 making topics over a simple lunch of soup and bread. And this event will be recorded today. You can find the recording on Marquette University's YouTube page. Our sponsors for today's event are Marquette University Center for Peacemaking, Office of Mission and Ministry, Peace Studies major, and Campus Ministry. And Pat Kennelly, the director of the Center for Peacemaking, will be introducing our speaker today. So I'll pass things over to Pat now. Well, thanks, Amanda. And I just want to thank everyone for being here. One of the silver linings of the pandemic is we've been able to really expand programming. And this year at Marquette, one of the sort of climaxes of the year is Marquette Mission Week. And so I think doing things virtually, we're really grateful that so many people from around the country can join us. And I want to thank Amanda, the student who facilitates super substance. It's a weekly series. And so if you like what we hear from Sister Kathy, and are interested in these topics, I'd encourage you to come back each week. As Amanda said, my name's Pat Kennelly. I'm the director of the Center for Peacemaking at Marquette. And we're really excited to have Sister Kathy Sherman with us today. I've gotten to know Kathy a little bit over the past couple months and realize that not only is she a gifted singer, composer, and activist, she also really challenges people to be present, to grief, while also at the same time holding on to hope within sort of that beloved community that Dr. King and others have spoken about, and certainly the prophets have written about, and the sacred texts. Sister Kathy's passion is writing music that fosters hope and healing. And I think where that conviction lies is not only her faith, but her belief that all life is permeated with the sacred. And she's deeply committed to working for nonviolence, racial justice, and advocating for the protection and healing of our planet. As some folks heard as we were talking before the event, Sister Kathy is a member of the Congregation of St. Joseph. And the CSJs have been just dynamite partners with Marquette and the Center for Peacemaking through their generosity and frequent visits by different CSJ, both nuns, but also affiliates. We've been able to reach literally thousands of youth throughout Milwaukee and carry those charisms of care for the earth, and justice, and peace, and nonviolence to the next generation. So we want to say thank you to all of the CSJs. And I'd be remiss too if I didn't recognize Parisa Shirazi from the Center for Peacemaking, who worked closely with Sister Kathy to bring this event together. And so without further ado, please, if you have a second, if you want to unmute, and we could give a warm round of applause to Kathy to welcome her sister Kathy. Thank you so much. Thank you, Pat. And thank you, Parisa. And thank you, Sherry was also a person I spoke with when we were talking about my possibility of my coming to be with you and Amanda for all the work she's done. I'm really thrilled to be with you today. And certainly your mission and the work that you do is so important. And so very understandable why you are connected with the Sisters of St. Joseph and our mission of unity. So I'd like to just begin this morning with a little mantra that I wrote for today. It's really the starting premise of what I'll be sharing with you today on that challenge of being present to grief while at the same time holding on to hope within the beloved community, as Pat mentioned. And that starting premise is being rooted in a greater love than we could ever know. A love that is God. A love that God has placed in every human heart. So we'll just center ourselves for a moment in that reality as we listen. Grounded in a greater love than we could ever know. Grounded in this love you've placed in every human heart that gives us purpose and courage to begin anew. I name this hope. I name this me. I name this you. Grounded in a greater love than we have ever known. Grounded in this love you've placed in every human heart that gives us purpose and courage to begin anew. I name this hope. I name this me. I name this you. So this past year of pandemic and loss has been a daunting challenge for me, and I'm sure for you as well. So right up front, I need to just tell you that I don't claim to be an expert on grief or on this topic. I can simply share with you some of the learnings that have come to me through the reflecting and the heart and soul work that I've done personally but also in community these past months and that I continue to do as I try to process how I've been changed by this pandemic and how I'll continue to evolve moving forward. So I share with you an experience I had on the night before the presidential election. As you might recall, the night before that election, there was a national call to go outside and light a candle at would be six o'clock hour time to remember and to pray for all those who have lost their lives from the pandemic. What grief? More than 400,000 people at that point had died. And I cried as I stood there holding my candle. For days, I had felt as though there was this dam inside me holding back a tsunami of feelings and emotions. And as I stood there alone with my candle, I was present to the grief that I felt. And though I stood all by myself, I didn't feel alone. I felt connected to all who had died and to all who were grieving. And then I went inside to get on a Zoom where I was going to lead an inauguration vigil prayer. And about 300 people showed up for that prayer. I was completely overwhelmed. This Zoom community was a powerful affirmation of holding on to hope, even while experiencing grief. And I could do both. I could grieve. And I could hope. Because I was a part of a beloved community, a community of faith, and a community of hope that lets me know that as long as we hold on to each other, things will be all right. It's all right. I am here. And I will never leave you not today, not tomorrow. I will not ever. And in hand will be strong. Though the journey may belong through darkness of night into the brightness of day. You and I together