1
00:00:01,560 --> 00:00:05,182
Welcome to love and speak the truth, a podcast
2
00:00:05,326 --> 00:00:09,170
with sister B and friends. It might get messy.
3
00:00:09,510 --> 00:00:12,510
Sacred to secular. Don't judge.
4
00:00:12,670 --> 00:00:15,334
All voices will be heard here.
5
00:00:15,502 --> 00:00:19,646
So listen up. We're going to explore the human experience
6
00:00:19,838 --> 00:00:23,566
through the lens of wisdom, sharing, and faith with
7
00:00:23,598 --> 00:00:26,130
a worldview that might shock. You,
8
00:00:26,470 --> 00:00:30,130
move you, even downright inspire you.
9
00:00:32,510 --> 00:00:36,526
Today we are privileged to be talking to our
10
00:00:36,558 --> 00:00:39,410
own sister, Lorraine Crawford, IBVM.
11
00:00:39,870 --> 00:00:42,930
She starts our podcast for us.
12
00:00:43,230 --> 00:00:46,846
One of my own peeps, if you will. Lorraine comes to
13
00:00:46,878 --> 00:00:50,494
us today excited and terrified. She says,
14
00:00:50,582 --> 00:00:53,530
I want to do my best for your listeners.
15
00:00:54,150 --> 00:00:57,502
Well, for the more than 43 years that I've known
16
00:00:57,526 --> 00:01:00,336
Lorraine, she has never let me down.
17
00:01:00,518 --> 00:01:04,548
For instance, during Holy Week, she startled and amazed
18
00:01:04,604 --> 00:01:08,668
us with her portrayal of the arrogant thief crucified
19
00:01:08,764 --> 00:01:13,060
with Jesus. We were bringing some drama and contemplation
20
00:01:13,220 --> 00:01:15,840
to the proclamation of the passion.
21
00:01:16,140 --> 00:01:19,596
At 92 years old, this chick brings it
22
00:01:19,628 --> 00:01:23,380
on. Lorraine embraces people with her beautiful
23
00:01:23,460 --> 00:01:27,060
inclusion, her welcome and understanding of
24
00:01:27,140 --> 00:01:30,952
difference and diversity. She believes in
25
00:01:30,976 --> 00:01:34,800
the goodness of people and truly, truly meets
26
00:01:34,840 --> 00:01:38,020
people where they are in their own journey.
27
00:01:38,880 --> 00:01:42,464
You can say she doesn't judge. She really doesn't.
28
00:01:42,592 --> 00:01:45,700
She imagines the best in every situation.
29
00:01:46,920 --> 00:01:50,416
She lives in hope. She is a woman of great
30
00:01:50,568 --> 00:01:54,408
magnanimity. She is love
31
00:01:54,544 --> 00:01:56,220
speaking truth.
32
00:01:57,440 --> 00:02:01,584
So, Sister Lorraine, it is so
33
00:02:01,672 --> 00:02:05,448
good to have you here on the show. My favorite IbVm
34
00:02:05,504 --> 00:02:09,040
sister in all the world. I just want you to know that it is a
35
00:02:09,080 --> 00:02:13,032
great, great pleasure to have you on the program. You are
36
00:02:13,056 --> 00:02:16,392
so willing, so dynamic, and I know
37
00:02:16,416 --> 00:02:19,728
we're gonna have a good time today. Hope so. Let us begin,
38
00:02:19,784 --> 00:02:23,370
huh? I hope so. Well, tell us.
39
00:02:23,490 --> 00:02:27,602
Tell the audience, the people out there you're waiting.
40
00:02:27,706 --> 00:02:30,910
Public. Tell us something about yourself.
41
00:02:31,650 --> 00:02:35,070
About myself? Oh, gosh. Well,
42
00:02:35,730 --> 00:02:39,170
I've been a sister of the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary
43
00:02:39,250 --> 00:02:42,746
for 74 years. That's something.
44
00:02:42,858 --> 00:02:45,430
74 years. Praise the Lord.
45
00:02:46,050 --> 00:02:47,950
I'll tell you one thing.
46
00:02:49,450 --> 00:02:52,870
The last thing in the world I ever wanted to be was a sister.
47
00:02:53,490 --> 00:02:57,722
And in high school, I'll give you a little background.
48
00:02:57,826 --> 00:03:02,658
In high school, I had this beautiful young english
49
00:03:02,754 --> 00:03:05,898
sister. She taught me English.
50
00:03:06,074 --> 00:03:09,546
And during english class, when she was
51
00:03:09,578 --> 00:03:13,002
trying to teach me, I remember looking at her and saying,
52
00:03:13,186 --> 00:03:16,702
if she could do it, maybe I could do
53
00:03:16,726 --> 00:03:20,390
it. And I kept looking at her. And when I entered the convent
54
00:03:20,470 --> 00:03:24,926
at 18, I didn't understand this, but I
55
00:03:24,958 --> 00:03:28,370
really believed that it was the call.
56
00:03:28,910 --> 00:03:32,126
And I have never doubted that the
57
00:03:32,158 --> 00:03:35,526
life of a sister was right for
58
00:03:35,558 --> 00:03:37,930
me. I've never doubted it.
59
00:03:39,270 --> 00:03:42,708
I'll tell you just a little bit about my. My background.
60
00:03:42,844 --> 00:03:45,720
My dad, he was a Chicago policeman.
61
00:03:46,620 --> 00:03:49,680
And when I was 18,
62
00:03:50,540 --> 00:03:54,484
in the convent, he wrote me a letter. He hardly ever even
63
00:03:54,532 --> 00:03:57,852
talked to me. I know he loved me, but he hardly talked
64
00:03:57,876 --> 00:04:00,732
to me. And he wrote me a letter and he said,
65
00:04:00,916 --> 00:04:05,120
please come home, Harriet. That was my baptism.
66
00:04:05,460 --> 00:04:08,890
Baptism name. He said, please come home.
67
00:04:09,630 --> 00:04:13,518
He said, everyone is crying. If you come
68
00:04:13,574 --> 00:04:17,350
home, I will send you to college, even if
69
00:04:17,390 --> 00:04:21,210
I have to borrow the money. Love that.
70
00:04:21,990 --> 00:04:26,086
How beautiful. That is so much part of my heart. I still have that
71
00:04:26,118 --> 00:04:29,766
letter, too. Yes. How old are you? Tell your
72
00:04:29,798 --> 00:04:33,810
audience, how old are you? I'm 92.
73
00:04:34,160 --> 00:04:37,736
Oh, my, what a great 92. What kinds of
74
00:04:37,768 --> 00:04:40,952
things have you seen changes in the world over
75
00:04:41,016 --> 00:04:44,176
those 92 years? Maybe you can't account for them
76
00:04:44,248 --> 00:04:48,128
for the first ten years, but what kinds of big changes have you seen in
77
00:04:48,144 --> 00:04:50,780
the world in the last 90 years?
78
00:04:52,920 --> 00:04:57,584
Mostly changes in the way people respect other
79
00:04:57,632 --> 00:05:00,980
people and the way people respect the earth.
80
00:05:01,380 --> 00:05:05,212
Those are changes that are different now than they were
81
00:05:05,396 --> 00:05:09,892
many years ago. The emphasis
82
00:05:09,956 --> 00:05:13,468
now on respecting people is far.
83
00:05:13,644 --> 00:05:17,316
For me, it's far greater and far more important
84
00:05:17,508 --> 00:05:21,772
than it was many years ago, even though the
85
00:05:21,796 --> 00:05:26,076
respect that people have for one another is
86
00:05:26,108 --> 00:05:30,174
up and down every day. But I think people understand how
87
00:05:30,222 --> 00:05:33,726
important it is to respect people. Basically,
88
00:05:33,798 --> 00:05:37,326
they understand that. And with regard to the earth,
89
00:05:37,478 --> 00:05:40,646
do you think people are more respectful for the earth
90
00:05:40,798 --> 00:05:44,278
now? Because we see how much we have.
91
00:05:44,454 --> 00:05:47,010
We have really taken that word,
92
00:05:47,390 --> 00:05:51,130
dominion over it, and made ourselves
93
00:05:51,470 --> 00:05:55,264
people who have just used up the resources,
94
00:05:55,352 --> 00:05:58,632
who have not given it the due respect.
95
00:05:58,736 --> 00:06:01,992
The earth, the planet, all of the environment.
96
00:06:02,096 --> 00:06:06,904
Is that something that you see different? I myself certainly
97
00:06:07,072 --> 00:06:10,256
am much more respectful of the earth and environment.
98
00:06:10,448 --> 00:06:13,712
And because I taught science for
99
00:06:13,736 --> 00:06:17,832
a great deal of my life, I have
100
00:06:17,936 --> 00:06:21,292
become very aware of the importance of the respect for
101
00:06:21,316 --> 00:06:25,120
the earth. But I live in a community of
102
00:06:25,620 --> 00:06:29,508
women, primarily of women, who are very
103
00:06:29,644 --> 00:06:33,316
aware of respect for the earth in all forms.
