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As I begin my 50th year as a Holy Cross Sister, I pause and reflect on some of the most rewarding moments of my life. It all began when we lived in St. Francis Xavier Convent in Merrill, WI, before the merger of the two parishes.
We had a neighbor dying of ovarian cancer. I went to visit and pray with her and I noticed that very few friends came to visit anymore. In conversation she asked if I could come to pray night prayer with her. I did that for weeks-maybe months- "when convenient and inconvenient." Since then, I have walked with as many as 30 such people, usually driving seven to ten miles out of town to be with them, to bring Eucharist and comfort at least once a week.
I cannot begin to recount the depth of experience and emotions I have shared with them on the journey. Recently I visited a couple seven miles our of town. The wife was in the process of dying. In the midst of tears the husband said to me, "Sister, if only we could see or experience what heaven is like it might not be so hard." I said, "St. Paul tells us that we can't even imagine it, we can only perceive it in the depth of our faith, and God graces us with that power of perception."
I continue to relish the experiences of a ministry richly blessed by God. I look forward to continuing this journey in the footsteps of Jesus and Francis.
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