By Rosemarie Fairman

Participating in the Ursuline mission and Heritage Commission was very meaningful to me because it affirmed my understanding of the life and Mission of St. Angela Merici and it deepened my commitment to the Ursuline mission of transforming lives through contemplation, justice and compassion.

Two years of gathering in prayer and listening to the sisters present witness of their works allowed me to deepen my personal commitment to my students, my community, my family and my prayer life.

One very potent point of awareness began my personal journey with St. Angela Merici. During the years I have worked with Ursuline sisters I have become more clearly aware that each community of religious has a very distinct mission.

When I began teaching at Beaumont School, I came to a very uncomfortable realization that, whereas I knew many nuns and understood vowed commitment to teaching and to community, I did not understand the Ursuline charism. It wasn’t that I did not read the mission statement, or that the charism was not explained; the truth is far more subtle. The Ursuline charism can only truly be understood when it is experienced. The selfless, joyful, committed desire to transform society cannot be simply explained. If the explanation is a breeze, the experience of the Ursuline charism is to be inside a song, participating in a dance.

The meetings with the Mission and Heritage Commission were so welcoming that one relaxed into the friendship of prayer. The core of each meeting was a sister’s witness to her personal ministry.

Each ministry story was moving. Sr. Joanne Buckman glowed with her passion about commitment to the environment, and she referred to the earth as a member of our family tree:  a distinct placement of humanity in creation. Sr. Lois Buck shared her unique call to serve families with special needs children when she described her Cardinal’s Nest ministry. The welcoming, nurturing approach to care for a whole family by caring for its most need-intensive member was impressive. However, Sr. Lois’ journey to discern this call demonstrated the grounding of her ministry. She began by questioning where there was a need. On discerning and defining the need, she set out to answer it.

Since my educational career began in Cleveland’s inner-city, I was particularly drawn to the Sr. Eugene’s mission for providing homework space for Cleveland school children. Sister saw a need, defined the need and pursued very clear parameters and protocols to provide a safe, educationally nurturing space for young students. Like Sr. Lois, Sr. Eugene described her prayerful discernment in defining this need and her careful contemplation regarding her personal call to reach out in ministry to the children.

Listening and contemplating and praying during the meetings gave me the opportunity discuss St. Angela Merici’s travels and charism as they are presented in history and witnessed in the lives of the Ursuline Sisters of Cleveland. I thought more about St. Angela’s travels. I like the busy lady she was. She traveled and worked with people, and she was stubborn about her mission. I witnessed the sisters’ continuation of St. Angela’s work. Because of my participation in the Mission and Heritage Commission, I truly feel I know St. Angela better. Sometimes she feels a bit bossy, reminding me of what I must hurry up and do and then scolding me for not taking time to sit quietly and pray.

I continue my journaling, reflecting on my own prayers and ministry. Most of the time I feel my ministry is merely work, a great deal of hard work. I laugh; calling my work “ministry” seems to gild it a bit.

I am reminded of one of St. Angela’s rules:  “It is necessary to pray always with the soul and with the mind, because we need the continuous help of God.” With God’s continuous help, I look at my students and know it is through my teaching that I can love them. My personal mission is to embrace each individual student as a beautiful traveler with me on a journey. I think of St. Angela the traveler, and I appreciate her model of reaching out to others. I appreciate Sr. Eugene’s personal statement about her ministry: “It’s a small thing in a huge city that needs one-on-one attention.”

The Ursuline charism has to be experienced to be understood. Contemplation, justice and compassion denote one-on-one attention to one another. I felt I received that during my two years with the Mission and Heritage Commission, and I feel I was empowered to continue in understanding and sharing the Ursuline charism.

The Ursuline mission of transforming society through contemplation, justice and compassion will continue to be a factor in my future: to care about people and causes, to act and work for justice and when the day is done, to take time for contemplation.