​Letter from NLT Chair, Anita Roberts-Long, Roses on the Teche, Lafayette, Louisiana
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For two years, members of the USA National Leadership Team met only virtually doing the work of their committees through emails, texts, and Zoom meetings. In preparing for this year’s in-person Annual Meeting, no member--even those finishing a three-year term--had ever experienced a traditional Annual Meeting, a celebratory gathering and intense, finalizing workshop all rolled into one.

When we came together physically for the first time, we had already prepared each other for long-awaited hugs. Normally these would be hugs reserved for the end of a meeting--hugs that say goodbye, farewell, until we meet again. Instead, these hugs were like genuine long-lost reunion hugs because of the community we shared this past year, and for some two or three years without the feel of getting together.

Unsurprisingly, we discovered the Theresian sense of community is one that transcends the physical. The work we did and the relationships we formed long-distance were just as present had we been regularly meeting in our own Theresian community’s homes, though the distance of NLT representation necessitates creative logistics. It sure was nice to celebrate the work we did this past year while those Covid years drew us apart.

As we worked this past year, we thought about using platforms like Zoom to keep communities connected during emergencies like Covid or natural disasters or when a member can’t leave home but can still participate virtually. We also put effort into researching whether displaced Theresians would join a virtual Theresian community and what that might look like. And we continue to open our minds to the idea of forming new communities in more remote areas by having mentors use platforms like Zoom for collaboration.

What we learned on the USA-NLT during this time is that our sacred spaces are malleable and evolve but community is at the heart of Theresians. The space we create reflects our openness to welcome new sisters and share Theresian values together. It is something inside of us. So that no matter where we are physically, our sacred space of sisterhood remains steadfast.

by Melanie Hartshorn, Spiritual Springs Community, Fort Bend, Texas
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I am a new member of the NLT and I serve on the Spirituality Committee. One of our tasks is to gather the reflections to be used in our twice-yearly publication – Dimension Connections. Our theme for fall 2022 is "Sacred Spaces.” Just what is a sacred space? One source defines it as a place set aside as holy and used for worship, prayer, meditation, and rituals. The first sacred space that came to my mind was the Garden of Eden. If ever a space was sacred, this would be it! Interesting how God gives us an example of a sacred space from the very beginning of creation.

As I meditated on this concept further, I began to think about the sacred spaces in my own life. Some are obvious, such as the chapel and sanctuary of my local parish. However, there are also many other places that can become sacred on any ordinary day. I have a space on the side of my house that receives no direct sunlight at all. But far from being a gloomy spot, it has become for me a sacred space. I have placed a fountain there and planted the area with different types of plants that thrive in shade. I received a beautiful statue of St. Francis as a gift, and it has found its home there along with a statue of a praying angel. Each morning, first thing, I turn on the fountain. The peaceful sound of running water and the cool shade elevate my prayer of thanksgiving to God for the gift of another day.

My Spiritual Springs Community met for quite a while via Zoom during the height of Covid. Even though we were not in the same space physically during those Zoom meetings, our connection itself became a sacred space. We are very grateful to be meeting again in person. These gathering places are always made sacred as we break bread together, share each other’s victories and joys, and sometimes sorrows and tears. In our shared thoughts and prayers, we encounter God! As we depart, we know with certainty that we have been in a sacred space.

Just recently, my husband and I were blessed to share an evening with some old friends from high school whom we had not seen in over 30 years. It was a joyous evening! As we bowed our heads in prayer, I was overcome with the realization that this little table in a restaurant in Houston on an ordinary Thursday evening had become for the four of us, a sacred space!

These are some of the places that are sacred to me. Some exist for just a brief period while others are much more permanent. They all are places set aside which enable me to feel God’s love and presence. What are your sacred spaces?

by Gretchen Penny, Seekers, Houston, Texas
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When the Spirituality Committee first decided on the theme for this issue, Sacred Spaces, I was flooded with ideas, or so I thought. As I tried to put something on paper, I realized that I was really flooded with single words. Several descriptions came to mind, but it was still hard to put the individual descriptors into sentences. Then I remembered a form of poetry that my dyslexic son’s tutor used when she was teaching him to read--the Diamante (or diamond) poem. It is a seven-line poem that forms a diamond shape and is used to introduce children to poetry. It also seemed to be the perfect medium to capture all the words that came to mind when I thought about my sacred spaces.

by Janice LeMond, Companions on the Journey, Austin, Texas

A very early memory I have is of homes with the statue of the Infant Jesus of Prague. This little girl in the 1950’s did not wander into rooms without permission. From a doorway, I gazed in awe of the child Jesus dressed in a beautiful gown. These were my first memories of what my heart felt as a sacred space. 

