Requiem and a Nun

Well, briefly, before I get going to the funeral Mass of local Fr. Ed Williams, with whom I was loosely acquainted, I would like to mention to you all (or to y'all, depending on where you're from and where you're reading this) that I met a nun yesterday. A real nun. A nun who, astonishingly enough, believes the teachings of the Church. A nun who embraces her rule and her habit as a way of conforming herself to the cross of Christ. A nun who, even in view of all those other facts, is by no means old. I would place her in her early-to-mid thirties, at the latest. She's from an order called the Sister Servants of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, the ones who used to care for John Paul II (santo subito).

Her mother, who lived in Wilkes-Barre, has recently passed away, and I recall the first time I ever spoke to Sr. Mary Joseph. She was calling to inform my rector, who had preached their community's retreat the previous year and had visited Sister's mother several times, that she had died. I remember how trusting, peaceful, and even joyful she sounded. As far as I'm concerned, it's rare to find someone with that attitude toward death, especially the death of a parent, and I was impressed. I pray that her, her family, her congregation, and her class of postulants (she is in charge of postulants) will all be blessed abundantly by Almighty God.