Mourning Our Losses

Since the beginning of 2020 and COVID following shortly thereafter, we Dominicans of Sinsinawa have said good-bye to 53 of our Sisters who entered eternal life.  Three of those Sisters left behind a biological sister who is also a member of the congregation.  This becomes an even more significant loss for those Sisters.  

We, both as a community and also as individual human beings, are mourning our losses.  Our beautiful wake/remembering services and funeral liturgies do help.  Since COVID restrictions have become less stringent, we have been able to accompany a Sister’s remains to the cemetery.  This also assists us saying our “good-byes.”

 

Although we are happy for the Sister who has entered eternity, nevertheless, we are grieving.  Today, I gathered the memorial cards for all of these Sisters, held each of them and all of them in prayer, and recalled my connection and encounters with each Sister.  I recognize each person engages in the mourning process differently and at her own pace.  This means we are holding each of us and all of us as we move through the mourning stages. 

 

This past Saturday, friends and family members of a Sister who died in January were able to gather at the Mound for a remembering service for Sister and for prayers at the burial site.  This coming week we as a community will again participate in the wake/remembering services and funeral liturgies for 2 more Sisters.  May we hold each other well.

 

What losses are you mourning?

Who or what is helping you engage in the mourning process?

 

Anne Sur, OP

East Dubuque, IL

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Nuns can have nose rings? (and other frequently asked questions)

Happiness and Joy in Religious Life?

Where are my...(fill in the blank)?