Come ride with us young bonnie lass/With the angels of the night

Today I met an old acquaintance on the train home. Sister Teresa is her name; a Loreto sister of moderate old age who was for a time the chaplain of the school where I spent the six years directly preceding this one.

She's a marvellous old lady, really, still going strong though she's in her seventies at least, and I wouldn't put a hale early eighties as out of the question. She was telling me about a religious retreat she's organising at the Loreto school in Fermoy and showing me pictures she'd had laminated to use then, and somehow we segued into a discussion of the history of Mary Ward and Theresa Boyle. Actually, she talked; I listened, having known the basics before now (courtesy of school and Antonia Frazer's The Weaker Vessel: Women in 17th Century England), but it's always interesting to get more info from someone who obviously cares very much about the topic.

(In an aside: I often think older persons like very much to talk, especially to younger ones, and in this case I was happy to oblige.)

Mary Ward is a fascinating historical figure, actually: in many ways she was very progressive for her time.

And in a rambling way the conversation went on from there, and she ended up telling me that two of her religious sisters in their late twenties, who had just made their full confession and taken final vows, were going to be leaving, along with another Loreto sister, to take part in an intra-religious education (and health, I think, but I'm not sure) project in the Sudan.

In the Sudan.

It hasn't been getting much news coverage lately, but I know the Sudan remains one of the more dangerous places to be. So I am again struck by the dedication of the religious who feel called by their God to help people in places where they themselves are at risk and under deprivation.

I'm a heretic unbeliever myself, as I think I may have mentioned before, but all I can say is: I admire the Loreto sisters and their convictions, and if I were the praying type (but I'm not) I'd pray for them. Since I'm not, I can only hope they succeed in whatever education initiatives they're involved in.

A paraphrase of Mary Ward, 17th century educator who was occassionally accused of heresy: 'Women in times to come will do much'. That's a philosophy I can get behind, despite my ambivalence towards religion in general.


------------

And in other news: http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=mg18925343.700&feedId=online-news_rss20, via matociquala. An original plan for the end of the world as we know it? Or are they nicking their ideas from karentraviss's City of Pearl?

Come ride with us young bonnie lass/With the angels of the night

Today I met an old acquaintance on the train home. Sister Teresa is her name; a Loreto sister of moderate old age who was for a time the chaplain of the school where I spent the six years directly preceding this one.

She's a marvellous old lady, really, still going strong though she's in her seventies at least, and I wouldn't put a hale early eighties as out of the question. She was telling me about a religious retreat she's organising at the Loreto school in Fermoy and showing me pictures she'd had laminated to use then, and somehow we segued into a discussion of the history of Mary Ward and Theresa Boyle. Actually, she talked; I listened, having known the basics before now (courtesy of school and Antonia Frazer's The Weaker Vessel: Women in 17th Century England), but it's always interesting to get more info from someone who obviously cares very much about the topic.

(In an aside: I often think older persons like very much to talk, especially to younger ones, and in this case I was happy to oblige.)

Mary Ward is a fascinating historical figure, actually: in many ways she was very progressive for her time.

And in a rambling way the conversation went on from there, and she ended up telling me that two of her religious sisters in their late twenties, who had just made their full confession and taken final vows, were going to be leaving, along with another Loreto sister, to take part in an intra-religious education (and health, I think, but I'm not sure) project in the Sudan.

In the Sudan.

It hasn't been getting much news coverage lately, but I know the Sudan remains one of the more dangerous places to be. So I am again struck by the dedication of the religious who feel called by their God to help people in places where they themselves are at risk and under deprivation.

I'm a heretic unbeliever myself, as I think I may have mentioned before, but all I can say is: I admire the Loreto sisters and their convictions, and if I were the praying type (but I'm not) I'd pray for them. Since I'm not, I can only hope they succeed in whatever education initiatives they're involved in.

A paraphrase of Mary Ward, 17th century educator who was occassionally accused of heresy: 'Women in times to come will do much'. That's a philosophy I can get behind, despite my ambivalence towards religion in general.


------------

And in other news: http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=mg18925343.700&feedId=online-news_rss20, via matociquala. An original plan for the end of the world as we know it? Or are they nicking their ideas from karentraviss's City of Pearl?