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The days have gently slipped by, and I have only a few more weeks with my loving sisters in this small village on this beautiful island of Sri Lanka.
We walked, climbed, and gazed, almost always in the hot sun. To enter into the area around any of the shrines, one had to remove shoes and hat, which meant that one was even more vulnerable to the blazing sun and the hot paving stones and sand that surrounded the shrines. At the end of each day, we were exhausted but grateful for its gifts.
Recently, a Sisters of Providence communications staff member unearthed a “Sisters of Providence Etiquette” booklet in our archives and proudly brought her find to my desk. Dated 1968, the booklet gives detailed instructions on how a Sister of Providence should look, sound and act in a variety of situations, from car rides to meal times to classrooms and even Superiors’ offices.
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I dread going to the gym to workout on the machines this time of year because it’s like a race to the finish to try to get a treadmill before they’re all checked out by others. Group fitness classes are another story. I love a room packed with people moving together and jumping to the beat of some loud music. Either way, there’s something good about the community aspect of it all.
These thoughts got me wondering if I could find any Sisters of Providence who work out. Whew! Did I ever. And it was more inspiring than I imagined.
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“I call it my first horseback ride,” Sister Marceline Mattingly (82 years a Sister of Providence) said of her adventurous journey to baptism. Marceline went on to describe the scene that day — 99 years ago this very week. The only way to cross the creek to get to the church was via a plank bridge that could only hold a horse with one rider. It was decided that her grandfather, Benjamin Franklin Hall, would be the one to take her across the creek on horseback to be baptized at St. Peter’s Church in Waverly, Kentucky. The plot thickens as grandfather Benjamin balances a baby on horseback and encounters name confusion on the other side of the creek…
Read moreSo Advent has arrived. There is a lovely Advent wreath in the chapel and another in the church. To my surprise, the novices don’t know “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel.” The prominent Advent song here seems to be “O Come, Divine Messiah,” which they sing quite slowly. I taught the novices “Stay Awake, Be Ready,” a children’s Advent song that includes some clapping. I invite you to look it up and make a joyful noise.
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“We prepare about 30 pounds of meat. The pulled pork sandwiches are complemented by a great horseradish coleslaw which Sister Lucy takes pride in making.”
Sisters Lucy Nolan and Mary Fran Keusal lovingly feed the volunteers and shoppers at the annual Providence Family Services rummage sale, held this year Oct. 4-5 in Chicago. They share their experience and even their recipe here.
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Sisters of Providence from far and wide gathered for fun, community time and some business too this summer at the the 2014 annual meeting of the Sisters of Providence at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods. Spend some time perusing this photo album. You may see some familiar faces you haven’t seen in awhile.
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Subject line of a recent email I received: “Those Under 55 Simply Won’t Understand.” Being a good deal over 55, I confidently opened the email to see photos of a…
Read moreCommunity: a place for sharing, love, acceptance, support. A place to be challenged, to be strengthened. For Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, living in community and being part of a larger spiritual community are integral to life. Are you seeking community? Become a Sister of Providence. Or join the larger community as a Providence Associate.
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