In Search of a VisionJuly 13, 2026

In Search of a Vision

Not unlike many communities of religious women in the United States, the Ursuline Sisters of Cleveland are reflecting on the Future of Religious Life. One of the articles that I read recently by Joyce Rupp, osm, suggested that we might each explore a personal vision for that future.

That brought me to think about my past religious life. Did I have a vision? If I did, it was initially to be a good teacher of English – that my students would be skilled in grammar and learn to love literature; that they would engage in the study of poetry and learn to express themselves in various forms of writing. As I look back, I am aware that what frequently happened was much more important than my goals and objectives for the lessons. I became aware of the joy and self-worth experienced by 9th graders who “got” Shakespeare! I discovered that some of my students were just as interested in HOW and WHAT they were going to learn as I was because they suggested we sit in a circle and decide what they would explore during their Senior year of Honors World Literature. (They wanted to explore MORE than I had projected – so we did what they asked!) One of my students in a religion class for Juniors suggested that since they were studying the Epistles, they ought to have a chance to write our own. The results were far more engaging than anything I had planned.

Further reflection on later ministries: Assistant Principal, Principal, President, Associate Director of a Spirituality Center, Assistant to Director of Spiritual Care at Regina Health Center and then director of Mission Integration and Community Outreach at Laurel Lake Retirement Community; all of them had job descriptions, the equivalent of curriculum plans. What happened within each of those experiences was that I was learning with those I accompanied. What was shaping my life, my prayers, and my engagements with others was far beyond any job description.

Is the past prologue to the future? The present is certainly filled with uncertainty. As Sister Therese Ann Quigney, ssfcr, (who worked with me on the newspaper staff at Villa Angela more than 50 years ago and who is now provincial leader of her community in Lemont, Illinois) shared in an article in LCWR Occasional Papers, Summer 2026:

“…we are women experiencing profound loss: not only of motherhouses and ministries, but also of one another, and of the dreams, customs, and relationships that once sustained us. …. Our numbers are smaller. Our future homes feel uncertain. The ways we live our call continue to shift beneath our feet. At times, our hopes and desires seem unable to sustain us in the face of so much ambiguity.”

I am retired now. A number of the Sisters with whom I live were once colleagues of mine or were my students. We journey together within a great deal of ambiguity, yet we are not overwhelmed by it. In many ways, it continues to challenge us to share more of our personal journeys with each other. With Sister Therese Ann we ask:

“What is God doing? Where is my place in this? Why is this happening? How do I remain a witness amid so much uncertainty?

The answer, I believe, lies in connection – to something greater than ourselves. It is found in a willingness to rest in the mystery of God’s presence, to listen for the quiet resonance of God dwelling within.”

While those with whom I am currently connected as well as those from the past who reappear on the pages of religious writings continue to influence me, I doubt that there is a vision to discover, a lesson plan or job description that will reveal the path forward. What I do believe is that our questions will be answered and our uncertainty dissipate because we are all striving to engage in the journey that Scripture suggests:

“Be still and know that I am God.”

And we will be provided with the answers we seek if we heed the advice of Pope Pius XIV:

“Listen to your heart, it is God speaking to you.”

AMD July 2026

Sister Anne Marie Diederich