I was raised in a family of five children. When we prayed before meals or at bedtime around the bed, I don’t recall any thoughts of a sacred space. Fast forwarding to my own adulthood, I am a wife and mother of three. Looking back at the reverence given to the Nativity set at Christmas was probably the closest we came to a sacred space. With the busyness of life and raising a family, the awe of the sacred space was lost. In the early 1990’s I was invited to a Theresian meeting. At this first exposure there was an instant awe of sacred space and sacred presence. Soon I had been exposed to St. Thérèse:

“I understand that every flower created by Him is beautiful, that the brilliance of the rose and the whiteness of the lily do not lesson the perfume of the violet or the sweet simplicity of the daisy. I understand that if all the lovely flowers wished to be roses, nature would no longer be enameled with lovely hues. And so it is in the world of souls, we are in Our Lord’s living garden.” (St. Thérèse of Lisieux, Story of a Soul)

I had never met such a group of women so in love with their faith. Together at the beach, in the garden, or around a table we created a space to worship. These women created sacred spaces through prayer, music, stories, poems, guided imagery, fragrance, flowers, laughter, and tears. These Ebbtide sisters are forever in my heart; they gave me the gift to look for Jesus’ presence and love in the beauty of daily life. Theresians provided me with the space to mature in my faith life. 

Years passed and I retired with a relocation from Houston to Austin. I have found the Schoenstatt Shrine; it is a spectacular sacred space! Yet another blessing was to find many Theresian sisters here in Austin. As I continue to look for Jesus in my daily senior life, I would like to share a few lines from a poem by Joyce Rupp:

I walk with Caterpillar Feet . . . time and again. . .
Bless our lives with the integrity we long to embrace. . .
Bless those who work with us and live with patience. . .
Bless each day with challenges and hope-filled occasions
to dare to stay faithful in hope and love.
Show us. . . each in our own way, the messages we need to carry on.
May we continue to meet in prayer, in silences of the dawn and the dusk. . .
the beginning of star-light and the moon-filled nights that lie ahead.
In Jesus’ name we pray.
Amen, so be it!

by Mary Schreiber, Women at the Well, Dubuque, Iowa
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I have many special Sacred Places: meeting in community with my Theresian sisters locally and on the NLT; spending time with family which now includes grandchildren; participating in monthly sharing sessions with my aunt, cousins, and sisters-in-law; traveling with friends; working outside on our acreage; walking on nature trails; reading; transplanting houseplants; sitting and playing with our two Yorkies; and, even preparing meals and doing dishes. We moved to our home six years ago after both my mom and younger brother passed away within three months. I felt that I needed a change. Turns out it was a wonderful place to be sequestered during a pandemic.

What I sometimes lack is Sacred Focus. To me, Sacred Focus is prioritizing my time and effort and attention completely for 5, 10, 15 minutes or even more. It means that I devote my full and complete attention to the task or meeting at hand. I perform my task or interaction with others fully present to the moment. I listen, meditate, and reflect with my whole being. Except of course when something distracts me! I have a tendency to be an “Oh, look, a squirrel!” kind of person. My ADD takes over, and I have wandering thoughts about my next task, the welfare of my family, the news, or even the grocery list. So distraction—and sometimes even fear—get in the way. What is the answer? Focus again, and again, and again, with devotion and a full heart committed to the Sacred Place I am in.

by Tammy Townsend Denny, TI Executive Director

​Did you know Advent begins November 27? That is a little over two weeks away!
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While Advent is supposed to be a time of quiet preparation and prayer, the reality is that many of us are shifting our thoughts to our Christmas shopping lists. It is hard not to when stores have had Christmas lights flashing since August.

Each year, I try to avoid the Christmas shopping frenzy by focusing on ways I can give to others in sustainable, life-giving ways. I do this by donating to or purchasing from a charity that is important to the gift recipient.

