“The hand of the Lord will rest on this mountain ...”
The creche outside Mt. Assisi Place in Pittsburgh awaits the arrival of the Christ Child, while lighted decorations illuminate the hilltop, both indoors and out.
A Beacon of Light
the SCENERY surely has changed,
but glimmers of home & hope remain
After more than 30 years abroad caring for AIDS-afflicted children in South Africa, Sisters Anita Salay and Denise Olshausky returned to the United States earlier this year. Her physical being has been back these many months, but the sacred season of Advent has shown Sister Anece that her spirit, too, is home at last. She tells us about it below.
Sister Anece
Arriving at Pittsburgh National Airport last February 1, Sister Denise and I were welcomed by a beautiful snowfall. After 14 days of quarantine, a test for COVID-19, and two vaccine doses, we enjoyed long-awaited visits with our families.
The “Brookville Wonderland” offered much to behold. My sister greeted me with open heart and arms to “home,” which was still completely decorated for Christmas. After hugs and tears, we sat down to enjoy the glow of the Christmas lights, tree and all. In the quiet light, I realized, “I’m home.”
This week, it has happened again. That same old feeling of home.
Mt. Assisi Place — or “The Mount,” as it is fondly known to so many — has been illuminated with countless lights. Every day, another tree, wreath or decoration has appeared. It has taken a while for me to absorb it all. A sense of warmth and that unmistakable feeling of home prevail.
Tuesday’s reading from Isaiah echoed memories of our alma mater. “The hand of the Lord will rest on this mountain.” It conjures familiar refrains of the old Mount Assisi Academy school song — “O hail, Mt. Assisi, a gleam on the hilltop, a beacon of light in the life of us all.”
Yes, the young students are gone, and the elderly reside here now. Walkers, canes and wheelchairs are seen on the halls where book bags and saddle shoes once were. The high school scene has given way to the trappings of a personal care home. A new wellness center opening this month is more useful than the old, darkened gymnasium is these days.
Yet, the reception and administration offices are always open for a chat, and the chapel welcomes as much worship and peaceful prayer as present-day COVID restrictions permit.
The important thing is this — Mt. Assisi Place is where “each brick and each stone in each consecrate wall” is still home, still a beacon of light in the life of those who live here and all those who visit.
After months of quarantine, the Christmas lights that illuminate this hilltop tell a story of home and hope, gifts that the Christ Child brings to us all.