The history of the Catholic Church in Arkansas is characterized by two closely related elements: immigration and religious life.
Catholic immigrants, settlers, bishops, priests and sisters faced daunting challenges in the early days: no resources, primitive means of transportation, disease, extreme weather, anti-Catholic bias, racism, language barriers and discouragement. They persevered nonetheless, and the Church grew. I am amazed to read about the establishment of hospitals, schools, orphanages and monasteries in the first decades of our diocese. For the most part, these institutions were the inspiration and work of religious women and men, who sensed and responded to God’s call to serve the immigrant peoples of Arkansas.
Quite simply, they evangelized. They lived the life of Jesus Christ; they taught the truth; they loved; they healed; they cared for the outcast; and most importantly of all, they prayed. The mission of the Church is to witness to Christ, to make him present and known in every possible way — especially through the Eucharist — and to form lives devoted to him.
Accomplishing such a mission is possible only when the Church exhibits humble openness and docility to conversion and the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. It is possible only when at the heart of the Church abides a profound life of prayer. If we do not listen to Christ, cling to him, and come to know him in our heart of hearts, we will not be the fountain of grace the people of our state need us to be.
If prayer is at the heart of every Christian life and at the heart of the Church, then contemplative prayer is the “heart of hearts” of the Church. A growing number of Catholics are opening themselves to the way of contemplative prayer as taught by the great saints. Their hunger for an intimate friendship with God through contemplative prayer is a clear sign of God’s grace at work for the good of the Church.
Monasteries of contemplative religious women and men are communities of those called to give their entire lives to contemplative prayer, for their own spiritual well-being and for that of the entire Church. Some of those communities are cloistered, such as the Carmelite Monastery in Little Rock. The fruit of the prayer of the nuns at Carmel reaches far beyond the walls of their cloister, and we are deeply blessed to have them in Arkansas.
I have recently returned from a trip to Veracruz, Mexico, to visit a monastery of religious women, the “Adoration Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament.” Msgr. Scott Friend accompanied me. Last year I learned of their desire to open a second monastery in the United States, and I began corresponding with them about the possibility of their coming here; the purpose of our recent visit was to get to know one another better.
The nuns are an impressive group, filled with joy and peace. Founded in Italy, they have many monasteries in Mexico dedicated to contemplative prayer before the Blessed Sacrament. They are cloistered, but their daytime hours of adoration are open to the public, as are their daily Mass and Liturgy of the Hours. They also offer spiritual direction to those who seek it.
The superior of the monastery in Veracruz, Madre Esperanza, explained the charism of their order. One thing she said particularly impressed me. I will repeat it here in Spanish, because she chose her words carefully:
“La vida contemplativa es nuestro modo d’estar en la Iglesia, con la Iglesia, y para la Iglesia.” “The contemplative life is our way of being in the Church, with the Church, and for the Church.”
The way Madre used the verb “estar” (to be, to stay, to abide), she was indicating that the contemplative life is the means God uses to make them who they are in, with, and for the Church. It is how they give themselves in sacrifice to him for the good of the Church.
They live the contemplative life not “in our stead,” so that we will not have to! To the contrary, they live the contemplative life to witness to us and to the world the call of every Christian to intimate friendship with God through Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. Their prayer and sacrifice bear fruit for the Church, and their witness calls the Church to prayer.
I pray and hope that during this Year of the Eucharist the nuns will open a monastery in Arkansas. There are many details to work out, including the location for the monastery and financial arrangements. I wanted to tell you about this possibility now, so that you will join me in prayer for this important intention, and to let you know that the nuns will need your financial support.
It seems that once again God is inspiring the Catholic Church in Arkansas to see the close relationship between religious life and the immigration of new Catholics to our diocese. He is calling us to renew our devotion to the Eucharist, the source and summit of the Church’s life. And he is showing us that the heart of his inspiration — the heart of every Christian life — is prayer.
Contemplative prayer is the “heart of hearts” of the Church. Pray with me and the nuns that we will answer God’s call regarding a new monastery, so that we may extend the presence of Christ to the depths of our diocese.
Do you have an intention for Bishop Sartain’s prayer? If so, send it to him at Bishop Sartain’s Prayer List, Diocese of Little Rock, 2500 North Tyler St., P.O. Box 7239, Little Rock, AR 72217.