The Sister

One night at the end of January, I got a text from my father who was away visiting family in Louisiana.  He’s not one to text often, so I perked up when I saw the notification on my phone. “Watching the 'Everybody Loves Raymond' episode where Debra’s sister announces she’s becoming a nun,” he wrote, “Hilarious (with some serious sides of self-reflection).”

I paused for a moment when I read those words.  I had never seen that episode, but the fact that he indicated that it had prompted some self-reflection on his part made me want to pry more deeply.  “Hahaha,” I wrote back “I don’t know if I’ve ever seen that one; you’ll have to tell me about it.”

“Go to YouTube,” he responded, giving me the episode number and title. No luck getting an explanation. Dads can be tough nuts to crack. So, I did the next best thing - I watched the episode and pondered what might have prompted his reflection.

Right off the bat, there’s a lot to love about the episode. It’s funny whether you are a sister or not. As every episode of a Raymond does, “The Sister” looks at family dynamics and how we function in the midst of the stuff of life- offering many laughs and oftentimes a lesson all rolled into one. While not correct on some details, the episode struck at the heart of the matter. Even before the first commercial break, I knew why my dad had sent it to me.

You see the process of telling the people in your life that you are becoming a sister isn’t always easy.  At times, you have to insert your own laugh track where awkward silences and misunderstanding pervade.  But that’s the thing about a call… sometimes you hear it more clearly than those around you.

Now, looking back on it, I laugh all the harder. It wasn’t always so easy and, to be honest, I still hit rough patches; but watching my family take on this choice in my life- this part of me- has been a joy and a challenge.  That story is one much longer than these types of blog posts allow, but let me just say the dinner scene in the episode rings true (“Excuse me, Sister, but is there a special blessing for dessert?”)  And the thing about family is that they’re always with you.

My family cares deeply about who I am and who I am becoming. They want the best for me. They support me but as my father has reflected in recent months, “Don’t say we were against the idea…it’s just that we were cautious.” That’s true and probably for good reason. A call is something that is lived out in stereo; you learn the rhythm from the life you live, the faith you foster, and the people who accompany you.  Family is a key part. They can help to clarify lots of things and teach you things about yourself that you never realized you didn’t take the time to know.

As we navigate this call together, I am constantly reminded that God is the one in control. If I balked every time someone stopped to ask if they could ask me a question and followed up with a wildly personal query, I wouldn’t make it very far. My family and friends, though, are just trying to understand so that they can support me. After all, a religious community is not a family. You only get one of those.

Knowing that they (and I) can look back now and laugh is a blessing in and of itself.  We laugh together. And in that laughter is something pure… something surely of God: Love.  That is the love that is at the root of who we are as Sisters of Saint Joseph. It's a love that speaks truth and brings joy in all that we are and strive to be; love that draws people together, love that seeks union, and love that, in facing the unknown knowingly, with faith and hope, loves all the same.

Sr. Colleen currently serves as a campus minister at Chestnut Hill College. She is the author of the blog Wandering in Wonder,  columnist for the Global Sisters Report, and has been published in various periodicals including America, Commonweal and Give Us This Day. She made first vows as a Sister of St. Joseph in Philadelphia in August 2014.

The gift of Vocation: Marching in the Light of God!

I recently invited our Youth Group from St. Albert the Great Parish in Huntingdon Valley — better known as CSI (Christian Stewardship Involvement), to assist with the Alzheimer’s Fund Raiser Walk at our Villa. This group always looks forward to connecting with our sisters there. On this particular day, the group of about 25 boys and girls and their parents participated in the walk by assisting the sisters using walkers and in wheelchairs. They also enhanced the walk with their drums, tambourines and marching sticks. The group had everyone walking to the beat and singing “When the Saints Come Marching In”; thus, creating a mile of smiles on both young and old. Everyone was totally engulfed in the spirit and enthusiasm of our sisters. They danced, sang and marched around the Villa grounds to the beat of the drum and all for a good cause. As everyone became part of the contagious JOY that permeated the walk, I couldn’t help but realize that, “Yes, we do march to the beat of a different drum.”  

 
After the walk, I discovered a lot of one-on-one conversations going on between a sister and one or more of the group. The sharing taking place consisted of stories of vocation, the call, mission, joy and happiness; each story was connected with a lived experience in their lives as Sisters of Saint Joseph. The JOY of vocation was so evident as I listened to conversations. There truly was “sharing of the heart” and active listening taking place on both sides of these encounters. What a wealth of inspiration and wisdom was exchanged! The parents, too, were enriched as they re-connected with sisters whom they encountered in their elementary education. Once again, through service at the Villa, this group was touched by a special spirit of joy.

I personally came away with a sense of pride and gratitude:  pride in all that we as Sisters of Saint Joseph give witness to, and gratitude for the gift of our SSJ  mission, history, and spirituality as lived by all these “Saints” — our sisters. I thank our sisters at the Villa for sharing their stories.

