5 MARCH 2023

Sister Mary Lucia and Sister Maria Cabrini of the Immaculate Heart of Mary Sisters of Wichita visited the parish cluster on Sunday.  Having been invited, their purpose was to explain the nature of religious life and the way it is lived in the apostolate of their own order.

The sisters met with eight young women, all of them from Saint Joseph Parish.  Many more were invited, but, like the characters in the gospel story, they could not find the time to consider what Jesus might be asking of them. The day began at 3:00 pm.  At 4:30, the sisters joined the parish for exposition of the Blessed Sacrament and evening prayer.  The day concluded with a supper, which was cooked by Joy Schlochtermeier, assisted by Marilyn Reichuber.

The Sister explained that all religious women takes vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience and how these help them to do the work of their apostolate, which in the case of the Immaculate Heart of Mary Sisters is teaching.  Before this, the sisters discussed how married people, priests, and religious each serve God by how they in particular are called to love others.  They explained that a religious sister becomes a spiritual mother to all people with whom she interacts.

The sisters explained what their daily schedule was like, and what they did for recreation and community life.

They also explained the process by which a person becomes a sister.  It takes at least four years, and there are stages: postulancy, when one lives with the community without any obligation; novitiate, which follows first vows, and then final vows.  

This congregation of sisters was founded in the last century in Spain.  Since coming to Kansas, they have experienced very strong growth and have a very young median age.  The Immaculate Heart of Mary Sisters focus their spirituality upon the Immaculate Heart and the Seven Sorrows of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

The sisters even took time to explain the parts of a sister's religious habit.  To do this, they led the young women in a little song.