104
00:06:33,428 --> 00:06:36,772
In all forms. And so it's
105
00:06:36,796 --> 00:06:39,320
all around me. But I certainly,
106
00:06:40,740 --> 00:06:44,420
I cringe when I see people disrespectful
107
00:06:44,460 --> 00:06:46,870
in any way of.
108
00:06:46,910 --> 00:06:50,846
Creation and that idea of
109
00:06:50,878 --> 00:06:54,254
being disrespectful. I think in the
110
00:06:54,302 --> 00:06:57,934
earlier years of your life, you saw a lot
111
00:06:57,982 --> 00:07:01,254
more shared respect for each other as
112
00:07:01,302 --> 00:07:05,010
human beings. Maybe things were not as
113
00:07:05,310 --> 00:07:08,398
great for everyone. There was
114
00:07:08,534 --> 00:07:12,080
lots of changes in legislation and things like that
115
00:07:12,270 --> 00:07:15,596
allowed people to see our diversity as a good thing.
116
00:07:15,748 --> 00:07:19,444
But nowadays, I think that people have gone
117
00:07:19,532 --> 00:07:22,684
to a place where respect for
118
00:07:22,732 --> 00:07:26,412
each other, kindness, compassion, and what
119
00:07:26,436 --> 00:07:28,800
the pope talks about, mercy,
120
00:07:29,580 --> 00:07:33,000
loving, each other, really, in a very practical way.
121
00:07:33,940 --> 00:07:37,180
We're seeing it coming back to life at some points,
122
00:07:37,260 --> 00:07:40,658
and then we also see ourselves falling
123
00:07:40,714 --> 00:07:45,050
backwards, you know, with all the violence. Maybe you can resonate
124
00:07:45,090 --> 00:07:46,390
with that a little bit.
125
00:07:50,010 --> 00:07:53,410
Well, I didn't want to touch on this, but the whole
126
00:07:53,450 --> 00:07:56,834
political situation is ravishing,
127
00:07:57,002 --> 00:08:00,986
and it disturbs me personally. And I
128
00:08:01,018 --> 00:08:05,794
live with a community of people who are obviously dedicated
129
00:08:05,842 --> 00:08:09,602
to Christianity, principles, and the whole political
130
00:08:09,706 --> 00:08:13,722
situation in the United States is
131
00:08:13,866 --> 00:08:17,930
uppermost in our minds. And sometimes
132
00:08:17,970 --> 00:08:21,498
I feel terribly helpless, and especially today, when there's going
133
00:08:21,514 --> 00:08:25,470
to be a lot of decisions made in regard to our government
134
00:08:25,890 --> 00:08:29,962
and our government leaders. I live with this,
135
00:08:30,146 --> 00:08:34,212
but I am forever aware I
136
00:08:34,236 --> 00:08:37,652
have to be a person of hope, and even in the
137
00:08:37,676 --> 00:08:41,964
midst of the darkness, and it's very dark politically
138
00:08:42,132 --> 00:08:45,788
in the United States today, and that concerns me,
139
00:08:45,884 --> 00:08:49,836
and yet I am surrounded by people who are people of
140
00:08:49,868 --> 00:08:53,548
hope. And that sure helps. Yes, that really
141
00:08:53,604 --> 00:08:57,172
does. That helps a lot. We can go back now a little bit as
142
00:08:57,196 --> 00:09:00,878
we go into our conversation, and I want to you
143
00:09:00,894 --> 00:09:04,462
to talk a little bit about Mary Ward's
144
00:09:04,486 --> 00:09:07,358
time. She was living in a very difficult time.
145
00:09:07,534 --> 00:09:11,566
She was living in a very difficult religious atmosphere.
146
00:09:11,758 --> 00:09:15,742
She was living in a time where women were not
147
00:09:15,886 --> 00:09:19,694
as recognized as we experience now. She was living in a difficult
148
00:09:19,742 --> 00:09:22,886
time. You're a real Mary Ward woman,
149
00:09:23,078 --> 00:09:28,080
Lorraine. Sister Lorraine, with your ability
150
00:09:28,200 --> 00:09:31,600
to move across all kinds of ranges
151
00:09:31,640 --> 00:09:35,744
of understanding, what does it mean to be a Mary Ward woman
152
00:09:35,792 --> 00:09:39,648
today? What can you tell us about this Mary Ward
153
00:09:39,784 --> 00:09:43,380
that maybe the public may not know about?
154
00:09:44,040 --> 00:09:47,488
That's a good question, and I should think about that a
155
00:09:47,504 --> 00:09:50,700
little bit more. But to me,
156
00:09:51,090 --> 00:09:54,650
to be a Mary Ward woman is to be a woman
157
00:09:54,730 --> 00:09:58,378
of faith, of deep faith, no matter
158
00:09:58,474 --> 00:10:02,050
what happened. And that right now, the situation
159
00:10:02,210 --> 00:10:05,338
in the United States where I live is very bleak.
160
00:10:05,514 --> 00:10:09,226
And I don't know if I could compare it to the situation
161
00:10:09,298 --> 00:10:12,338
of the times of Mary Ward, but she could be a
162
00:10:12,354 --> 00:10:16,258
model for me. She could be a model that
163
00:10:16,394 --> 00:10:19,780
no matter what is around her,
164
00:10:20,160 --> 00:10:23,608
she believed in herself, and she believed
165
00:10:23,664 --> 00:10:26,740
in truth and justice,
166
00:10:27,800 --> 00:10:31,376
and those are real bedrock convictions that
167
00:10:31,408 --> 00:10:34,952
helped me. I don't always think about Mary
168
00:10:34,976 --> 00:10:38,528
Ward. I think about. I guess I think more about
169
00:10:38,664 --> 00:10:42,112
modern women, but I think about Mary
170
00:10:42,136 --> 00:10:45,220
Ward is definitely part of my fiber.
171
00:10:46,620 --> 00:10:49,892
She definitely is a woman who trusted in
172
00:10:49,916 --> 00:10:53,760
the midst of overwhelming difficulties
173
00:10:55,100 --> 00:10:57,760
and the overwhelming difficulty.
174
00:10:58,340 --> 00:11:01,732
What I know of her through
175
00:11:01,916 --> 00:11:05,596
the formation and through all the stories and
176
00:11:05,628 --> 00:11:09,500
the lived experience of women in the institute older than
177
00:11:09,540 --> 00:11:13,198
I, what I know of her was she held
178
00:11:13,254 --> 00:11:16,734
on, as you said, to that faith. That faith did
179
00:11:16,782 --> 00:11:20,950
not waver at all. In fact, she did
180
00:11:20,990 --> 00:11:24,470
some things that were unheard of in her day.
181
00:11:24,590 --> 00:11:28,718
Crossing the alps, going to visit popes and
182
00:11:28,774 --> 00:11:32,430
stating her case. Imagine if we did that kind
183
00:11:32,470 --> 00:11:35,990
of thing today. What do you think you could say to younger
184
00:11:36,030 --> 00:11:39,732
people about this woman who, who was there?
185
00:11:39,876 --> 00:11:44,004
There was a recent book that labels her
186
00:11:44,132 --> 00:11:48,188
the first woman of feminism. The first woman of
187
00:11:48,244 --> 00:11:51,852
feminism. Would you categorize her that
188
00:11:51,876 --> 00:11:55,820
way? I sure would. But younger, I never
189
00:11:55,860 --> 00:11:59,540
thought of that. Because in the
190
00:11:59,660 --> 00:12:03,844
history of the institute we never even used the word feminism.
191
00:12:04,012 --> 00:12:06,920
But why can't we use it now?
192
00:12:08,100 --> 00:12:11,996
Yeah. She is a woman of
193
00:12:12,148 --> 00:12:15,348
christian feminism. She was
194
00:12:15,404 --> 00:12:18,800
proud of being a woman and she was strong.
195
00:12:19,340 --> 00:12:23,000
What would you say to young women today when you look at
196
00:12:23,660 --> 00:12:28,196
vowed religious and so many young people not
197
00:12:28,268 --> 00:12:31,612
making lifelong commitments? What would you say to young people
198
00:12:31,676 --> 00:12:35,226
today as they look at religion,
199
00:12:35,298 --> 00:12:38,070
at religious spirituality?
200
00:12:39,650 --> 00:12:42,690
If I were talking to young women, and by
201
00:12:42,730 --> 00:12:47,522
young women I would mean people about 1718
202
00:12:47,666 --> 00:12:51,690
and older. I want them to be women
203
00:12:51,730 --> 00:12:55,818
of service. And if you're women of service, you're not
204
00:12:55,914 --> 00:12:59,600
thinking about yourself. And so
205
00:13:00,340 --> 00:13:03,716
that's the life of a Christian. I want
206
00:13:03,748 --> 00:13:07,596
them to be women of joy, and it's hard to be women of
207
00:13:07,628 --> 00:13:12,684
joy, but joy has definitely
208
00:13:12,852 --> 00:13:16,440
a connection with hope. But hope means
209
00:13:16,820 --> 00:13:20,200
keep on going with what you believe in.
