Amplifying Our Shared Charism: The Love that Keeps on Giving

One of the strangest and at the same time most tragic stories in the history of the Church in this country is that of Theresa Maxis…. Her life is tragic, in that it was filled with trials and conflicts, partially the result of birth and lineage, partially because of her own peculiar character and personality, and partially because of circumstances over which she had little control. But she occupies a definite place in the history of the Church in the United States and especially in its religious life.
–Sister M. Immaculata, C.I.M.

A year ago, the Leadership Teams of our four congregations met and determined that our ten-year gathering—coinciding with the 180th anniversary of the IHM Congregation—would be celebrated virtually. And celebrate we did. One particularly meaningful decision was to invite the Grey Nuns of Ottawa to our Grand Opening. It was an opportunity to express our deep gratitude to them for sheltering Mother Theresa Maxis Duchemin for 18 years during her painful separation from us. They came, and we rejoiced together.

Throughout the planning process it became abundantly clear that the OSP/IHM shared charism is alive and thriving. Five intercommunity teams were formed, each composed of members from the four congregations. These teams built bonds of friendship and collaboration that, I believe, will continue to strengthen our shared future. Our goal was and remains to extend those same bonds to all our members. Together we prayed, dreamed, and envisioned our relationships moving forward.

During the celebration, one thought kept echoing in my heart: What is Theresa seeing in this reunion? Are her eyes joyfully gazing upon these Zoom and livestream spaces, watching her five congregations come together virtually, 196 and 180 years later? For her as for me it must be almost inconceivable that it all survived—and continues to thrive. Like the Scriptures, only a story of God, only a story of Love, can explain this.

After the celebration I had the privilege of visiting our most recent shared endeavor in McAllen, Texas, where Sisters Carmen (Monroe), Rose (Immaculata), and Mary Elaine (Scranton) welcomed us with warmth and hospitality. There I witnessed firsthand the living reality of Amplifying Our Shared Charism. Their shared community and ministry exemplify Theresa’s own words to Father O’Reilly in 1858:

“I cannot help expressing to you  
 my satisfaction on hearing that it is  
 among the poor that we are to labor.  
It is exactly what we like.”
                   –Theresa Maxis, 1858

In McAllen our sisters embody these words daily. They cross back and forth along the Rio Grande Valley and into Reynosa, Mexico, offering their time, talent, and treasure in shelters, food pantries, women’s cooperatives, clothing shops, courtrooms, and parishes. With generosity and joy, they provide a prayerful presence, movement therapy, education, music, games, a listening ear, material resources, and yes—lots and lots of candy. To them, it does not matter who the people are, where they come from, what they believe, how they look, or what they carry. The sisters are wholly present, representing all of us—in the name of God, in the spirit of Theresa, and in the name of Love.

Again, I found myself asking: What is Theresa seeing in this reunion of her congregations? I believe she is smiling.

We must not forget the leaders of our four congregations who first envisioned the OSP/IHM reunion and those who have kept that dream alive. Out of their vision came McAllen, as well as the Healing Racism and Haiti Committees. Carrying that vision forward are the countless sisters who, for years, have poured themselves into confronting the ills of hate, violence, and dire poverty. They have traveled to meetings and to Haiti, written letters, gathered donations, marched in prayer and protest, made concerned phone calls—or simply calls of friendship—all in the service of building relationships and amplifying our charism.

And what of our Foundress? What does she think and feel as she looks upon all this? Perhaps her tears are both sad and joyful—never having known what impact her religious life as an OSP, as an IHM, and for a time as a Grey Nun, would have on us and on the world. Her gift of love continues to outpour, inspiring thousands of us to do the same: to Amplify Our Shared Charism—the gift of love that keeps on giving.

Reference

Mother M. Theresa Duchemin, Sister M. Immaculata, C.I.M. Marywood College, Scranton, Pennsylvania, 1945.