Friday, September 22, 2017

Au Revoir, by Sister Elaine Hollis, SSj

Au Revoir

I'm sitting at the Lyon airport waiting for my flight to Paris and then on to Detroit and finally Rochester. I had a ride to the train station from the head of the Lyon Sisters since there was a problem with taxis, possibly due to a big manifestation happening today related to work issues.

I left LePuy yesterday with 11 other Sisters and stayed at the Lyon Motherhouse overnight. That gave me the opportunity to see the beautiful Chapel they have dating to the 1800s and Mother St. John's bedroom and some archival records of the congregation.


The Chapel of the Lyon sisters

The tree of SSJ Congregations painted on a wall of the Chapel


Mother St. John's bedroom

With me in Lyon were three of the Mexican Sisters whose hearts are broken as they see the news about the terrible situation in Mexico due to the earthquake. Their Sisters and their families are OK but they are grieving for all those whose lives were lost and homes destroyed. One has a new perspective on a disaster like this when one knows people from the country where it happened.

Just before coming to my gate I said a final goodbye to Colleen from Philadelphia and Mary Clare from Canada. We happened to meet going through security. They had stayed in a hotel near the airport overnight with Erin from the Congregation of St. Joseph who lives in Detroit and Karin from Orange. Several of us went out to explore a little of Lyon last night and we ended up in a restaurant where one of the cooks was from the part of Lebanon that Raymonda was from and his family lived in Detroit. She enjoyed talking with him in Arabic and we ended up getting a special Lebanese dish his mother makes at home.

The Lyon sisters who participated in the course - Raymonda from Lebanon, Dulce and Griselda from Mexico, and Sushma from India- in front of their congregational cross

As I come home I am struck by how small our world is and the mystery of people crossing paths and finding connections. I am just very grateful to have had this experience and to have walked with these wonderful women for the last several days. May we continue to grow in our awareness of a charism and mission that reaches out to the dear neighbor in so many corners of this world.

P. S. Arrived home safe and sound after getting a glimpse of the Eiffel Tower and the Alps from the plane window. WOW!

Tuesday, September 19, 2017

Joining the Festivities, by Sister Elaine Hollis, SSJ

Le Roi de l'Oiseau


We were privileged to be in LePuy for the Renaissance festival named for the "king of the bird." Throughout the city one could see people dressed up in medieval garb and acting out the history of the country as everything from king to peasant. So many people came from all over the country and world that it was hard to find enough rooms for the participants in this workshop and a few stayed in the next town.


One of the areas where the participants camped out


One of the exquisite costumes


One of the horses and rider

On Sunday we went into the old city of LePuy to watch the parade that ended the celebration. The king, who was the best archer around, had been crowned. We had a wonderful place to stand and actually made the local paper. Various groups walked by playing period instruments and carrying everything from an anvil to swords and spears.


Yours truly in the white jacket in an article in the local newspaper

What was remarkable was the variety of people who participated. There were people of all ages, colors, and ethnicity. Everyone seemed to get into the spirit of the event, cheering when the jugglers went by and clapping for the various musical groups.

After the parade we stayed in town to get something to eat and then when it was dark a small group of us went to see the "lumières." On four buildings and a mountain they project light shows that are absolutely incredible. We saw them at Le Théâtre, L'Hôtel de Ville, La Cathédral Norte-Dame, and Le rocher Saint-Michel d'Aiguilhe.


The theatre lit up

Liberty, equality and fraternity lighting up the hotel


The Cathedral lit up


The mountain lit up showing the volcano that formed it

There is just so much to see here that I am glad I've had this time to see both the old and the new in LePuy with such a marvelous group of Sisters.

The Climb, by Sister Elaine Hollis, SSJ

On Sunday I finally had the chance to climb to the top of the statue of Our Lady of France with a group of the Indian Sisters, Ortencia from Argentina, and Mary Clare from Canada. One can see this statue from almost every part of LePuy.

View of the statue from the mountain with the St. Michael Chapel

This statue was built after a victory in the Crimean War from 213 cannons captured from the enemy. Inaugurated in 1860, it was built on the highest mountain around and so the view from the top is spectacular.


             Our Lady of France                  Preeti & Sushma with cannons that were not melted

The view from the crown of the statue

What is so amazing is that after climbing hundreds of steps to get to the statue, one can go inside of it and climb corkscrew staircases to a platform just below the crown. The last part of the journey is a ladder that takes one to the highest point. All along the way up are little windows that open to see the view. The workmanship in this is incredible.

The corkscrew staircase inside the statue

As I reflect on the experience I am struck by the thought that the weapons of war were turned into this beautiful statue of Our Lady holding the Prince of Peace. We certainly are facing a long hard climb to overturn the violence in our world today and to hold peace in our hearts, our families and our world.



Monday, September 18, 2017

Building Bridges, by Sister Elaine Hollis, SSJ

At the foot of the hill, on which the Centre is located, is the Borne River which empties into the Loire, the longest river in France. All along this river are a series of bridges and a well-used walking path follows along its banks. It is a very reflective place to walk.



It seems that so much of the course here has been about building bridges of understanding in the midst of conflict. Some of those conflicts are personal as Sisters come to understand themselves and their gifts and limitations. Some happen in community life as young Sisters rub elbows with older Sisters, Sisters from one culture live with those of a different culture, or the small things we do or don't do are interpreted in one way or another without true understanding.


Finally, some of these conflicts arise in the contexts in which the communities are found. Whether it is a hospital in India where the birth of a girl is not as welcomed as that of a boy, or a University in Lebanon where Christians are in a minority, these Sisters are learning skills to help them deal with conflict in a non-violent way.