210
00:13:22,020 --> 00:13:24,280
That's connected to faith, isn't it?
211
00:13:26,440 --> 00:13:29,980
It's all somehow connected to who we are,
212
00:13:30,440 --> 00:13:33,780
essentially, in our being, in our soul,
213
00:13:34,240 --> 00:13:37,380
all those connections being made. Well,
214
00:13:37,680 --> 00:13:41,592
at 92 years old, there's a
215
00:13:41,616 --> 00:13:45,352
way where people expect you to have a
216
00:13:45,376 --> 00:13:48,220
certain level of wisdom,
217
00:13:49,120 --> 00:13:52,628
certain level of compassion. What do
218
00:13:52,644 --> 00:13:55,844
you think that means as you live your
219
00:13:55,892 --> 00:13:59,284
life today? I never think of myself
220
00:13:59,332 --> 00:14:03,308
as a wisdom woman, but I want to be a wisdom woman.
221
00:14:03,444 --> 00:14:06,240
A wisdom woman, I would think,
222
00:14:06,900 --> 00:14:10,316
strives to love people no
223
00:14:10,348 --> 00:14:13,000
matter who or what they are.
224
00:14:15,140 --> 00:14:18,666
And that comes out of christian roots,
225
00:14:18,818 --> 00:14:22,150
but it comes out of human roots.
226
00:14:23,250 --> 00:14:26,458
To be a christian humanist means
227
00:14:26,514 --> 00:14:30,322
to love people no matter who or what they are.
228
00:14:30,466 --> 00:14:33,562
And that's the gospel message. Yes,
229
00:14:33,746 --> 00:14:36,630
yes, a christian humanist.
230
00:14:37,730 --> 00:14:40,826
Christian humanist. Say more about that,
231
00:14:40,938 --> 00:14:44,356
will you? I guess I. I guess the only way to live
232
00:14:44,388 --> 00:14:48,020
is the way I'm living. So I
233
00:14:48,060 --> 00:14:51,748
definitely am rooted in christian belief.
234
00:14:51,844 --> 00:14:55,480
I can't get away from it because I know no other.
235
00:14:56,180 --> 00:15:00,440
I've studied other faiths and wisdoms,
236
00:15:00,740 --> 00:15:04,060
but I'm stuck with Christianity.
237
00:15:04,220 --> 00:15:08,148
I'm rooted in Christianity and it simply seems
238
00:15:08,204 --> 00:15:12,452
to me Christianity says love one another
239
00:15:12,636 --> 00:15:17,452
and respect people. And the
240
00:15:17,476 --> 00:15:21,004
political situation in the United States right now is
241
00:15:21,132 --> 00:15:24,400
ravaging me and all my friends.
242
00:15:25,140 --> 00:15:29,092
All my friends. And that's very
243
00:15:29,236 --> 00:15:33,280
much part of my life now. And I'm walking in it.
244
00:15:33,580 --> 00:15:36,968
I'm walking, I'm walking through suffering
245
00:15:37,104 --> 00:15:40,632
because I'm not suffering as much as other people
246
00:15:40,816 --> 00:15:44,560
throughout this. But it, it's a very bleak situation
247
00:15:44,640 --> 00:15:48,504
in which to live. And yet I'm rooted. I'm rooted
248
00:15:48,552 --> 00:15:52,128
in quiet hope. I'm sure you pray
249
00:15:52,184 --> 00:15:54,860
about it. I pray about it.
250
00:15:55,600 --> 00:15:59,640
Yeah. Yeah. I think about it.
251
00:15:59,800 --> 00:16:03,290
I don't talk to other people about it that much.
252
00:16:03,830 --> 00:16:06,690
Does something hold you back from talking about it?
253
00:16:08,110 --> 00:16:11,510
The political situation, the opportunity? The opportunity.
254
00:16:11,670 --> 00:16:15,558
I can talk one on one with a few people about these
255
00:16:15,614 --> 00:16:19,518
strong beliefs, but that, and that's okay for me.
256
00:16:19,694 --> 00:16:22,410
That nourishes me. I don't need to talk to 20.
257
00:16:25,230 --> 00:16:28,530
What do you think? I need to talk about it. What do you think
258
00:16:28,570 --> 00:16:32,670
would change some of our attitudes when we think about
259
00:16:33,450 --> 00:16:37,522
policies and politics and economics and
260
00:16:37,546 --> 00:16:40,674
the social issues going on in our world right now?
261
00:16:40,802 --> 00:16:44,434
What are some of the big ones that we really need to tackle these
262
00:16:44,482 --> 00:16:48,282
social issues? I know you for a good long time. You worked
263
00:16:48,306 --> 00:16:52,162
with migrants and immigrants, and you also
264
00:16:52,226 --> 00:16:56,020
worked in the Mary Ward literacy center.
265
00:16:56,180 --> 00:16:59,644
What are some of the big issues out there that strike
266
00:16:59,692 --> 00:17:03,076
you as something that should be in the forefront
267
00:17:03,108 --> 00:17:04,320
of our thoughts?
268
00:17:07,100 --> 00:17:11,204
What bothers me is the
269
00:17:11,292 --> 00:17:14,476
dichotomy that exists in regard to the
270
00:17:14,508 --> 00:17:17,000
question of the immigrants.
271
00:17:18,700 --> 00:17:23,069
It's a big problem. It's a big moral
272
00:17:23,189 --> 00:17:26,701
question, and I don't know what to do
273
00:17:26,725 --> 00:17:30,909
with it, but it certainly is something that
274
00:17:31,029 --> 00:17:34,289
I'm aware of and I read about and I think about it,
275
00:17:35,789 --> 00:17:39,365
how the immigrants, no matter where they are,
276
00:17:39,437 --> 00:17:43,245
are being treated and how important it is for me
277
00:17:43,277 --> 00:17:46,301
to welcome them. And the dichotomy that
278
00:17:46,405 --> 00:17:50,270
exists among american people with the
279
00:17:50,850 --> 00:17:53,790
acceptance of the new immigrants,
280
00:17:55,850 --> 00:17:59,770
I would love to visit places
281
00:17:59,810 --> 00:18:03,402
where the immigrants are living right now because I feel so
282
00:18:03,466 --> 00:18:04,430
out of it.
283
00:18:06,050 --> 00:18:09,722
I'm in it in spirit, but in body, I'm out
284
00:18:09,746 --> 00:18:13,734
of it. And I envy people like
285
00:18:13,922 --> 00:18:17,490
Dear Krista that she can spend her life
286
00:18:17,870 --> 00:18:21,302
working with these people, but that's not for
287
00:18:21,326 --> 00:18:25,270
me right now. But the whole immigration
288
00:18:25,430 --> 00:18:29,570
problem is many headed.
289
00:18:29,950 --> 00:18:32,454
Yeah. And not simple.
290
00:18:32,622 --> 00:18:36,390
Right. There's no real simple solution except
291
00:18:36,430 --> 00:18:40,390
the solution. That is compassion and
292
00:18:40,430 --> 00:18:41,210
mercy.
293
00:18:43,190 --> 00:18:46,210
Compassion and mercy are important,
294
00:18:46,830 --> 00:18:51,134
is an important formula for welcoming and deciding
295
00:18:51,302 --> 00:18:54,894
what is to be done. And I think we live a lot in
296
00:18:54,942 --> 00:19:00,010
fear. We live a lot in fear of other people
297
00:19:00,310 --> 00:19:03,870
who look differently, who act differently,
298
00:19:03,950 --> 00:19:08,328
who have different belief systems, and that
299
00:19:08,384 --> 00:19:12,168
scares us. So, in a sense,
300
00:19:12,224 --> 00:19:16,940
living in hope at this stage in life is r1
301
00:19:17,480 --> 00:19:21,140
way of dealing with things that we can't change.
302
00:19:22,240 --> 00:19:25,220
Yeah, I like that. Living in hope.
303
00:19:27,000 --> 00:19:30,240
I do live in hope, and I don't want to be naive,
304
00:19:30,320 --> 00:19:34,110
but I live in hope. And I'm a reader of
305
00:19:34,810 --> 00:19:38,002
all the current news. I'm well aware of what's going on.
306
00:19:38,186 --> 00:19:42,030
And amid all of that, I still have hope,
307
00:19:42,570 --> 00:19:46,402
and I certainly have hope in
308
00:19:46,426 --> 00:19:50,546
our american government. And that's what's so sad and
309
00:19:50,578 --> 00:19:54,634
gripping is that the possibility that our american government
310
00:19:54,762 --> 00:19:58,510
is not going to be as whole as I want.
311
00:19:59,590 --> 00:20:03,326
And there's very little I can do about it other than vote.
312
00:20:03,518 --> 00:20:06,646
Right. That's a big problem. Yeah,
313
00:20:06,758 --> 00:20:10,254
well, okay. That's a real action issue. You know,
314
00:20:10,382 --> 00:20:13,726
getting people to have the awareness and
315
00:20:13,798 --> 00:20:17,370
have the ability to discern right
316
00:20:18,110 --> 00:20:21,454
between two. Between two things may not be two
317
00:20:21,502 --> 00:20:25,250
goods, but it be discerning between two things that
318
00:20:25,630 --> 00:20:29,566
will make a difference in the long run. And not just self oriented.
