This content has been archived. It may no longer be relevant
May 5, 2020
We are currently eight people in Our Lady of the Visitation, the wing at St. Mary’s for those of us who need care because of age and/or disability. I thought I’d let you know how we are faring during this COVID time.
Usually we take part in the life of St. Mary’s as much as we individually are able, but in order to be protected from the virus, we are now in isolation in the wing where we live.
But though we are isolated, we are certainly not locked down or out. None of us at present is bed-ridden, and we have access to the great outdoors using the doors at each end of the wings. The million-dollar view of trees and a field and the river continues to amaze us.
We can attend prayers with a few others in St. Mary’s chapel, though we can’t loiter for chats afterwards. The presence of three of our priests at St. Mary’s: Fr. Tom Talentino, Fr. Blair Bernard, and Fr Pelton, who is one of the residents at OLV, provides us with spiritual coverage and frequent blessings.
And we are superbly protected from hostile germs by our nurses and care-givers.
Since our isolation, we have organized a schedule for ourselves. Breakfast is come and go, followed by Lauds (morning prayer) together. We have spiritual reading together after lunch and the rosary after supper. Our own “Meals on Wheels” are provided by St Mary’s kitchen.
In between times we receive medical attention and pursue personal activities. Jeannine Biron has taken up her paint brushes and some of her paintings hang on our dining room walls. Mary McNamara is our liturgist organizing leaders for prayers and material for spiritual reading. She copied out the Easter homilies of Pope Francis.
Theresa Marsey regales us with fascinating tales. Jan Hills is the entertainment committee, selecting movies for us. I, who am recovering from a fractured pelvis, concentrate on exercises in preparation for the 2021 Olympics (smile). Seriously I am well on the way to full recovery.
Bill Ryan and Mike Lopez form the other valuable third of our tri-part family (laymen, women and one priest). We tease them a lot.
On Easter (as was said in “Combermere Diary” in the May-June Restoration), we were thrilled to have our three directors general visit us “through the looking glass.” Elizabeth, Larry and Fr. Linder sang Christus Anesti (“Christ is Risen” in Greek), and we sang with them through the open windows.
Others of our brothers and sisters from St. Mary’s, our next-door neighbors, performed a skit about the Resurrection, also outside our windows. On a couple of other occasions, others formed a choir and serenaded us from the hall.
So you see, we have had indoor and outdoor entertainment. And one person from St. Mary’s, a different one every day, joins us for one meal a day.
In all of this, though we cannot be with our Madonna House brothers and sisters, we are united with them in our hearts, prayers, and sufferings, and with all the world as well.
