Finding Wisdom
Sr. Martha Wiegand’s Transformation at Dubuque Villa
Sr. Martha Wiegand
When Sister Mary Nona McGreal, OP, asked me to be Prioress at the Dubuque St. Dominic Villa in the mid-’70s, she suggested I take a few days to pray about it. That night I had a dream! In the dream I was walking through a little park in the summertime. One of my Dominican brothers ran into me and said, “Martha, it seems as though you’re looking for something.” I replied, “I am. I’m looking for wisdom.” He told me he’d show me where I could find it. We got into his little Chevy and he drove me to the Dubuque Villa. He sat on the cement step outside the front door and simply told me to go in and look into the face of each Sister. I came out with tears running down my face and said to him: “Oh, I found it!” Of course, I gave Sr. Mary Nona my answer, “Yes! I’d be happy to go to the Villa!”
Sister Joan Chittister, OSB, wrote, “A moment of transformation comes when something inside us shifts and, despite ourselves, we find that we are no longer the person we used to be.” What were some of the shifts that happened inside me during my ministry at the Villa?
Sr. Lois Nichols (deceased) with her harp.
There were gifts given to me that are still as fresh and precious as when they happened. One might say, “I experienced holiness already in progress.” I remember praying with Sister Lois Nichols, OP, when she was dying. She asked me to hold the crucifix so she could simply gaze upon the face of Jesus. Or being with Sister Martin de Porres Hogan, OP, when she was dying—asking her how she would like me to pray. Her response: “Just say, ‘Mary, wrap me in your mantle.’ That’s the prayer my dear Irish mother prayed. And ask Mary to wrap the world in her mantle, too.” Every Friday I prayed the litany of the Sacred Heart with Sister Reginaldus Loofbourow, OP. When I’d say, “Heart of Jesus, burning furnace of charity,” this dear contemplative was lost in God! And yet another Sister, who could not see to pray the Psalms in the office book, would simply do what she called her “rocking-chair” prayer. She’d rock forward and say, “I love you, God,” and she’d rock back and hear God say to her, “I love you.” The prayer of these holy women: a transforming experience!
I came to experience myriad expressions of gratitude in our day-to-day life together. Our Sisters were thankful for the red cardinals singing their morning song or for seeing the yellow forsythia bushes burst into bloom. They were grateful to go up to the roof and watch the old Mississippi winding its way around the city. Fresh linens, a back rub, a visit from a friend, a story told, relief from pain, a sip of water, a poem shared . . . tilted their hearts toward joy and gratitude. My Sisters became my mentors. Experiencing such daily litanies of gratitude has transformed my life.
Sr. Gertrudine Dohmen (deceased) made popcorn that
was a favorite treat at the Villa.
We knew how to celebrate and have fun! The staff stayed at the Villa during the holidays, and oftentimes Sisters from the missions would come and give a week of service then or during the summertime. (My hope has always been that every Sister in our Congregation will have an opportunity to give service at the Villa. It is a transforming experience.) There was an utter simplicity about our celebrations. It didn’t take a lot of money or expensive gifts. We were gift for each other! Everyone contributed to the common good—Sisters with arthritic hands, those in wheelchairs or recovering from surgery—all helped fold towels on laundry day or sorted caramels for the Trappistine Sisters in Dubuque. (And we got to eat the caramels that were not wrapped perfectly or were dented a bit! Best deal of all!) There was generous giving and gracious receiving. There was Sister Gertie’s (Gertrudine Dohmen, OP) popcorn! There were birthdays, jubilees, and holiday celebrations. We had Sisters who served as nurses, cooks, bakers, drivers, physical therapists, liturgists, aides, and pastoral ministers. We had Sisters who made Mass breads. We had remarkable lay staff who were like family! No matter how old or infirm, study was a way of life for all of us. Music and the arts were a part of the weaving of our everyday lives. The support and visits from Sister Cecilia Carey, OP, and her Council were life giving.
The Sisters who were sick and dying blessed us with their lives and gave us many mysteries to ponder. We really knew what it meant to be Sister to each other. What particularly stays in my mind as transforming moments are all the times we kept vigil with our Sisters who were dying. In the silence—praying . . . singing the “Salve Regina” . . . holding their hands. As we began our religious life we placed our hands in the hands of the Prioress and made our profession. We asked for God’s mercy and the mercy of each other. Almost always, at the end of a Sister’s journey there is that same tender mercy offered as we hold the hand. This keeping vigil, this holding of hands, is a way of transformation. One is never the same!
The generosity and affection of our benefactors has always touched my heart. I recall how hard the Sinsinawa Dominican Federation worked to provide donations for the Villa. How family members and friends ministered to us financially and with their presence. Through them we experienced the providence of God! Such a gift transforms one. At the Villa hardly a day went by without guests. I have always felt that hospitality is a stance of the heart—we not only welcomed guests and made them feel at home, but we also named blessings they left in our hearts. Welcoming and being present to all the guests who came to the Villa was a transforming experience for me.
The Sisters taught me how to “let go.” To come to grips with what’s really important in life: to forgive, to lead a simple lifestyle, to get rid of all “the stuff,” to be other-centered, to grow through suffering, to love each other, to care for others, and to laugh in the midst of it all. They taught me how to hold on to what is precious—relationship with God, with each other, to be mindful of a much bigger world, to be one with the universe. Their teaching and example were a source of transformation for me.
In remembering these days at the Villa, tears flow from my eyes as they did in that dream of long ago. Day after day I visited the Sisters. As in my dream, I found wisdom in these holy women! And they have transformed my life.
Sister Martha Wiegand, OP (Dominic Savio)
