Written on: July 2, 2013
In our many years in ministry as Grey Nuns of the Sacred Heart, we labored in the vineyards of the Lord in many different ways and in many different places. Now, in retirement, some of us labor in the garden of the Yardley Motherhouse. Our courtyard, centered between four wings of the building, has always been a picturesque seasonal vista for sisters, employees and visitors.
Working in the garden recently, we thought about how gardening is similar to many life passages, including the one in which we Grey Nuns find ourselves. Our present landscape looks cold and hard. We have had to sell our Motherhouse and the location of our next home is uncertain. But life—and faith—have taught us that the warmth of God’s blessings and Providence are with us and we will be born again, like the flowers of spring.
Our recent Chapter meeting was our indoor planting session. This congregational event, held every five years, brings all Grey Nuns together for a week of prayer, contemplation, discussion, listening, decision making and election. Our newly elected Leadership Council, along with our stated ideas and goals, are the seeds for our future. We will now watch our congregation change and grow and blossom in new ways, in a new garden.
Please pray for us. The issues we face as a community of Catholic women religious are many and complex. Nonetheless, we continue to serve Christ and the Church in prayer and apostolic love and to reach out to all in need. We continue to hear, live and share the Gospel message.
We are blessed to have you as our friends. We couldn’t continue our work and our ministries without your prayers, and your faithful support. To put it simply, you keep us alive and thriving even blooming!
May God bless you with a happy and healthy summer!
The Grey Nuns of the Sacred Heart
Dear Friends, I’m grateful for this description of Grey Nun life bringing to mind both the loveliness of a garden and the delight of consecrated life lived in community. Since our local community if on the sixth floor of an apartment building, we don’t currently have a garden to cultivate. But blessed as we are with the nearness of Lake Erie, as well as several large gardens a short walk away, we admire and give thanks for the beauty of God’s creation, and that is our spiritual practice.