Prayer group begun by sisters thriving with lay leaders

The work of the Sisters of Mary Reparatrix continues at Holy Spirit Church in East Greenbush even though the sisters have been gone for eight years.
The "Sisters' Prayer Group" has been meeting regularly since it was formed by five Sisters of Mary Reparatrix in 1981. 

The sisters had come to the parish to minister to infirm members of their religious order who were living at St. Joseph's Provincial House in Latham; their superior invited parishioners from Holy Spirit to attend a monthly prayer group in the sisters' chapel.
When the sisters moved on, the group continued. For the past eight years, it has been led by laypeople.

According to Sue Rodgers, co-leader of the group, the prayer group is a Scripture-based program with a theme, reading, meditation, hymns, recitation of the Rosary, prayers and petitions. Following the prayer meeting, participants enjoy hospitality.

"The Sisters were always generous with their hospitality," she noted.

Echo of founders

Although the Sisters of Mary Reparatrix are no longer a part of the group, Mrs. Rodgers said the meetings follow the format used by the Sisters. She and co-leader Margaret Belschwinder continue to use resources left by the nuns as they prepare for the monthly meetings.

The group meets in the fall and the spring and usually has 20 or more participants, Mrs. Rodgers said.

Group leaders are anticipating more participants as the parishes in Rensselaer County work collaboratively as part of the Called to Be Church pastoral planning process.
"Catholics from other parishes do join us now," Mrs. Belschwinder said. "Those in our cluster are also invited."

Mrs. Rodgers agreed, saying: "I'll just have to bake more."

Divine influence?

Leading the group has helped Mrs. Belschwinder see how God answers prayers. In preparing for the meeting, each leader prays and puts together her own portion of the prayer service without knowing what the other is planning. 

Inevitably, the topics picked by both leaders are related.

"We pray for guidance as we prepare," Mrs. Belschwinder said. "In the end the two different topics go together. The Lord answers our prayers."

Mrs. Belschwinder's goal is to help enrich participants' prayer lives. "I want to help them dig deeper," she said. "I want to help them recognize in their prayer life things they ordinarily wouldn't recognize."

While the group is thriving, organizers say the Sisters of Mary Reparatrix are missed. "Their lives were so spiritual and so beautiful," Mrs. Rodgers said. "Our group is different in that we don't have the five sisters who were so dynamic."

(The Sisters' Prayer Group meets at Holy Spirit Church in East Greenbush on the second Monday of the months of September, October, November, April, May and June. For more information, call the parish at 477-7925.)

(9/25/08)