This One's For You Mother!

 Recently we celebrated a Gaudeamus Dayin honor of Mother Catherine Marie. 

   In gratitude for her spiritual leadership of our Community there were some gifts given with her in mind. (And, yes, us Sisters benefit too!) This year she received some DVDs on lives of the saints, a warm blanket and a painting.

    This year's AME "after meal entertainment" (a tradition Sr. John Mary brought to the monastery from her days working with NET Ministries!) brought us a monk and a scholar.

    After the noon meal Sr. Rose Marie and Ane Kirstine surprised Mother with a cute skit of a monk in the desert of Egypt learning how to use a book - a novel update from scrolls!  Ane Kirstine was the "Book Tech" from the University of Alexandria called on to explain just how to open and read a book.  It brought lots of laughs.

    The evening AME brought us a humorous song "How Do You Solve a Problem Like the Papacy" sung by St. Catherine of Siena (Ane Kirstine) and her companions (Sr. Rose Marie and Sr. John Mary) to the tune of "How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria" from The Sound of Music

    There was great turmoil surrounding the pope's residence in St. Catherine's day. She sought to convince the reigning pontiff - the Bishop of Rome - to return to Rome despite the efforts of many in the Curia and many on the political scene who wanted to keep him in Avignon, France.  Catherine loved the papacy and knew this was Christ's Vicar on earth. You might say she was a vocal force of encouragement to him!

If St. Catherine of Siena were a musical...

He says he’s old and has a cold, the Alps are much too high.

To leave his home in Avignon would surely make him sigh.

His French curia tells him that Rome is a pigsty. Besides, he doesn’t speak any Italian.

How do you solve a problem like the papacy? How do you pin a flighty pontiff down? How do you find a way to say "Get back here!"? You’re bishop of Rome! You’re needed at home! Right now! Oh, how do you solve a problem like the papacy? How do you pin a flighty pontiff down?

When I’m with him I’m disturbed, out of patience and perturbed, and I want to throw the cardinals out the door.

Unpredictable as weather, he says one thing, then another. He’s discerning. He lacks backbone! He needs prayer.

He’d outpester any pest, drive a hornet from its nest. He could drive the saints and blessed to lose hope!

He is gentle, he is mild. He’s our papa, we’re his child. He’s a headache! He’s a hero! He’s the pope!

How do you solve a problem like the papacy? How do you pin a flighty pontiff down? How do you find a way to say "Get back here!"? You’re bishop of Rome! You’re needed at home! Right now! Oh, how do you solve a problem like the papacy? How do you pin a flighty pontiff down?

 Most of the community members gather around Mother on her special day. 

    During our recent elections Mother Catherine Marie was re-elected Reverend Superior for another three years. Dear Mother, may the Lord reward you for accepting, with humble generosity, this role of service.  May Mary our Mother obtain all the graces you need to lead our community to be Love in the Heart of the Church through a deeper penetration of the Paschal Mystery. You are such a devoted example to us of living our Passion Vow in the Church with great joy and fidelity. May God reward you Mother! And may Saint Catherine of Siena, your powerful patroness, intercede for all your temporal and spiritual needs!