"Dedicated to God" by Abbie Reese is the first The Observer Book Club's One Diocese, One Book selection. We held our inaugural gathering at Oct. 18, 2014, at Barnes & Noble in CherryVale Mall, Rockford. Reese met with readers of her book, “Dedicated to God: An Oral History of Cloistered Nuns,” to talk about the nuns, their lives, and her work to write the book.
The book, published by Oxford University Press, is available at Barnes & Noble
stores in the Rockford Diocese and at other locations.Since then, several parishes have hosted discussion about the book. Some have invited Reese to visit.
We selected the book because it is one of the few books that looks at the lives of cloistered nuns, and Reese's book is about nuns in our own diocese.
After we selected it, we learned Pope Francis was calling for a Year of Consecrated Life, which continues until November 2015. We were thrilled to learn our selection coincided with the pope's desire to call attention to the men and women who, like the Poor Clares in Rockford, have "Dedicated to God" their lives and their works.
Background
Reese has a master of fine arts degree in visual arts from the University of Chicago (2013) and was a fellow at Columbia University's Oral History Research Office Summer Institute (2008).
But she began her work with the nuns a decade ago, at a time when her academic interests centered on the lives of people who, for whatever reason, choose to live in a closed community. She had recently spent time (2003-04) in the communications department of a non-governmental hospital ship off the coast of Africa. It made her curious about people who lived together for long periods of time. When she returned to Illinois, she began looking for similar groups and asked about cloistered nuns in the area. She was surprised to learn about the Poor Clares, but sought permission to work with them almost immediately. Over the years, as they grew to know her, and she them, they allowed her greater and greater access to their lives.
The results of their collaboration have included a photography exhibit accompanied by audio tapes of the nuns' voices, the book, several presentations and articles, and a film, which is in production.
Learn more about Reese and her work at her website, http://www.abbiereese.com/index.html.
To participate in the 2014 One Diocese, One Book program, all you need to do is read "Dedicated to God."
Reese continues her collaboration with the nuns as she works to fund and produce a movie, "Chosen (Custody of the Eyes)." Learn more at http://www.chosenthefilm.com/
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| Abbie Reese |
Reader’s Guide to Dedicated to God
by Abbie Reese
To help readers in their approach to her book, Dedicated to God: An Oral History of Cloistered Nuns, author Abbie Reese has prepared this guide. She has spent much time over nearly a decade getting to know the sisters of the Poor Clare Colettine order who live in Rockford, Illinois. In the book, she tells the stories they have shared with her about their lives and their journey to the cloister.
Think about Reese’s comments and questions as you read the book, or use them as a basis for discussion in a parish, school or organization book club.
A lot of people have asked me why the nuns “let me in.” Another common question is: Why did the nuns break their vow of silence to talk with me? (The nuns do not make a vow of silence; other than one hour of recreation a day, they observe monastic silence, only speaking what is necessary in a low tone to complete a task.)
My desire has been that in this engagement with them, I would contribute something of value in return to the community. (Tangibles that I gave them include digital copies of all my photographs within the enclosure, and copies of all the oral history interview transcripts.)
Why do you think that they would have agreed to participate in this project? What do you think could they have gained? Given the long-term nature of this project, how do you think I needed to conduct myself in order to respect their values — of anonymity, silence, poverty, modesty, and so forth?
Why does the grille exist? What are the concrete reasons for this symbolic marker?
What is the charism — or mission — of the Poor Clare Colettine nuns?
How have you changed by learning about the nuns’ lives and dedication?
I asked the Mother Abbess if she could contribute to this reader’s guide, and she offered this as her “two cents”:
Everyone is called to holiness. Each vocation is a different way to become holy. In the Gospels, we learn about our Lord’s teachings and His lifestyle. He calls everyone to follow His teaching, but calls only some to follow His lifestyle. Jesus never married. Jesus had nothing of His own. Jesus was obedient unto death. The vowed life of chastity, poverty and obedience is a wonderful life. What good things do the nuns say about each? Now page through the four Gospels and see how they are virtues for everyone to live.
The sisters have shared their stories of how God’s grace has moved in their lives. What highlights of God’s grace are in your life?
Write down your date of birth, then 10 years later, then 10 years later, up to the present year. What are the most important and substantial things that have happened in your life? Upon reflection, what pattern of God’s grace do you see in your life?
-- Abbie Reese
Learn more about One Diocese, One Book at http://observer.rockforddiocese.org/book-club-blog.
