Vol. 7-1

NEW BEGINNINGS: ALIVE WITH HOPE

Sister Barbara McMullen

Our world is in a state of flux many of us could not even have imagined a few years ago. Rapid changes and extraordinary world crises challenge us every day. However, as Providence people we have the gift of God’s love and Providence to steady us for the journey.

That is exactly what the former leadership team and the new team shared as we met together from November 21-23 for our transition days. We knew that God’s Providence would sustain us no matter the challenges. We were warmly welcomed, prayed for and with, treated to a tour of the house, and enjoyed two evenings out for dinner. During the meeting days there were many details to share, blessings and challenges of the six-year journey of leadership. We were missing Sr. Liberata Ricker, who had fallen at the airport in Amsterdam, on her way home from a visit to Peru prior to the transition. The other team members shared their individual responsibilities with us and gave us quite an overview of the work ahead!

The new leadership team celebrated Thanksgiving with the Sisters in Kingston. Of course, we were welcomed heartily and it was so good to see Sisters we had not seen for quite some time. When we returned to Wakefield, we had meeting days of our own and discussed individual responsibilities, planned some in-service days for team building in January, and got acclimated to the house and the daily routines. Sr. Maria Kim had arrived on November 20 and plans to stay until January 31 when she returns to Korea. Sr. Barbara arrived on November 20 also and stayed until November 30. During that time, we also had our “official photo” taken.

Sr. Barbara returned to Granite City to pack up her things, her cat, and herself to make the long drive to Wakefield.  Sr. Mary Francis flew to St. Louis to help drive back and was an expert at using every little inch available in the car to pack.  The two-day trip was good and we knew many people were praying for our safe travels.  When we arrived on December 10, the newest member of the house, Katie the cat, was greeted warmly by the Sisters and began to explore her new surroundings.  She is adjusting to her new friends and big home!

Since the Congregational Chapter in June and the elections, this new beginning has been quietly forming within each of us, ready to emerge.  We’ve been praying for our courage to be kindled as we step into new ground and trust the paths opening to us now.  Our Chapter Directional statements will guide the way, even if all the destinations are not yet clear.  We walk, Alive with Hope, trusting the grace of Providence to lead us. 

Pope Francis says: “To live our lives, we need hope.  To encourage our young people, we need to be able to explain our hope.”  He also says this:  “dream our most impossible dream, to hope our wildest hope – and we will not have even begun to imagine what our Provident God has in store for us.  This is what transforms us for others.” 

Remember at the Chapter we were all given a small piece of clay and we formed our hearts as we promised one another we would live out our mission, charism, and directional statements.  Along with the hearts in an open bowl, the candle from our Chapter room ritual burns in our chapel, as we remember each one of you in our prayers.  Your hearts are joined with ours as we each strive to walk in hope, courageously, toward our future.

We know that the Sisters of Divine Providence are a group of determined and passionate women who want to be the visible face of Providence in our wounded world.  At our Congregational Chapter we forged together this statement: 

Impelled by the spirit of Jesus Christ, who is Providence incarnate,

and faithful to our charism and mission,

we, the Sisters of Divine Providence, commit ourselves to:

actualizing intercultural living based on a growing understanding of each other

through creative ways, particularly technology;

caring for creation and the vulnerable on the periphery;

sharing our resources transparently and collaboratively.

These are strong, bold words in this statement.  Let us remember what we promised each other and gave our hearts to during the Chapter discussions.  This is my challenge to all of us.

“Impelled” – drive, force, urged into action.  The Spirit of Jesus impels us to action, to justice, to responding to the signs of the times in our day.  Together at the Chapter we spoke about the needs of our world today and how best we might respond.  Are we listening to the Spirit of Jesus Christ, and is it impelling us to take some actions where we are, to help those in need in our own neighborhoods? 

“Faithful” (to the charism and mission) – loyal, trustworthy, constant, true.  Each of us is called to be faithful, to be carriers of the charism and mission wherever we are and in whatever we do.  If we are committed to this mission, it will change us; it will challenge us; it will transform us.  It will ask us to be that face of love and compassion to all we meet.  If we truly embrace the charism of trust in and openness to the Providence of God and our actions witness to it, truly we can help bring about God’s goodness in our complex world.  How are we embracing this charism in our personal lives?

“Actualizing” (intercultural living and understanding of one another) – real, current, existing now.  We spoke about the importance of getting to know one another, of learning about each other’s cultures and building relationships among us.  To do that will take time, effort, and planning.  We can use technology to help us cross those cultures, form intercultural conversation circles perhaps, so that we can share with others our own perspectives and deepest desires.  In order to carry out this mandate from the Chapter we will need willing volunteers who are very committed to this process, who are willing to give their time and creativity to cross boundaries and time zones.  Will you be one of those Sisters who volunteers to be in an intercultural small group?  Will you take a small step with us in order to pave the way for an actual future intercultural living situation where ministry might be shared?

“Caring for creation” – serious attention, concern, provide for, look after.  As a Congregation we have most recently shared about our concern for creation and its ongoing care.  We have established an international Laudato Si committee, which is participating in the UISG [International Union of Superiors General] “seven-year platform” in our provinces and mission.  Both individually and communally we strive to care for the Earth, hoping to reduce our own footprint.  Our caring for creation also includes the “vulnerable on the periphery” who are often invisible, discounted, and treated unjustly.  It is good to ask ourselves how we are caring for creation and for those who are in dire need of even the basic essentials of human life.  We promised at Chapter to respond to these social needs.  Are you finding ways to respond, both individually and communally, to these unmet needs?

“Sharing our resources transparently and collaboratively”—to hold in common, benefit from jointly.  At the Chapter we pledged to share our gifts, talents, and resources for the sake of the common good.  We discussed possibilities of shared projects and goals that would respond to the social needs of our day.  Are you willing to think about and find creative ways for us to attain this goal?  Each of us is a gift to be shared with one another—how will you share your gift?

Providence calls us to these challenges.  We want to shape our future courageously together…we are alive with hope because we trust in our Provident God to lead us in our journey.  Hope empowers us to action!  May we follow in the footsteps of Bishop Ketteler and Mother Marie, who were alive with hope in their day, and call us to be Alive with Hope in our day.   Together we can grow HOPE so alive that Providence will be visible in our world!   

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