In Praise of Loretto Motherhouse Infirmary: All Are Welcome!
Posted on August 8, 2022, by Loretto Community
Our Sisters came to this holy place. We have been led to this holy space. The Spirit, their spirits are here.
From “The Journey,” lyrics and music by Mary Alma Sullivan BVM and Eliza Kenney BVM
The Loretto Motherhouse Infirmary is a holy place. Yes, the spirits of those who have lived and died there have made it so. Each Infirmary resident, each person who has worked there is a source of healing for another. The hymn “All Are Welcome,” composed by Marty Haugen, could well be the theme song for the Loretto Infirmary. The doors are wide open to welcome all who come, be they area residents, staff or members of the Loretto Community and their families.
The Loretto Infirmary is a holy place, standing for 75 years. The work of the Infirmary administration and staff who have served with such dedication have made it a gift to all who have lived there. Infirmary administrators lead from a place of love. They have created a vision of community, of tenderness, of life rooted in tender care and healing.
Photo courtesy of Michelle Essex
When Loretto members or lay residents move into the Infirmary it is often a journey into the unknown. But everyone eventually learns that the journey has called them to enter more deeply into their own life and to embrace the experience of being cared for and loved.
Loretto members who are Infirmary residents often turn to the original prayer said by hundreds of Loretto Sisters before them: “O Suffering Jesus, O Sorrowful Mary.” For many in the Infirmary, their life becomes a prayer of suffering or sorrow. They often say that through their suffering they support the work of members who are more active in mission. Our Sisters and Co-members are not different from others in this world at the end of life. They are open and affirm the underlying mystery of life that all are loved by God to the very end and welcomed into the everlasting freedom of God’s life forever.
What a beautiful legacy they leave!
“Yes, we are led to this holy place. The Spirit, their spirits are here.”
For more information, you can contact Infirmary Administrator Michelle Essex through the form below.
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