News Feature - St. Louis' PInk Sisters

[Luigi]

The Pink Sisters' Mount Grace Convent opened in St. Louis in 1928. At the time, the neighborhood was largely German immigrants. It has gone through a great deal of change since then, but the sisters have stayed in what is now a very rough neighborhood. 

One of the local television stations did a story on them - about two-and-a-half minutes. There's accompanying text. http://fox2now.com/2017/03/21/neighborhood-nuns-pink-sisters-add-color-to-neighborhood-with-hope-prayers/

Edited March 28, 2017 by Luigi

[stlmom]

Have visited this chapel a number of times and it really is an oasis of peace and prayer. People from the neighborhood are there regularly. Wouldn't it be a marvelous witness if a few more contemplative/cloistered orders followed their example?

[DominicanHeart]

[Luigi]

3 hours ago, stlmom said:

Have visited this chapel a number of times and it really is an oasis of peace and prayer. People from the neighborhood are there regularly. Wouldn't it be a marvelous witness if a few more contemplative/cloistered orders followed their example?

The Benedictine monks of Newark are still in the heart of their city. Apparently the community divided back in the 70's(?) with most of the monks relocating to the more rural Morristown. But a number of the monks decided to stay on Martin Luther King Drive and continue teaching in their high school. It hasn't been easy, but the community stable and has been growing recently. https://sites.google.com/a/sbp.org/newarkmonks/what-we-believe/home

[Nunsuch]

The Visitation Nuns have been a visible and active presence in North Minneapolis for over 25 years. Here is a story about them: http://www.startribune.com/nuns-in-the-hood-25-years-of-doing-good/280428452/

Here is more information about them: http://www.visitationmonasteryminneapolis.org/

[Luigi]

There's a convent (Corpus Christi) of Dominican nuns in the Bronx. It wasn't the first Dominican convent in the U.S. (that was in New Jersey), but it's the oldest continuously operating monastery of Dominican nuns in the U.S. They have 10 sisters, and now a postulant.

Their neighborhood is called Hunt's Point. According to Wikipedia: "Hunts Point is a low-income residential neighborhood largely made up of Puerto Ricans, with smaller numbers of African Americans, Dominicans, and Mexicans. ... Almost half of the population lives below the federal poverty line," and "The neighborhood is considered to be a red-light district, because of its prostitution."

Here's a link to an article written by a Dominican friar about Corpus Christi in their journal Dominicana. http://www.opbronx.org/our-monastery-featured-in-the-friars-dominicana-journal/

[Nunsuch]

I think the issue is not just "presence," but ENGAGEMENT with their neighborhoods. Simply being someplace is not the same as being an active or engaged presence there.

[Sister Marie]

22 hours ago, DominicanHeart said:

???

Just now, Sister Marie said:

???

nvm... originally is showing the green face... when quoted it is hearts...  something is going on here...

[Maggyie]

1 hour ago, Nunsuch said:

I think the issue is not just "presence," but ENGAGEMENT with their neighborhoods. Simply being someplace is not the same as being an active or engaged presence there.

In these neighborhoods though, presence matters. If only because the property is maintained and occupied. The chief way many of these cloistered communities engage their neighborhoods is probably prayer and that's the most important and effective form of engagement. 

[Nunsuch]

4 hours ago, Maggyie said:

In these neighborhoods though, presence matters. If only because the property is maintained and occupied. The chief way many of these cloistered communities engage their neighborhoods is probably prayer and that's the most important and effective form of engagement. 

Did you read the article about the Visitation Nuns? They pray, of course, but also engage. In this, they are in keeping with the original *visitation* dimension of their charism. I'm not minimizing the importance of prayer--and, of course, neither would they. But presence can and does take many forms, including an incarnational one.

[LittleDiana]

I don't know how this thing works in the US, but in Latin American culture the mere "presence" of religious, specially of nuns and monks in a certain neighbourhood, is very important.

For the people who live in the poorest parts of the cities, to have a monastery in their midst is a sign of hope. It conveys the idea that God doesn't forget them, that He cares for them and blesses them (There's a common idea that religious, and specially contemplatives, attract the blessings of God wherever they are/go, because they are "closer to God"). Simplistic as it may sound, they truly believe that and I think God is pleased with their faith.

On the other hand, people know that in whichever necessity they find themselves in, they will find a helping hand in the brothers/sisters, be it in the form of prayers, material goods such as food or clothing, a contact to find a job, or at least a compassive ear to listen to them, comfort them and give them good advice.

I point this out because of what Luigi said about the neighbourhood in which the Corpus Christi Monastery is in.

[dominicansoul]

The Church needs both cloistered communities and active communities.  They are like two lungs providing oxygen to the Church.  They compliment each other.  

I am reminded of the Battle between the Jews and the Amalekites in the Old Testament.  Moses went up to the hills to look at the battle, and the entire time, he raised his arms with the staff of God in his hand.  As long as he kept his arms held up, the Jews had the best of the battle.  When he let his arms rest, the Amalekites did.  It got so Aaron and another had to support Moses' arms so that the Jews could win the battle.  In this I see cloistered and active.  Moses represents the cloistered communities who's "arms are raised up" in constant prayer so that the active communities can be successful in their fight against Satan out in the world.  One is not better than the other, both are equal and needed.

[vee]

7 hours ago, dominicansoul said:

The Church needs both cloistered communities and active communities.  They are like two lungs providing oxygen to the Church.  They compliment each other.  

I am reminded of the Battle between the Jews and the Amalekites in the Old Testament.  Moses went up to the hills to look at the battle, and the entire time, he raised his arms with the staff of God in his hand.  As long as he kept his arms held up, the Jews had the best of the battle.  When he let his arms rest, the Amalekites did.  It got so Aaron and another had to support Moses' arms so that the Jews could win the battle.  In this I see cloistered and active.  Moses represents the cloistered communities who's "arms are raised up" in constant prayer so that the active communities can be successful in their fight against Satan out in the world.  One is not better than the other, both are equal and needed.

Amen sista

its like donuts and coffee or pizza and beer or chips and salsa  or ......

Each thing is nice by itself but even better together

[DameAgnes]

mmmmm chips..... oh, Lent...

[Quasar]

I love St. Louis and it is sad to see what it has become because of a culture of violence.  The sisters are doing a beautiful thing.  In another interview, Mother Superior said they receive vital help and support from the local police in staying safe in their home.  She has the Chief's cell number!