GSM CHINWAG: WIN! DON’T WANE!
11.00am (Glo jingle – It’s time to rule your world....)
Sr. Larry: Yello! Sr. Larry on the phone! May I know who is calling please?
AC*: Sorry Sister, it may not be necessary to reveal my identity.
Sr. Larry: Well then, I won’t continue this conversation because I don’t like
anonymity of any sort.
AC: Sr. please, kindly hear me out.
Sr. Larry: No! This conversation is over! Bye! (Sr. Larry puts off her phone)
(As the NTA Network news was ending around 10.05pm, Sr. Larry’s handset rings; it
was the same anonymous caller. It rang almost 15 times, but Sr. Larry refused to pick
it. She shared her earlier experience with her community sisters who prevailed on her
to hear the caller out. Not quite three minutes after the persuasion, as if the caller
knew that Sr. Larry had been prevailed upon, she called again, and eventually the
one-sided chinwag below ensued).
Sr. Larry: Hello!
AC: Hello Sister! I am sorry to be such a pest. I hope I am talking to Sr. Larry.
Sr. Larry: Since you have refused to reveal your identity, I will not reveal mine. Just
speak on and mind you, I am going to record every word you utter.
AC: That would be alright by me Sr. Larry. I promise not to take too much of your
time.
I want to begin by saying that I have been a secret admirer of the Magnificat Sisters
(MS) since my secondary school days in the early 80s back home in Ayegbege. One
of the things I admired then was
the simplicity of the sisters. The Sisters, I must tell you were very unassuming and
approachable. Of all our teachers then, the Sisters were famous. They were
outstandingly hard working and were ever present to us especially in the hostel.
Nothing missed the eyes of a Magnificat Sister. They communicated in impeccable
English and were lady-like to the core. There was no flamboyant aura about them;
rather, they were too engrossed in our well-being to be trapped by secularism.
(Pauses) Hello Sr. Larry! Are you still there?
Sr. Larry: Oh! Sure! I am listening to you.
AC: Ok! Thank you, Sister!
Punctuality, honesty, diligence, love of GOD and our fellow students were some of
the values the Sisters inculcated in us. The Sisters’ convent was spotlessly clean. I
have not ceased to savour the few times I was invited by my highly esteemed
Principal, Sr. Beth Cassey to help prepare for gettogethers she had to host. Magnificat
College, Ayegbege was known for producing courteous and brilliant girls. MC
alumnae are professionals of repute today. The Sisters back then were our role
models; they were our mothers, guide, friends, counsellors, name it. (Pauses) Because
of all these, some of us including myself opted to join the Religious Life with almost
three thirds joining the Magnificat Congregation.
Sr. Larry: Oh! Is that? What Order do you belong?
AC: Until 10.00am today, I was an MS!
Sr. Larry: How do you mean?
AC: After two weeks of careful reflection, I left your congregation. You may not
know me because you left the country the day before I made my first profession two
years ago, and you only returned last month.
Sr. Larry: I feel you should tell me your name at this point since you believe I do not
know you. If for no other reason, you are more than a voice. You are a person and I
would love to address you as a friend.
AC: May be for now Sr. Larry, just refer to me as “AC”.
Sr. Larry: Asee! (Spells it) A-s-e-e! That’s a lovely name.
AC: (Puzzled) (Silence)
Sr. Larry: Hello Asee! Are you there?
AC: Oh! Yes! I am very much with you Sr. Larry.
Sr. Larry: Let’s continue our conversation then.
AC: I left this morning after five and a half years with the sisters. What I experienced
in those years were not anywhere near my expectations of Religious Life. Pardon me
though! I don’t mean that there were no upbeat times; it was just that there were some
very negative attitudes that were feral and spreading at an alarming rate.
Sr. Larry: But then you were in formation most of the time and hardly lived long
enough in a proper community to have had sufficient flavour of the Religious life.
AC: Sr. Larry, are you serious? For me o, I feel that two years as a professed sister
was more than enough for any serious Religious to realise whether she was in the
right shop or not. (Takes a long pause)
Sr. Larry: Asee! Are you there?
