For those women readers who are interested, poverty dictates that one only changes clothes three times a week and bedding once a month. Poverty means that one owns nothing and if one runs out of something, like shampoo, one asks the Mother Novice Mistress. I brought plenty of things with me here.
One must wear white nightgowns and it is freezing in the convent and in London. Again, I have permission to use my duvet and have a hot water bottle. There is no heat in the convent at this time and the temperature drops into the high 50s at night.
Cleaning, which is on my list of chores, involves using brooms, dustpans and mops--no electric machines here, except for the wooden floor polisher. One lives in a "survival mode", which I totally expected. If one has seen or read The Road, it is helpful, as only that scenario is more dire.
Penance indicates that one suffers like the poorest of the poor. One of my favorite nuns, Sr. Escholastica, has a frayed habit because of the silly Velcro shoes all of us seem forced to buy, as black shoes with ties are almost impossible to find. The Velcro gets caught on the bottom of the habits.
She is so humble and so joyful. Joy is the mark of many of these nuns, even in their penances. Such a grace.
Three of the nuns will be going to Nigeria on May 14th. The foundation there is also calling four young ones in the area. The situation is, of course, dangerous, but the bishop asked the congregation last year to come and pray for peace, which is much needed.
I kissed the hands of the two young ones going out, saying that I wanted to kiss the hands of martyrs. They loved my action and all the nuns, even the ones here in London, talk about martyrdom. These are savvy women, not "pie-in-the-sky" people who think the good times are yet to come. I am so impressed with the level of intellectual honesty and humility of the mind-sets here.
A new foundation in France is being negotiated as well, which will bring the number of foundations to ten. God has chosen a real "builder" in the person of Mother General.