319
00:20:29,718 --> 00:20:33,750
Yes. Yes. Well, living where I'm
320
00:20:33,790 --> 00:20:38,718
living right now, I live surrounded
321
00:20:38,814 --> 00:20:41,130
by people of goodness,
322
00:20:41,510 --> 00:20:44,758
and I feel special.
323
00:20:44,934 --> 00:20:48,390
But I am sad that so many
324
00:20:48,430 --> 00:20:51,690
people are not surrounded by people of goodness.
325
00:20:53,170 --> 00:20:57,010
No. My values are shared
326
00:20:57,050 --> 00:21:00,110
by everyone I live with for the most part.
327
00:21:00,970 --> 00:21:04,130
And when I watch the news,
328
00:21:04,210 --> 00:21:07,658
I see a multitude of values in front of
329
00:21:07,674 --> 00:21:10,818
me, and I am so blessed.
330
00:21:10,954 --> 00:21:14,754
Yes. Now, Sister Lorraine, why don't
331
00:21:14,882 --> 00:21:18,668
we get a little bit real and
332
00:21:18,764 --> 00:21:22,124
go into real time? Let's say you were invited to
333
00:21:22,172 --> 00:21:26,080
speak on the news with the news conference of sorts.
334
00:21:26,700 --> 00:21:30,444
And on that conference, one of
335
00:21:30,452 --> 00:21:33,600
the people I really like on the news is Nora O'Donnell.
336
00:21:35,020 --> 00:21:38,676
She's a beautiful reporter. She just interviewed
337
00:21:38,708 --> 00:21:42,740
our dear pope. And I think that she was so respectful
338
00:21:42,860 --> 00:21:46,382
but so engaging with him to get to some
339
00:21:46,406 --> 00:21:49,766
of the answers that people want answers to.
340
00:21:49,918 --> 00:21:53,166
But let's say you were in that position to be on the news to
341
00:21:53,198 --> 00:21:57,078
talk about the importance of voting, the importance
342
00:21:57,134 --> 00:22:00,742
of bringing your values to the
343
00:22:00,766 --> 00:22:03,490
voting booth. What would you say?
344
00:22:03,950 --> 00:22:07,450
I just think it's terribly important
345
00:22:07,870 --> 00:22:10,690
to vote number one.
346
00:22:11,530 --> 00:22:14,954
And you bring, when you vote, you bring
347
00:22:15,042 --> 00:22:18,802
all of your goodness and your values to that voting booth
348
00:22:18,946 --> 00:22:21,630
and how terribly important it is.
349
00:22:22,850 --> 00:22:26,818
What I can only say is how important it is to be
350
00:22:26,954 --> 00:22:30,762
a person of integrity, and that's a lifelong
351
00:22:30,866 --> 00:22:34,626
job. But you bring all
352
00:22:34,658 --> 00:22:38,030
your goodness that you have learned from family and friends,
353
00:22:38,460 --> 00:22:41,876
and you pour that into yourself, and that's called integrity.
354
00:22:42,068 --> 00:22:45,680
You bring that and you live that. Yes.
355
00:22:46,020 --> 00:22:49,700
So you had said that you wanted to
356
00:22:49,780 --> 00:22:53,564
share some thoughts with this podcast today and you wrote down
357
00:22:53,612 --> 00:22:56,120
some things that you thought you would want to share.
358
00:22:56,980 --> 00:23:00,440
Well, I'm convinced that
359
00:23:00,740 --> 00:23:04,326
my call as a woman of faith
360
00:23:04,508 --> 00:23:09,146
is to respond to both beauty
361
00:23:09,338 --> 00:23:12,510
and brokenness. If somebody said to me,
362
00:23:13,690 --> 00:23:16,910
what do you want your life to be?
363
00:23:17,330 --> 00:23:20,834
I would like my life to be given
364
00:23:20,962 --> 00:23:25,234
to beauty and working with brokenness
365
00:23:25,282 --> 00:23:27,350
and accepting a brokenness.
366
00:23:29,010 --> 00:23:32,180
Beauty in all forms, beauty, beauty in
367
00:23:32,220 --> 00:23:35,908
people, beauty in nature. And then
368
00:23:35,964 --> 00:23:39,148
when I see the brokenness as a human
369
00:23:39,204 --> 00:23:42,668
being, a committed human being, I cannot just
370
00:23:42,724 --> 00:23:46,620
see the brokenness. I have to work to heal
371
00:23:46,660 --> 00:23:49,916
it in one way or the other. I want
372
00:23:49,948 --> 00:23:53,080
my life to be that. And I think my life is that.
373
00:23:53,420 --> 00:23:56,886
That's your whole life. Your how life's been has
374
00:23:56,918 --> 00:24:00,046
been about creating beauty around you.
375
00:24:00,198 --> 00:24:03,950
That's my experience of you, Lorraine. My experience
376
00:24:04,070 --> 00:24:07,606
of you is one that looks
377
00:24:07,638 --> 00:24:11,970
for beauty in people, in others, around you, in nature.
378
00:24:12,630 --> 00:24:16,374
That's my experience of you. So you've been living that these last
379
00:24:16,422 --> 00:24:19,518
92 years? Yeah.
380
00:24:19,574 --> 00:24:23,534
My mother was very much like that, too. My mother was always happy.
381
00:24:23,702 --> 00:24:27,782
Always happy, but didn't have a real happy life. But she was always happy.
382
00:24:27,966 --> 00:24:31,622
Which means you can be happy in. The midst of suffering.
383
00:24:31,806 --> 00:24:34,850
Uh huh. I think you can. In fact, I know you can.
384
00:24:35,150 --> 00:24:38,710
Yes. Wonderful. I'd like to wrap up.
385
00:24:38,830 --> 00:24:42,678
What I ask every person that's coming on this
386
00:24:42,814 --> 00:24:46,414
show is. The show is Love
387
00:24:46,502 --> 00:24:50,250
and speak the truth. That's a Mary Ward saying. What would you say
388
00:24:50,330 --> 00:24:54,146
is your one truth that you would like to leave us
389
00:24:54,178 --> 00:24:57,906
with? Be aware of the broken and
390
00:24:57,938 --> 00:25:01,830
the wounded in my life.
391
00:25:02,210 --> 00:25:05,418
Be aware and try to do something about it.
392
00:25:05,554 --> 00:25:07,910
First of all, be a very grateful person.
393
00:25:08,330 --> 00:25:12,314
But let that gratitude overflow
394
00:25:12,482 --> 00:25:16,432
into awareness of the brokenness around you
395
00:25:16,616 --> 00:25:18,460
and do. Something about it.
396
00:25:20,600 --> 00:25:23,656
As much as you can. Thanks so much Lorraine.
397
00:25:23,728 --> 00:25:27,880
This has been wonderful to just have your voice at
398
00:25:27,920 --> 00:25:31,664
this table, at this conversation with this audience.
399
00:25:31,792 --> 00:25:35,600
I hope and pray that you will continue to be
400
00:25:35,760 --> 00:25:38,976
the beautiful Lorraine. The wonderful Lorraine.
401
00:25:39,128 --> 00:25:43,140
The Lorraine that heals wherever she goes.
402
00:25:43,300 --> 00:25:45,360
Thank you so much for being here.
403
00:25:46,340 --> 00:25:50,380
And now for the wrap up. You have just had a human
404
00:25:50,460 --> 00:25:53,280
experience from a spiritual being.
405
00:25:53,820 --> 00:25:57,780
We have so much to learn, so go forth
406
00:25:57,820 --> 00:26:01,372
to love and speak the truth. Ad majorium
407
00:26:01,436 --> 00:26:05,600
Dei Gloriam a couple of announcements
408
00:26:06,540 --> 00:26:10,386
don't forget to rate and follow us on Apple Podcast
409
00:26:10,498 --> 00:26:15,418
or Spotify. We are on Facebook at lovespeaktruth
410
00:26:15,594 --> 00:26:22,070
and visit our website at www.lovespeaktruth.org
411
00:26:24,090 --> 00:26:28,350
for a few credits. When all is said and done,
412
00:26:28,770 --> 00:26:32,130
I give thanks and credit for sponsors, producers and
413
00:26:32,170 --> 00:26:35,510
contributors who made this podcast possible.
414
00:26:36,380 --> 00:26:39,720
Mega shout out to IBVM region leadership
415
00:26:40,340 --> 00:26:43,732
Megan Butel, Jennifer Schmitz,
416
00:26:43,916 --> 00:26:48,360
Carol Bonasiak, Laurenti Wright for the keyboard music
417
00:26:49,260 --> 00:26:52,660
the late sister Maria Beer, IBVM for
418
00:26:52,700 --> 00:26:55,960
her composition of the music women bearing witness.
419
00:26:56,340 --> 00:26:59,796
It takes a village, folks. Thanks for listening
420
00:26:59,908 --> 00:27:02,220
to love speak truth.
