I wish I would have known . .

I wish I would have known…

...how important a stable meeting place is.

I have been an Associate for over 35 years with the Sisters of Divine Providence of Allison Park, PA. When I became an Associate, St. Louis was a stand-alone province. There was a large Motherhouse that included a school, a beautiful chapel and many rooms and offices.

Associates held meetings and other events at the “Mount” as it was called. At some point the Missouri highway department decided that a major highway needed to be re-routed through the Motherhouse. Following the implosion of the building, offices were moved to a facility that also housed a day shelter for the homeless. The Sisters were moved to a remodeled floor of a sponsored hospital.

The Associates were able to use a meeting room at the office building. The hospital’s chapel was made available for renewals. It was not long before the hospital chapel and the shelter meeting room were no longer accessible. The Sisters were moved to an independent/assisted living facility. This space also became our meeting place.

Eventually, the Associates lost another meeting place. We were nomads traveling here and there for gatherings. Luckily, a local parish allowed us to use their facilities for meetings, retreats, and gatherings. When the parish required those rooms for another religious community, we were on the hunt.

Currently, a UCC church has opened their doors to our Associates. There are meeting rooms with technology, kitchen facilities, and a chapel. My point is that it is so important to have a stable meeting place that the Associates can call home. It can be a gathering place, a place of faith and sharing, a place of prayer and retreat. We are incredibly grateful for the UCC church for sharing their facilities with us.

In closing, I would recommend that you look for a stable meeting place before your Motherhouse, Province offices or places of Community gatherings are closed. It means so much in helping to hold the Associates together.

Submitted by Linda Hoefflin

                      Director of Associates

                      Sisters of Divine Providence, Allison Park, PA

                      December 4, 2024