We are back after an extraordinary time home at our IHM Motherhouse in Monroe, Michigan. In the midst of congregational meetings, liturgy and prayer, and socializing (we did occasionally get sleep too!), Sister Maxine and I were podcasting live from the motherhouse! Each day we had sisters join us on the air with the finale being Saturday night with Special Podcast – IHM Sisters Unplugged! We invited four brave sisters to join us on the air for a live podcast and interaction with you our online audience. In addition, we invited sisters to be present as our very first live audience! We packed the place and were so delighted to share the experience with our nuns!
So it is fitting on this Monday to celebrate our nuns with some Nunday photos courtesy of Sister Joyce Durosko, IHM, our dear friend and ministry partner!
Sister Julie (left) explains to the live audience how podcasting live works while Sister Maxine (right) briefs Sisters Marge Polys and Susan Mahalik (Go Phillies!) on what they’ll be doing.
Just a few of the many nuns who came to be part of the live “convent studio” audience! Sisters Theresa Koernke and Anne Crane are in the audience and took part in the second part of the podcast. The warm setting is the community room of the IHM Sisters who live on second floor, A wing. We are grateful for their hospitality and encouragement!
Be sure to listen to the podcast. Here’s a recording:
We talked about life as Catholic sisters, ministry, how each sister discovered and responded to her vocation, prayer, nuns swimming, dealing with doubt in the spiritual life, anchorites and the eremitical life, IHM charism and mission, entering a religious community, and lots of other things!
Sister Maxine and I are back in our own convent studio and will join you tonight for prayer at 6 p.m. Central Time (your time zone).
And we’ll be back with more NUNDAY photos and stories coming soon!
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
Yay for Nun PR!! Thank you so much for posting pictures of your radio equipment…and the nuns! I believe that we have almost the same soundboard in one of our news studios at the radio station though I have no idea how to use it, will definitely have learn! But yeah, seeing some of the IHM’s and the radio equipment pretty much makes my day!
Hi Sisters,
I listened to the special podcast once I got back to school on Sunday night after a harrowing drive through flood conditions. (Made it safely, whew!) It was a great show. I really like the pictures too. Can’t wait until tonight’s podcast. Glad you had a great weekend, Jeannie
With a good book, I hear people say “It’s a must read”. With a good movie, I hear “It’s a must see”. With A Nuns Life Ministry Podcast, I’ll offer … “It’s a must hear”.
If you were unable to participate in the Weekend (Friday and Saturday Night) “Ask Sister” podcasts, you might find (as I did) the Sisters’ conversation to be open, honest, educational, inspiring and fun. Their laughter is contagious.
Sisters at the Motherhouse sounded just as joyful as Sister Julie and Sister Maxine sound when they host “Praying with the Sisters” and “Ask Sister” podcasts throughout the week.
Each Sister guest shared a variety of experiences from initial and subsequent callings, to discernment, to family reaction, to collaborating with Spiritual or Vocational Directors, to Ministries which included: Clinical Social Work, Teaching, Pastoral, Leadership, Campus, Eucharistic Theology, and various Projects at the Motherhouse.
The Sisters also answered lots of questions about initial reactions to calling, parental reaction, sister support and mentoring, swimming (and almost drowning), preferences for favorite places to pray, the best thing about being a sister and views regarding doubt. I was intrigued to hear so many different opinions. There were also book and website recommendations on various topics.
More than anything, I felt an overwhelming sense of the Sisters as a family. As I am one of 10 (5 sisters and 4 brothers) it felt as if I was in a room with my siblings … having a conversation about life. Seeing the pictures today really helped me to see what I could hear and feel so clearly during the podcasts.
I offer my appreciation to Sister Julie, Sister Maxine, Sister Susan, Sister Marge, Sister Theresa, Sister Anne, Sister Joyce and all of the IHM Sisters in Monroe and … encourage all to take an opportunity to listen to these podcasts.
Blessings to all,
Kathleen
Good Morning Sisters:
Last evening was so refreshing…to hear from each of you how you began your journey walks. I have written to Sister Julie on her web site my feelings of last nights discussions. As I shared with Sister Julie that actually nuns have worked gallantly, bobly and generously against many probabilities to make our world flourish in our society of today. I believe that the spiritual fortitude of these nuns laid the foundation of our economy in todays world. We have to reflect that if it was not for the foundation that the sisters who arrived in New Orleans in the year 1727, their order was called the Ursuline Sister, and they brought with them courage.
It was the domino effect for so many years Catholic sisters helped our forefathers, as there quiet heroism. They have made a difference in so many humble ways. They helped during the Civil War, The San Fransisco Great Earthquake , most likely they helped in the 911 a few years ago.
The sisters through out the ages opened orphanages, schools, hospitals, colleges, universities andprovided other social services that have enriched the lives of many Americans.
It was the first platform for Alcoholics tobe viewed as medical conditions, thanks to the support from sister Ignatia Gavin, CSA , who successfully advocated for them.
The contributions of nuns in America are endless. The fellowship last evening was very warm and welcoming to many who may feel a special calling for a vocation, and it was so kind of each of you to share with so many of us listeners that you had thoughts of….is this what I really want to do for the rest of my life journey….and your comments were so realistic and believable to each of us…..Bless you today and I look forward in the next podcast…Gailemarie
Congratulations to Sisters Julie and Max for their extra efforts to bring anunslife to Monroe, MI for this evening podcast. (Both of these sisters were active participants in our community’s governing board for the whole weekend, limiting their time for set-up, etc.)
I was present at the live session and was energized by the whole process. Sister Max is supurb interviewer and helped the guests experience a special comfort zone hence they easily engaged in the questions. Sister Julie does multitasking by adjusting technology, reading the chat room questions, answering the phone as well as attending to the ongoing conversation. She easily picks up the threads of the Sister Max’s question probing a bit further carrying the conversation to greater depths. They are a great team! Thanks to the listeners who contribute their questions in a respectful and serious way helping us all to deepen our Quest for God and our call to service in the light of the Gospel. Again, thankyou all.