Yesterday was pure gift. A group of sisters gathered at one of our houses by the ocean in Cohasset for a day of reflection. The group included newer members, the sisters who live with them, sisters from our hospitality house, and members of our Initial Formation Team.Dorothea, one of our sisters, facilitated our prayer during the day. This picture is of the centerpiece in the room where we gathered. It includes a bible, a statue of Mother St. John Fontbonne, a candle that was brought from a visit toTaize, France, during our 2008 CSSJ Heritage, and scarf that was given to all who participated in the 200th anniversary of MSJF regathering sisters after the French Revolution and beginning the expansion of the Sisters of St. Joseph throughout the world.
The statue has MSJF with one foot forward always ready for the next good thing. I've included a picture that focuses on that part of the statue. The original is a full size statue designed by Mary Southard, CSJ from Illinois and is in the center of the Heritage Center in Lyon France.
More about the day: The day of prayer was really a refreshing opportunity for all who gathered. There was ample time for personal prayer and time to share the state of our heart. We all come from such full ministries. During her introduction, Dorothea invited us to slow down "the frieight train of our restless minds and hearts." This really touched my soul. I realized how full the previous week had been and her words really allowed me to slow down.
The sisters who gathered were so grateful for the time to connect with God and one another in this way. It was a perfect follow-up to Gathering the Daughters. There we were with 65 newer members of the Sisters of St. Joseph from all over the US and Canada as well as those who are part of Formation Teams. At this day of prayer we were with our newer members and some who are on the journey with them in our local Boston Congregation. The balance of the two gatherings was wonderful.
On another note: When I wrote the explanation of the statue of MSJF with one foot forward, it reminded me to mention the article about Sister Anna Mary Kelly that is in today's Boston Globe. She was a woman who, like Mother St. John Fontbonne, always had one foot forward ready for the next new thing. Sister Anna Mary passed away a few weeks ago at the age of 97. This is a link to the article in today's Globe and a couple of other recent articles about her.
From the Boston Globe:
From The Pilot -- the archdoicesan Catholic newspaper:
From our Boston CSJ website:
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