00:00:01,560 --> 00:00:05,182
Welcome to love and speak the truth, a podcast
2
00:00:05,326 --> 00:00:09,170
with sister B and friends. It might get messy.
3
00:00:09,510 --> 00:00:12,510
Sacred to secular. Don't judge.
4
00:00:12,670 --> 00:00:15,334
All voices will be heard here.
5
00:00:15,502 --> 00:00:19,646
So listen up. We're going to explore the human experience
6
00:00:19,838 --> 00:00:23,566
through the lens of wisdom, sharing, and faith with
7
00:00:23,598 --> 00:00:26,130
a worldview that might shock. You,
8
00:00:26,470 --> 00:00:30,130
move you, even downright inspire you.
9
00:00:32,510 --> 00:00:36,526
Today we are privileged to be talking to our
10
00:00:36,558 --> 00:00:39,410
own sister, Lorraine Crawford, IBVM.
11
00:00:39,870 --> 00:00:42,930
She starts our podcast for us.
12
00:00:43,230 --> 00:00:46,846
One of my own peeps, if you will. Lorraine comes to
13
00:00:46,878 --> 00:00:50,494
us today excited and terrified. She says,
14
00:00:50,582 --> 00:00:53,530
I want to do my best for your listeners.
15
00:00:54,150 --> 00:00:57,502
Well, for the more than 43 years that I've known
16
00:00:57,526 --> 00:01:00,336
Lorraine, she has never let me down.
17
00:01:00,518 --> 00:01:04,548
For instance, during Holy Week, she startled and amazed
18
00:01:04,604 --> 00:01:08,668
us with her portrayal of the arrogant thief crucified
19
00:01:08,764 --> 00:01:13,060
with Jesus. We were bringing some drama and contemplation
20
00:01:13,220 --> 00:01:15,840
to the proclamation of the passion.
21
00:01:16,140 --> 00:01:19,596
At 92 years old, this chick brings it
22
00:01:19,628 --> 00:01:23,380
on. Lorraine embraces people with her beautiful
23
00:01:23,460 --> 00:01:27,060
inclusion, her welcome and understanding of
24
00:01:27,140 --> 00:01:30,952
difference and diversity. She believes in
25
00:01:30,976 --> 00:01:34,800
the goodness of people and truly, truly meets
26
00:01:34,840 --> 00:01:38,020
people where they are in their own journey.
27
00:01:38,880 --> 00:01:42,464
You can say she doesn't judge. She really doesn't.
28
00:01:42,592 --> 00:01:45,700
She imagines the best in every situation.
29
00:01:46,920 --> 00:01:50,416
She lives in hope. She is a woman of great
30
00:01:50,568 --> 00:01:54,408
magnanimity. She is love
31
00:01:54,544 --> 00:01:56,220
speaking truth.
32
00:01:57,440 --> 00:02:01,584
So, Sister Lorraine, it is so
33
00:02:01,672 --> 00:02:05,448
good to have you here on the show. My favorite IbVm
34
00:02:05,504 --> 00:02:09,040
sister in all the world. I just want you to know that it is a
35
00:02:09,080 --> 00:02:13,032
great, great pleasure to have you on the program. You are
36
00:02:13,056 --> 00:02:16,392
so willing, so dynamic, and I know
37
00:02:16,416 --> 00:02:19,728
we're gonna have a good time today. Hope so. Let us begin,
38
00:02:19,784 --> 00:02:23,370
huh? I hope so. Well, tell us.
39
00:02:23,490 --> 00:02:27,602
Tell the audience, the people out there you're waiting.
40
00:02:27,706 --> 00:02:30,910
Public. Tell us something about yourself.
41
00:02:31,650 --> 00:02:35,070
About myself? Oh, gosh. Well,
42
00:02:35,730 --> 00:02:39,170
I've been a sister of the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary
43
00:02:39,250 --> 00:02:42,746
for 74 years. That's something.
44
00:02:42,858 --> 00:02:45,430
74 years. Praise the Lord.
45
00:02:46,050 --> 00:02:47,950
I'll tell you one thing.
46
00:02:49,450 --> 00:02:52,870
The last thing in the world I ever wanted to be was a sister.
47
00:02:53,490 --> 00:02:57,722
And in high school, I'll give you a little background.
48
00:02:57,826 --> 00:03:02,658
In high school, I had this beautiful young english
49
00:03:02,754 --> 00:03:05,898
sister. She taught me English.
50
00:03:06,074 --> 00:03:09,546
And during english class, when she was
51
00:03:09,578 --> 00:03:13,002
trying to teach me, I remember looking at her and saying,
52
00:03:13,186 --> 00:03:16,702
if she could do it, maybe I could do
53
00:03:16,726 --> 00:03:20,390
it. And I kept looking at her. And when I entered the convent
54
00:03:20,470 --> 00:03:24,926
at 18, I didn't understand this, but I
55
00:03:24,958 --> 00:03:28,370
really believed that it was the call.
56
00:03:28,910 --> 00:03:32,126
And I have never doubted that the
57
00:03:32,158 --> 00:03:35,526
life of a sister was right for
58
00:03:35,558 --> 00:03:37,930
me. I've never doubted it.
59
00:03:39,270 --> 00:03:42,708
I'll tell you just a little bit about my. My background.
60
00:03:42,844 --> 00:03:45,720
My dad, he was a Chicago policeman.
61
00:03:46,620 --> 00:03:49,680
And when I was 18,
62
00:03:50,540 --> 00:03:54,484
in the convent, he wrote me a letter. He hardly ever even
63
00:03:54,532 --> 00:03:57,852
talked to me. I know he loved me, but he hardly talked
64
00:03:57,876 --> 00:04:00,732
to me. And he wrote me a letter and he said,
65
00:04:00,916 --> 00:04:05,120
please come home, Harriet. That was my baptism.
66
00:04:05,460 --> 00:04:08,890
Baptism name. He said, please come home.
67
00:04:09,630 --> 00:04:13,518
He said, everyone is crying. If you come
68
00:04:13,574 --> 00:04:17,350
home, I will send you to college, even if
69
00:04:17,390 --> 00:04:21,210
I have to borrow the money. Love that.
70
00:04:21,990 --> 00:04:26,086
How beautiful. That is so much part of my heart. I still have that
71
00:04:26,118 --> 00:04:29,766
letter, too. Yes. How old are you? Tell your
72
00:04:29,798 --> 00:04:33,810
audience, how old are you? I'm 92.
73
00:04:34,160 --> 00:04:37,736
Oh, my, what a great 92. What kinds of
74
00:04:37,768 --> 00:04:40,952
things have you seen changes in the world over
75
00:04:41,016 --> 00:04:44,176
those 92 years? Maybe you can't account for them
76
00:04:44,248 --> 00:04:48,128
for the first ten years, but what kinds of big changes have you seen in
77
00:04:48,144 --> 00:04:50,780
the world in the last 90 years?
78
00:04:52,920 --> 00:04:57,584
Mostly changes in the way people respect other
79
00:04:57,632 --> 00:05:00,980
people and the way people respect the earth.
80
00:05:01,380 --> 00:05:05,212
Those are changes that are different now than they were
81
00:05:05,396 --> 00:05:09,892
many years ago. The emphasis
82
00:05:09,956 --> 00:05:13,468
now on respecting people is far.
83
00:05:13,644 --> 00:05:17,316
For me, it's far greater and far more important
84
00:05:17,508 --> 00:05:21,772
than it was many years ago, even though the
85
00:05:21,796 --> 00:05:26,076
respect that people have for one another is
86
00:05:26,108 --> 00:05:30,174
up and down every day. But I think people understand how
87
00:05:30,222 --> 00:05:33,726
important it is to respect people. Basically,
88
00:05:33,798 --> 00:05:37,326
they understand that. And with regard to the earth,
89
00:05:37,478 --> 00:05:40,646
do you think people are more respectful for the earth
90
00:05:40,798 --> 00:05:44,278
now? Because we see how much we have.
91
00:05:44,454 --> 00:05:47,010
We have really taken that word,
92
00:05:47,390 --> 00:05:51,130
dominion over it, and made ourselves
93
00:05:51,470 --> 00:05:55,264
people who have just used up the resources,
94
00:05:55,352 --> 00:05:58,632
who have not given it the due respect.
95
00:05:58,736 --> 00:06:01,992
The earth, the planet, all of the environment.
96
00:06:02,096 --> 00:06:06,904
Is that something that you see different? I myself certainly
97
00:06:07,072 --> 00:06:10,256
am much more respectful of the earth and environment.
98
00:06:10,448 --> 00:06:13,712
And because I taught science for
99
00:06:13,736 --> 00:06:17,832
a great deal of my life, I have
100
00:06:17,936 --> 00:06:21,292
become very aware of the importance of the respect for
101
00:06:21,316 --> 00:06:25,120
the earth. But I live in a community of
102
00:06:25,620 --> 00:06:29,508
women, primarily of women, who are very
103
00:06:29,644 --> 00:06:33,316
aware of respect for the earth in all forms.
