We are in the midst of a global health crisis, requiring unprecedented social distancing: orders to stay at home; the closing of schools and public venues including restaurants, museums and theaters; cancellation of large events, gatherings and liturgical celebrations; restrictions on travel and visitation of loved ones at their birth and their death. It is uncertain how long this “new normal” will continue and the long-term impact it will have on so many levels.
As women religious living in community and “sent to make Christ visible by our very being,” we are challenged to help each other and those we serve while keeping our distance. How can we “be women of peace, hope and love” and ease the anxiety, the fear, the heartbreak and the loneliness without being present in person? As “educators in all we do and are,” what lessons are we learning from this situation and how can we share those lessons?
We offer the following prayers, reflections and resources as a source of encouragement and support in the spirit of oneness with our God and with one another as all humanity copes with this global pandemic.
What If? by Sister Ann Coleman
Laetare Sunday: Pent-Up Joy by Sister Francine Koehler
A Visit from Persona Fear by Sister Mary Helen Stokes
Pandemic from the Mount by Sister Lillia Landgraf
Coronavirus by Sister Mary Fitzgerald
Witnessing to unity in a time of challenge by SSND Shalom – North America
SSND Untold Story by Sister Judy Best and Sister Diane Buckman
Mary Tellis-Nayak is truly a caregiver for 14 of our Sisters in and around Chicago. Having worked as a nurse for more than 40 years, Mary knows how to ensure the Sisters under her care are comfortable, cared for and safe where they are living.
