Susan Smith, a Sister of Our Lady of the Missions, is now retired and spends her time working in the local land-care group, which seeks to provide a better environment for Indigenous flora and fauna through predator and weed control. She enjoys caring for the garden along with Mary, her sister companion; she also does some research and writing, and loves walking and reading. Susan and Mary are particularly interested in learning about how to practice eco-spirituality at both the experiential and theoretical level.
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Reclaiming the Holy Spirit and renewing the face of the Earth
The importance of Pentecost can never be underestimated, but the manner in which it can be celebrated can suggest that the Holy Spirit was absent prior to that wonderful day. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Writing constitutions for an ethnically diverse, international congregation
When the Sisters of Our Lady of the Missions wrote new 2014 constitutions, different provinces provided input. The input and the new constitutions show how congregational life is evolving, due to changing demographics.
Sanitation: an unacknowledged blessing
Good sanitation is key to ensuring good health, and COVID-19 reveals the ugly face of inequality in so many ways and in so many countries that lack good, effective and reliable sanitation.
Whither religious life? Reflections from New Zealand
As contemporary religious search for relevance in a rapidly changing world, perhaps it is useful to examine the relationship of religious life to the particular context or culture in which it exists.