Today is the 10th day of our self-quarantine. We (Sr. Agnes Thérèse and Sr. Sophia Grace) spent a week in the Tampa, FL area in the middle of March giving a parish mission and a few other small gatherings. Upon our return, we were asked to have a time of quarantine because we had been traveling through airports and around a lot of people. We were very careful with hand washing, social distancing, etc. but we also agreed we didn’t want to risk bringing anything back to the Motherhouse.
The whole trip was an invitation for us to be with Mary at the foot of the Cross, full of faith, hope, and love despite the uncertainty of these days. As we were in Florida the Coronavirus was becoming more widespread in the United States, people were being asked to stay in their homes and public Masses were suspended in many dioceses, including the St. Petersburg Diocese. It was a gift to be able to talk with and encourage many people who are struggling with the changes and decisions being made but also to see how people are responding with grace.
And now, we are happy to be in solidarity with the majority of the Church - longing for Jesus and grateful for his real presence at the same time. Both of us felt that the Lord was asking us to make our time of quarantine a time of more intense prayer and sacrifice for what was unfolding in our world and Church with the Coronavirus.
So, during this time of quarantine, we are living our normal schedule of prayer and work but we are also taking more intentional time to pray, fast, and intercede. We have extra prayer in the morning and we are stopping to pray the Stations of the Cross each day at 3pm. We are keeping silence during our day because we know we could easily get caught up in talking about all that is going on and lose our focus on the One who matters the most, squandering the gift of silence and emptiness the Lord has given us for these weeks. One of the spare bedrooms in the “Air B&B” that we are staying in has become our makeshift chapel with a simple sacred space and table to set the laptop on so we can join a Mass being live streamed. We are making Spiritual Communions and are truly experiencing the Lord’s presence in a powerful way. He is always within our reach! He dwells within us!
While our life doesn’t change significantly with a Shelter in Place Order, I (Sr. Sophia Grace) can only imagine how much this is upending all of your lives. What I have realized is that there are many things that you are being asked to give up. I experienced the loss of some of those things when I entered my religious community: not having control over my schedule, not knowing when I would see/talk to a close friend or family member, having limited personal space, etc. But the difference is that I chose it.
While we can't understand all of the emotions, fears, and anxiety of family life in these conditions, we would like you to know that we are with you and that we are supporting you all in prayer. This is a very vulnerable time and all people, young and old, are affected. There is prudence in protecting the kiddos from undo fear and anxiety and so mitigating your own emotions. However, remember it’s okay to let some of your emotions be seen by them. This could be a beautiful way to draw closer as a family and let them know it is OK for them to be afraid or anxious but that they are not alone in it. You are all together, we are all together, and, most importantly, God is with us!
We hope that our time in quarantine will be spiritually fruitful for the Church and the world and an act of reparation for those who rebel and are angry at their shepherds for trying to protect them and prevent further spread of the virus at this time.
Please pray for us as we pray for you! Our prayers will continue after our quarantine, too!
Sr. Agnes Thérèse Davis, T.O.R. & Sr. Sophia Grace Huschka, T.O.R.
