Sisters & Seekers gatherings vary between formal and informal as the spirit calls. A comfortable, cozy gathering on a cold winter aernoon included dear friends and Barbara Hansen OP, Jarre DeWyse OP, Lucille Janowiak OP, and Mary Kay Oosdyke OP.
In April of 2017, a group of Sisters and Millennials met for the irst time at Dominican Center. This began what has become an almost regular every other Sunday night gathering. Nationally, these gatherings are named Nuns & Nones but this local one will go by Sisters & Seekers since all of us are both sisters and seekers. A "none" is a young person who when asked their religious afiliation will check NONE. Most were raised Christian, a few have no religious background.
Millennial Katie Gordon approached me in late 2016 about the possibility of starting such a group locally. I knew Katie as the program director for activities sponsored by the Kaufman Interfaith Institute and as someone I had interviewed on TV at the Grand Rapids Community Center. Katie had also authored an MLive article on the rise of religiously unafiliated Millennial nones. Together, we invited over 40 Sisters and Millennials to the irst gathering with an open invitation for them to invite others. About
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20 responded. Typically, between 10-20 participants gather each Sunday evening. Many
are now regulars but all meetings are open to newcomers.
For the irst year, Katie and I facilitated the meetings. After Katie left to enter Harvard Divinity, another millennial, Ellie Hutchinson, took over Katie's facilitator role. I handle room arrangements. Together we solicit topics for discussion. Conversation guidelines have been established. Near the end of the irst year, we prepared evaluative questions.
A few responses are shared here:
What draws you here? Why do you show up? Intergenerational desire to get to know each other
Purpose of our meetings?
Build community and relationships Learn and grow (especially in spirituality and
faith)
A unique space (welcoming, quiet, relective)
Accompany each other Intersection of faith and justice Conversations that matter
Sisters and Seekers celebrate the one year anniversary of their gatherings at Dominican
Center at Marywood in Grand Rapids.
Because Grand Rapids was one the irst groups to form after a gathering on the East Coast in the autumn of 2016, hence having the most experience, Ellie and I have been blessed to be invited to two larger gatherings of Nuns & Nones. The irst was in Kalamazoo at the Transformations Center (SSJ Spirituality Center) in June of 2017 and the second in April, 2018 at the Fetzer Institute in Kalamazoo. The irst had Sisters and Millennials from MI, IN and IL in attendance including Sr. Justine Kane. The latter one consisted of 27 participants from both coasts and Middle America. Katie Gordon has been part of both, in addition to many similar gatherings around the country.
Adam Horowitz facilitates
a conversaon of Nuns & Nones at the Fetzer Center in Kalamazoo, Michigan in April 2018.
These Millennials are seekers. They have many
questions and concerns. They ind pat answers to
existential questions unsatisfactory. They want to
explore life's meaning and have it ok to have
doubts. Loneliness and lack of meaningful
community are big issues for them. Spirituality is
attractive and inviting to them. They are extremely
altruistic and wanting to make a difference. Among
the ideas explored at the Fetzer gathering were
intergenerational living and commonly shared
work spaces.
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Sr. Maureen Geary joined the April meeting in Kalamazoo and along with two others in
congregational leadership discussed the reality of needing to ind other uses for our
facilities and how these younger voices may contribute to the planning that is going on
across the country in religious communities. Speaking about the day, Sr. Maureen
commented, "We are all pilgrims on the journey; it is good to have new companions for
the adventure. Fresh insight and eagerness to be about the good works of religious
congregations, built on relationship, can lead to new ideas."
Meal times were usually at least an hour and half in length because the interchange between Sisters and Millennials at each table are so open, honest, and meaningful. In both the local and larger gatherings, the level of trust and sharing has been unexpected and wonderful. The women religious are open to learning the world in which this generation exists with challenges and opportunities way beyond anything most of them experienced at their age. The Millennials are open to and seeking wisdom from the lived experience of the Sisters with living community and being committed to service. They are interested and perhaps fascinated at how women religious remain committed to institutions that don't always recognize their gifts and presence. One Millennial shared that she has noticed Millennials tend to give up or move on when disappointed when organizations don't meet their hopes. Whereas, she observed the Sisters remain engaged for longer periods of time to question, propose and try to effect change. Nuns & Nones is a very young movement but one that holds lots of promise as Sisters are concerned with their legacy and Millennials are looking for guides to navigate this uncertain world. Together they have much to share with each other and learn from each other.
This gathering in April, 2018 at the Fetzer Center in Kalamazoo, Michigan was a facilitated
conversaon of Nuns & Nones and included the organizers of the Nuns & Nones gatherings,
Rev. Wayne Muller and Adam Horowitz. We hope you are inspired to discover more about
Nuns & Nones by vising their website. "What learnings, what untapped mutual resources might be discovered, and set free, to serve the unmet needs in the world, through an alliance of these two inspired and inspiring communities?" -- Nuns & Nones |
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