Irish religious do whatever it takes

[Ahimsa]

DUBLIN, IRELAND – Catholic Ireland has its woes (see story), yet the life of the church goes on – particularly where the religious are concerned.

Pragmatic nuns, brothers and priests simply do whatever it takes.

Charity Sr. Stanislaus Kennedy began her religious life begging in the streets. Supplicants with bowls on street corners, Kennedy and her sisters went door-to-door.

She hated it. As a young novice, begging companion to an elderly nun, she had no choice. It was an era when some women’s congregations raised money for the poor that way.

There were, however, lessons to be learned from her elderly companion, said Kennedy, now known throughout Dublin as “Sr. Stan.”

“When the money was enough to purchase children’s clothes for some poor families, we went only to Dublin’s finest stores.” The elderly nun “bought only the best quality clothes, beautiful clothes – I’d nothing like them as a child.

“Then she brought the families in, one by one. I saw the respect she had for the poor. She’d say, ‘We must give to the poor what the rich can buy with money.’ It marked me for life,” Kennedy said.

 

[Bearontherun]

**“Then she brought the families in, one by one. I saw the respect she had for the poor. She’d say, ‘We must give to the poor what the rich can buy with money.’ It marked me for life,” Kennedy said. **

Thanks for that, Ahimsa. It is a wonderful reminder as we approach Christmas. As we give to the poor, we should remember to give generously…

I really like how she bought the best quality children’s clothing for the needy. That is a great thought…too often they get the “discarded” items as an afterthought.

 

[manualman]

Quibble, I hope they are speaking of best quality, not “best brand”. I see zero benefit in paying $75 for a pair of “look at me” designer jeans when that same amount of money could have bought 5 people good quality Costco brand jeans instead, for example.

I don’t think it is charity to feed the image and brand mania that has seized our culture. But if we’re talking some nice, durable Hannah Andersen kid clothes instead of some cheap Target junk where the seams fray after 7 washings, then cool!

 

[domandcarols]

That’s amazing.

 

[Aboveallbereal]

I live in Ireland. Sr. Stan is very very well known. She is one of those religious that society at large ( viscerally anti catholic in Ireland as you know ) accepts and looks up to in a way. She is the acceptable face of catholicism.