 

That day, as we all marched past the cemetery and sang “When the Saints Come Marching In,” the Communion of Saints became a reality even more. It is my prayer that the stories of our sisters told that day will inspire these young men and women and their parents to continue our mission and our story as they live lives dedicated to spreading the Joy of the Gospel.

May we all march in the Light of God, as we journey together young and old to the beat of our own unique drum. The JOY of Vocation as stated in our Generous Promise is alive and well at our Villa — thanks be to God and thanks to our sisters!

All of this inspiration was made possible by a walk that was organized to reach out to those living with a disease that afflicts so many individuals and families.  Let us not forget to remember them in our prayer.

Pat Gannon SSJ

Presently my ministry is that of Director of Religious Education at St. Albert the Great Parish in Huntingdon Valley, Pa. Through my almost 50 years as a Sister of  Saint Joseph I have been involved in elementary education and Parish Pastoral Ministry. Enabling others and heightening the awareness of our youth to the needs of others and to their own potential to do good have always given me “joy in my vocation.”

Finding God

Each morning as I awake, I utter a simple prayer asking God to help me know what God desires of my heart this day. Some days I see God’s love in those I encounter in my ministry, in community and in my friendships and family. And sometimes I am too preoccupied with what needs to be done next to see God’s presence in the moment. But each day is a new day and a new beginning to grow in the realization of God’s Love around me.

Through the years God has led me on paths I would have never imagined traveling. My love of teaching and working with young people has led me to spend time in four African countries for several summers. While there, I work with African Sisters to help them learn how to use technology so that they can better help those they serve. Their joy, enthusiasm and love of God shines through them in the midst of the little they have. Living, praying, working and playing with these sisters has taught me to find God in joy and gratitude wherever I am.

 For the past several years, I have had the graced opportunity to accompany groups of our college students on a service trip to Appalachia during spring break. The spirit-filled generosity of these young women and men and their gentle, loving way with the people they meet and with each other have truly been an inspiration to me and a sign of God’s love alive in them.

 Having grown up a block from the Atlantic Ocean, nature - especially the ocean - has always been a special sign of God’s presence in my life. The gentle waves carrying a sailboat along the waters, a rough stormy current churning the waters, the beautiful rainbow after the storm – God speaks to my heart in all.

God seems to be able to catch my heart through music. God stirs my heart through song, often through the words and music of others and once in a while God’s own melody sings through me. And so, as my closing, I offer a song that was the fruit of my retreat a few summers ago.  The words of the song are based on a prayer attributed to Pedro Arrupe, SJ – Fall in Love.  The prayer and music call me each day to center my life on what I am truly in love with. The following link leads to very simple video that plays this song while reflecting on how I continue to find God in my life.

Click here: What You Are in Love With

Lisa Olivieri SSJ

Sister Lisa has spent most of her religious life in all levels of education and has been missioned in North Carolina as well as in Pennsylvania. She currently teaches computer science and technology at Chestnut Hill College and enjoys playing the flute for liturgy and the ensemble at the college

Called to the More

I feel my heart called “to the more…” yet, I have had the privilege of ministering with the most wonderful young men and women who BELIEVE with all their heart…that life is full of many blessings. 

 I feel my heart called “to the more…” yet, I know that the persons with disabilities who share their hearts with me each day give more to me than they would ever know.  They teach me about “the more!”  They love unconditionally…even when they don’t get along (which is unusual)!  One day a young man had a fight with another guy…they have a bit of a history together.  The taller one punched the smaller one…not good…we had to go to the hospital…a black eye was beginning to shine…a nurse came in to see me and said “you know we have students and adults come here from St. John of God for a variety of things like seizures etc, but NEVER for fighting.”  Which is the truth!  When I sat with the young man who punched the other man, we of course went through the many different coping strategies that he could have used…He said “You know, Sister, I love Johnny…I love the ground he walks on…but I don’t like him.”  How profound!  He was repentant and had a sense of “the more” that he was called to be.

 There was another gentleman with Down Syndrome, who at the young age of 53, passed away after a year of dealing with dementia issues.  Joe was as sweet as they come…so loving, so holy.  He taught me the unconditional love of God.  He knew without a doubt that he was loved by God and he shared that love with all of us until the day he died…and continues to share it in the hearts of those of us who remember him lovingly.  Joe always reminded me of my mom’s favorite prayer from St. Francis de Sales: “Do not look forward to what might happen tomorrow, the same everlasting God who cares for you today, will take care of you tomorrow and every day.  Either He will shield you from suffering, or He will give you unfailing strength to bear it.  Be at peace then, and put aside all anxious thoughts and imaginations”. 

Joe is an angel.  May you be blessed with a Joe in your life who calls you “to the more.”

Kathy McShane SSJ

Joe at Walk/Ride-a-thon

Kathy McShane SSJ currently serves as the Pastoral Care Coordinator for St. John of God Community Services in Westville, NJ. 

