Take 5: “Holy Grounds”
If you could ask a Sister a question, what would it be? Have you ever wanted to know if they can have pets or if they are on social media? What about their daily routines or their call to religious life? Answers to some of these questions can help us all dive deep into God’s calling for our lives. Other answers can help us better see the Sisters individually. Some answers are a lot of fun and help us picture a Sister enjoying a binge-watching marathon of their favorite series and even taking care of a goldfish.
For this edition of Take 5, we are introducing you to a new video series with the Sisters of St. Mary of Oregon called “Holy Grounds.” Each month, the Sisters will tackle the burning questions people around the SSMO campus want to ask them while they enjoy a cup of coffee and their beautiful campus. “You ask, we answer,” as one Sister joyfully explained it.
For the inaugural “Holy Grounds” episode, the Valley Catholic High School Rosary Club asked the Sisters a series of questions they have always wanted to know. “Holy Grounds” will dive into myths and facts about the Sisters and provide our campus community the opportunity to ask Sisters their burning questions. Read the answers from a few of the Rosary Club’s questions and then visit the Holy Grounds Video page to see the full video. Check back soon for future episodes when the VC Elementary students pose their curiosities to the Sisters.
In the meantime, for this edition of Take 5, enjoy questions from the inaugural episode of “Holy Grounds.”
Sr. Michael Francine: It depends on the type of pet a Sister is attracted to and whether the Community can tolerate it. As the Superior General, I do not, nor do we as a Community, want to have any snakes or rodents. Thankfully, the SSMO Motherhouse cats are here to get rid of the rodents.
We presently have two dogs, Gabi and Molly, and three cats, Jackie, Ginger, and Gail. These are small creatures to take care of and the dogs are almost like service dogs. They go over to Maryville to be companions with the residents and they provide a lot of joy for the elderly Sisters in the convent.
Sr. Juana: We have had several types of pets in the Community through the years. A Sister had a fish once and the Sisters on the third floor loved the fish. The Sisters who lived on that floor were assigned to feed and care for the fish – they loved it.
Sr. Juana: [Chuckling] We still have phones and smartwatches. They are actually important tools for us. I have a facebook page to stay in touch with my siblings. Social media and technology help us stay better connected to our ministries nowadays, too.
Sr. Krista: Phones, smartwatches and social media are a great way to stay connected to my friends and family. I also use those tools daily in my work with CYO and Camp Howard. Social media is a great way for us to connect and communicate with our families and communities.
Sr. Juana: My family was not very happy when I joined the SSMO Community. Even a couple years later, they were still thinking of ways to encourage me to come back home. Now, 30 years later, they are more settled and appreciative of my decision.
One time, one of my siblings sent a lady to visit me in order to convince me that this was not a good idea. She asked questions such as, “Well, why did you leave your family?” “Are you okay?” “What is the reason?” I told her this was my choice. I wanted to come, I wanted to join, I felt called by God to be here so I know I am fine.
Sr. Michael Francine: My dad was overjoyed about my decision. However, he did say to me, “If anything goes wrong, just come back home!” My brothers, on the other hand, were very skeptical and did not think I was good enough to be a Sister, which is perfectly fine. They were just suspicious of the entire situation. Once they came out and met the Sisters, they settled down and became more comfortable with the decision I made.
Now, I’m sure, just like Sr. Juana’s family, when they need prayers, they know exactly where to go and who to ask.
Sr. Michael Francine: Yes, we have a Sunday afternoon movie that everyone is invited to watch together and, sometimes, Sisters will receive a giftcard for a streaming service. When one Sister had access to Netflix, we watched “The Crown.” Since the next episode automatically plays, we spent a weekend watching all of the episodes during our free time. Recently, a few of the Sisters were gifted with a DVD set of “The Chosen,” so we watched that.
Sr. Juana: We need to have our own account and since we have to pay for it with our personal budgets, we typically choose not to have it. However, we do enjoy the Sunday movies and occasional TV and streaming time.
Sr. Michael Francine: Typically we get up at 5 a.m., some of us get up earlier, some of us get up a little later because we want to be in the chapel by 6 a.m. for morning prayer then Mass. After that, we have breakfast together, and then head off to our different ministries. In the evening, we have evening prayer followed by dinner together. After dinner, we clean up and do an evening activity before we retire to our rooms for the night.
Sr. Juana: It is not strict because it is a routine we long to have. That makes the commitment easier because we want to have that routine in our lives. If I did not have my routine then I would be all over the place, no focus. I want to be focused, so I appreciate my structured routine.
Future episodes can been seen at ssmo.org/holy-grounds.
