This is a continuation of Sr. Karin Dufault’s presentation for their International Associate Gathering this past May on the four I’s (International, Intercultural, Intergenerational, and Interdependent).  Today’s topic is Part Three: Intergenerational.

“As Sisters of Providence, we are well aware that our community is blessed to be intergenerational as well as international and intercultural.  We have sisters who are centenarians, and we have sisters in their 20s and everywhere in between.  We continue to be blessed with many vocations and vocation promotion is an important ministry since we believe in the relevance of the mission and charism passed on to us by Blessed Emilie Gamelin for our society today and tomorrow.

Of course, we experience the same challenges as families do as we seek to understand the gifts of each generation, acknowledge and explore the generational differences and similarities as members of the same religious community.  Our spirituality aids us to see and welcome Christ in each other and to learn from each other as we listen with our hearts to each other’s stories of living our religious life and ministry faithfully.  We are given the opportunity to be an example in our world of how people of diffrerent ages, cultures and nationalities can live peacefully as sisters and brothers enriched by each other’s presence and gifts.  We are all interrelated and interconnected.  In addition, we are interdependent which leads us to the 4th ‘I’ in the next segment.”

Many of us in our Providence communities know the gifts and challenges experienced in intergenerational living.

Barbara McMullen, CDP