104
00:06:33,428 --> 00:06:36,772
In all forms. And so it's
105
00:06:36,796 --> 00:06:39,320
all around me. But I certainly,
106
00:06:40,740 --> 00:06:44,420
I cringe when I see people disrespectful
107
00:06:44,460 --> 00:06:46,870
in any way of.
108
00:06:46,910 --> 00:06:50,846
Creation and that idea of
109
00:06:50,878 --> 00:06:54,254
being disrespectful. I think in the
110
00:06:54,302 --> 00:06:57,934
earlier years of your life, you saw a lot
111
00:06:57,982 --> 00:07:01,254
more shared respect for each other as
112
00:07:01,302 --> 00:07:05,010
human beings. Maybe things were not as
113
00:07:05,310 --> 00:07:08,398
great for everyone. There was
114
00:07:08,534 --> 00:07:12,080
lots of changes in legislation and things like that
115
00:07:12,270 --> 00:07:15,596
allowed people to see our diversity as a good thing.
116
00:07:15,748 --> 00:07:19,444
But nowadays, I think that people have gone
117
00:07:19,532 --> 00:07:22,684
to a place where respect for
118
00:07:22,732 --> 00:07:26,412
each other, kindness, compassion, and what
119
00:07:26,436 --> 00:07:28,800
the pope talks about, mercy,
120
00:07:29,580 --> 00:07:33,000
loving, each other, really, in a very practical way.
121
00:07:33,940 --> 00:07:37,180
We're seeing it coming back to life at some points,
122
00:07:37,260 --> 00:07:40,658
and then we also see ourselves falling
123
00:07:40,714 --> 00:07:45,050
backwards, you know, with all the violence. Maybe you can resonate
124
00:07:45,090 --> 00:07:46,390
with that a little bit.
125
00:07:50,010 --> 00:07:53,410
Well, I didn't want to touch on this, but the whole
126
00:07:53,450 --> 00:07:56,834
political situation is ravishing,
127
00:07:57,002 --> 00:08:00,986
and it disturbs me personally. And I
128
00:08:01,018 --> 00:08:05,794
live with a community of people who are obviously dedicated
129
00:08:05,842 --> 00:08:09,602
to Christianity, principles, and the whole political
130
00:08:09,706 --> 00:08:13,722
situation in the United States is
131
00:08:13,866 --> 00:08:17,930
uppermost in our minds. And sometimes
132
00:08:17,970 --> 00:08:21,498
I feel terribly helpless, and especially today, when there's going
133
00:08:21,514 --> 00:08:25,470
to be a lot of decisions made in regard to our government
134
00:08:25,890 --> 00:08:29,962
and our government leaders. I live with this,
135
00:08:30,146 --> 00:08:34,212
but I am forever aware I
136
00:08:34,236 --> 00:08:37,652
have to be a person of hope, and even in the
137
00:08:37,676 --> 00:08:41,964
midst of the darkness, and it's very dark politically
138
00:08:42,132 --> 00:08:45,788
in the United States today, and that concerns me,
139
00:08:45,884 --> 00:08:49,836
and yet I am surrounded by people who are people of
140
00:08:49,868 --> 00:08:53,548
hope. And that sure helps. Yes, that really
141
00:08:53,604 --> 00:08:57,172
does. That helps a lot. We can go back now a little bit as
142
00:08:57,196 --> 00:09:00,878
we go into our conversation, and I want to you
143
00:09:00,894 --> 00:09:04,462
to talk a little bit about Mary Ward's
144
00:09:04,486 --> 00:09:07,358
time. She was living in a very difficult time.
145
00:09:07,534 --> 00:09:11,566
She was living in a very difficult religious atmosphere.
146
00:09:11,758 --> 00:09:15,742
She was living in a time where women were not
147
00:09:15,886 --> 00:09:19,694
as recognized as we experience now. She was living in a difficult
148
00:09:19,742 --> 00:09:22,886
time. You're a real Mary Ward woman,
149
00:09:23,078 --> 00:09:28,080
Lorraine. Sister Lorraine, with your ability
150
00:09:28,200 --> 00:09:31,600
to move across all kinds of ranges
151
00:09:31,640 --> 00:09:35,744
of understanding, what does it mean to be a Mary Ward woman
152
00:09:35,792 --> 00:09:39,648
today? What can you tell us about this Mary Ward
153
00:09:39,784 --> 00:09:43,380
that maybe the public may not know about?
154
00:09:44,040 --> 00:09:47,488
That's a good question, and I should think about that a
155
00:09:47,504 --> 00:09:50,700
little bit more. But to me,
156
00:09:51,090 --> 00:09:54,650
to be a Mary Ward woman is to be a woman
157
00:09:54,730 --> 00:09:58,378
of faith, of deep faith, no matter
158
00:09:58,474 --> 00:10:02,050
what happened. And that right now, the situation
159
00:10:02,210 --> 00:10:05,338
in the United States where I live is very bleak.
160
00:10:05,514 --> 00:10:09,226
And I don't know if I could compare it to the situation
161
00:10:09,298 --> 00:10:12,338
of the times of Mary Ward, but she could be a
162
00:10:12,354 --> 00:10:16,258
model for me. She could be a model that
163
00:10:16,394 --> 00:10:19,780
no matter what is around her,
164
00:10:20,160 --> 00:10:23,608
she believed in herself, and she believed
165
00:10:23,664 --> 00:10:26,740
in truth and justice,
166
00:10:27,800 --> 00:10:31,376
and those are real bedrock convictions that
167
00:10:31,408 --> 00:10:34,952
helped me. I don't always think about Mary
168
00:10:34,976 --> 00:10:38,528
Ward. I think about. I guess I think more about
169
00:10:38,664 --> 00:10:42,112
modern women, but I think about Mary
170
00:10:42,136 --> 00:10:45,220
Ward is definitely part of my fiber.
171
00:10:46,620 --> 00:10:49,892
She definitely is a woman who trusted in
172
00:10:49,916 --> 00:10:53,760
the midst of overwhelming difficulties
173
00:10:55,100 --> 00:10:57,760
and the overwhelming difficulty.
174
00:10:58,340 --> 00:11:01,732
What I know of her through
175
00:11:01,916 --> 00:11:05,596
the formation and through all the stories and
176
00:11:05,628 --> 00:11:09,500
the lived experience of women in the institute older than
177
00:11:09,540 --> 00:11:13,198
I, what I know of her was she held
178
00:11:13,254 --> 00:11:16,734
on, as you said, to that faith. That faith did
179
00:11:16,782 --> 00:11:20,950
not waver at all. In fact, she did
180
00:11:20,990 --> 00:11:24,470
some things that were unheard of in her day.
181
00:11:24,590 --> 00:11:28,718
Crossing the alps, going to visit popes and
182
00:11:28,774 --> 00:11:32,430
stating her case. Imagine if we did that kind
183
00:11:32,470 --> 00:11:35,990
of thing today. What do you think you could say to younger
184
00:11:36,030 --> 00:11:39,732
people about this woman who, who was there?
185
00:11:39,876 --> 00:11:44,004
There was a recent book that labels her
186
00:11:44,132 --> 00:11:48,188
the first woman of feminism. The first woman of
187
00:11:48,244 --> 00:11:51,852
feminism. Would you categorize her that
188
00:11:51,876 --> 00:11:55,820
way? I sure would. But younger, I never
189
00:11:55,860 --> 00:11:59,540
thought of that. Because in the
190
00:11:59,660 --> 00:12:03,844
history of the institute we never even used the word feminism.
191
00:12:04,012 --> 00:12:06,920
But why can't we use it now?
192
00:12:08,100 --> 00:12:11,996
Yeah. She is a woman of
193
00:12:12,148 --> 00:12:15,348
christian feminism. She was
194
00:12:15,404 --> 00:12:18,800
proud of being a woman and she was strong.
195
00:12:19,340 --> 00:12:23,000
What would you say to young women today when you look at
196
00:12:23,660 --> 00:12:28,196
vowed religious and so many young people not
197
00:12:28,268 --> 00:12:31,612
making lifelong commitments? What would you say to young people
198
00:12:31,676 --> 00:12:35,226
today as they look at religion,
199
00:12:35,298 --> 00:12:38,070
at religious spirituality?
200
00:12:39,650 --> 00:12:42,690
If I were talking to young women, and by
201
00:12:42,730 --> 00:12:47,522
young women I would mean people about 1718
202
00:12:47,666 --> 00:12:51,690
and older. I want them to be women
203
00:12:51,730 --> 00:12:55,818
of service. And if you're women of service, you're not
204
00:12:55,914 --> 00:12:59,600
thinking about yourself. And so
205
00:13:00,340 --> 00:13:03,716
that's the life of a Christian. I want
206
00:13:03,748 --> 00:13:07,596
them to be women of joy, and it's hard to be women of
207
00:13:07,628 --> 00:13:12,684
joy, but joy has definitely
208
00:13:12,852 --> 00:13:16,440
a connection with hope. But hope means
209
00:13:16,820 --> 00:13:20,200
keep on going with what you believe in.
