The Shape of Ministry
During a Global Pandemic By S. Marge Kloos
Ministry of Prayer and the Healing World
this way, we will be able to transform the roots of our physical, spiritual and social infirmities and the destructive practices that separate us from each other, threatening the human family and our planet. (Pope Francis, August 2020)
In the Motherhouse chapel, a simple statue of Mary and a prayer card, illuminated by a perpetually burning candle, has stood undisturbed as a focal point for weeks. O Mary, you always shine on our path as a sign of salvation and of hope. We entrust ourselves to you, Health of the Sick, who at the cross took part in Jesus’ pain, keeping your faith firm. You, Mother of the Divine Physician, know what we need, and we are sure you will provide so that, as in Cana of Galilee, we may return to joy after this time of trial. Help us, Mother of Divine Love, to conform to the will of the Father and to do as we are inspired by Jesus, who has taken upon himself our sufferings and carried our sorrows to lead us, through the cross, to the joy of the resurrection. Amen. As a presence of comfort and encouragement, Mary models for us how our ministry turns to the situation of our world in this time of crisis. We take our inspiration from Mary’s posture at the foot of the cross, keeping vigil with the world’s heartaches. Since March 18, 2020, Sisters Marty Dermody (director of the Sisters of Charity Spirituality Center) and Mary Therese Thorman (Congregational music director) have coordinated virtual prayer twice daily. 12
The shape of ministry looks different since the pandemic began. As has been true for generations of Sisters of Charity, when crisis demands that a way open where there appears to be no way, ingenuity and intentionality are not in short supply. After all, over a lifetime of service one’s heart and spirit fill to the brim with possibility. During the pandemic, Sisters have drawn on that possibility to continue providing direct service and outreach, albeit following recommended practices for keeping everyone safe. S. Marie Irene Schneider lights a vigil candle near the statue of Mary in the Mount St. Joseph Motherhouse chapel.
Our prayer invites an opening for God to interact with our hurting world.
Ministry of Presence: Being with the World in New Ways In August, Pope Francis offered these words of encouragement about ministry in today’s world: Renewed contact with the Gospel of faith, of hope and of love invites us to assume a creative and renewed spirit. In
In Bedford, Ohio, S. Dorothy Ann Blatnica serves as the property manager for a new 70-unit “supported housing” complex for working poor, located on the grounds of the Motherhouse of the former Vincentian Sisters of Charity. With a deadline to fill all the apartments by December 2020, there has been precious little time to spare. The project has slowed because construction materials have been hard to get during the pandemic. But the realities of poverty and homelessness do not stop during a pandemic, “so we have been onsite, in masks, continuing to work through these months.” As Sister goes on I n tercom
