On a mission

Not long ago I was part of a panel for a mission program at Jesuit Xavier University. The program offers a variety of mission awareness enlightenment experienced by a group of XU faculty and staff selected annually. Certain events during the year are open to the larger university community.

This particular panel featured the three nuns who work at Xavier sharing about the topic of “Women and Xavier’s Mission.” Of the three of us, one was strictly faculty, one started out as faculty years ago but has now moved into an administrative role, and I’m both faculty and administrative.

As the panel proceeded, we wove in and out of the focus questions, including: How do you promote the Xavier mission? What are challenges to being a woman at Xavier? How do you maintain your spirituality in a too-busy world?

The others all said heartfelt things, and for my turn I wanted to weave in my congregations’ charism. So I seized part of my air time and talked about what it means to be a Franciscan. I explained that the founder of the Jesuits, St. Ignatius of Loyola, and the founder of the Franciscans, St. Francis of Assisi, have at least one thing in common – the same middle name “of.” Laughter.

But I think when you’re of something you take it in as part of yourself.

I also shared the M.O. attributed to St. Francis:  “Preach the Gospel at all times. When necessary, use words.”

Several of the attendees had never heard that phrase before and later connected with me to say what an inspiring phrase that was. Of course, we all know that it’s not enough for that phrase to just inspire us. It needs to spur us into action. That fits with living out any mission.

[Sr. Nancy Linenkugel is a Sylvania Franciscan sister and chair of the department of Health Services Administration at Xavier University, Cincinnati, Ohio.]