Community prayer via Skype™

From left, Sisters Eileen and Brigid Ann Bonner in Louisville join Sister Mary Morley in Cincinnati, inset, for daily prayer via Skype.

No bell summons to prayer and no chapel awaits.

Sisters Brigid Ann and Eileen Bonner are in Louisville and Sister Mary Morley (formerly Sister David Mary) is in Cincinnati. The time to pray is marked on the computer monitor. They gather “face to face” by way of Skype. You’ll find them there weekdays at 4 p.m. and weekends at 10 a.m.

“We begin by sharing with each other about our day and what is going on in our lives. This is a time of spiritual and social renewal for us,” commented Sister Mary.

Sister Eileen explains, “Our prayer includes the necrology (a listing of sisters and Providence Associates who died on that date) and then we pray for all the Sisters of Providence, our associates, benefactors, and all who have asked for our prayers. We say Morning or Evening Prayer together from the Liturgy of the Hours, ending with the SP Reunion and the SP Litany of Non-Violence.”

Sister Mary’s recently deceased sister, Judy Barrett, sent her old Skype camera to Sister Mary. That was five years ago. It’s been going strong every day since.

The trio also uses Skype to discuss Congregation materials.

“It’s rare that we miss a day,” adds Sister Brigid. “If we have a schedule conflict, we simply change the time of our prayer. This has been a wonderful way to build community among us, enabling us to be supportive and accountable to one another. It is a time that we look forward to each day.”

(Originally published in the Winter 2014 issue of HOPE magazine.)