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By Marilou Irons, PBVM, Dubuque, Iowa
Holding On While Letting Go
Prior to the community’s October 2022 Chapter of Affairs and as a continuous focus, Dubuque Presentation Sisters and associates encouraged each other to spend time reflecting and discussing Ted Dunn’s “The Inner Work of Transformation.” As the July 18-21, 2024, Community Days gathering progressed, it was obvious participants had delved into his ideas, struggled and grown in personal transformation and in the desire to be honest, nonjudgmental, open and vulnerable in sharing hopes and dreams in light of living mission in the years ahead.
Ted Dunn’s work, coupled with other futuristic thinkers, challenges the Presentation community to name personal and communal abundance, and to engage hearts and souls in the dynamics of change. This kind of change enables the community to address concrete realities and creatively yet collaboratively plan to share their resources of wisdom, both personal and financial, to carry on Nano Nagle’s legacy of service to women and children and to Earth.
The Community Days gathering entitled “Graced Transformation” was comparable to an elegant banquet. Just as a hostess prepares every detail for the gathering while knowing some aspects may change, the leadership team had an extensive plan to gather individuals and committees to enflesh the theme of graced transformation. As time together unfolded, so did layers of organization as well as the energy brought by participants to listen, ponder and enjoy new learnings. Groups were often encouraged to remember the past, live the present and explore the future with uncluttered hearts and minds.
Rather than a main entree, multiple side dishes or a dessert, the hostesses nourished all with soul-searching prayer, speakers’ input, table conversations, sharing of demographics and thought-provoking discussions. One could state that the time together was a feast of ideas, rekindling of relationships and, most importantly, conversations that were grounded in respect for the other, integrity and honesty.
Little did those in attendance know that when they accepted an invitation to attend, they would be bountifully sustained by three components of the feast: naming reality and embracing the now, embracing the possible and embracing relationships.
As wise hostesses tend to do, the banquet members were tabled with a variety of new friends and long-time acquaintances. Those at tables shared insights, questions and feelings as to how one holds on while letting go of misinformation, judgments or past missteps. Refreshing and enriching parts of conversations were shared in the large group thus keeping all informed of shifts in acceptance of possibilities, questions that lingered and wisdom revealed.
These themes, like a banquet’s thirst-quenching punch or an excellent aged wine, were interwoven throughout the conversations as the facilitator, Sister Kate DuVal, SSND, guided the process of committee reports, prayer and addressing concerns that arose.
Sisters and associates release leaves into the pond on the Mount Loretto grounds. Written on the leaves are notes to Mother Earth with their intentions to protect and walk in unity with all beings.
For One Hundred Fifty Years
For nearly 150 years, Presentation Sisters were summoned to prayer and meditation by the warm gentle sounds of chimes calming the mind and heart in preparation for quiet times with God. Chimes probably rang out for Nano Nagle in Ireland and, most definitely, for Mother Vincent Hennessy in the community’s first home in Key West. During these days, the ringing of a chime echoed in prayer spaces. It reminded all present to gather and for some to recall the distant times of chanted psalms sprinkled with short periods of silence.
Faintly sounding chimes could not diminish the delight heard in voices nor stop the welcoming hugs that were part of sisters and associates greeting each other upon arrival. The persistent chimes gently announced opening prayer reminding those present that the journey of transformation being undertaken would name the community’s current realities such as commitment to mission, demographics and future uses of properties.
Following opening prayer, Sister Maura McCarthy, explained the paths she has traveled, many of them chosen for her rather than by her. Sharing of her life’s dream of being a missionary and the challenges to reach that goal inspired her listeners. Her journey of personal transformation to hold heart, mind and soul open, remaining faithful to her dream and willingness to be a daughter of Nano, reminded the group of the hundreds of untold stories of other daughters desiring to be faithful to their call to serve women and children.
Sister Maura reiterated, “We travel in need, dependent on Holy Mystery for strength and on each other for assurance.”
Following Sister Maura’s sharing, sisters processed their feelings around personal dreams and struggles to faithfully live their mission and values. Acknowledging that holding onto dreams, even when possibly crushed or out of reach, may enable one to become more aware of God’s new or different possibilities. After listening to one another’s aspirations and faithfulness, participants concluded with the words of Edward Hays’ poem, “So now we begin anew, in good company, open to the grace that leads to transformation.”
Energized by the sharings, the community soon delved into embracing future possibilities that call for deep listening while being open to diverse opinions or ideas that lead to unimaginable paths to fully living the Presentation mission together. They believe these possibilities have happened in the past and will continue to enrich and guide their lives, grounded in relationships, while tending Nano’s light through service to women and children and Earth.
Celebrating The Work Ahead
Part of the future work is found in the community’s commitments to Earth as presented by the Laudato Si’ committee, the Land Justice Team and the associates’ New Eyes Service Group. Inspired by the members of these groups’ stories of new knowledge and shared experiences, coupled with deep passion, all present pledged to increase their care for all beings by increasing prairie pockets plantings, gaining more solar panel knowledge and joining the land justice endeavors. Such commitments are possible because all continue working together.
Celebrations like this recent community gathering would never be considered “perfect” if a time for relaxation and laughter were omitted. Both were evident when the red carpet was rolled out for a skit announcing the community’s 150th anniversary events. All enjoyed the ”Christmas in July“ social and a harpist performing at the Saturday evening meal. Just as important were times during the discussions when a light moment, joke or misspeak caused smiles and laughter to ripple in the air. In those times of merriment, a vast variety of other’s talents were revealed to be among the group and hopefully will be shared in future gatherings.
Sisters and associates journeyed home with thoughts of many possibilities created by their graced time together.
Sisters and associates were presented with a commissioning card as a symbol to continue on the journey asking God to unlock their hearts and ask for
the grace they need to continue this transformation.