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| Sister Genevieve, 78, one of four Carmelite nuns who spent their lives in seclusion at the Carmelite Monastery in Mobile |
Part III: Prayer and Laughter
At the Sisters of Mercy retirement home, the Reverend Mother and the three Carmelite sisters — Sister Rose, 79, from Mobile, Sister Genevieve, 78, from Mobile, and Sister Elias, 81, from Washington, D.C. — visit with one another on a January morning.
They talk about their devotion to God, their life in prayer, and the daily world they shared with one another for more than six decades.
"The contemplative life draws you closer to God," says Sister Genevieve, born as Genevieve Sagota and educated at Pure Heart of Mary Catholic School in Mobile. "You need that separation to block out the distractions.
"Once we were out, you have to make the most of it and draw closer to God under the circumstances."
In the convent, says Sister Genevieve, she did most of the cooking.
Sister Rose, whose birth name was Beryl Morrill, also grew up Mobile and went to St. Mary Catholic School. She remembers how her parents and five sisters came with her on the day of her enclosure more than 60 years ago.
"They were crying all over the place," she recalls lovingly.
But she took right to the monastic life.
"I liked everything about it," she says.
Sister Rose, say the others, was the humorous one. Even now, her sly smile makes the others break into laughter.
Sister Elias — Theresa Ann Dreka — explains that, in the monastery, "no day is exactly the same. God is always mysterious. He has all kinds of surprises for us."
"It was a journey," says Sister Genevieve, looking back over the years.
"You try to increase your communication with God and learn to love him. You learn to grow with a love of God.
"It doesn’t come easily at first, it’s a little difficult. You learn to make sacrifices.
"When you know he’s making sacrifices for you, you have no other way to do it — you just fall in love with him."
Link to Part I
Link to Part II
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