By Melissa Borgmann-Kiemde, Vis Companion
Wednesday, April 28th, marked the final installment of this spring season’s discernment workshops facilitated by Srs. Joanna and Karen. Held on three separate Wednesday evenings in February, March and April at the nuns’ lay retreat space known as “St. Jane House,” these “Following the Spirit” classes proved successful for our urban sisterhood. As the Visitation Sisters launched their vocations campaign initiative, seeking seven new women to be a prayerful presence in North Minneapolis, the space at St. Jane House swelled with young people answering a call, that was in many ways, to do just this! The young women and men who convened for these sessions all came wrestling with questions:
- What does it mean to live and be aligned in our faith?
- How does God call me?
- What is my role or place in this setting?
- How can I learn and serve Love?
The questions hearken closely to the founding mission of the Visitation order; an inquiry that Saints Francis or Jane, or anyone of the Vis nuns, might pose as: “How do I LIVE JESUS?”
For this individual participant, and long-time lover of the Visitation Sisters and their model of urban monasticism, I was particularly struck by the blessed population of people converging at St. Jane House on these discernment evenings. We were women. Men. In our twenties, thirties, early forties. Black. White. Brown. Some of us Catholic. Others Protestant. A couple Buddhists. A woman of Hindu faith. Another questioning deeply the existence of God. All of us deeply committed to our journeys, paths, and unpacking our purposes here, as we understood the Divine to be calling us.
I was particularly struck by the blessed population of people converging at St. Jane House on these discernment evenings. We were women. Men. In our twenties, thirties, early forties. Black. White. Brown. Some of us Catholic. Others Protestant. A couple Buddhists. A woman of Hindu faith. Another questioning deeply the existence of God. All of us deeply committed to our journeys, paths, and unpacking our purposes here, as we understood the Divine to be calling us. – Melissa Borgmann-Kiemde, Vis Companion
As we continue in our search for new women religious, I have to wonder how God and the Holy Spirit are answering our prayers in this present moment, at this particular juncture, with this beautiful ensemble of people coming forward? What does the face of a Visitation Sister look like? Who is called to be a vowed member? How is each person coming forward part of this urban monastic community in some way? What do our hearts and minds say about vocations today?
In peace, prayers, contemplation,
Melissa
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