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"I see sham pane, but no glasses"
2007.05.10 23:55
A month ago I spent most of the day within the archive of the Medical Mission Sisters, going through their material on Ury House. The Medical Mission Sisters were the last owners/residents of Ury House, and indeed Sister Jane and Sister Carmine, who now work in the archive, both lived in Ury as novices. Sister Jane is now a retired MD who worked in various parts of Africa, Uganda (under Amin) and the Gold Coast. Sister Carmine was a nurse in various parts of India, and she obviously misses her work now.
There is a distinct architecture to the mission of the Medical Mission Sisters, and at its core is the issue of health issues intwined with women's rights. As I traced the contours of what was once Mier's Fisher's farm, and crop fields that Sister Carmine remembers working herself, Sister Jane related the history of their Order. Apparently Vatican II brought much hopefulness for missions dealing with health issues and women's rights, but that didn't last. I think Sister Jane was genuinely surprised I knew about (the mission of) Melania the Younger, and my mention of Church Fathers, Independent Virgins definitely raised her eyebrows.
I'd like to go back and hear more, but I don't know if I ever will.
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