Being with other women religious/sisters/nuns

Here it is the start of Martin Luther King Jr. Weekend.   For the past ten years or so, I've attended Giving Voice's Retreat for Women Religious in their 20s and 30s.  We met in Florida a few times and the moved to meeting in Arizona.  It has been a wonderful experience for me. I've met so many peer sisters who I can truly relate to and have fun with. Plus I get to share with them this mysterious thing called a call to religious life. It's hard to make sense of it at times; but being with others who also feel called helps.  I am unable to attend this year since I turned 40 in May 2011.  I am too old for this gathering and let me tell you being too old for something in the nun world is a new experience for me.  I'm usually one of the youngest or the youngest at a gathering. But now with Giving Voice-instead there I'm either in the middle of the age group or too old!!  Amen!!

This weekend once again a group will be gathering in Arizona for prayer, reflection, sharing and hang out time.  I'm so jealous and wish I could be there.  I just texted Jessi, a Presentation Sister to tell her to have fun and that I miss her already.  But it is not my time to be there.

Instead my friend Susan, a Sister of St. Joseph of Peace who is just a little younger than me and I will be going to New Orleans to celebrate her perpetual profession of vows and share some bonding time. We both realized that this Giving Voice gatherings are so important and wanted to keep getting together. This weekend will be fun.

New Orleans is where the first Ursulines went to in the United States and there is so much history of our congregation there.  We will be staying at one local living community with 2 of my Ursuline Sisters and visiting another community connected to Our Lady of Prompt Succor shrine. So I will see some of my nuns. Yeah!!

Also I will get a chance to visit with my former principal boss from St. Philip Neri School in the Bronx, Brother John Casey, a  member of the Congregation of Christian Brothers.

It will be a weekend of renewing relationships.  Thank God for friends to share the journey of life with me. 

Jeannie Humphries, osu