News from the Sisters in Greenwich

Easter Week Celebrations

The Rt. Rev. Daniel Herzog graced the Sisters with a Community-growth Eucharist on Easter Wednesday, March 30th. After our Malawian Sisters did a traditional dancing procession to bring the Bishop into the church, Deacon Margaret Haight of St. Luke’s, Cambridge was received as an Associate.

Before the passing of the Peace, Bishop Herzog also installed Father Christopher Brown as our new Provincial Chaplain and received the Junior Promises of Sisters Esther Ernestina and Mary Chimwemwe.

Guests that morning included speakers and leadership for the Anglican Communion Institute, and, at their invitation, the four African sisters (with four American sisters doing their best to stay in step!) again “danced the bishop in” — with sounds of joyful African ululation — to the opening assembly of the Institute’s scholarly House of Studies meeting at Christ the King Chapel.

Visitors to the New Convent

On March 13 the youth group from Bethesda Church, Saratoga Springs, came to the convent for an afternoon’s sharing of everything from tea to our husbandry work with cashmere goats to carding and spinning wool to chanting Vespers, finally ending with our talking Sunday supper.

Over Memorial Day weekend a group of Spiritual Companions and friends of Associate Iris Pearce flew from Dallas for a weekend of quiet and retreat, attending the Journey Into Healing Conference with Dr. Russ Parker.

Among the longtime friends who have made the trek upstate this spring are Richard and Mary Mammana (NYC), Clint Best (NYC), Marcia Berrien (MD), Glen and Ione Grable (FL), Pat Farewell (Chappaqua), Martha Holden (VT), and Holly Tepe (SMS Class of ‘66 — from NH). Washington Associate Betsy Siegmund visited during Holy Week and has returned to stay for a month this summer.

Trudy Hoche-Mong is also visiting for June/July. A retired teacher from Newport Beach, CA, and a Benedictine Oblate, Trudy has been visiting Religious Orders in England and America.

Liza Anderson is also living with us, spending the summer in vocational discernment. A recent Swarthmore graduate, she plans to enter the Masters Program at Trinity College, Dublin, in the Fall.

Presentations and Speaking Engagements by Sisters

Mother Miriam attended the Annual Leadership Meeting of CAROA, April 12-17, at the Sisters of St. John the Divine’s new convent in Toronto, Ontario. Next year’s meeting will be hosted by the Sisters of St. Mary in Sewanee. Mother Miriam will join Sister Elizabeth Ann, SSJD in leading a discussion of the challenges of change faced by their communities in relocating their Motherhouses in the last two years.

Immediately after returning from the three-week trip to Malawi, on Wednesday, May 25, Mother Miriam, with Sisters Mary Elizabeth and Maryeva, gave a presentation on the Malawi project to St. Thomas Church in Camden, Maine. The invitation to join that parish’s annual Outreach Program came through Associate Suzanne Voohries.

Sisters Mary Angela and Mary Elizabeth attended the Albany Diocesan Convention, June 10 –12. Sister Mary Elizabeth gave a workshop entitled, “Nuns or Nonesuch,” and both Sisters served on prayer teams at the healing service on Saturday night.

On June 14 Mother Miriam addressed the Ultreya at St. John’s, Troy, speaking on the topic of evangelism from the perspective of a residential monastic community.

Clothing of Newest Novices

On Thursday, June 23, Gertrude and Chifundo were clothed as novices of CSM by Father Christopher Brown, taking the names in religion of Sister Mary Emily and Sister Jane Chifundo, respectively. We welcome these, our newest Sisters, into community life.

 

Friend of CSM Serving in Iraq

The Sisters’ longtime friend and neighbor in Peekskill, Dr. John McGurty was deployed in late March to active duty in Iraq. He is serving as the medical officer to a Marine helicopter squadron. Pray for his safety and that of all our troops.