The Future

Considering the majority of the Sisters at Assisi Heights are advanced in age, the natural concern is of the future. With the number of active Sisters continuing to dwindle, what will happen to the Congregation and Assisi Heights? When asked about this concern, Sister Lois smiled and replied, “We don’t know what the future’s going to bring. We’re kind of looking and thinking, ‘Well, what’s going to happen to this whole building, all of this property?’"1

"With religious life, there is a certain amount of trust that God will provide as we move forward..." -Sister Marlene

This concern is not unique to Assisi Heights; it is one that is shared among many religious communities across the world. Especially in the United States, vocations are down in almost every community. Sister Lois explained that the world is a much different place than it was 55 years ago when she was in training. She remarks on the vast number of opportunities available for young people today. Not only that, but they have the ability to pursue multiple opportunities – not just one: "Today, it’s just so much easier because there are so many more choices, and you can have a particular vocation or lifestyle. At the same time, you can have your work, and they don’t necessarily clash. You can do both… What we did in dedicating our life to different ministries, like teaching and nursing, you don’t have to be a Sister to do anymore. You can do it and still be married."2  Therefore, young people today are able to pursue both opportunities. In response to this new way of life, Sister Lois commented that “There will always be the need for people dedicating their life to God and people who want to minister with their whole heart and soul, but I’m not sure that it has to be in religious life.”3

"There will always be the need for people dedicating their life to God and people who want to minister with their whole heart and soul, but I’m not sure that it has to be in religious life." -Sister Lois

When thinking about uncertainty in the future, Sister Lois brought up the prospect of death and shared her thoughts on it: "I woke up the other morning, and I thought: ‘I’m going to die pretty soon.’ And I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, panic!’… Those thoughts come. And then I thought, ‘I’ve lived on the mercy of God all my life. Why would I suddenly panic now?’ And so I just said all day long, ‘Thank you God for your great mercy to me.’ And now, I don’t care! I don’t care if I die today or live another twenty years because it’s all in God’s mercy."4

This trust in God is also something that Sister Marlene, the Treasurer of the Congregation, brought up regarding planning for the future. The leadership group had just started their long-range planning; however, Sister Marlene explained that although planning is important, “With religious life, there is a certain amount of trust that God will provide as we move forward… Our leadership group prays every morning together… and this morning… a difficult issue from the past came up… but then you look back and you say, ‘Oh remember when we faced this and it all worked out.’"5

 

 

  1. Sister Lois, interview by Nami Sumida, Assisi Heights, May 28, 2014. ↩

  1. Sister Lois, interview by Nami Sumida, Assisi Heights, May 28, 2014. ↩

  1. Sister Lois, interview by Nami Sumida, Assisi Heights, May 28, 2014. ↩

  1. Sister Lois, interview by Nami Sumida, Assisi Heights, May 28, 2014. ↩

  1. Sister Marlene Pinzka, interview by Nami Sumida, Assisi Heights, June 9, 2014. ↩