A Reply to Love
from the foot of the cross
My world felt like it was crashing down around me when Mother Della Marie explained to me the thoughts she and the council had for my new assignment this year. I had been the formation director for our sisters in temporary vows for eight years, and I loved serving my sisters and my community in this way. I was being asked to leave that behind in favor of a new adventure. I had to admit that I was not prepared for the drastic change that she was proposing.
I love going to the ocean. Perhaps what I love best is being in the water, especially when there are waves rolling in, serene and powerful at the same time. I love this so much that when I am visiting my family and able to be at the ocean, I have been known to body surf in the Atlantic Ocean as early in the season as May, when water temperatures are often in the low 50s. Watching and, even more, contending with waves has taught me a lot – about timing, resistance, safety, risk, synergy, and surrender.
I’m the new kid on the block these days, navigating a new work/ministry environment and colleagues. After our community’s primary ministry for the poor in Steubenville closed, we decided to work alongside the Urban Mission, a Methodist-run ecumenical ministry for those in need in our local area. One of the big changes, of course, is that we don’t “run the show” and the ministry is not specifically “Catholic.” I know this has concerned some of our community friends and some sisters – will we be able to be true to our identity? Will we somehow “water down” our faith or change the way we do things?
It was a typical day at Samaritan House.
Early on in the planning and construction of our motherhouse chapel, I experienced a difficult but ultimately necessary grace (as difficult graces tend to be). I offered to take a visitor into the chapel, which, at that time, was enclosed but not completed. Our newly-arrived wood relief image of the crucifix was lying on the floor in crates, awaiting installation.
Sr. Della Marie Doyle was elected as our new Reverend Mother on Saturday, June 6. Bishop Jeffrey Monforton celebrated her installation Mass on Saturday, June 13 at Father of Mercy Chapel. We also elected Sr. Monica Spates as the First Councilor (assistant to the Reverend Mother) and Sr. Elizabeth Beussink, Sr. Mary Rose Bratlien and Sr. Miriam O’Callaghan as the remaining General Councilors. Together the five sisters will lead the community until 2026.
"What Jesus movie are they watching?" This was a question posed by an 8-year-old visitor we had at the convent. She had been used to walking through the halls and into rooms bustling with sisters but that particular day, all was silent. "Where are all of the sisters?"
Here we are again in Ordinary Time after the Easter Season. Since we had a patch of Ordinary Time between the Christmas Season and Ash Wednesday, we began Ordinary Time again, picking up with the ninth week. This long liturgical season will take us back to Advent, when we will begin the liturgical year all over again.
