Religious Sisters and Community Life

"We will rise!"  Depending on where you stand these words may mean something different to you.  Certainly here in our national context (Trinidad), it was the slogan of the ruling political party as they campaigned during the elections a couple years ago.  

As a Catholic Christian this phrase means something quite different. Fresh out of the Easter Season we know that it reminds us of the dying and rising we each must make in our lives from time to time.  Rising out of darkness and despair, sadness and disappointment is difficult.  

As Religious Sisters we face this too when...we lose family and community members to death, we suffer illness, sisters decide to leave the community, we experience disappointment in our ministry, with ourselves, in our relationships with each other, with oppressive systems and institutions. 

But we don't stay down.  We rise again and the reason we are able to do this is because we are not alone.   Our relationship with God and our relationships in community provide much needed support to carry on.   

In our Sinsinawa Community this can happen and is happening in so many ways.   Emails, Skyping, cards, phone calls, visits, regional and other local gatherings, living together under one roof, keep us connected and allow us opportunities to show care and concern, to be present to  each other, to pray for each other, to study together, to ask the important questions and to work hard at listening to each other share deeply our feelings and needs.  

So even though Community and Religious Life has its challenges and we don't always get it right, there are numerous blessings too for which I am so very grateful.  

How have you been blessed with community? 

Would you consider becoming a member of our Sinsinawa Community?

Gail Jagroop, OP

St. Joseph, Trinidad