210
00:13:22,020 --> 00:13:24,280
That's connected to faith, isn't it?
211
00:13:26,440 --> 00:13:29,980
It's all somehow connected to who we are,
212
00:13:30,440 --> 00:13:33,780
essentially, in our being, in our soul,
213
00:13:34,240 --> 00:13:37,380
all those connections being made. Well,
214
00:13:37,680 --> 00:13:41,592
at 92 years old, there's a
215
00:13:41,616 --> 00:13:45,352
way where people expect you to have a
216
00:13:45,376 --> 00:13:48,220
certain level of wisdom,
217
00:13:49,120 --> 00:13:52,628
certain level of compassion. What do
218
00:13:52,644 --> 00:13:55,844
you think that means as you live your
219
00:13:55,892 --> 00:13:59,284
life today? I never think of myself
220
00:13:59,332 --> 00:14:03,308
as a wisdom woman, but I want to be a wisdom woman.
221
00:14:03,444 --> 00:14:06,240
A wisdom woman, I would think,
222
00:14:06,900 --> 00:14:10,316
strives to love people no
223
00:14:10,348 --> 00:14:13,000
matter who or what they are.
224
00:14:15,140 --> 00:14:18,666
And that comes out of christian roots,
225
00:14:18,818 --> 00:14:22,150
but it comes out of human roots.
226
00:14:23,250 --> 00:14:26,458
To be a christian humanist means
227
00:14:26,514 --> 00:14:30,322
to love people no matter who or what they are.
228
00:14:30,466 --> 00:14:33,562
And that's the gospel message. Yes,
229
00:14:33,746 --> 00:14:36,630
yes, a christian humanist.
230
00:14:37,730 --> 00:14:40,826
Christian humanist. Say more about that,
231
00:14:40,938 --> 00:14:44,356
will you? I guess I. I guess the only way to live
232
00:14:44,388 --> 00:14:48,020
is the way I'm living. So I
233
00:14:48,060 --> 00:14:51,748
definitely am rooted in christian belief.
234
00:14:51,844 --> 00:14:55,480
I can't get away from it because I know no other.
235
00:14:56,180 --> 00:15:00,440
I've studied other faiths and wisdoms,
236
00:15:00,740 --> 00:15:04,060
but I'm stuck with Christianity.
237
00:15:04,220 --> 00:15:08,148
I'm rooted in Christianity and it simply seems
238
00:15:08,204 --> 00:15:12,452
to me Christianity says love one another
239
00:15:12,636 --> 00:15:17,452
and respect people. And the
240
00:15:17,476 --> 00:15:21,004
political situation in the United States right now is
241
00:15:21,132 --> 00:15:24,400
ravaging me and all my friends.
242
00:15:25,140 --> 00:15:29,092
All my friends. And that's very
243
00:15:29,236 --> 00:15:33,280
much part of my life now. And I'm walking in it.
244
00:15:33,580 --> 00:15:36,968
I'm walking, I'm walking through suffering
245
00:15:37,104 --> 00:15:40,632
because I'm not suffering as much as other people
246
00:15:40,816 --> 00:15:44,560
throughout this. But it, it's a very bleak situation
247
00:15:44,640 --> 00:15:48,504
in which to live. And yet I'm rooted. I'm rooted
248
00:15:48,552 --> 00:15:52,128
in quiet hope. I'm sure you pray
249
00:15:52,184 --> 00:15:54,860
about it. I pray about it.
250
00:15:55,600 --> 00:15:59,640
Yeah. Yeah. I think about it.
251
00:15:59,800 --> 00:16:03,290
I don't talk to other people about it that much.
252
00:16:03,830 --> 00:16:06,690
Does something hold you back from talking about it?
253
00:16:08,110 --> 00:16:11,510
The political situation, the opportunity? The opportunity.
254
00:16:11,670 --> 00:16:15,558
I can talk one on one with a few people about these
255
00:16:15,614 --> 00:16:19,518
strong beliefs, but that, and that's okay for me.
256
00:16:19,694 --> 00:16:22,410
That nourishes me. I don't need to talk to 20.
257
00:16:25,230 --> 00:16:28,530
What do you think? I need to talk about it. What do you think
258
00:16:28,570 --> 00:16:32,670
would change some of our attitudes when we think about
259
00:16:33,450 --> 00:16:37,522
policies and politics and economics and
260
00:16:37,546 --> 00:16:40,674
the social issues going on in our world right now?
261
00:16:40,802 --> 00:16:44,434
What are some of the big ones that we really need to tackle these
262
00:16:44,482 --> 00:16:48,282
social issues? I know you for a good long time. You worked
263
00:16:48,306 --> 00:16:52,162
with migrants and immigrants, and you also
264
00:16:52,226 --> 00:16:56,020
worked in the Mary Ward literacy center.
265
00:16:56,180 --> 00:16:59,644
What are some of the big issues out there that strike
266
00:16:59,692 --> 00:17:03,076
you as something that should be in the forefront
267
00:17:03,108 --> 00:17:04,320
of our thoughts?
268
00:17:07,100 --> 00:17:11,204
What bothers me is the
269
00:17:11,292 --> 00:17:14,476
dichotomy that exists in regard to the
270
00:17:14,508 --> 00:17:17,000
question of the immigrants.
271
00:17:18,700 --> 00:17:23,069
It's a big problem. It's a big moral
272
00:17:23,189 --> 00:17:26,701
question, and I don't know what to do
273
00:17:26,725 --> 00:17:30,909
with it, but it certainly is something that
274
00:17:31,029 --> 00:17:34,289
I'm aware of and I read about and I think about it,
275
00:17:35,789 --> 00:17:39,365
how the immigrants, no matter where they are,
276
00:17:39,437 --> 00:17:43,245
are being treated and how important it is for me
277
00:17:43,277 --> 00:17:46,301
to welcome them. And the dichotomy that
278
00:17:46,405 --> 00:17:50,270
exists among american people with the
279
00:17:50,850 --> 00:17:53,790
acceptance of the new immigrants,
280
00:17:55,850 --> 00:17:59,770
I would love to visit places
281
00:17:59,810 --> 00:18:03,402
where the immigrants are living right now because I feel so
282
00:18:03,466 --> 00:18:04,430
out of it.
283
00:18:06,050 --> 00:18:09,722
I'm in it in spirit, but in body, I'm out
284
00:18:09,746 --> 00:18:13,734
of it. And I envy people like
285
00:18:13,922 --> 00:18:17,490
Dear Krista that she can spend her life
286
00:18:17,870 --> 00:18:21,302
working with these people, but that's not for
287
00:18:21,326 --> 00:18:25,270
me right now. But the whole immigration
288
00:18:25,430 --> 00:18:29,570
problem is many headed.
289
00:18:29,950 --> 00:18:32,454
Yeah. And not simple.
290
00:18:32,622 --> 00:18:36,390
Right. There's no real simple solution except
291
00:18:36,430 --> 00:18:40,390
the solution. That is compassion and
292
00:18:40,430 --> 00:18:41,210
mercy.
293
00:18:43,190 --> 00:18:46,210
Compassion and mercy are important,
294
00:18:46,830 --> 00:18:51,134
is an important formula for welcoming and deciding
295
00:18:51,302 --> 00:18:54,894
what is to be done. And I think we live a lot in
296
00:18:54,942 --> 00:19:00,010
fear. We live a lot in fear of other people
297
00:19:00,310 --> 00:19:03,870
who look differently, who act differently,
298
00:19:03,950 --> 00:19:08,328
who have different belief systems, and that
299
00:19:08,384 --> 00:19:12,168
scares us. So, in a sense,
300
00:19:12,224 --> 00:19:16,940
living in hope at this stage in life is r1
301
00:19:17,480 --> 00:19:21,140
way of dealing with things that we can't change.
302
00:19:22,240 --> 00:19:25,220
Yeah, I like that. Living in hope.
303
00:19:27,000 --> 00:19:30,240
I do live in hope, and I don't want to be naive,
304
00:19:30,320 --> 00:19:34,110
but I live in hope. And I'm a reader of
305
00:19:34,810 --> 00:19:38,002
all the current news. I'm well aware of what's going on.
306
00:19:38,186 --> 00:19:42,030
And amid all of that, I still have hope,
307
00:19:42,570 --> 00:19:46,402
and I certainly have hope in
308
00:19:46,426 --> 00:19:50,546
our american government. And that's what's so sad and
309
00:19:50,578 --> 00:19:54,634
gripping is that the possibility that our american government
310
00:19:54,762 --> 00:19:58,510
is not going to be as whole as I want.
311
00:19:59,590 --> 00:20:03,326
And there's very little I can do about it other than vote.
312
00:20:03,518 --> 00:20:06,646
Right. That's a big problem. Yeah,
313
00:20:06,758 --> 00:20:10,254
well, okay. That's a real action issue. You know,
314
00:20:10,382 --> 00:20:13,726
getting people to have the awareness and
315
00:20:13,798 --> 00:20:17,370
have the ability to discern right
316
00:20:18,110 --> 00:20:21,454
between two. Between two things may not be two
317
00:20:21,502 --> 00:20:25,250
goods, but it be discerning between two things that
318
00:20:25,630 --> 00:20:29,566
will make a difference in the long run. And not just self oriented.
