Associate Highlights |
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IHM Associates follow spiritual paths without becoming nuns. Sharon McNeil was raised Catholic, and like a good Catholic went to Mass every Sunday. But an hour in church once a week didn't satisfy her spiritual needs. She craved a deeper relationship with God, a greater sense of being a part of His purpose. In 1984, while on a spiritual retreat in Clarkston, Ms. McNeil of Monroe began to find what she was looking for. She met a member of the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. In her, she found a kindred spirit, someone who shared her commitment to the needs of low-income people, to the disenfranchisement of women, children and the poor and her passion for preserving the environment.
Ms. McNeil also enjoyed the spiritual challenge that confronted her while in the IHM world. Time spent with the Sisters led her to reflect more on her own life and its purpose. It led her to explore her relationships with God and seek ways to deepen it. "I felt such a kinship that I wanted to formalize my commitment," Ms. NcNeil said. "I felt I was IHM. I felt called." That didn't mean that she wanted to become a nun. There was another option: the Associates program. An Associate member is part of the IHM community, but his or her life of commitment is different from that of a vowed sister. For one, Associates do not take the vows of chastity, povery and obedience. They are not financially bound to the community as is a Sister, whose earnings go back to the IHM and who lives on a pre-set stipend. Unlike Sisters, they can be married and even be male. And while vowed membership is a lifetime commitment, Associates renew their affiliation every five years. "The Associates are a wonderful, dynamic group of people we wouldn't have if we said in order to join us, you had to make vows," said Sister Anne Crimmins, a member of the IHM Leadership Council. Whether there will someday be more Associates than vowed members isn't something the IHM is concerned about right now, Sister Anne said. The IHM Associate program started in 1978 in response to interest from those who wanted to be part of the community without having to take formal vows. Many of those people were sisters who had left the congregation, but others were people who had recently learned of the IHM mission and wanted to be part of it. "There were 120 years when we were very cloistered and to ourselves," said Sister Anne. "In the mid 1960s we went out and people got to know us better. There's much about our spirit, life and mission that people can participate in without making vows." Ms. McNeil's relationship with the IHM plays out in many ways. She's a member of a mission group that gets together to talk about and act on issues of importance to the community. She works part time as coordinator of the organic garden on the IHM campus. Mostly, however, Ms. McNeil has benefited through the spiritual growth afforded her by the relationship. "I would say because of having a sense of community, I feel that I can keep that faith alive when I am struggling and I see so many needs in the world," Ms. NcNeil said. "It bolsters my sense of faith and hope." She has grown spiritually by having people she can talk to about issues such as how we view God and how best to follow the Gospel. In finding the IHM, it was like after a journey through many towns where no one spoke her native tongue, she finally heard a language she could understand. "It's nice to have pople thinking together and reflecting on what is important," she said. Communing with women in a patriarchal religion is empowering, Ms. McNeil said. "In the church, there's a hierarchy," she said. "You don't feel you have as much voice as a women." "Without being an Associate," Ms. NcNeil continued, "I would be more frustrated with the institutional church. My life wouldn't be so rich and full because I wouldn't know such rich and wonderful women." Read More Associate Highlights.
For more information about IHM Associate membership, contact: Monica Stuhlreyer, IHM, Associate Coordinator Phone 734-240-9821 |
She then discovered that this one Sister was part of a community of hundreds whose lives and beliefs were focused on the same goal. The IHM nuns, Ms. McNeil discovered, were people she needed to get to know better. And once she got to know them, she wanted even more. Ms. NcNeil didn't want to simply know these women. She wanted to be a part of the work they did and be accepted as an equal in terms of their passion and commitment. 
