Submitted by Sr. Catherine Hertel, SSMO

Family reunions, picnics, and other celebrations are part of American summer experiences. The Sisters of St. Mary of Oregon do the same every summer at their annual “Community Days.” From July 25-29, they gathered together to reconnect, to celebrate the gifts of God over the past year and to plan for the future. This year’s theme was “Go, Light Your World,” continuing the theme from the closing song of the SSMO 125th Jubilee Mass in February.

What happens at Community Days? This year, the Sisters celebrated daily Mass together and participated in faith sharing each day at their tables. They also displayed photos and artifacts representing their ministries, their hobbies and their vacations. One-minute “spots” provided updates on the special interests of many Sisters, and other reports were given to inform all the Sisters of community projects and campus ministries.

On the lighter side, there was a bocce ball game and the Buxton/Banks Nature Walk. While all the Sisters enjoyed the friendly competition of bocce ball, Sr. Diana Jean and Sr. Michael Francine took the “gold.” The walk was specifically planned to take place at the Buxton/Banks Nature Walk so that Sisters with walkers and wheel chairs could enjoy one of Oregon’s most lovely nature spots.

When asked, “what about Community Days was life-giving for you,” one Sister wrote, “Everything! It was wonderful being together, praying, meeting and playing together! The presentations and reports were well-prepared and were excellent. The outing was great fun, as were bocce ball and the Jubilee PowerPoint pictures!”

We hope you enjoy these photos from our wonderful week together.

Thank you to Sr. Krista von Borstel for the photos.

Posted by dtomich in About the Sisters