Last year I applied and was selected to participate in the Mt. St. Mary’s Pilgrimage in France to learn about the Sisters of Saint Joseph and see firsthand where everything started. Honestly, I applied because I thought it was a cool way to go to France for free, learn a little more about the Sisters, and get to visit my family post-pilgrimage. It did not anticipate how transformative and magical the pilgrimage would be. On a human level, the connection with other pilgrims on the trip was in and of itself awesome enough. You add to that the thoughtfulness and intentionality of what we visited and how we experienced the CSJ history and you get an amazing experience. It is honestly pretty great that the pilgrimage itself was so awesome because I ended up catching COVID (as did another 16 or the 23 in our group) which laid me out for the whole 5 days post pilgrimage — making the family piece not possible. I did have a view of the Eiffel tower from my hotel room in Paris so I am not gonna complain, there are worse ways to experience COVID.
When I think of the various places we saw, it is difficult to pick one thing that resonated more than others. The kitchen is the obvious pick but it is not what I am selecting. I think for me the magic was Annecy which was the first leg of our journey. Our trip was about understanding our origins. We tend to start with the sisters. But for me, seeing the origins of what came before the sisters helped me understand them better. Learning about François de Sales and Jeanne de Chantal and their unique story was the missing piece I needed. Jeanne de Chantal’s unique entry into the church as a widow and mother and how the Daughters of the Visitation paved the way for something new inspired me. The church is not always viewed as the most inclusive space as politics and prejudice often take center stage in the media. I knew the Sisters were a progressive order. I had seen this in writing before I joined Carondelet. I have experienced it in the walls and spirit of Carondelet the school I work for.
But understanding the origins, and seeing it firsthand, really grounded me to truly understand why this CSJ school and mission feel so right. I see how the charism is so embedded in the DNA of the sisters that no other way forward is possible. This realization was transformative. As a member of what is viewed as a marginalized community, I have sometimes encountered raised eyebrows from friends when I say I work for a Catholic school. Living the pilgrimage and seeing our origins, I see more than ever that this is where I am called to be. I am proud to be helping carry this charism into the future.
