It is hard to believe that it has been 12 and a half years that I have been living the monastic way of life–drawn to leave everything behind, including family and children–to follow Christ in trust and faith for His glory.
After serving as a pastoral care minister to the sick and dying in Birmingham, I returned to the monastery in Cullman. I had an opportunity to meet so many faithful Catholics at Our Lady of the Valley parish in Birmingham. This was a blessing to me, and some of the parishioners still keep in touch. Often, they ask me: Sister, what do you do at the monastery?
There is never a dull moment at the monastery. We pray as a community several times during the day, work, community life, enjoy holy leisure, welcome guests, and care for the heritage that our hard-working Sisters who have gone before us have handed to us. We, as a community, continue to be the light of Christ to the people around us. Our guests tell us they experience God’s peace here on this sacred ground.
When the pandemic began it made sense to put my 37 years of administrative, analytical, computer, financial and organizational skills to use for my community in our Development Office, in humility and for the love of the community. So, for the past 5 years I have been working behind the scenes with receiving donations by mail, credit card or online, sending acknowledgements and record keeping. I also pray for each donor while working, and so this has become my ministry. I am thankful to God for the grace and strength he grants me each day to be part of His kingdom.
I prepare for our Eucharistic Liturgy and assist our chaplains who celebrate with our community and guests in our chapel.
There is a row of rose bushes that I love to care for; they have been blooming each year for the past 12 years. The flowers bring joy to our Sisters, employees and guests. It amazes me to see the bushes blossom at least four times each year with some tender loving care.
We have a few black walnut trees on our grounds. Although it’s a lot of work to harvest and crack each hard nut, they are delicious and the aroma of its freshness is amazing. I use them to make biscotti that the Sisters, employees and sometimes guests enjoy. Cracking these nuts one by one, teaches me patience, understanding and listening/being with God, and experiencing the joy of seeing a full, soft and fleshy seed pop out from the hard nut. Joy in little things!
Five years ago, in celebrating the fifth anniversary of Pope Francis’ encyclical
Laudato Si (“On Care for Our Common Home”), I planted an apricot and a plum tree on our monastery grounds, and I can’t wait to see them bear fruit. The baby apricot seen in the picture was found last year while pruning the branches.
It’s always a joy to be with my two granddaughters who are now ten and six years old. God is good all the time!! We just have to trust in Him, and be faithful to His word for God always keeps His promise.
By Sister Minona Anne D’Souza, OSB