If you would like to make charitable giving a part of your Advent and Christmas season, may I suggest making a Celebrate Life gift to the Theresian Foundation, honoring someone important in your life?

You can also consider asking your friends and family to give to the Theresian Foundation in your honor instead of buying another pair of fluffy Christmas socks that make your feet sweaty.

Simply use this link https://bit.ly/TFCelebrateLife or download, print, and mail this card to the TI office at PO Box 487, Elburn, IL 60119: https://bit.ly/TFCelebrateLife-paperform Please share this link or card with friends and family!

If you prefer to have items to wrap and give, consider some of the Theresian jewelry options. All proceeds benefit the Theresian Foundation. To see the jewelry, please watch this short video from Theresian Foundation Board Member Lynn Moroux, Esprit de L’ame, Lafayette, Louisiana.

by Bridget Hilbe, Spiritual Springs Community, Richmond, Texas
 
Last week, after reading Tammy’s refection in Sacred Touchstones, I pondered when I have ever experienced being the stranger that was welcomed in. Then I remembered a trip Dave and I made to Morocco to visit friends who were living in Casablanca. I don’t think I would have ever considered visiting this part of the world if our friends, Eric and Carolina, had not moved there. This trip turned out to be one of the most enlightening and memorable of our lives.

While visiting Marrakech, I was struck by the devotion of the Muslim people in answering the call to prayer five times a day. While shopping in the busy marketplace called Jemaa el-Fnaa, I was struck by the immediate reaction of shop owners to close their booths when the call to prayer was sounded from every minaret throughout the city. Dave said it sounded like the buzz of a NASCAR race; I thought it sounded like I was in a beehive. At that moment all business stopped, as the devoted worshipers answered the Imam’s call to pray. Immediately, all Muslim men went directly to the nearest mosque. I remember reflecting that that would never happen here. Can you imagine a call to prayer being sounded in New York or Los Angeles and everything coming to stop so prayer could happen?

At that time, and I still feel this today, this kind of outward devotion to faith does not exist in our society as a whole. I also found the Moroccan people to be some of the sweetest, most devoted, and welcoming people I have ever met. I am so often saddened by the stereotypes and hatred expressed in this country toward people of other faiths, especially Muslims. Perspectives can change if we challenge ourselves to be the stranger who is welcomed in.
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Image above: Maroc_Marrakech_Jemaa-el-Fna_Luc_Viatour.JPG: Lviatour derivative work: Massimo Telò, CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons

by Tammy Townsend Denny, TI Executive Director
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Before you begin reading this reflection, I would like to acknowledge that the words that follow might make you uncomfortable. What I am sharing here might not align with your beliefs. And that’s OK! There is space for your deeply held faith as much as there is room for the experience I recently had. I invite you to read to the end of this reflection with an open heart and an open mind.

This past Sunday I had an opportunity to attend services at Travis Park Church in downtown San Antonio, Texas. The church, affiliated with the Rio Texas Conference of the United Methodist Church, is known for its “unconditional love and justice in action.”

I went to Travis Park Church not to gawk or judge or condemn but rather to fully experience our Christian faith in another way.

I admit I would not have voluntarily walked in the doors of Travis Park Church if it had not been for an assignment in the “Introduction to Ecclesiology” course that I am taking this semester as part of my Master of Divinity program. I may have dismissed the church as a place for other people but not for me.

However, as part of the work for my ecclesiology class, we were asked to attend a church that is not part of our faith practice. The purpose of the assignment was to explore where Christian faith traditions converge and diverge. The professor prepared us for these visits with specific instructions. We were to be respectful. We were not to be voyeurs or religious “tourists.” Instead, he challenged us to have an encounter with the experience.

What I saw, what I felt, what I encountered when I attended services at Travis Park Church ranks as one of the most profound spiritual experiences I have ever had.

I entered the church with an open heart and open mind, walking in side-by-side with people in need who did not have homes. I sang hymns with LGBTQ couples. I witnessed a female pastor prepare communion and invite everyone to the table. I celebrated God’s love with multi-generational families of all shapes, sizes, and colors.

