MAY 2021
VOL. XXV, NO. 4
Associates and Sisters Day set for June 26 (so far) By Dan Heckel, OSUA (MSJ Staff)
T
he author Dan Millman said, “Faith means living with uncertainty – feeling your way through life, letting your heart guide you like a lantern in the dark.” If the Covid-19 pandemic has taught us anything, it is to expect uncertainty. So, we tell you with full confidence that – as of now – Associates and Sisters Day is scheduled for June 26 at Mount Saint Joseph. A limited number of people may be allowed in person, and all others are available to participate via Zoom. That could all change before June 26. “Subject to change” is the official motto of events in the age of Covid, but we wanted to share with you what we know today so you can make plans to join us – even if it’s virtually. After canceling the 2020 Associates and Sisters Day and twice canceling new Associate commitments, the Associate Advisory Board decided that the “show will go on” as scheduled this year. We have four people making their commitment as Associates this year, and we owe it to them to reward their patience and welcome them as new Associates. The Maple Mount campus and the Retreat Center continues to be closed to the public for now. On April 11, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said that once 2.5 million Kentuckians are vaccinated, he would
Registration is now open for Associates and Sisters Day on June 26, 2021. Fill out and mail the registration form on the back or sign up online (see link in form).
lift most restrictions on gathering. About 1.5 million people in the state had been vaccinated when he made that statement, so there is hope that perhaps by the end of May or beginning of June, we will be able to gather in Maple Mount, at least in limited numbers. Our best chance of gathering in person will likely be in the gym, where distancing requirements would limit us to 50 people. The large Angela conference room could only handle 25 people and the smaller Brescia conference room 10. Whether we can meet in public or not, the day’s events will be captured via Zoom, so anyone who registers will have access to watch on their computer or phone. We know that following on computer can be exhausting for some people, so we are only going to schedule a half day, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. CDT. We are fortunate to have a wonderful speaker for the day. Ursuline Sister Larraine Lauter, executive director of Water With Blessings in Louisville, will speak to us via Zoom about “Claiming Our Identity: Angela Merici and her original vision for the Ursuline family.” It will concern Angela’s original vision of lay contemplatives in the world, as Sister Larraine witnessed by her secretary Gabriel Lauter Cozzano. “You might think Associates would be familiar with this, but over and over individual Associates have told me that this is a new perspective for them,” Sister Larraine said. Some of our regular features of Associates and Continued on page 2