Sister Theresa leads a massage therapy workshop in her ministry in a war-torn country of Central America.

Sister Theresa of Central America

I live in a small town in the mountains of a Central American country. I live with Sisters from two countries. We minister together there to help victims of the war find healing.

Living here is good for me in many ways. If offers me a simpler, more natural life and a healthier body. It offers me the wonderful feeling that I can make a difference that I can see. It's been very good to live in an area where the Catholic Church is the leader in responding to the needs of the poor.

It has been difficult to adjust to living in a foreign country and communicate in a different language. I frequently have to do things I've never done before. I'm always learning.

My local community includes another Sister from the USA, two native Sisters, and an Irish missionary. We work together in our healing ministry. I get together regularly with the two other Sisters in my congregation who work in other areas of the country.

By living where I do, I have learned how to live more simply and healthily. I've learned a lot about the healing power of God and God's desire to lead a whole people to resurrection.

Sister Elaine shares this condo in a Cincinnati suburb with her Mother.

Sister Elaine
of Cincinnati, Ohio, suburb

I'm a "burb-on." That is, I live in a "mature" yet still-developing, well-populated though still being populated, convenient yet far-enough-away-from-downtown suburb of Cincinnati. Where I live has always been determined by driving distance to ministry and to family, which is my Mom. Five years ago, my then 84-year-old Mother decided to give up her house. She bought a condo and I moved in with her. Together, we look after each other.

Since mine is the sole responsibility of looking after Mom, this living arrangement has worked out well for both of us. In addition to lessening a great deal of worry, stress, and travel for me, Mom has companionship and continues to enjoy being "mom" both to me and to the many Sisters of my congregation who have gotten to know her over the years.

Presently ministry finds me in a Diocesan level of service to Catechists as I present models and resources for prayer, faith development, and religious formation. Opportunities for engaging with colleagues and family are just as important and necessary as are the times of gathering to pray, play, dialogue, faith-share, and socialize with my CPPS family. Such times keep me connected, grounded, informed, and participative. I feel blessed in belonging to multiple communities of love, trust, and acceptance.

There are some lessons that I have learned through living with my Mom and sharing life with my community cluster. Watching a loved one age is a special blessing in itself. It becomes a reminder that what we do in life is not half as important as who we are and how we do what we do. That is a lesson worth learning!

Making the most of the time that I have with my Mom and with my community is also important. It means being spontaneous and creative and savoring simple times together. This is a lesson in enjoying the "now" and it, too, is a lesson worth learning!

A third lesson worth learning comes from our inter-relationships with others. That lesson is compassion. As we are drawn into the lives of others, we are drawn out of ourselves and more into the God who loves each of us into a very special being. Daily I'm aware of the "little stuff " that makes up each of our unique identities. It's my Mom's clear, luminous eyes and the supportive, encouraging word from one of my Sisters that make up what's important in my day. That's where God lives; that's where I want to also live!

Sisters Paula & Lori make their home in a parish office building that was converted from a convent.

Sisters Paula & Lorie of a Midwestern city

A Sister had just taken a job in a parish unfamiliar to the community. Friends visited her apartment in a large building across the street from the church. "Does this parish have a convent?" someone asked. She replied, "You're in it." If home is where the heart is, "convent" is where the Sister is!

Two of us Sisters of the Precious Blood along with a woman religious from another congregation live in half-a-house belonging to a parish on the edge of a medium-sized Midwestern city. (Because of her work, one of us lives part-time in another convent with about eight members of a different community of Sisters.) The building was once a large convent; part of it is now used for parish meeting rooms and offices. Except for one all-night teen retreat, this has worked amazingly well.

The parish installed a lovely new kitchen, dining room, and living room in the basement for us at the time of the division. There is plenty of space for three Sisters and a guest, and even a room for a chapel. We like the proximity to work (one of us teaches right in the parish), to the parish church, and to the library and other cultural opportunities a city affords. The drawbacks are a lack of privacy and awkwardly-placed indoor steps.

