Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross

Written on: September 15, 2015

Monday, September 14, was the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross.  The Grey Nuns of the Sacred Heart celebrated this Congregational Feast during morning Liturgy, with music and a special reflection given by Sister Maureen Quigley GNSH.

Following is a reflection on the meaning of the Feast by Sister Mary Karen Kelly, GNSH.

I remember my first community celebration exactly 60 years ago, six days after my entrance into the Grey Nuns of the Sacred Heart. After Morning Prayer, Meditation and Liturgy, we entered the dining room for breakfast.  I was surprised to see special decorations on the table: cut out red Cross designs on top of white linen-covered squares.  Wonder of wonders, instead of the usual silence, we began to talk after Grace!   Wise Novices quickly explained the significance of the occasion. Later, our Mistress of Novices expanded on the meaning of the Feast and its import to the Grey Nuns.

I remember being comforted by the fact that the Grey Nuns celebrated meaningful events, just as my family always did. I even wondered when the next celebration might be.  There were other surprise occasions during those first years which helped me learn the culture and traditions of the Grey Nuns of the Sacred Heart. Few delighted me more than this first one.

Sister Mary Karen Kelly is a frequent contributor to our blog. Sister is the Congregational Archivist and knows the importance of keeping, and sharing, our history.

This entry was posted in From our Sisters and tagged: celebrations, culture and tradition, Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, Liturgy, meditation, morning prayer, novice, postulant