Companion in Mission
I have gathered with the Ursuline community on many different occasions, and the constant theme of these interactions has been the Ursulines’ hospitality. No matter where I join them in celebration—even in a physically new place—it becomes home.
I felt this energy as I arrived at our St. Louis hotel for the 2019 North American Ursuline Convocation. On opening night, one of the Ursuline Sisters of the Roman Union approached the podium to greet us. She spoke of the city’s many claims to fame, the richness of its history, and the diversity of its people. Then she took a deep breath and said, “I am a Cubs fan welcoming you to Cardinal Nation.”
It is easy to be hospitable within our comfort zone, but St. Angela calls us to extend a much broader hospitality. Art teacher Annette Zobel, who sculpted the statue of St. Angela (our convocation logo), likened St. Angela’s hospitality to a magnificent tree — “grounded in earth, graceful in movement, reaching to heaven.”
Likewise, the Ursuline family tree has established strong roots over its 500-year history, firmly anchored in St. Angela’s Counsels, Legacies and Rule. These roots are not meant to lock us into one set spot. A healthy root system nurtures growth so that we can achieve new heights.
During the opening ritual of the convocation, we planted seeds in the centerpieces of our tables. We prayed with St. Angela, whose heart cultivated the seeds of service and community that continue to unite us today. We, too, carry these seeds in our hearts, nurtured in the time we spend together.
These seeds germinated as we gathered around the tables for discussion. They swelled with life as our keynote speaker, Sister Teresa Maya, CCVI, invited each of us to consider: “What is your ‘why’ as part of Angela’s family?” Sister Teresa herself, as a Sister of Charity of the Incarnate Word, also reflected on this question. Historically, the Ursulines hosted many religious communities, including the Sisters of Charity, as they arrived in North America. As Sister Teresa’s community in San Antonio celebrates its 150th anniversary this year, she felt honored to speak at this Ursuline gathering as a “cousin” of our spiritual family.
The hospitality of our Ursuline ancestors reminds us that the call to create community is in our roots, dating back to St. Angela’s writings: “Build community wherever you go,” St. Angela writes in her 5th Counsel. She is speaking to us. It is the unique gift that the Ursuline community brings to our Church and our world today.