we will walk. Walk as one. It's all right. I am here. And I will never leave you not today, not Oh, none of her hand in hand will be strong, though the journey may be long, through darkness of night into the brightness of day. You and I together, we will walk, walk as one. It's all right, I am here, and I will never leave you not today, not tomorrow, not ever. Hand in hand will be strong, though the journey may be long, through darkness of night into the brightness of day. You and I together, we will walk, walk as one. You and I together, we will walk, walk as one. I've had this image going on inside of me these past couple weeks of this image or metaphor of grief and hope holding hands, both offering gifts. I think it's because I strongly believe that as we move through grief and attempt to hold on to hope, we need community, a beloved community. And I just love this term that of course was coined by John Lewis, the great civil rights activist and legislator who died just this past year. This beloved community that holds on to each other and sustains each other, or perhaps another way of describing a community of faith rooted in the love of God and in the gospel. Grief is intense sorrow, and grief is a deep emotional response to great loss. These losses may have to do with the death of family or friends, or lost sense of purpose, or loss of relationships or dreams, or the devastation to the environment that causes grief, or grief such as what we witnessed at the capital of our country on January 6th. We've all experienced loss, especially this past year. And we've also witnessed tremendous loss in the lives of others in our families, communities, country and world. How often during these months have our hearts been broken at what we've seen, at stories we've heard, times when we've been overcome with fear and uncertainty, or been worried for our jobs, or our families' well-being, or even the future? I think it's important to remember that it's both appropriate and necessary to grieve and to weep about these losses and painful realities. I once read, quote, we need to pay attention to our tears, because tears tell us what's important to us. End of quote. And I have found that to be true in my life. But making space for grief in our culture can be difficult and not easy to embrace. As Westerners, we are generally more concerned on finding a quick fix or a more expedient path to feeling better and as quickly as possible, rather than companioning our grief. We find it hard to trust in the possibility that grief can lead us to healing and wholeness. And it will. But only if we take the time to honor our grief and to move through it. There's a wonderful Persian poet and Sufi mystic whose writings I love by the name of Rumi. And I came upon a poem of his called The Gift of Tears that for me images this paradox. The poem goes like this. The cloud weeps and then the garden sprouts. The baby cries and the mother's milk flows. The nurse of creation has said, let them cry a lot. This rain weeping and sun burning twine together to make us grow. Keep your intelligence white hot and your grief glistening so that your life will stay fresh. Cry easily like a little child. And I would add that as you remember this truth that Rumi speaks of, that you also remember that the God of hope is also the God of grief and remains with you and each of us at each and every moment in juncture of life. And will be there in each and every future moment. And so as you listen to this song called All You Need to Know, I invite you to be with the God of your heart, your journey and any grief that you may be holding. I was there right with you. Never did I leave you. I was your strength, your peace of mind. All you hoped that you could be. And though perhaps it's hard for you to grasp or understand, all you need to know for now was I was always there. I was there right with you. Never did I leave you. I trusted me to be for you. The song of courage you were needing. And though the mysteries are for you to grasp or understand, all you need to know for now was I was always there. I will be with you for all of nothing to fear. Love you, protect you, and keep. I was there right with you. Never did I leave you. You had me a mystery that you would never be alone. All you need to know for now. And what about hope? In his 2007 encyclical, Saved in Hope, Pope Benedict the 16th wrote, the one who has hope lives differently. The one who hopes has been granted the gift of a new life. I would probably add the one who tries to hope lives differently because I know I'm not always good at it. And especially this past year, hope sometimes has not been very easily. Has been not very easy. It's also easy to confuse hope with optimism, but we know that hope is different than optimism. Hope is not a fleeting emotion or an attitude that fades when life is hard, but rather a resilient stance towards life, marked by trust, confidence, and perseverance. Hope empowers us to live differently because faith's understanding of hope is rooted in the unshakable conviction that God loves us and wants our good. That God's great love is the very true and energy that has strengthened, buoyed up and sustained doctors, nurses, chaplains, educators, essential workers, first responders, and so many others all these many months. It affirms Paul's message in Romans, if God is for us, who can be against us? Do we dare to believe this? Do we want to believe this? If we desire to live with hope, in hope, and for hope, then taking these words to heart can change our lives in creative and surprising ways. A first century philosopher who is unnamed wrote something that it's very poignant to me, and especially as I consider it in light of this past year. He said, or she said, I'm not sure, but was a man or a woman, when I light a candle at midnight, I say to the darkness, I beg to differ. When I light a candle at midnight, I say to the darkness, I beg to differ. Jesus also said that while he was in the world, he would be the light for the world. As long as he is in the world, he is the light of the world. Look through the Gospels, how many times