What Did You Learn?
by Associate Rev. Dr. Cheryl R. Popple
A cardinal flew above me as I walked into Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary in Evanston, IL, on April 2, 2008, for the defense of my doctor of ministry research project. I had just left Sinsinawa with a warm send-off from the Sisters. My advisory committee had over 100 pages of my work on the four pillars of Dominican life. My project was titled “The Transformative Power of Spirituality: A Study of the Sinsinawa Dominican Sisters.”
My advisory committee came into the room and took their seats. Dr. Dwight Judy offered a prayer and then Dr. Margaret Ann Crain asked, “What did you learn from your research? We all pray. We all study. We all do mission work. So what does your research have to say to our churches?”
What had I learned? I must admit that what I learned came from years of association with the Sinsinawa Dominicans. I had spent time at the Mound since 1997. By the time I began to write my research project, I had spent hundreds of hours talking with Sisters, attending workshops, prayer services, funeral Masses, and celebrations. Due to space limitations, I will cover only the prayer pillar.
My answer to Margaret Ann began with, “Yes, we do pray in our churches. I found, however, that prayer permeates the entire life of the Sinsinawa Dominicans.” There is a prayer for almost every occasion and stage of human life. The formal prayers of worship along with community prayer times are in addition to an active life of prayer. Sisters believe that God is a part of all they do. God is interested and active in their lives. When I asked what happens when prayers are not answered as they wished, one Sister simply said, “That’s alright.” Another Sister responded, “If that’s what God wants, that’s fine with me.” The important part is that God always answers.
Prayer is also a part of the “blocks and building” at Sinsinawa. I felt it the first time I entered the Mound. The number of times the Lord’s Prayer has been prayed on the grounds of Sinsinawa is probably in the millions over the lifetime of the Sisters who have lived there. That is staggering. It is impossible for me to believe that intentional prayer of that faithfulness does not transform lives.
In my ministry with women, I believe the intentional aspect of living the four pillars is what makes the difference plus the benefit of praying within community. Some will shrug off the remarkable witness of the importance of prayer by telling me, “Of course the Sisters have a good prayer life. They do not have families to take care of. They live together.” This response shows an unawareness of the closeness many Sisters maintain with their families. They are not immune from the stresses and cares of their families; yet they maintain their commitment to prayer. “It’s just talking to God,” one Sister told me. Brother Lawrence said, “If I were a preacher, I would preach nothing else than the practice of the presence of God; and if I were a director of souls, I would recommend to everyone that they continually converse with God, because I believe it is so vital and even easy to practice.”1 Few of the churches I have attended place this vital importance on prayer as a living and ongoing communication with God.
What did I learn? I learned that Sinsinawa Dominicans have much to teach the world about prayer, study, community, and mission. I am grateful for their witness, friendship, and love over the years. I thank Susan Hart, OP, for her challenge and Marie Jordan Beausoleil, OP, for her loving welcome. From these first two Sinsinawa Dominicans, I have been blessed in meeting other Sisters and Associates. My doctor of ministry degree is shared with all of the Sinsinawa Dominicans.
1 Patricia Miller, ed., Walking with the Father: Wisdom of Brother Lawrence. Ijamsville, Maryland: The Word Among Us Press, 1999.