Sinsinawa
Spectrum
A Congregation News Magazine
Voices from Community Days
by Sue Brodeur, OP
For Sister Mary Grace, OP
Our lights are sculpted in most varied ways,
The piercingly sure sign of artistry.
Not Gothic gargoyles nor the lilting star
Of Carmel Indians’ window, nor breath–
(breathtaking!)–spirit-shaped Venetian glasses:
None are so unique and strange as we.
One spirit arched and full, another bent
Sharply, one involuted, arabesqued,
One clean, direct: No one is everything,
And each can be rejected for its lack
Of other shapes, its oddity, until
The night comes and we see how precious scarce
Is every radiance, how exquisite
Each form against the darkness as it goes
Back to the shining stars. O let us love
Each other’s fragile, fragmentary, splendid
Lights this dark while. They are His and lovely.
Clemente Davlin, OP
Community Days 2009 was quite a homecoming as more than 400 Sisters and nearly 20 Associates gathered Aug. 5–9 to “deepen the conversation” around community and contemplation. The following are excerpts from our conversations and time spent together.
Reflections
“How does one put into words the many blessings we received during Community Days! I truly want to express my gratitude to the many, many Sisters who spent hours and hours on making the days so wonderful. . . . I found it so easy to approach a Sister and begin a conversation. There was a beautiful freedom and a willingness to share what our ministry is and the joy it brings in our lives. . . . We have decided to continue the practice of using cloth napkins . . . to preserve the Earth for future generations.” Marie Patrice O’Donnell, OP
“Our day together was full of friendship, shared contemplative space, and conversations. Our day began with a prayer ritual leading into the insights of Delmarie Gibney, FSPA, entitled ‘What are we waking up to in our world, our community, and ourselves?’ We were reminded of the universe story of 13.7 billion years in the making.” Colleen Settles, OP
“I found it utterly amazing that I could be participating in the events of Community Days via Ustream.” Elizabeth Rodkewich, OP
“Today we celebrated Dominic. . . . We were reminded of the acronym LOVE―Let Our Voices Echo, which Geri Kline [OP] had given us in her homily. . . . We tried to identify ways in which we could let our voices echo as we moved into the future. . . . An awesome experience: [Sister] Gail [Jagroop] dramatized for us the Nine Ways of Prayer of St. Dominic while Ann Willits [OP] did the commentary. Inspiring! Energizing!” Christina Araujo, OP
“The celebration of St. Dominic’s Day culminated in a glorious Mass in Queen of the Rosary Chapel that included the first vows of Sister Christine Walcott [OP] and Sister Priscilla Torres [OP], and the final vows of Sister Anne Sur [OP]. The music and Anne’s homily will carry us forward beyond time. . . . ‘The love . . . is palpable,’ Elizabeth Toohey [OP] remarked, summing up for us the grace of our 2009 Community Days.” Melissa Waters, OP