The Neighborhood Nun
By S. Ann Wittman
I have often wondered what it feels like to be "bored" - a complaint one hears often from young people. As an octogenerian nun I can honestly say that I have never known the feeling. My usual quandary is, "What do I do first?" Like most retired sisters, I find myself pretty steadily "employed." Our Constitutions encourage us to never retire from religious life itself, always mindful that "we do not want to grow weary of seeking new ways to reach people."
Here in Minocqua, WI, I have found a space and a place that allows me to continue to use my gifts and the experience I acquired through many years of more structured service. If I could summarize my lifetime ministry and experience in one word, I would say "teaching." This has taken many forms in the past on many levels and continues today with invitations from various groups to give presentations and with a commitment to spread the Church's doctrine on social justice, mainly through my membership in Pax Christi. Such teaching also translates into writing and editing. Since I also have been trained as a pianist and choral director, I do help out at times with parish music needs.
Aside from these more defined ways of contributing to the mission of the Holy Cros Sisters, I have found that living in a neighborhood with ordinary people opens up many opportunities for the "ministry of presence." I enjoy being the "neighborhood nun!"
