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Pictured above: Presentation Conference vocation directors Sister Mary Catherine Redmond, Sister Jessi Beck, Sister Jocelyn Quijano, Sister Sandy Butler and Sister Vicky Larson. Not pictured is Jen Rothenbuehler, vocation promoter.
“We are stronger when we listen and smarter when we share.” ~Rania Al Abdullah
Connection is key. Communication is key. We found ourselves longing for more of both these the last few years, as we were isolated in 2020 and then moved into several different physical spaces. We had office growth and sisters moved out of the convent. For the first time, we found ourselves not having a central in-person hub.
From our desire to stay connected across geographical lines and grow as Presentation people, our in-person coffees evolved and Mission News & Brews was born in a virtual space. The goal was to provide a platform for regular communication, while sharing in mission as a Presentation family. Mission News & Brews provides opportunities for Presentation people to connect virtually and hear updates, or share them, as we work together to stay informed of what is on the horizon and how can we connect together to further the mission and charism. We know we are the best advocates for one another when we are informed of what is going on and we feel heard when we have a space to share.
These virtual coffees are open to all Presentation people and we typically host about 30 attendees. We spend the first portion of the meeting time sharing updates from the departments and ministries who are present. We then invite a guest to share around a topic of interest, usually focused around justice work. Guests have been other sisters, community leaders, mission partners… The discussions are thought-provoking and usually leave us with “stirrings” in our hearts and minds.
This month, we had the privilege of taking this one step further. We were honored to host the Conference vocation team. This team has been collaborating for years and really modeling what could be possible as many teams and departments within individual congregations become smaller.
Mission News & Brews continues to ebb and flow as needs change. We look forward to what this might look like in the future and grateful for this shared space that brings us together each month.