One on One

our sisters talk isolation, prayer & silver linings in the age of covid-19

Sister Mary Xavier Bomberger

How has your prayer life been impacted during the pandemic?
I recall all the faces of the sick, the poor, the suffering, the first-responders, medical personnel, essential workers and laborers, the dying, the grieving, those who died — all those touching and oftentimes disturbing images seen on the news. Lord, have mercy. Admitting that we often take so much for granted, our prayer also has become one of gratitude and praise to God for his faithfulness, love and compassion.

Have you found any silver linings in these strange times?
Silver linings are many when we take time to notice and allow ourselves to be happily surprised. For us, it’s a privilege and blessing to be able to participate virtually in our Bishop’s Mass each day and allow his inspiring homily to carry us through the day. How fortunate we are to have our faithful health aides and cooks come and some of our essential workers, too! We also get to see more of our sisters in community because they cannot go out to their ministries and it feels wonderful. In all of this, we are “re-learning” to trust in God’s loving Providence.

Sister Rosalia Giba

What do you most miss doing during this time of extended isolation and stay-at-home restrictions?
What I miss most is having daily Mass. When I look up at the altar, it’s as if Christ Himself is not there. You see, at Mass the priest prays, “This is my body … this is my blood.” The priest, another Christ, is missing — a most sacred sign of the presence of Christ. But I do have daily Mass looking at the computer.

How has your prayer life been impacted during the pandemic?
My praying the Rosary has changed. We received from the Pope prayers to pray after praying the Rosary. And those prayers I pray every day.

How have you been spending your extra hours during stay-at-home restrictions?
I am still doing jigsaw puzzles. For each piece that I put in, I pray an act of love. But now during the pandemic I pray for the first-responders, those afflicted with the coronavirus and those who have a relative or friend who has this virus.

Sister Georgette Dublino

What do you most miss doing during this time of extended isolation and stay-at-home restrictions?
Living a religious life for many years, I really miss the daily Mass and receiving the Eucharist. This is the heart of our Catholic faith. I also miss being able to go to the Mass in the parish church and share with the people. I miss, too, being with the residents at Mt. Assisi Place to share music and spiritual discussions, to share the weekly Sunday scripture, and to enjoy entertaining them. I miss not being able to visit the Sisters individually to share and be with. How true, we take this so much for granted because we live in community, and now we can't do it. 

How has your prayer life been impacted during the pandemic?
It's wonderful that prayer time doesn't need to be at a particular time because your day has no schedule for Ministry or other responsibilities. "Stay-at-home" provides varied opportunities and leisure for my prayer. I have had much time to reflect spiritually on how blessed I am and how I have taken so many important things for granted, leading me into prayers of sincere gratitude for so many blessings.

Have you found any silver linings in these strange times?
These numerous days of just being home have provided excellent time to not just be occupied with my interests, but to call my family and friends and see how they are doing, as well as elderly who I know are alone and appreciate hearing from me. I've taken the opportunity to enrich my day by listening to presentations, music, and programs of interest that I never had time for before. I have been awakened to the heroism, dedication, and sacrifice of people who are truly an inspiration to me. I have come to recognize, in particular, the hard work of employees of all kinds of "service jobs" who get such little pay and can barely make ends meet for their families. Recognizing all this is, indeed, a silver lining in this difficult time our whole world is experiencing.

Sister Irene Novak

What do you most miss doing during this time of extended isolation and stay-at-home restrictions?
I am embarrassed to say that the one thing I miss most is my trips to the Dollar Tree.

How has your prayer life been impacted during the pandemic?
I really like our gathering in common for the streaming Mass each day with our bishop and the extraordinary gift of Eucharist at this time because too many persons still need to live without that gift.

How have you been spending your extra hours during stay-at-home restrictions?
Since I am in the ‘oldies’ time of my life, I delight in a non-structured schedule. I enjoy puttering on a sewing machine, so I have been making masks. I do like “snail mail,” so I make sure I send upbeat notes to some persons I know who are living alone and two who are in nursing homes. There is  more time for prayer and some time left over for me sort and package cancelled stamps for missions. This unusual situation in our society is not wearing me down yet.

Sister Roselyn Kuzma

What do you most miss doing during this time of extended isolation and stay-at-home restrictions?
There is no doubt that I miss attending daily Mass and receiving Communion the most. I miss the opportunity  to receive the sacrament of Reconciliation. I miss not being able to visit my family, going to see the Sisters in Vincentian Home, and even seeing more of our own Sisters in Little Flower House and San Damiano Convent. I miss sharing with more Sisters in the dining room and miss attending funerals of the relatives of our Sisters. I even miss waiting to have funerals for Sisters Connie and Rose Ann and being there for their relatives. 

How has your prayer life been impacted during the pandemic?
I have more time now and so I make a Holy Hour everyday. I pray virtual Vespers with the Capuchins and often attend an extra online Mass with them to hear a different homily. I sometimes pray the Holy Hour with them in the evening. I like to  just go upstairs in the quiet little chapel. There is no social distancing between Jesus and I! I do thank God that we do have a chapel with Jesus present with us at all times and can at least receive Him weekly. I do tell all those that I communicate with that I remember them in prayer when I am with Jesus in the chapel.

Have you found any silver linings in these strange times?
I know I will be grateful to God for some of the things that I took for granted in the past.

Sister Marietta Bankos

How has your prayer life been impacted during the pandemic?
I enjoy sitting quietly, praying for all our families and friends and all the special prayer requests we receive.