It has been more than a month since our sisters from Vietnam have been with us at the Motherhouse: Sisters Khuyen, Huong, Phuong and Dung.
On the day of their arrival after a tour of the Motherhouse, so many of our sisters gave their time to welcome and serve our guests a Vietnamese meal. Thank you to all of those sisters from various communities here at the Motherhouse and to Sister Paula Knox for coordinating the event.
Thanks, too, to Sister Carole Pollock. You may have seen some pictures of “our sisters,” but I thought I would share a few more and add a little of what this time has been for them, and us, at the Motherhouse.
I feel that I would be remiss if I didn’t share what a tremendous gift of LIFE the sisters have been for us since their arrival.
Equally important is the GIFT our sisters have been for our Vietnamese sisters. So many of you, especially here at the Motherhouse, have shared the gift of teaching English, with Sister Margaret Mary O’Connell taking the lead. The sisters meet in small groups, as well as one on one, to practice English in conversation.
Our sisters have taken “the sisters” to Mass at the Villa and St. Philip Church, visited The Morris Arboretum and recently went on the Christmas Trip to Lancaster, thanks to Sister Eileen Dorothy Maguire.
They have participated in Centering Prayer at the Villa after having supper in the dining room and spending time visiting the sisters there.
At two of our liturgies in our beautiful Chapel, the sisters sang with our Liturgical ensemble. Thank you to Sister Betty Meizinger for inviting them, as well as to Sister Lisa Olivieri for giving flute lessons in the hope of having another participant in our chapel ensemble. Soon we hope to have another guitarist with Sister Rose Reda’s help.
Last weekend the sisters joined our sisters at Caroling Night at the College and met Sisters Anne Myers and Carol Vale (
number one,
as they call her). They couldn’t stop talking about that evening as they listened intently to the amazing Orchestra in the Rotunda of the College.
A Vietnamese family, who attends St. Philip Church in Lafayette Hill, have taken the sisters to a Vietnamese Restaurant and Market. The sisters often prepare food native to their culture, to share with us.
At Thanksgiving, the sisters danced and sang for those having dinner at the Motherhouse. Everyone received “a specially created gift” to light up their holiday from our Vietnam friends.
A special “thank you” to the Newman and Lourdes Communities where the sisters enter into prayer, conversation and “party along” for celebrations such as BIRTHDAYS.
Lastly and certainly not least, thank you to the Council for the many ways they have supported “our friends from the East,” especially to Sister Eileen Marnien.
As you can see there are so many who have contributed to this venture to BEHOLD THE OTHER, …too many to mention...so know you are remembered in prayer.
In a few days, the sisters will travel to Texas to attend a National Conference with other sisters in their program. You are in for a treat when you click on the video below to listen to a beautiful “Love Song to our God” in Vietnamese, which they will perform at the Conference.
Blessings during this Advent time of welcoming.