Extending the Table

I’m blogging from a welcome table set up in an Acme parking lot. Piled high on the table are free faith and life-enhancing materials that our parish team sets out for any interested passerby. In the spirit of the new evangelization in the Catholic Church, extending the table includes such “street ministry.” No proselytizing in our mission here – we are just a simple presence, offering a connection or conversation, with our table visitors. 

 

Somehow, sitting at this table today, makes me think of all the tables that have been part of my life over the 50 years I’ve spent as a Sister of Saint Joseph: work tables, lunch tables, prayer tables, meeting  tables, and more. I think of all the persons who have gathered around them with me – to share faith, fun, agendas, food and drink, planning – all in some way, for the common good. So many relationships began, developed, and were renewed around those tables.

Especially core and enduring for me are the tables I’ve shared with Sisters of Saint Joseph. Around those tables, we’ve shared the daily and patient passage to community, not only for ourselves, but also for the life of the world. I feel a deep indebtedness to our sisters for the compassionate goodness of God that they have offered to me, to all persons, and to creation.

Recently, I spoke with one of our sisters who is recovering from a brain injury. At the time of our conversation, she was seated at a scrabble table with other residents in various stages of recovery. She exudes a healing presence at the rehab, a healing presence that obviously matters to all gathered with her at that table. Somehow, her healing presence matters to all of us.

On another occasion this month, at the dining room tables of our Motherhouse, our sisters led an “Offering of Letters Campaign.” They invited all who could come to the table to advocate for better child nutrition.

Extending the table responds to the call to discipleship. Extending the table emanates from the Eucharistic Table, the source of all grace and mission. As I sit comfortably outside the Acme today, words  that many Sisters of Saint Joseph treasure, come to mind:“How great is the love to which we are called; how deep the responsibility.” Yes, I do think we have a responsibility. There is a place for us and our Associates at many extended tables.

Sister Pat Kelly SSJ

Sister Pat Kelly enjoyed many years in educational and SSJ congregational administration ministries. She is currently the Evangelization Director at Saint Andrew Parish in Newtown, PA.

Hills

Bethlehem

Chestnut Hill College

Hills. They nestle us in their valleys and offer expansive views from their heights. Getting to the summit is empowering and beckons us on to a more challenging climb. It dawns on me that hills have been the backdrop for most of my ministry. There are the Ramapo Mountains of Bergen County, New Jersey, the Poconos in the Pennsylvania Slate Belt, the hills surrounding Bethlehem in the Lehigh Valley, and now, Chestnut Hill, the highest point in Philadelphia. Not only that, I live in Manayunk, a city neighborhood famous for steep hills that tumble down to the Schuylkill River and for cobblestone streets that challenge bikers from around the world. 

Manayunk

The ups and downs of hilly paths are reflective of my years. New ministries and neighborhoods have held their challenges, making progress slow, even difficult, at times. Yet the Spirit has offered consistent hints of the view ahead to tease me to the top. Once there, the sight has been amazing! The energy of students discovering themselves and the dedicated competence of colleagues in ministry never fail to offer a panoramic view of the overall graciousness of God's sustaining presence. The wonder of all of this propels the downhill trip and glides past cherished memories, with the delight of animated conversations and spontaneous laughter in the breeze. At the bottom, the expanse of a backward glance can be breathtaking. The view of what's been offers me just enough momentum to set out again and stretch up to the challenge of another new day, another new relationship, another new ministry. 

Ramapo, New Jersey

How blessed I've been to enjoy the hills and valleys. More than monotonous turnpikes, they've drawn me on an awesome journey that climbs up to rewarding views from the high places, on down again to an exhilarating return to the starting place where the opportunity to do it all again awaits. T. S. Eliot's "In the end is my beginning" may be the poetic expression of a life, but the surprises, sights and sounds of the hillsides I’ve journeyed over and over offer the third dimension. A blessing indeed!

Sister Mary Jo Larkin

Mary Jo Larkin SSJ has enjoyed a range of involvement in the field of education, from teaching at primary, middle and high school levels, to administrative roles at both Mount Saint Joseph Academy and Chestnut Hill College.  She is currently Dean for Library and Information Resources at Chestnut Hill College.

Take Nothing for the Journey

Take nothing for the journey

he said

and I realized

all I was carrying.

And slowly I began to wander

a journey that had already begun

And like a bird I flew free

no arms to hold what could hold me back

Go slow

Be open

See the sights

and see to the fact

that you only pick up what you need

And so I went

the journey deep

the darkness dark

the steepness steep

Seeing what

was there to see

in time

with grace

deep inside of me.

Like the crop circles of my soul

conveying a message

I am still figuring out

how to read.

You pinned me down

by the heart

so I could see the beautiful

markings on my wings

stopped still from the frantic beat

Take nothing for the journey

they said

Take nothing but who you are.

Sr. Colleen Gibson, SSJ 

Sr. Colleen currently serves as a campus minister at Chestnut Hill College. She is the author of the blog Wandering in Wonder,  columnist for the Global Sisters Report, and has been published in various periodicals including America, Commonweal and Give Us This Day. She made first vows as a Sister of St. Joseph in Philadelphia in August 2014.