The bridges they have established here with each other are an essential part of the learning experience. Sisters who speak two different languages and each know a little of a common language have been able to share at a deep level mainly because of their desire and effort to communicate.

Hopefully we can all build more bridges and fewer walls.


The Adventure Continues, by Sister Elaine Hollis, SSJ

After our time at the archives and kitchen, we walked to the Cathedral of Notre Dame du Puy. This building dates from the 11th and 12th centuries and is constructed on Mount Anis, the site of a pagan shrine well before Christianity spread. Like pilgrims through the ages and many SSJs and their Associates, we climbed over 134 steps to enter this incredible sacred space. Within it is more art than we possibly could have seen in the time we had. We did get to see the statue of the Black Virgin and the list of bishops in LePuy including the name of Bishop Henri de Maupas.


View of the Cathedral and the many steps.


List of Bishops with name of Henri de Maupas who was Bishop from 1641- 1661


Image of the Black Virgin

Leaving the Cathedral we walked rather gingerly over the cobblestone streets (they must do a grand business here in orthopedics), and ran into an Ursuline Sister who happened to have the keys to L'eglise du Collège. This is the first Jesuit church in France founded in the early 17th century. It is probable that Fr. Medaille celebrated Mass here in this place also frequented by Saint Francis Régis, the patron Saint of lace-makers.


Main altar in L'église du Collège

From this church we walked a short distance to "the square of the martyrs." This is where the guillotine stood during the French Revolution and where at least a couple of our Sisters were killed. After World War I they planted a tree to honor those who died in the war and it seems to be growing well at this site.


Tree planted in "The square of the martyrs"


Plaques below the tree honoring the dead

As it was getting close to suppertime, we found a little sandwich shop and with help from one of the Brazilian Sisters on staff we managed to order some simple food and beverages. Along the way we had passed a sign for a "WC" and anyone who knows me knows what that means. Three of us went to find it and being the eldest they let me go in first. Everything was wet but I didn't give it much thought. On leaving I nicely held the door for the next person to go in. Next thing we knew she came running out with her pants and sneakers wet since this "toilette" was "automatique" and once the door closed it proceeded to wash itself! I'm afraid I was not a very good SSJ as I nearly doubled over laughing seeing her astonishment at this totally unexpected occurrence!

Following that adventure we headed for home and the safety of bathrooms that are only cleaned by people.

Friday, September 15, 2017

Where It All Began, by Sister Elaine Hollis, SSJ

What an amazingly powerful and tiring day this was! After lunch we set out walking to visit the old city of LePuy and the sites significant to our history. I walked about five miles over every imaginable surface and returned after supper grateful I had not fallen on the cobblestone pavement.

After passing the entrance to climb the mountain to the chapel of Saint Michael, we headed down a narrow street that led us to the chapel of St. Claire. Not far from there we walked along the complex of buildings that used to belong to the Sisters of Saint Joseph of LePuy. Besides housing about 50 of their Sisters and some lay people, there is also a school still on the premises.

Chapel of St. Clair

Walking down a few more streets and alleyways we came to the entrance into the area that contains the rooms which trace our history and the famous kitchen where our Sisters first gathered. Since our group was large we took turns at the two sites.

Entrance to the convent with the history rooms and kitchen 

The history rooms are really incredible and the technology absolutely amazing. One receives a small circular chip which, when placed on the timeline that runs through the rooms, brings up an explanation of a time in history in one's own language. There are displays including a lock and key that were part of the original walled city, and documents from our early founding including a letter from Father Medaille.

Interactive wall that pulls up information by touch

After taking an elevator down a floor in another building, one can visit the kitchen which is the only room remaining of the earliest house. One of its walls that used to be the entrance backs up to the pantry now being used to store food for the catering service that makes food for the residents of the building that surrounds the kitchen.

Sister Simone, who lives in LePuy and is one of our translators, gave us a detailed description of what we were seeing in the kitchen. Hanging on the wall were some samples of the kinds of bed warmers the Sisters may have used when the weather turned cold.

Rani, one of the Indian sisters in the kitchen

Simone asked us to imagine the first six Sisters in this space and then to reflect on the fact that there we stood -- Sisters from all over the world who came from this humble beginning and to whom the charism has been passed over 360 years later!

Some of the group posing for pictures in the kitchen 

More tomorrow about the rest of our pilgrimage.
 

Thursday, September 14, 2017

Making the Climb, by Sister Elaine Hollis, SSJ

One of the most impressive sights here in LePuy are the volcanic mountains that rise out of the valleys. It seems that no matter where one goes one can always see either the mountain topped by Our Lady of France or the one with the Chapel of St. Michael.


Chapel of St. Michael                                                  Stairway leading to the Chapel

On one of my first walks I discovered the entrance-way to the stairs one climbs to reach the Chapel. There was a fee of about $4 and I had not brought any money with me. I also figured there would not be time to make the climb before our afternoon session started so I turned around and returned to the Centre.

Chapel built right into the rocks     Our Lady of France & the Cathedral from the Chapel

Today I set out again after lunch having discovered that SSJs get in without paying. I thought I would just go up a short ways thinking the climb might take longer than the time I had. On the way up a couple explained to me that it really didn't take that long and so I continued to the top. What a view!

One can walk all the way around this Chapel which was built in the 10th century by the Bishop of LePuy on his return from the first French pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela. I cannot even begin to imagine how they carried the rocks and other materials needed to the top and then eventually carved the stairway to reach the Chapel. It is an amazing testament to the faith of the people. One can almost feel the presence of all those who have made this climb over the centuries, including, perhaps, many of our own Sisters.

Interior of the Chapel