I was moved to tears by the joyous presence of love and acceptance.
The experience reminded me of an interview with Richard "Mac" McKinney, a United States Marine who served in Afghanistan and is the subject of the short film “Stranger at the Gate.” The film tells the story of Mac’s rage-filled return from Afghanistan and his plans to bomb an Islamic center in his Indiana hometown. His plans changed when he came “face to face with the community of Afghan refugees and others of Muslim faith.” They welcomed him and offered him love, the kind of love I witnessed at Travis Park Church.

We read in Matthew 25:35, “I was a stranger and you invited me in…” But, what do those words really mean to us? Are we willing to welcome the stranger and to be the stranger?

This week I invite you to ponder the “strangers” in your life. What encounters are you willing to have with those who look, act, and believe differently than you?

by Tammy Townsend Denny, TI Executive Director
​I recently made gumbo for the first time. Inspired by the okra I got from the farmers’ market and the peppers, onions, and celery I had growing in my garden, I thought I would try my hand at making a batch.

I pulled out the Cajun cookbooks given to me by generous Theresians, read through the various recipes for gumbo, and began to make my cooking plans.

Then, I panicked.

Was it OK to use okra in Cajun gumbo? Trying to recall all the delicious gumbo I ate during my visits to Lake Charles, Jennings, and Lafayette, I couldn’t remember if okra was part of it. Chicken. Sausage. Seafood. Yes. But okra? I don’t know!

Sure, no one would know up here in the North. But what would happen if I was asked by someone in Louisiana about gumbo and admitted to using okra? Would I be condemned? Ostracized? Even if I made an awesome roux, but added the wrong ingredients, I might lose the respect of the entire state of Louisiana.

There was a lot at stake here: my reputation as a good cook and my credibility as the TI executive director.

I am familiar with Gumbo Doctrine: Always use the Holy Trinity (onions, peppers, celery). No tomatoes unless I’m in New Orleans. White rice only.
But, okra? Is okra allowed?

On a Sunday afternoon, standing in my kitchen in a complete conundrum, I emailed Eileen Eskew, Petals of Faith, Jennings, Louisiana. “Will I be committing a mortal sin if I put okra in my gumbo?”

She replied within the hour, demonstrating women in support of women who are trying to make gumbo for the first time. Eileen assured me okra was fine to use.

My chicken-sausage-okra gumbo turned out great, though it had more of a greenish tint than the deep brown color I remember from the bowls in Louisiana. (Yes, I cooked the roux to a dark chocolate color.) Let’s blame the green tint on the dark green celery from my garden. Or maybe the okra.

Unfazed by the color, my husband ate three bowls. I had two.

This gumbo experience made me think a lot about the mystery of the Holy Trinity.

Regardless of where or how we choose to worship, it is the relationship among and with our Creator, Redeemer, and Sanctifier -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – that forms the foundation of our Christian faith. Your faith may not look exactly like my faith. Perhaps yours is a little greener than mine or maybe it has tomatoes, but it is still built on the same basic relationship of love with and among our triune God. In the words of Bishop Robert Barron, God is “a family of love.”

I guess you could say my gumbo was love, too… even if it was green.

by Tammy Townsend Denny, TI Executive Director
​Last week, I attended the Communicators for Women Religious (CWR) conference in Cincinnati. The conference was an opportunity to learn about current trends in communication in the Catholic Church, especially as the communication relates to women and the Church.

Our opening keynote speaker was Sr. Norma Pimentel, MJ, Executive Director of Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley, who shared about how we can become agents of unity in our society today. Sr. Norma was named to the 2020 TIME magazine list of the 100 most influential people in the world. (You can watch a 2019 presentation from Sr. Norma here.)  

Theresians International also hosted an exhibitors table, sharing Theresian information with nearly 120 attendees, most of whom had never heard of Theresians.

During dinner one evening, a Catholic sister seated at my table heard that I worked for Theresians International.

“I know Theresians,” she said.

Surprised, after spending the last several days giving my elevator pitch about who we are, I asked her where she had encountered Theresians.

“In Florida,” she said. “I was asked to do a presentation for one of their communities several years ago.” (The Theresian communities in Florida have since disbanded.

Sister Carol Stovall, SSJ, (pictured on the right with me) was my gentle reminder that our presence and legacy continues, even in places where our communities no longer meet.

This week, I challenge you to reflect on how your Theresian community is building a legacy. How will your community be remembered?