and how many situations do we see the light that is love and justice and compassion and healing, that Jesus dispels the darkness because of what, who he is and what he does. Jesus also calls us to be light in the darkness. As you think about, as you listen to this song, as long as I'm in the world and Prisa is going to put it up for you, I invite you to think about the ways that you also are light. Think about all the times, maybe in this past year or more recently, when you too, by the way you have lived your life, things you've said, actions you've taken that you too have said to the darkness with the light of your life, I beg to differ. As long as I am in the world, I will be a light, a light for the world. I will be a word of truth, a song of hope, a handout stretched for healing. As long as I am in the world, I will be a beacon of love for this weary world. So shine with me, oh shine with me and I will bear the beams of your holy light. As long as I am in the world, I will be a light, a light for the world. I will be a word of truth, a song of hope stretched for healing. As long as I will be a beacon of love for this weary world. So shine, oh shine, shine, shine even. More recently, I was inspired as I heard President Biden talking about the losses in his own life. And he was doing this as he comforted those who were grieving the loss of loved ones from COVID. And as he was talking, he said that what kept him going through all the loss and grief in his life, that of losing his wife and daughters at a young age in a car accident and then losing his son to cancer. He said what he needed to do was to dig deep, to tap into his passion and rediscover his soul's purpose or call. Never, never, never, never denying his grief, but strengthen in his resolve because of his grief. It was the sense of his life's purpose, his life's more expansive purpose that compelled him to keep going. Not only for himself and his family, but for the beloved community, a life poured out in service to his family and to his beloved community. That purpose, even in difficult times, before I do that, I wanted to invite you just to take a minute to yourselves and to get in touch with your own purpose. What is it that gets you out of bed each morning? Even on days when you'd rather stay in bed. Who is the beloved community that is blessed by your life? Who is the beloved community that is blessed by your life? And if you're not sure, then ask for the grace to discover it. It is there for you, waiting. That purpose, even in difficult times, that purpose that gives us hope, it's like the mustard seed that Jesus uses in his parable. It's like the mustard seed in that even though it may be tiny, it is full of potential and possibility. Everything it needs to grow, to flourish, and to thrive is already there inside. Everything is present in the seed, ready to become what it already is, ready to become what it already is. My sister is a social worker, retired social worker. And she told me the story that when she was first getting a job in Florida, they wanted someone with a master's. And when she had her interview, she told the people, she said, you know what, I'm as good as a person. I'm as good of a social worker as someone with a master's. And she got the job. And she was a social worker in a high school for 40-something years. Before she retired, a student came in to her and had a conversation with her. He was moving away and wanted to thank her. And he was going out the door. He turned around and he said, Miss Gillies, can I ask you a question? And she said, well, of course. And he said, well, I know you get paid to do this work. He said, but it seems like you really care. When I listened to her tell that story and connected it back to that seed of long ago, I realized that she knew from the beginning that she had become what she knew she was from the very beginning. During these long months, it's often been the many small yet significant gestures, words, actions of others that have sustained me and probably you and kept hope alive. Martin Luther suggested that just as love transforms the lover into the beloved, so hope changes the one who hopes into what is hoped for. And this next little song I'd like to share with you is a new song of mine. It's just a simple little song called, Is There A Song That You Can Sing? And it was actually inspired by the Jesuit, Alfred Delp. As you probably know, he was a German Jesuit who was part of the Catholic resistance group during Nazi Germany, during the Nazi regime, and he was executed when he refused to renounce the Jesuits. But in his writings from prison, he encouraged people to be heralds of good news. To do whatever they could do, however they could be, in order to bring good news to others. And so as you just listen to this little song, I invite you to think about how have you been a herald of good news and let the memories flow because I'm sure you have many. I'm doing the other song first because I forgot to do that one first. So this song is called, If I Had Faith. If I had faith the size of a mustard seed And could plant it in the earth of my heart Maybe I could grow a love so deep and wide That the world could find shelter in me That's what I pray to be If I had faith the size of a mustard seed And could plant it in the earth of my heart Maybe I could grow a love so deep and wide That the world could find shelter in me That's what I pray to be If I had faith the size of a mustard seed And could plant it in the earth of my heart Maybe I could grow a love so deep and wide That the world could find shelter in me That's what I pray to be And now think about how you've been heralds of good news. Is there a song that you can sing? A comfort you can bring? A dream or an imagining? That heralds love and peace? Is there a smile you can give? A hand you could extend? A quarrel you could end? A heralds forgiveness? Be a herald of good news An angel of light A voice of tender love That holds the darkness of love Is there a promise you can make? A risk that you can take? A dream, a vision, a love to heal And make the world one? Is there a place that you can