Thank You, Sister.

Ruth Kolpack
Madison, WI

I grew up in a small rural Wisconsin community where the Catholic church, rectory, convent, school, parish hall and play ground were the dominant part of the community. There was probably a population of about 50 people at that time. My family had strong Catholic roots and all of us were sent to the Catholic school for our first eight years of education (no kindergarten).

I started school in 1950 and, as was customary at that time, all our teachers were sisters for our school of about 100 students. There was a lot of mystery around the sisters. Did they really have hair? What was their house like? My secret question that I wouldn’t dare ask anyone was: Do they have breasts?

In the summer time, when the sisters were away for the summer, my friend and I sneaked into the school which had a tunnel to the convent. Our curiosity would not let us pass up the opportunity to take the tunnel to the convent to see where the sisters lived. I don’t know what we were expecting but it looked like any other home in the area, just maybe bigger and perhaps cleaner.

The sisters who taught us were Salvatorians. For my last three years at the school, I was taught by Sister Mary Mark. She was young and a lot of fun to be with. She helped us create an ice rink on the school playground and would even ice skate with us! She was my favorite sister from my eight years at St. Joseph’s. But just this summer, I met the sister who was my first grade teacher – 59 years ago – and she remembered me! I was flabbergasted but I believe that demonstrated how connected the sisters were to our small predominantly Catholic community.

There was a substantial gap of years when I had no connections with any sisters. Then when I started volunteering in my current parish 35 years ago, I again met a sister who became a friend and we have remained friends even though we haven’t seen each other for many years. She showed me the joy of ministry. She was dearly loved by everyone because she was a joy-filled person. She encouraged me to get in touch with my playful side and we dressed up as clowns and went trick-or-treating to select parishioners. I felt encouraged and affirmed during the few years she was at our parish. She was instrumental in my continued ministry ever since, going from volunteer to part-time youth minister to pastoral associate.

During my 26 years of paid ministry, I have met many sisters who had varying careers. What most impresses me about sisters today is your outreach to the poor and marginalized, your creativity expressed through art and music, your beautiful spirits revealed as retreat leaders, your courage to speak for women’s rights in the world and in the Church. I am impressed by your communities and the support you extend to one another. I am impressed with your professionalism. I am impressed with your spirituality. I am impressed with your feistiness in not giving in to pressures from the hierarchy.

There is no reason for any of your communities to be investigated by the Vatican. That is the role of your communities. I believe you are being led by the Spirit. If that isn’t true, as scripture says, “if it is not of God it will not last.” If anyone in the Church stifles the Spirit, it will be to the detriment of everyone else. May we truly be the People of God, one in the Spirit.

Thank you, Sisters, for the many ways you have strengthened our Church and our communities and me.