News Perspectives from PrayTheNews.com

Sister Jean's perspective on Carmelite Move

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 12:9:23 EDT

For 75 years, a contemplative order of nuns known as the Carmelite Sisters of Indianapolis have made it just that: a "fortress of prayer" from which they have prayed for the world�. The Carmelites are moving this summer to Oldenburg, near Batesville in southeastern Indiana, to take up residence alongside the Sisters of St. Francis.

The Archdiocese of Indianapolis is negotiating to buy the monastery and its 17 acres for use as a home for future priests studying at the Bishop Simon Brute College Seminary at nearby Marian College.

In 2007, our community marked 85 years as a new Carmelite foundation, and 75 years in our beautiful monastery here in Indianapolis. Our official name, "Carmel of the Resurrection," has defined our years in Indianapolis: we have seen extraordinary new life, and have met hundreds of friends as we shared our lives of prayer through our liturgies and publications. In the past seven years, particularly through our website, www.praythenews.com, we have been able to reach out to the world and have dedicated ourselves to spreading the lure and life-giving power of the contemplative attitude to life.

Our prayer enables us to see God both as mysteriously transcendent and yet visible and moving through the events of history. By sharing our prayer and our vision with others, we have worked to make ourselves better known in the hope of attracting vocations for a new generation of Carmelites to carry our life of prayer into the future. You have been a great part of this endeavor, and we thank God for your help, encouragement, and many forms of support.

We have seen the fruitful spread of contemplative prayer in the last decade or so, but our hope for new members has not been fulfilled and we have gradually faced the need to move to a new place better suited to our age and our small numbers. We have been in a discernment process for some time to find a new home that will allow us to maintain our contemplative lives in a building that requires less upkeep and maintenance. Although we have known that we would move eventually, we did not anticipate doing so in the near future.

In the last two months, however, we have received an offer from the Archdiocese of Indianapolis to buy the monastery. They will use it to house the men who are preparing for priesthood and studying at Marian College, just a mile down the road. It will be called Bishop Brut� Seminary in honor of Simon Brut� (1779-1839). He was the first Roman Catholic bishop of the Diocese of Vincennes, which later became the Archdiocese of Indianapolis.

This use of the property fulfills our dream that the monastery be used for a religious purpose and the building kept intact. We have accepted the offer and will be moving this summer to a building on the property of the Franciscan Sisters in Oldenburg, Indiana.

There is much loss and sadness for us in this decision, as well as for those of you who have invested so much in our being here in the heart of Indianapolis. You have been in our hearts and prayers for many years, and as we deal with this transition, we hold you even more dearly there. We know how much our liturgy means to so many of our friends. This extended community and the priests who have served us have enabled us to keep close to the deep life of the Church in Indiana.

Our loss is being tempered by our loving welcome to Oldenburg, our long history of friendship with the Franciscan Sisters, and the good health and energy that will allow us to continue to live our community life and maintain our identity as Carmelites.

As we celebrate Easter this year, we are drawn especially to the account in Luke's gospel about the disciples on the road to Emmaus. We know that Easter hope is rooted in God's unconditional love for each of us and not in a hope for a particular outcome, even when so much has been invested in it. As the disciples came to know Jesus in the breaking of the bread, we understand that we often find God in surprising situations.

This year we invite you to be with us as we know the Lord in the breaking of our plans and the loss of outcomes we had counted on. Our Companion goes wherever we go, and we know the "burning in our hearts" as the disciples did.

Sister Betty's perspective on Resurrection Time 2008

Sat, 8 Mar 2008 21:1:11 EDT

During Holy Week and the days of Easter, the Gospel tells us about Jesus' transformation and the hope of our own. After Jesus' death, his disciples began to realize that not only was he still with them but that he had forgiven them. And there was plenty to forgive. They had abandoned him and one had betrayed him, but they knew that he was taking them back and was sending them out, free of their past, to give the good news of forgiveness to the world.

We remember the disciples' need for forgiveness not to put them down but to realize the depths of God's unconditional love. The apostles did the same kind of remembering to enable them to accept Jesus' forgiveness and to move on with their lives. How many times had they seen him heal and heard him say, "Your sins are forgiven."