go? A truth you long to know? And seeds of hope you can sow To grow a tomorrow? The heralds of good news Voices of tender love That holds the darkness of love So as I was preparing for today I started to think about what are some of the things that have helped me to be with grief and to sustain hope and so I kind of came up with this list of things that's certainly not comprehensive and I'm sure you would all have your own to add but I thought maybe it might be helpful to share it with you so if Prisa would do me the honor of putting that up that would be great and I'll just say a little bit about each one of them so practices that sustain hope and help with grief so one of the big ones for me is being present to the present moment to know that in the here and in the now I have what I need that now is all I have and now is all I need again not always easy and probably one of the most difficult spiritual practices there is getting back to this one about paying attention to our tears honor your tears remember the tears tell you what's important to you they're messengers messengers for you to keep you attuned to your heart and alert to your purpose connect with God yourself and others so critical to remember that we're all connected and tethered together as one sacred community you just can't forget that take some time to be with nature spend time with nature John O'Donohue the wonderful Irish poet talks about especially in times of grief how important it is to be with nature because it's the only thing that's large enough to hold our grief and it can also be such a source of healing and comfort reclaim your purpose each day you are meant to be here you have a presence a purpose and gifts that will contribute to the healing and unity of our world and planet and revisit this question often who do I want to be in the world and how do I want to be in the world this one's kind of also you have to have a sense of humor surrender to the reality of good days and bad days and I'm going to share a little song that goes along with that one it's called tell it like it is because sometimes I think on the bad days I have to remember in my prayer to be bold about that too and so it's called tell it like it is like it is tell it like it is when you're talking to God just pray and tell it like it is don't keep me out of the distance I heard God say to me I'm in the story you're living each day and that's where I'll be so tell it like it is tell it like it is when you're talking to God just pray and tell it like it is you may not think I'm listening I might seem far away but I promise you I hear every word that's what I heard God say so tell it like it is tell it like it is when you're talking to God just pray and tell it like it is I'm everywhere and in everyone yes in everything you see there's just no way God shouted out that you're ever far from me so tell it like it is tell it like it is when you're talking to God just pray and tell it like it is when you're talking to God just pray and tell it like it is so a sense of humor make a commitment to hope being hopeful takes intentionality and we need to choose hope even when it's hard because hope sustains and inspires and shines light engage in creativity cooking, painting, writing rearranging your closet there's been lots of time for that this year rock painting whatever it is planning your garden it doesn't matter what form the creativity takes it's just that research tells us that creativity nurtures our sense of self-worth belong to a community we need the beloved community where we have roots that can't be shaken especially during times like these a community also strengthens and sustains us in our living and work and ministry nurture your inner life this is where we listen to what's deepest inside our souls and where we process our lives and our call nurture take time to be still to pray or reflect however that looks for you because this helps us see the big picture and puts things in perspective practice kindness simple and yet so significant a practice that helps to build up the beloved community give generously and receive graciously your time your gifts your pains and your joys and probably the most important love deeply and wholeheartedly because as scripture tells us let your heart on the greater gifts faith hope and love and the greatest of these is love and love changes everything so before we break for the questions I just would like to share this last song called somewhere in the future because I think when we talk about hope our lives the way we live our lives gives us hope for those who come after us so this song is called somewhere in the future somewhere in the future somewhere down the line children will be asking what we did with our time they'll say were you building bridges of peace and harmony more rays and walls of fear and hate for all the world to see tell me how will we answer the children will we weep in shame at what we failed to do or will we stand before our sons and daughters and say we did our best and we tried to change the world somewhere in the future somewhere down the line children will be asking what we did with our time they'll say was your silence deafening when the planet screamed in pain or did you shout and march and act for the oceans for his planes tell me how will we answer the children will we weep in shame at what we failed to do will we stand before our sons and daughters and say we did our best and we tried to change the world for you somewhere in the future somewhere down the line children will be asking what we did with our time they'll say was your language that of love for all races colors creeds or did you cling to your not me forgetting unity tell me how will we answer the children will we weep in shame at what we failed to do and say we did our best and we tried to change somewhere down children will be asking what we did with our time so now we're going to move on to the Q&A section of today's event so if anyone has any questions they'd like to ask sister Kathy we have time for a few questions you could submit those questions into the chat and then I'll read them out loud