Life as a Sister

Living in Community

Living in community is a blessing and a challenge. It is a blessing because, as sisters, we share what matters to us: how we see life, what we are reading, what is happening in our ministries or our families, as well as the everyday realities of cooking, cleaning and caring for one another. It is a challenge as we learn how to deal with differences, how to listen well and how to deal with diversity and conflict. What unites us is our common desire to “…build life-giving communities in order that we may seek Wisdom together and reveal her wherever we are present.” (Way of Wisdom #38).

Praying Together

Prayer is at the heart of our call to religious life. Each day we meet to share God’s Word: to shine the light of that Word on all we do; to pray for our suffering sisters and brothers throughout the world; to deepen our relationship with God. Seeking and contemplating Divine Wisdom permeates and transforms our lives, impelling us to action for justice in a world that hungers for meaning and compassion. “In the image of the first Christian community, we drink from the source of the Word of God and share it." (Way of Wisdom #41).

Sharing of Life and Ministry

Being a part of a loving community grounds us and supports us in the mission of Jesus. Each of us is prepared for a ministry to those most in need, using her God-given talents and gifts. Passionate about mission, we use our creativity and resources, our knowledge and energy to address justice issues regarding poverty, human trafficking, water and human rights, ecological and environmental realities and the systems that sustain injustice. We strive to bring the Gospel message to bear on the political and social injustices in our ministries, our church and world. Passion about the mission, the seeking of Wisdom and love for one another keeps us going!

"Under the guidance of the Spirit, our personal relationship with Christ leads us to mission." (Way of Wisdom #50). "We place everything in common: our faith, our talents, our cultural values, our ministerial experience, our time and our belongings." (Way of Wisdom #41).

Being a Presence Among the People

Our ministries call us not only to serve God’s people, but to be God’s presence in their midst, as neighbors and colleagues. Our doors are open to all. That may involve giving a single mom a night off while we babysit her children; it may involve being a listening heart when a colleague or neighbor needs someone to talk to; it may mean having coffee in our house after morning Mass; it may involve inviting friends and neighbors to pray with us; it has involved taking in people when disasters (like hurricanes, house fires, etc.) have occurred; it often involves welcoming family members and celebrating life’s suffering and joys with them.

We strive to be a safe space where open discussion of Church and world issues, with our differing voices and beliefs, can take place. Present among the people, we are called to be “open, welcoming and characterized by a simple lifestyle and a hospitality that is free of discrimination.” (Way of Wisdom #43).

We, the Daughters of Wisdom, trace our beginnings and our spirituality back to 18th century France. There, St. Louis de Montfort walked among the poor and abandoned, telling the story of Jesus.

In the poorhouses, in the parishes, on country roads and pathways, he brought the message of the gospel and called for renewal in people's hearts. He spoke of his vision of Jesus as "Wisdom made flesh," God who created all, loves all, and redeems all.

In 1701, Blessed Marie Louise Trichet met Louis de Montfort, and this was a turning point in her life. In a culture where the poor went unattended, Marie Louise was inspired to choose to live among the poor and dedicate her life to their concerns as a woman religious. From the experience of God as divine Wisdom came a deep desire in both Louis de Montfort and Marie Louise Trichet to fashion a way of living that would serve others and make divine Wisdom known and loved.

This was the initial inspiration for the Daughters of Wisdom. Following in the footsteps of Louis de Montfort and Marie Louise Trichet, we Daughters of Wisdom have ministered in the fields of education, health care, and social and pastoral outreach, with a special concern for those who are neglected by society.

In 1904, the Daughters of Wisdom were forced by the secularization laws of France to seek ministries elsewhere. The first Daughters of Wisdom arrived in the United States in northern Maine in 1904. We presently serve throughout the United States and in areas of North and South America, Europe, Africa, Asia, and Oceania.

With 46 Sisters and 25 Associates, Daughters and Associates of Wisdom of the US Delegation reside in Connecticut, Florida, Maine, Maryland, New York, and South Carolina.

Statement on Civil Discourse for the Common Good

The Daughters of Wisdom are called in community to seek, contemplate and reveal Divine Wisdom at the heart of the world and in so doing to denounce false wisdoms. (Introduction to Rule of Life – 2014). We know the profound power of words to express belief, to transform hearts and to motivate action – all intended for the common good of our sisters and brothers at home and around the world. At this moment in the history of our nation and our world, we experience all too often the devastating power of words to tear down, to belittle and to disparage – especially when thoughts and perceptions of life differ. Yet what we need more are listening hearts and civil discourse that respect and bridge differences so that we work together, we compromise together and we make decisions together for the common good.

Let us join together to engage in civil discourse for the common good that reflects the true spirit of Wisdom - “a spirit intelligent, holy, unique, manifold, subtle, agile… never harmful, loving the good… keen, beneficent and kindly…” (Adapted from Chapter Seven of the Book of Wisdom).