family and it came in handy for impressing boyfriends. I’ve written some spiritual ones but not nearly enough. Haven’t written any in a while-inspiration comes and goes but I think once a poet always a poet. Many of the casual people in my life don’t know about this. I guess I’m shy about it. I know I will write again but it usually comes in times of greatest joy or difficult challanges. I can’t ever tell my husband he’s not romantic enough these days without hearing, “How long has it been since you wrote me a poem?”. Writing is a gift from God. You all seem far more educated than I am. I’m glad my Hosea story allowed me to contribute something worthwhile. The faith to believe God was speaking to me is a gift too. I’m very gtateful for the sisters who instilled that faith in me-my parents aren’t very spiritual. It was the nuns who really formed my faith.

Annette.

The welcome you received when you returned to Mass is beautiful. Thank you for sharing it. We are blessed indeed.

Jean

ps Have you published any of your poetry?!

It does make sense. I think you are expressing a poet’s power to make you share their experience with their words. You do it extremly well-I think you may have poetry inside you. I too have felt that deep connection at Mass or in Reconciliation. The words to certain hymns strike a deep cord as well. I will never forget the Mass where I’d been away for a long time and heard Hosea for the first time. Come back to me don’t be afraid….Long have I waited for your comming home to me and living deeply our new life. It made me really cry -felt like my own personal invitation. It’s my favorite and probably always will be. What a loving kind forgiving God we have. And this blog is a wonderful place to learn from spiritual people who love God and God’s children.

Annette.

In the Penitential Rite, we establish community and interdependence through our shared words, “I confess to Almighty God AND YOU MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS”. That knocks my socks off: active, continuous community materializes through and because of our words. In the Eucharist, “the Word is made flesh” and we are joined intimately to Jesus both in sacrifice and resurrection. In the sacrament of reconciliation, our words, the priest’s words knit us together again with God and we are converted again to new life in the Spirit.

The Liturgy and our sacraments – our shared words – facilitate experience. The words of the Liturgy and sacraments *are* experience.

The very best poetry – to my taste -does not describe a garden. In the very best poetry, my eyes see the flowers and dew; my nose smells the mushroom compost and roses and basil; my fingers feel the feathery greens of the carrots and the sharp points of the artichoke leaves; my ears hear the chatter of the angry squirrel on the roof of the garden shed; my tongue tastes the tang of a raspberry picked too soon; and I ache for the friends who were supposed to gather for a meal but are lost to tragedy. (I made up that stuff. don’t know that poem and can’t write it. I am a fan, not a poet).

In Mass, “the Word is made flesh”. In poetry, experience is made of words.

What I love about poetry readings: the poet, in reading to us, takes our hands and walks with us in the experience made of the poem’s words. And, in that experience, we are together, we are intimate, if only for the length of the stanza.

What I love about communal prayer, the Liturgy of the Mass, the Penitential Rite, Reconciliation: in the Word, and especially in the sacrament of the Eucharist, we are made one with God and each other.

I hope that makes sense.
Jean

During the years I was away from the Catholic Church, I fell in love with poetry. Best of all is a reading or a deep bathtub in which I can read the poems aloud to myself (kayak, canoe and “fishing tube” can be substituted for “bathtub”).

It was not until I began reading scripture aloud to myself in the bathtub (I have an extra Bible for wetreadings) that I realized why I so often cry at poetry readings: I grew up Catholic.

That might not make sense to most people, but I think most any poet would understand.

I am going to order your book as soon as I send this.

Jean

David Ray, Poet, Tucson, AZ

Most important: I love, love, love, love your final words.

“Catholics have been ‘bashed’ for more 2000 years now and we still endure. Jesus could handle it. So can we.” And I would add, only,
“so will we”.

Jean

Catholics have been ‘bashed’ for more 2000 years now and we still endure. Jesus could handle it. So can we.

Just to clarify: Rudnick’s piece was in The New Yorker magazine, not the NYT (New York Times) newspaper.

The Times is certainly in trouble with its print version circulation, as you say.

But I am guessing that the New Yorker is going strong, maybe even stronger than in the past because of the excellent investigative reporters whose work is published first in its pages. I am thinking especially of Seymour Hirsch (who broke the My Lai story back in 1969 during the American war on Vietnam) and his newsbreaking reports on the American war on Iraq, etc.

I love the Stillsong blog which I found, Sister Julie, on your list of nunblogs. Jean

What in particular are you looking for regarding contemplative nuns? If you’d like to find communities, check out Vision Vocation Network. They have good resources to help you find communities that “match” you. They also have lots of discernment resources. And click through the Blogs by Catholic Nuns listed on this blog. Many are written by contemplative nuns.

Blessings, Laura!

And speaking of nuns: can anyone direct me to a list of Catholic Hermitages for nuns here in the U.S.? I’m interested in learning more about contemplative nuns but I can’t find much on them for nuns though plenty for monks. Thank you

… that doesn’t excuse bad behavior on behalf of those perpetrating it, however. I certainly don’t know how to solve the problem of negative nun images out there. I would counter it, however, by saying that there are also positive images of nuns in the media. Many of us have seen those too. The one linked above is among the many.

What I would do to better the image of nuns? I truly believe sisters need to get out and mingle a little more socially with more nonCatholics in secular society. Join community choirs, photography classes, volunteer at public libraries or teach a craft at a public school, etc. The more exposure, especially outside of the strictly Catholic venue, the better. I remember hearing that sisters, or one of their organizations, is specifically for communications. Does this group have a publicity department?

Cheers!

dee