but to get started one question I have for you sister Kathy is what advice do you have for Marquette students to keep hope during the pandemic stay connected I think one of the things that I keep saying is hold on to hope in order to hold on to hope we have to hold on to one another we can't go it alone as it were that's why I think the beloved community is so important and to stay connected with the things that give you joy the things that even though I know some of them are it's difficult now because you can't be with your friends necessarily in the same way but to nurture or to foster some of the things that are life-giving for you great Pat has a question he had in the chat he said that the sister or CST has so many important messages what are ways to share CST in a secular context or Catholic social teaching oh I think it's really important to put it in the context of what well this is where I think that faith and politics do go together that we need to be a moral voice with the things the issues that are really important to us to look at them from a gospel perspective and you know there used to be a saying on people used to say what would Jesus do people used to wear back bracelets WWJ or D or whatever it was and and I think that's that is a good question sometimes so that when we're looking at at what's going on the injustices and what's happening in our culture that we need to to not be afraid to speak to take a take a stand from the gospel from Catholic social teaching people are sharing to just thanking you for sharing your gift of music and time today and one question I had to was just how the process looks for you in writing these songs like if you have a certain if it's always the same each time or if it looks different it is it is different Amanda generally lots of times I will hear someone well as an example was that song that I talked about with Alfred Delp I was really moved by what his story and so that got me to thinking about how how can we be heralds of good news so it oftentimes I'll hear someone say something and there are days I wake up and I know that I'm going to write a song it's kind of a weird thing and I don't always necessarily know what it's what the song is going to be but other times it takes me a very long time just it there's a lot of kind of incubation period that goes into an idea but I write about really ordinary things and I write about a lot of so I write a my music isn't necessarily religious in one sense but it's spiritual and because to me the spiritual and the ordinary of life can't be separated that the the sacred is in all of life so that's what I write about Eileen is asking how do you juggle being creative and working on your music with your activism and other responsibilities that's a good question I will actually the activism feeds my creativity and the creativity feeds my so so I you know I try to write music I believe that that music and the arts in general can really affect systemic change and so but music sometimes music can be kind of subversive because it gets into us at a different place so I write a lot of music about issues that are really important to me and knowing about the issue feeds my creativity to writing and and then I try to be able then to share a song that will then deepen that help other people may become to a deeper understanding or embracing of that particular issue another question is what musicians do you recommend that this group checks out in other words what artists does the artist recommend I'm an old folks I really like all kinds of music so I can't say that I'm probably very up on music of your generation I can't probably say that but I really enjoy listening to a lot of different music I love folk music I love musicals I love some soft rock music but what the great thing for me about music is it it it it can speak for any emotion that you have so you can find a song that you want to cry or you want to laugh you want to dance so music's kind of wonderful that way so and I guess one last question we have today is from Mary Jo and Steve artwork behind you to also speak your message of grief and hope to us today. What is the art speak to you. I miss that Amanda tell me. Did you choose the artwork behind you to also speak your message of grief and hope to us today. Because Mary Jo is used to seeing a different picture behind me. Mary observant Mary Jo. Well, I actually just because I wanted a larger picture to took up more space, but I do love this paint it's in our living room and I do love it it's one of Mary Southern and to me it just is all about one you know the orb in the middle and it's the swirling and there's movement and I think that's really what this journey is all about right remembering the oneness and know that everything everything swirls in and around and through that oneness. Did I lose somebody. Amanda are you there. I think I think Amanda got frozen. Is there is Pat are you there or Prisa. Okay, yes. Connection so we can go ahead and end with your last song. Okay, great. Thank you. I'm just going to put one thing up here. Hold on one second here. Well you can put that go ahead and put that. So I just I just want to again say thank you so very much for inviting me to be with you today. I really appreciate it and thank you for all the efforts that so many of you put into making this possible. I'm just going to close with the song called hold on to hope and and you can feel free to join along with me if you like to sing. But I'll just end before I get with a with a little bit of scripture, but those who hope in God will renew their strength, they will soar on wings like eagles, they will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not be faint. The power of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope and Jesus's beloved community may abound in hope. So here we go. Lames the world you know hope will see us through and hope. Lames the world you know hope is me and this world is getting you down and you feel your losing heart. Just dig deep inside wake up your soul and hope is a good place to start. Hope will see us through. That peace will come in our day.