319
00:20:29,718 --> 00:20:33,750
Yes. Yes. Well, living where I'm
320
00:20:33,790 --> 00:20:38,718
living right now, I live surrounded
321
00:20:38,814 --> 00:20:41,130
by people of goodness,
322
00:20:41,510 --> 00:20:44,758
and I feel special.
323
00:20:44,934 --> 00:20:48,390
But I am sad that so many
324
00:20:48,430 --> 00:20:51,690
people are not surrounded by people of goodness.
325
00:20:53,170 --> 00:20:57,010
No. My values are shared
326
00:20:57,050 --> 00:21:00,110
by everyone I live with for the most part.
327
00:21:00,970 --> 00:21:04,130
And when I watch the news,
328
00:21:04,210 --> 00:21:07,658
I see a multitude of values in front of
329
00:21:07,674 --> 00:21:10,818
me, and I am so blessed.
330
00:21:10,954 --> 00:21:14,754
Yes. Now, Sister Lorraine, why don't
331
00:21:14,882 --> 00:21:18,668
we get a little bit real and
332
00:21:18,764 --> 00:21:22,124
go into real time? Let's say you were invited to
333
00:21:22,172 --> 00:21:26,080
speak on the news with the news conference of sorts.
334
00:21:26,700 --> 00:21:30,444
And on that conference, one of
335
00:21:30,452 --> 00:21:33,600
the people I really like on the news is Nora O'Donnell.
336
00:21:35,020 --> 00:21:38,676
She's a beautiful reporter. She just interviewed
337
00:21:38,708 --> 00:21:42,740
our dear pope. And I think that she was so respectful
338
00:21:42,860 --> 00:21:46,382
but so engaging with him to get to some
339
00:21:46,406 --> 00:21:49,766
of the answers that people want answers to.
340
00:21:49,918 --> 00:21:53,166
But let's say you were in that position to be on the news to
341
00:21:53,198 --> 00:21:57,078
talk about the importance of voting, the importance
342
00:21:57,134 --> 00:22:00,742
of bringing your values to the
343
00:22:00,766 --> 00:22:03,490
voting booth. What would you say?
344
00:22:03,950 --> 00:22:07,450
I just think it's terribly important
345
00:22:07,870 --> 00:22:10,690
to vote number one.
346
00:22:11,530 --> 00:22:14,954
And you bring, when you vote, you bring
347
00:22:15,042 --> 00:22:18,802
all of your goodness and your values to that voting booth
348
00:22:18,946 --> 00:22:21,630
and how terribly important it is.
349
00:22:22,850 --> 00:22:26,818
What I can only say is how important it is to be
350
00:22:26,954 --> 00:22:30,762
a person of integrity, and that's a lifelong
351
00:22:30,866 --> 00:22:34,626
job. But you bring all
352
00:22:34,658 --> 00:22:38,030
your goodness that you have learned from family and friends,
353
00:22:38,460 --> 00:22:41,876
and you pour that into yourself, and that's called integrity.
354
00:22:42,068 --> 00:22:45,680
You bring that and you live that. Yes.
355
00:22:46,020 --> 00:22:49,700
So you had said that you wanted to
356
00:22:49,780 --> 00:22:53,564
share some thoughts with this podcast today and you wrote down
357
00:22:53,612 --> 00:22:56,120
some things that you thought you would want to share.
358
00:22:56,980 --> 00:23:00,440
Well, I'm convinced that
359
00:23:00,740 --> 00:23:04,326
my call as a woman of faith
360
00:23:04,508 --> 00:23:09,146
is to respond to both beauty
361
00:23:09,338 --> 00:23:12,510
and brokenness. If somebody said to me,
362
00:23:13,690 --> 00:23:16,910
what do you want your life to be?
363
00:23:17,330 --> 00:23:20,834
I would like my life to be given
364
00:23:20,962 --> 00:23:25,234
to beauty and working with brokenness
365
00:23:25,282 --> 00:23:27,350
and accepting a brokenness.
366
00:23:29,010 --> 00:23:32,180
Beauty in all forms, beauty, beauty in
367
00:23:32,220 --> 00:23:35,908
people, beauty in nature. And then
368
00:23:35,964 --> 00:23:39,148
when I see the brokenness as a human
369
00:23:39,204 --> 00:23:42,668
being, a committed human being, I cannot just
370
00:23:42,724 --> 00:23:46,620
see the brokenness. I have to work to heal
371
00:23:46,660 --> 00:23:49,916
it in one way or the other. I want
372
00:23:49,948 --> 00:23:53,080
my life to be that. And I think my life is that.
373
00:23:53,420 --> 00:23:56,886
That's your whole life. Your how life's been has
374
00:23:56,918 --> 00:24:00,046
been about creating beauty around you.
375
00:24:00,198 --> 00:24:03,950
That's my experience of you, Lorraine. My experience
376
00:24:04,070 --> 00:24:07,606
of you is one that looks
377
00:24:07,638 --> 00:24:11,970
for beauty in people, in others, around you, in nature.
378
00:24:12,630 --> 00:24:16,374
That's my experience of you. So you've been living that these last
379
00:24:16,422 --> 00:24:19,518
92 years? Yeah.
380
00:24:19,574 --> 00:24:23,534
My mother was very much like that, too. My mother was always happy.
381
00:24:23,702 --> 00:24:27,782
Always happy, but didn't have a real happy life. But she was always happy.
382
00:24:27,966 --> 00:24:31,622
Which means you can be happy in. The midst of suffering.
383
00:24:31,806 --> 00:24:34,850
Uh huh. I think you can. In fact, I know you can.
384
00:24:35,150 --> 00:24:38,710
Yes. Wonderful. I'd like to wrap up.
385
00:24:38,830 --> 00:24:42,678
What I ask every person that's coming on this
386
00:24:42,814 --> 00:24:46,414
show is. The show is Love
387
00:24:46,502 --> 00:24:50,250
and speak the truth. That's a Mary Ward saying. What would you say
388
00:24:50,330 --> 00:24:54,146
is your one truth that you would like to leave us
389
00:24:54,178 --> 00:24:57,906
with? Be aware of the broken and
390
00:24:57,938 --> 00:25:01,830
the wounded in my life.
391
00:25:02,210 --> 00:25:05,418
Be aware and try to do something about it.
392
00:25:05,554 --> 00:25:07,910
First of all, be a very grateful person.
393
00:25:08,330 --> 00:25:12,314
But let that gratitude overflow
394
00:25:12,482 --> 00:25:16,432
into awareness of the brokenness around you
395
00:25:16,616 --> 00:25:18,460
and do. Something about it.
396
00:25:20,600 --> 00:25:23,656
As much as you can. Thanks so much Lorraine.
397
00:25:23,728 --> 00:25:27,880
This has been wonderful to just have your voice at
398
00:25:27,920 --> 00:25:31,664
this table, at this conversation with this audience.
399
00:25:31,792 --> 00:25:35,600
I hope and pray that you will continue to be
400
00:25:35,760 --> 00:25:38,976
the beautiful Lorraine. The wonderful Lorraine.
401
00:25:39,128 --> 00:25:43,140
The Lorraine that heals wherever she goes.
402
00:25:43,300 --> 00:25:45,360
Thank you so much for being here.
403
00:25:46,340 --> 00:25:50,380
And now for the wrap up. You have just had a human
404
00:25:50,460 --> 00:25:53,280
experience from a spiritual being.
405
00:25:53,820 --> 00:25:57,780
We have so much to learn, so go forth
406
00:25:57,820 --> 00:26:01,372
to love and speak the truth. Ad majorium
407
00:26:01,436 --> 00:26:05,600
Dei Gloriam a couple of announcements
408
00:26:06,540 --> 00:26:10,386
don't forget to rate and follow us on Apple Podcast
409
00:26:10,498 --> 00:26:15,418
or Spotify. We are on Facebook at lovespeaktruth
410
00:26:15,594 --> 00:26:22,070
and visit our website at www.lovespeaktruth.org
411
00:26:24,090 --> 00:26:28,350
for a few credits. When all is said and done,
412
00:26:28,770 --> 00:26:32,130
I give thanks and credit for sponsors, producers and
413
00:26:32,170 --> 00:26:35,510
contributors who made this podcast possible.
414
00:26:36,380 --> 00:26:39,720
Mega shout out to IBVM region leadership
415
00:26:40,340 --> 00:26:43,732
Megan Butel, Jennifer Schmitz,
416
00:26:43,916 --> 00:26:48,360
Carol Bonasiak, Laurenti Wright for the keyboard music
417
00:26:49,260 --> 00:26:52,660
the late sister Maria Beer, IBVM for
418
00:26:52,700 --> 00:26:55,960
her composition of the music women bearing witness.
419
00:26:56,340 --> 00:26:59,796
It takes a village, folks. Thanks for listening
420
00:26:59,908 --> 00:27:02,220
to love speak truth.