The genocide, wars, and broken relationships in the world today very often have their roots in the inability to forgive. New and age-old offenses burden our memories, and we make choices that separate us even further when communication would make for communion. As we "pray the news" this Easter, let us do so with a will to live in a way that will raise us up to the dignity to which we are called, transforming our minds and our hearts toward the peace that Jesus promised. When we believe that in Jesus we have within us "the peace that the world cannot give," we can give peace to the world.

Sister Ruth's perspective on Election 2008

Thu, 14 Feb 2008 16:49:0 EDT

In the relatively recent history of presidential debates, we have witnessed a gamut of clever one-liners and classic blunders. From Reagan's clever and humorous response regarding the age concern to Ford's mind-boggling refutation in the 1970's, that there was no Soviet domination of Eastern Europe, it is an opportunity to witness the candidates up close and personal. And on some occasions, it was truly a make or break situation.
As we prepare to elect a new President in November, the debate factor will figure heavily in many people's voting decision. After already witnessing so many debates from both parties, it's become quite clear where each of the candidates stand on the many issues facing our Country. So for the undecided voter it was the perfect opportunity to make their choice or at least to know the candidate they would be leaning toward.
Of course, I don't have an insiders' knowledge of who will win the November election, not to mention the respective nominations ("only God knows" is never truer than in this case) but I do know that with knowledge comes power; that power coupled with the Spirit's wisdom to choose wisely is the best for all.

Many forms of Government have been tried, and will be tried in this world of sin and woe. No one pretends that democracy is perfect or all wise. Indeed, it has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except all those other forms that have been tried from time to time.

Sir Winston Churchill (1874 - 1965)
Hansard, November 11, 1947

Sister Betty's perspective on Lent : Transformation

Mon, 28 Jan 2008 20:47:28 EDT

�Change your hearts,� is the cry of Lent. Transformation is always on the daily human to do list, but Lent grabs us by the shoulders and challenges us to be serious about it. Throughout the year, suffering and loss may have cracked us open and enabled us to see-- really to see better. But just in case, Lent invites us all to wake up to what we are doing with our lives, to what we are becoming.

These darker days of winter invite us to surrender to the forces that help us to die to what we were and, like a seed in the earth, let our potential for spiritual growth break through in our effort to transform our lives.

Spiritual house cleaning rids us of things like grudges, insensitivity to the needs of others, laziness about prayer, and unkind words. It works at generosity, patience, and a desire to be changed for the better through the action of the Spirit in the stuff of our lives.

We do Lent not merely for our own transformation. Much of the News tells us that the world is in a mess. Pray the News. �Change your hearts� and change the world.

Sister Jean's perspective on Kenya

Thu, 17 Jan 2008 18:14:32 EDT

Those who survived this massacre realized that they had been attacked by those they had considered friends and neighbors, people with whom they had even prayed. Up until this time Kenya had a stable reputation of being East Africa's biggest economy, a host to growing foreign business and political interests. It had the reputation of being a model democracy, a "poster nation of the African renaissance," a term used by the President of South Africa, Thabo Mbeki. The belief that their president, Mwai Kibaki, had rigged the election in his favor brought to the surface smoldering resentment against his tribe, the Kikuyus, whose economic prosperity contrasted with the poverty and injustice experienced by so many others.

Before Christmas we had received a very upbeat newsletter about the growth and bright future of the Carmelite community in Kenya. They had recently celebrated their first ordination to the priesthood of Nicholas Olonde Adongo. A thousand parishioners "cheered, sang, and danced" as he moved in procession to the Church in his home parish to celebrate his first Eucharistic liturgy. These Carmelites are from mixed tribes. It is my prayer that these young African Carmelites in Kenya have come to realize the demons we all carry around with us and have learned to deal with them in their solitary prayer and daily living with one another. What we are aware of will not take us by surprise. Going deep prevents lashing out. Faith communities and persons that have gained self-knowledge and learned to live in love and service to others send healing far and wide.