We enjoy living together in a small community group. We have widely different ministries (in grade school, university, and nursing home!), and we value mealtimes and sharing the experiences of the day. The different viewpoints keep us from getting into a rut -- and from thinking that only my ministry has problems! We enjoy sharing prayer and the work around the house; it's so nice that the one who hates to cook loves to do dishes, and the one who dislikes dusting cheerfully washes windows! We find our community life sustaining, inspiring, and enlivening.

We also believe that it is good to live in the area where we serve. We all come from other states. From this neighborhood we can absorb the values, culture, and food preferences of the local people. Being a good neighbor is part of the ministry Christ calls us to at this time in history.

** Sr Marita just  began her ministry to the Congregation in August of 2007.  This story tells of her experience just prior to this.

Sister Marita tends rose bushes in front of the parish house, where she ministers on the first floor and resides on the second floor.

Sister Marita of an inner-city parish

I live in the rectory of the only church within the downtown area of our large city. I see this as a wonderful opportunity to be a presence of God in this area. The city has been going through transition during the past decade after the economic base was lost/changed as the military was pulled from the area. It is essential that someone be with the people, giving them hope amongst their struggles.

Besides living here, I minister in this parish as the pastoral coordinator. That means that I have an appointment from the bishop for the pastoral and administrative duties of the parish. There is no appointed priest pastor for the parish. We have a priest minister who shares in the pastoral responsibilities especially those with the reception of the Sacraments.

As a Sister of the Precious Blood, I have dedicated myself to God and the Church through our Congregation. Our charism mandates me to be a "reconciling presence of God," to give hope to the hopeless through the acceptance of everyone whatever their race, culture, language, creed, or nationality. All around me there is an urgency to respond to the needs of God's people. To live downtown among the people helps me live out our congregational mandate.

I find it very challenging to live the call of the Lord. In residing where I do, I am privileged to be both close to the heart of Jesus' message and to the motivation that inspired our foundress Maria Anna Brunner ... the challenge of welcoming and receiving each person as well as the gifts that each brings.

Sister Marita believes it is essential that someone be with the people of her parish, giving them hope amongst their struggles.

I have lived in a culture other than my birth heritage most of my life. This, at times, makes life easy for me and, at times, more difficult. While it is often easy to accept another language, culture, and race as a blessing, the challenge is to accept that diversity within the church and in society at large.

Since I live on the second floor of the parish house, I am separated from ministry but my ministry and community living mutually influence one another. After four years of living and working in this situation, I am learning to see the positive aspect of having living and ministry so closely linked.

What have I learned by living where I do? That I am accepted by my Precious Blood community, that the parish community in my area appreciates my presence, and, in my situation, the living and ministry aspects of my life are tightly intertwined and, hopefully, integrated. Also, I try to receive people as they are. In a downtown parish, finances are always a challenge, but the greatest resource is our people. My role is to help them see and use their gifts, to be their advocate when needed, and to work to assure their development.

Sisters Regina,  and Barbara Ann           make their home in a former rectory.

Sisters Regina & Barbara Ann
of a rural farming community

The two of us live in unique situations:

• Sister Barbara in a rectory, not used as a home for the resident pastor since the last one died in 1989.
• Sr Regina in an apartment in a small rural village.
• Many of the local parishes are now clustered so we attend Mass at any one of 5 or 6 parish churches
• We enjoy a rural setting, with farm sights and sounds and smells!
• With an unobstructed view of the rising and setting sun
• We are only 3 or 4 miles from our ministry.

Living where we do gives us space away from our ministry and time for re-energizing before returning to it. Our living arrangements are wonderfully situated in farm communities of trusting, helpful neighbors.

We are close to other Congregational members in neighboring communities for business, prayer and social gatherings.

What have we learned by living where we do? That modeling Church and living genuine community is always a thing to comprehend and express more deeply, more fully. We keep working at that.

Sister Nancy enjoys the quietness and comfort of living alone.

Sister Nancy lives in an apartment

I live alone in an apartment because

it provides a place to be that is very accessible to my ministry.

 

The place I live provides a quiet and comfortable space

where I can renew myself to do ministry.

 

Living here challenges me to be more social with my neighbors

but particularly to seek times to gather with community.

 

I have learned that living alone can be very calming and peaceful.

It can help me maintain a healthy perspective in life.

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