Just returned from Columbia, PA and the 60th jubilee celebration of my aunt, Sister Mary Clare Reineberg, a member of the Adorers of the Blood of Christ. With my sister and twin brother, we gathered at St. Ann’s, the assisted living center perched in the Amish farmland.
We walked roads bordered with corn as high as the proverbial elephant’s eye. We looked with sadness at the original motherhouse that once held a bustling community and girl’s school. No longer able to support the convent with diminished resources, the sisters sold it to a non-profit for housing boys in need. (Couldn't help but wonder how many urinals had to be installed!). Through the years we’d come to visit, we’d enjoy the ukulele picking of Sister Helene, the ready smile of Sister Clete Marie, the spunk of Sister Toni, and the giggle of Sister Jean Marie. Far too many to name and too many headstone sunk into the rich soil of a simple graveyard. Too many are now in wheelchairs and on oxygen. Yet they filled the small chapel to celebrate 60 years of faithfulness. How many people do you know who have been in one profession for 60 years? Imagine living in community for 60 years? Not an easy task with different personalities, quirks, and foibles. Yet they have endured. I suspect when one responds to a higher calling, much is possible. I celebrate you all!
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