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Sisters' ministries exemplify God's goodness |
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By Archbishop John C. Nienstedt
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Wednesday, 21 April 2010 |
“Something beautiful” is being done for God and on behalf of God here in Minneapolis.
 That They May All
Be One
Archbishop John C. Nienstedt
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It is being accomplished by dedicated groups of religious women — women who make us all proud to be Catholics and, more important, who serve the mission of the church with evident fidelity and joy.
At the convent of the property of the Church of Our Lady of Victory, one
comes upon the Immaculate Heart Sisters from Nigeria.
Involved in many ministries
Dressed in bright blue habits, these dedicated religious women are
engaged in ministering to the poor at Sharing and Caring Hands, involved
in educating children at St. Jerome’s Catholic School in Maplewood, and
take care of the sick at Catholic Eldercare and the Golden Valley
Rehabilitation Center.
They bring the Holy Eucharist to the sick at the Veterans Affairs
Medical Center, the Good Samaritan Center in Maplewood and the Camden
Care Center in Minneapolis.
At the local parish, they serve as lectors, extraordinary ministers of
Holy Communion and members of the parish choir. Their services inspire
the people they serve to an increased faith, as well as to a greater
love and respect for all God’s people.
They are truly committed to the religious ideals and values of their
founder, the late Archbishop Charles Heerey, who had a profound devotion
to our Blessed Lady.
The good archbishop encouraged these daughters of the Immaculate Heart
to have great confidence in the Blessed Mother so that her maternal
heart would lead them to Jesus. From Mary, they have learned to reach
out to God’s people with compassion and selfless love.
Outreach of love
Closer to the beautiful Basilica of St. Mary, one finds the Visitation
Monastery of Minneapolis, where eight religious sisters live a life of
prayer and community, reaching out with love and concern to their
neighbors.
They have received the nickname, “Nunz in the hood,” and their door
stands open as an oasis of welcome to young and old persons alike.
Some of the sisters tutor guitar, piano or Spanish. Others tend to
cooking or gardening. They pray together four times a day, inviting
neighbors to join them for spiritual nourishment.
Their daily routine revolves around the doorbell, which can mean
anything from a request for a bus ticket to counseling or family
services. Theirs is a ministry of presence, of offering peace and hope
to a neighborhood that struggles to make ends meet. Here the message of
the Gospel radiates behind welcoming smiles and ready embraces.
Helping mothers, children
Finally, in another section of the city, we find the presence of Blessed
Teresa of Calcutta’s Missionaries of Charity, who work to satiate the
thirst of Christ for love by inviting single mothers who are pregnant to
live with them in their convent.
They provide an after-school program for these residents as well as for
neighborhood children, especially those of a Hispanic background. They
help these children with their homework, teaching them prayer and giving
them an opportunity for safe and healthy recreation.
The Missionaries of Charity also visit neighborhood families and try to
offer them spiritual and material assistance, inviting them to come back
to church and receive the sacraments. Each morning, Mass is celebrated
in their chapel and the room is usually full-to- overflowing with people
from around the Twin Cities as well as the neighborhood.
Once a day, the sisters come to chapel for holy hour and the recitation
of the rosary. Twice a week, they take either the statue of the pilgrim
virgin or a picture of Our Lady of Guadalupe to various houses in the
neighborhood to pray the rosary with the people. Two or three times a
year, the sisters conduct retreats for the same groups.
These sisters teach catechism classes for young people at the parishes
of our Cathedral of St. Paul, the Church of St. Charles Borromeo, the
Church of St. Vincent de Paul and the Church of Holy Rosary. Once a
week, they also visit the Bryn Mawr Nursing Home.
In the summer, these women of faith and love work with children who are
not able to go to a regular summer camp because of an inability to pay.
The sisters bring a summer camp to them at St. Vincent de Paul for two
weeks, Holy Rosary for two weeks, and St. Stephen’s in Minneapolis for a
week.
At these camps, the children not only have fun, but they are surrounded
by the teachings of the Catholic catechism. Sacramental preparation for
baptism and Holy Eucharist are also a part of these catechetical
programs.
As you can see in this short snapshot, there are wonderful things being
done in the City of Minneapolis in the name of God and on behalf of our
Catholic faith.
At times, we look at all that is wrong with the world. Today, looking at
these three groups of sisters, I can see nothing but God’s goodness and
love!
God bless you!
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