Some years ago Sr Maureen Flood, SSS, reflected on the St Vincent’s community in SACRED SITE:
One of the reasons why I love this community so much is that the telling of stories is given considerable space. Be they sublime, terrible, funny, shocking, sad or too long, every story is received and honoured. The liturgy enfolds the stories of the day – the personal and the communal. This can be demanding. At St Vincent’s the liturgy is not always consoling or comfortable. The Mass is not ended until announcements have been made by anyone who wants to let us know something: how a sick member is managing, when one or another protest march will be on, when the next meeting of the women’s Christian/Muslim group will be, or the next meeting of parents of Gay or Lesbian people, or some urgent message from Pax Christi or from members of our congregation who visit refugee detention centres. The needs of the poor and oppressed are woven into the fabric of every celebration of the Eucharist at St Vincent’s, Redfern, just as they are woven into every aspect of the life and teaching of Jesus.
Yesterday afternoon a crowd of her friends gathered at St Vincent’s to share stories of her remarkable life. Maureen died suddenly but peacefully on Monday 26 December 2005. Her funeral will be held at St Vincent’s this morning at 10:30am.
Thank you dear God for the seed of prayer that you
Have planted in the heart of each of us.
Prayers, like people come in different shapes and sizes.
Some are long and tall
And some are short and small.
Some are round and layered
And others are as small as a tear drop.
Some are cried out loud
And others are wordless.
Whatever it’s size or shape
You hear us all.
We thank you for the seed of prayer you
Have planted in the heart of every being in creation.
Amen
Maureen Flood, 19/09/2004