The Body of Christ

By: Sr. Shingai Chigwedere

As we celebrate the life and legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr this week, I have been reflecting on ways that God is inviting me to be an instrument of working to end oppression, being peace and advocating for justice and love in the world. As I pray for the preparations for the July National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis, Indiana (my former Archdiocese), the Body of Christ keeps coming forth in my prayer and thoughts.

“This is my body that is for you…” (1 Cor 11:23)

My main ministry this year is at Cook County Jail in Chicago, IL, through an Archdiocese of Chicago program called Kolbe House Jail Ministry. First, let me offer a few things I learned about jail. 95% of those inside Cook County Jail are awaiting trial. They are detained pending trial, thus they are known as detainees or Individuals in Custody (IIC). They are not inmates because they have not been convicted and sentenced. Prison is where one serves time for the crime for which they were convicted and sentenced. As an aside but worth mentioning, the Chicago Tribune newspaper did a 4-part investigative series in April 2023 regarding the concerning court delays of murder cases in Cook County. “Advocates nationally aim for murder cases to take no more than a year. Cook County’s goal is a little more than two years. But it’s now taking more than four to complete most of the county’s murder cases, with some lasting up to a decade or more… Separating the guilty from the innocent takes longer than courthouses in any city for which comparable data was available, including New York and Los Angeles.” Reading articles such as the one I quoted above have helped me understand the legal complexities and more importantly reminded me about our collective responsibility to advocate for a just and fair due process.

Sr. Shingai and fellow Kolbe House volunteers

For I was hungry and you gave me food…a stranger and you welcomed me… (Mt 25:35) 

Our trainer at Kolbe House made sure to remind us that, “Their (IIC) innocence or guilt is not our concern, that is the domain of the corrections system. Our domain is spiritual accompaniment regardless of verdict.” Each week, I co-facilitate a faith sharing group in the men’s division. I serve with two faith filled female volunteers who I am in awe of every session. We check-in with each man, how are they, how was their week? Then we ask for one of the men to lead us in opening prayer. We watch an episode of the TV series, The Chosen, which is about the life of Jesus and his apostles. Next, we discuss the episode, what intrigued us, concerned us, how did God speak to us. Then we have about five minutes of silent meditation, with the prompt “picture God lovingly gazing at us.” Lastly, one of us Kolbe volunteers closes in prayer and invites everyone to offer aloud prayer intentions including praying for mercy, compassion and justice for any upcoming court dates. Each session is 1.5 hrs to 2 hrs. 

There is no stranger among us, we share in this sacred sharing of truth, healing, mercy and acceptance. These men have taught me so much about, remaining with Christ in God’s Word, trusting through the most difficult of times, recognizing their mistakes and yet remembering they are not who they once were. Their desire to know Christ, to share Christ and to be Christ to others is heartwarming and inspiring. They tell us how nourished they are by this weekly session and how it reminds them of their dignity as a beloved child of God.

 

Sr. Shingai and Sr. Terri heading off to mass at Cook County Jail

For I was…in prison and you visited me. (Mt 25:36)

My fellow novice, Sr. Terri and I also help out with mass in the women’s division once a month. My first time was both a jarring and moving experience. About a dozen women joined us in a small room where we gathered around the makeshift altar. As part of his homily, Father asked the women to think about how they can practice Christ’s command to love their neighbors, even while in jail. I noticed that Father did not minimize their reality, yet invited them to think about how they can live the gospel message of love, in the midst of such difficult and challenging circumstances. The responses were heartwarming: giving a woman a tissue to wipe her tears, being respectful of each other, being nice to each other, sharing your extra bread when others are hungry in between meals.

During the Eucharistic prayer and epiclesis when Father said, “for this is my body”, I was all of a sudden filled with an overwhelming sense of community. I glanced around the room and in my heart heard, “yes, this is the Body of Christ, we are the Body of Christ”. Although we will go back to different realities, all of us in that room, in our brokenness, messy lives, in need of healing, we are beloved children of God. As Sr. Terri and I sang Open my eyes Lord, I was grateful for the beauty of this liturgy. I thanked God for the hour of freedom the women had experienced at mass with us and prayed it fed their souls until the next liturgy.

Sr. Paula and Sr. Shingai - Christmas Day Mass at Motherhouse

For I was…ill and you cared for me… (Mt 25:36)

During Christmas I spent the holiday at our Motherhouse in Columbus, Ohio. We have about 65 sisters who live there and about 40 in Mohun, our health care center that is attached to the Motherhouse and has a memory care unit. I had never spent a night in our Columbus Motherhouse so being there for Christmas and New Year’s was such a gift for me. In addition to some reading, we also had an individual project to complete that was designed to help us understand how to research our archives, learn more about our congregational history and encourage deeper conversations with our sisters. So while it was a break from our regular novitiate schedule, it was a busy and spirit filled time of prayer, study, and community.

For breakfast, lunch, and dinner I enjoyed sitting with different sisters and sharing stories. They were excited to hear about my novitiate experience and in turn I was excited to hear more about their vocation stories and their hopes and dreams for us. The most difficult and touching visits were with our sisters in Mohun. The sisters have a variety of healthcare needs including memory concerns. In addition to helping out at Bingo, the Christmas Party, proclaiming God's Word at Mass or celebrating birthdays we had the privilege of one on one visits with sisters as they were available. Those were special moments of grace. The sisters were so excited to meet us novices and mentioned many times that we are signs of hope for them. Hope that this Dominican heritage will continue on and affirmation that God is still calling women to this vocation to religious life. All of them pray for us daily and for them to meet some of us for the first time in person brought them tremendous joy. It was also sobering to see the aging process and the struggles with memory.

My stay at our Motherhouse was a blessing! I was impressed by the level of curiosity and earnestness of our sisters’ questions. I loved the gentle ways they weaved in pearls of wisdom that have helped deepen or affirm my vocational discernment. It was as if God was surrounding with me a cloud of witnesses on this sacred journey. I will be forever grateful that I was able to thank the sisters for their yes to this call which paved the way for me (us) to be here. I appreciate how God allowed this mutual sharing to provide us with hope and trust in what the future holds. It was a beautiful way to experience Our story and the Body of Christ.