I’m happy to know that someone beside me thinks about the value of “Hidden Ministries.” We all know of the role of our retired sisters in this regard. Daily our retired sisters offer the gift of their prayer, suffering, and loneliness to strengthen the efforts of our sisters in active ministry.
As we age, we struggle each day with illnesses of the body and mind. And yet, we keep moving! Think of the sisters who drive others to appointments, and those who companion sisters to the doctors. Then there is the supply room staff who help meet our daily needs; the sisters who look after the tables in the dining room, and those who so faithfully sort the mail, deliver the newspapers, water the plants, or reshelf library books.
All these physical activities might seem inconsequential, yet they are part of what creates a comfortable and loving community. Each is done with a generous and prayerful spirit “for the life of the world” and the good of our beloved community.
These sisters deserve our recognition and inclusion in our stories about “hidden ministries.”
Sister Michela Collins has been a Dominican Sister of Springfield for nearly 7 decades, most of which she dedicated to teaching elementary school children. Since she “retired” to Sacred Heart Convent in 1997 she has served as a minister of prayer. One of her joys is the seasonal decorations she creates for the enjoyment of the sisters who share community on the second floor of Regina Coeli, the assisted care facility at the motherhouse.
