Sister, My Sister

I had the gift of a 90 minute visit with Sister Margaret, who turned 80 last summer. She is doing well...a little slower physically, but as active in her learning and prayer life. It was the perfect end to our spring meeting of the Advisory Board of the St. Teresa Leadership and Service Institute for Women. We had just spent two days working on the continued building of the Institute, which included an invigorating meeting with the Leadership Team of the Sister of St. Francis (Rochester, MN). We had a dynamic discussion on spiritual development and how to address that through the lens of many Faiths and Leadership.

Sister Margaret was not teaching when I went to CST. She was my advisor for Pax Christi/ Bread for the World. We were remembering the 1983 National Meeting of Pax Christi, held up at Assisi Heights. What an incredible weekend that was in my life! Helping plan for it; of course, helping run it; and meeting so many of the people who were national and international leaders in the peace movement.

It was Sister Margaret who brough Gordon Zahn to campus. He wrote "In Solitary Witness: The Life and Death of Franz Jägerstätter". And many others. Individuals who worked and wrote and lived and taught around social justice issues. Such models.

I joked with Sister Margaret that I hold her fully responsible for my leadership skills today. I think I led that group for 3 years and I'm sure she was the one who talked me into it! But she modeled so much for me.

And she continues to teach me to this day. When I'm stuck in life, I just reach out to her and she sends a card or a prayer. When I need to understand something better, she sends me a book.

Always the mentor...and I, her mentee.