As part of an archival project of reordering the archive collection into manageable record groups, I have spent the last three weeks going through thousands of photographs, and I do mean thousands. The many pocket folders labeled “Miscellaneous and Various Groups of Sisters” alone took three days alone to sort through, one photo at a time. Some pictures were of jubilee celebrations. Some were photos of ministry groups through the years. Many were initial formation groups at various stages—postulants, novices, first professed and newly final professed. Many more photos were associated with Sacred Heart Academy and Sacred Heart College, which became Cullman College in the 1960’s. A whole banker’s box of file pockets contains photos of the buildings and grounds from the early 1900’s onward. No aspect of the community’s life and history is left unrecorded in these pictures; although, there are many photographs of recorded of moments that were never identified with names, dates, places, or occasions.
I have relied on the memories and knowledge of elder members to assist with identifications, which has been a huge help. Yet, so much of the pictorial story remains a mystery. This reality makes me pause and reflect with awe and gratitude on all that the Sisters faced and accomplished through the last 137 years since our foremothers first arrived in Alabama.
The women of this community, past and present, have forged a life deeply rooted in prayer—transformational prayer that calls us all beyond ourselves and into the universal communion of the Church. Whether together or alone, the prayers of the Sisters have continued to reflect the exhortation of St. Paul to “pray unceasingly.”
Alongside the life of prayer has been the ministry of presence. Gathered in community, we embody the presence of Christ for one another, “washing each other’s feet” in a life of self-giving service. That presence uplifts, consoles, challenges, and encourages each and all of us to remain faithful to the monastic journey. This ministry of presence has not only been internal to the monastery but also extends to the local faith and civic communities—students, alumni, family, retreatants, Oblates, neighbors, friends and strangers. This is our legacy, our daily investment in both the present and in the future.
The ministry of presence has blossomed into countless ways of practicing hospitality—radical hospitality—through the years and decades. Beginning with immigrant families and students of all ages, our Sisters often have stood at the margins of society with the socially and economically poor. Yet, there has been a particular concern for the spiritually poor. The Adult Care ministry, the Conference and Retreat Center ministry, and Benedictine Manor have been alternative expressions of hospitality for the monastic community on the grounds of Sacred Heart Monastery. Furthermore, the Sisters have extended hospitality to parishes, hospitals, clinics and courtrooms. Through our Oblate Program, the reach of hospitality has gone even farther.
Archival documents, photographs, and videos cannot capture the whole of this living legacy as it continues to unfold, but they can be witnesses and reminders of God at work in the world bringing us all closer to the eternal Kingdom.
By Sister Therese Haydel, OSB