‘Everything in us seemed to change except charity, which united us to God’

This week marked the first time the Sisters of Providence have live-streamed their monthly Taizé.

On at least two occasions in the past live-streaming was brought up as a potential outlet to share Taizé with the larger community, but in both instances, it was voted down due to the personal nature of individual prayer. COVID-19 changed this, as it changed so many other elements of our lives. Our lingering isolation and desperate need of the Divine through this pandemic made sharing Taizé seem imperative. This need to bring Taizé to the people where they are- at home- trumped any past reservations and opened the door for what feels like a bright future.

For many, this may seem like no big deal. After all, organizations from around the globe have turned to technology and social media to reach their patrons, but at a closer look, this really is a profound moment for the Sisters of Providence. How so, you ask? It’s the longevity of the Sisters of Providence that makes this such an interesting change. There is this long-held belief that as we age we become rigid. We are less open to new ideas and change. Age settles us into a place of consistency that we seldom want to stretch outside of. The Sisters of Providence have been pushing the boundaries of this belief for almost 200 years. In the past, the progressiveness of the Sisters may have been accounted for the large number of younger sisters who were inevitably guiding the older generations to ever new and uncharted territory. But today, this is not the case.

With only a handful of sisters under 60, it would be easy for an organization such as the Sisters of Providence to rebel against the advancements of the current age, and let the ways of the past carry them forward. The oldest sisters of this congregation grew up in a world where automobiles and electricity were in their infancy. The first public radio station in America was born and instant cameras and the television were invented. The degrees of change this congregation has seen is almost unimaginable for someone who is in their teens, and yet through a willingness to adapt to circumstances and share messages of hope, the Sisters of Providence continue to pave a way forward.

It is impossible to say what happens next, but it is with certainty that I say the Sisters of Providence will continue to defy the odds and embrace whatever changes are on the horizon.

The Taizé live-stream will be available for 30 days.