AC: Yes Sr. Larry! I am very much here! That is exactly why I decided to run this
conversation with you. I do sincerely apologise for its tinge of anonymity. So as not
to be judgemental, I hope you wouldn’t mind if I talked about issues and not persons.
Sr. Larry: That would be just fine with me. It is always better to take a non-
judgemental stance. So, go on please.
AC: May I at this point congratulate you as you take on the mantle of Leadership as
the PLT Member
in charge of Special Duties. This is my reason for choosing to talk to you of out of all
the six members on the Team.
Sr. Larry: Thanks! Asee!
AC: Welcome Sr.! The issues in a nutshell include, but are not limited to:
ü ‘I’ becoming much stronger than ‘We’
ü Recently accepted MS slogan – ‘Family first, Magnificat Sisters last and
friends in-between’; attending of almost every family/friend invitation to the
detriment of community life
(Christmas and Easter better with families and friends!!!)
Communal prayers fast becoming optional; importance of Eucharistic
celebration, Faith sharing, monthly Recollection, Liturgy preparation,
Sacrament of Reconciliation, Rosary recitation etc gradually waning
Prolonged unresolved conflicts in communities; keeping of malice even after
seeming resolution of conflicts.
Great disparity and inconsistency in living of the vow of poverty in the
community; increase in personal comfort but decrease in common good; clean
and tidy rooms in filthy and unkempt convents; simplicity giving way to
flamboyance especially in dressing (Takes a pause and asks) Sr. Larry, are you
still there?
Sr. Larry: I am Asee; please continue. I am all ears.
AC: Alright! Thanks! I continue:
Questionable relationships especially with the complimentary gender
especially forsurreptitious and pecuniary motives
Living ‘singly’ within community; giving ministry more attention than
community life; import of Community meeting declining
Greater allegiance to Bishops than the Province especially in Diocesan
institutions
Contracting projects (building, supplies etc) to family members and friends
instead of neutral bodies that could be challenged should anything go wrong
Difficulty in meeting deadlines (submission of budgets, accounts, requested
data etc)
Mismanagement of funds (community/apostolates)
Gossip, back-biting/ back-stabbing, disloyalty, disrespect, selfishness,
laziness, general lack lustre attitude to life and ministry, lowering of standards
in ministry and living (Bursts into tears)
Sr. Larry: Hello Asee! Are you alright?
AC: (Sobs even more)
Sr. Larry: Please pull yourself together, Asee. Would you like to call back later?
AC: (Sobbing gets less. AC blows her nose and continues to speak) I am sorry for
being so emotional.
This is because it may seem as if I wanted or expected a perfect Congregation or that
I myself was perfect. No! Not at all! I weep because these issues have been festering
for long and it seems as if there is no solution in sight. All of us like sheep had each
gone our way. I am aware that there is no flawless human establishment; however, I
expected that there would have been a collective renunciation of such unbecoming
attitudes; rather we all fell into a state of ‘stupor’ and when I felt I was wasting away
a bright future ahead of me, I told myself it was time to quit. (Sobbing continues)
Sr. Larry: Hello Asee! Are you done?
AC: Almost. I know that Area Assemblies have been slated for different weekends in
January, I beg of you to please ensure you begin a process of returning to the Ancient
landmarks that were hallmarks of the Magnificat Sisters. No more mere talking at
assemblies. The sisters are longing for action and I can assure you that many will
support a Spiritual and Moral Renaissance. Sr. Larry, I weep because I could have
stayed back and acted out my own part of the Reformation script. I cry because I
despaired and left. However, do not be quick to judge me, sister. Leave that to GOD.
(Stops talking and resumes sobbing)
Sr. Larry: Hello my dear Asee! Would you like me to respond?
AC: (Raises her voice) No Sr. Larry! No more talk! Action! Action! Action! Check
all these things out for yourself and you and the other Team members should act!
Magnificat Sisters must Win! Not Wane! (Pauses) (Talks in a whisper) Do forgive
me if I was too harsh in my words or rash in my decision. Bye and GOD Bless for
hearing me out.
(Hangs up)
*Anonymous Caller
(Dedicated to all SSL in Nigeria Province as we begin the New Year with greater
determination to live our life as sincere and joyful Religious – 2nd January
2012).