Grace-Filled Days: Summer Service

This has been a real traveling summer for me! It started with several events back-to-back, all in different places in the midwest (Holly, MI; Notre Dame, IN; St. Louis, MO). There was a leadership program for teenage girls, a conference on the History of Women Religious, and the National Gathering for Giving Voice. Afterwards, I had a period of about two weeks before my retreat, which was in Holly. We have a tradition in our community where part of the summer is spent in service somewhere short-term, and I thought, "Wouldn't it be practical to stay in the midwest for those two weeks (rather than flying back to CT and then going back where I was before soon after)-- and in line with that spirit of service?!" The sisters at our Holly convent encouraged the idea, and the plan was set.

In Holly, MI, we have a retreat center, where our sisters and the staff there host groups. I helped prepare meals, put them out for the guests and then put them away, and washed and dried dishes. I also helped run errands, watered plants, and any other need that arose. It was a real change of pace for me; it involved a different skill set. I often do what can be called office work. Being archivist and local historian means paperwork, computer-work, reading, and writing (and re-writing and re-writing again!). The hands-on work was satisfying, and directly serving others was, too. I was glad to help do the work that needed to be done. It also gave me an opportunity to get to know some of our sisters in another region and convent better. It was a blessed time!