A Day in the Life of...
On this page one of our sisters give a brief account of what life is like for her as she lives her life as a Religious Sister of Charity.
SR. BARBARA
KENNY
My name is Barbara Kenny and I have the unique
experience at this time of living alone, supported
by my non-resident Community leader.
I work in a Parish in the East End of London and my
role is that of Parish Visitor. This role involves:
- Visiting the elderly and housebound in their own homes or the local Residential Care home
- Taking the Eucharist to those who desire it
- Visiting families of children preparing for First Holy Communion
- Being a member of the Parish Pastoral Council I am involved in attending many meetings ,the aim of which is to build up the community life of the Parish
- As our Parish is a Member of TELCO (The East London Community Organising) I attend meetings with other parishioners and take part in demonstrations calling for e.g. a living wage, Affordable housing etc.
Central to these commitments is my prayer
life.
A Day In My
Life.
My day usually begins around 6am. I begin by
praying the Divine Office – Morning Prayer
and then spend time Meditating, usually on a
passage from Scripture. As prayer is central to my
ministry it must take precedence at the beginning
of my day. I leave the house at around 9am to join
other parishioners for Mass. Straight after Mass I
take the Eucharist to three residents in the Local
Care Home and also to three other in their own
homes. This is a really special time for these
people as they are unable to get to Mass. In the
home the three come together and we try to make the
little service a meaningful as possible. I find
that it is really important to allow time with each
one, so that they have opportunity to talk about
what is going on for them.
Today I join a group of parishioners in the nearby
hostel for the homeless, where we have our dinner.
It is a way of supporting the hostel, but also
allows us time to meet socially, get to know the
staff and meet some of the residents.
I usually arrive home around 1pm and just take time
to relax and reflect on the mornings
happenings.
When visiting the families of children preparing
for First Holy Communion I have to accommodate them
as many parents are working. I telephone them and
make appointments. Sometimes I need to make visits
in the evenings. These visits allow me to find out
how the children are understanding the preparation
programme, and also how the parents are assisting
them. I find it a real privilege as many take the
opportunity to share their needs and problems with
me.
I leave the house around 2pm for my visits. After
my evening meal, I pray the Divine Office- Evening
Prayer, and have some time of quiet
reflection.
I take time to relax, by reading, maybe watching TV
or even playing a game on the computer! But a good
bit of my time is spent preparing for the week
ahead, by making and receiving phone calls to
arrange appointments and catching up on the
housework.
Before retiring at around 10.30pm I take time to
reflect on how my day has gone, how maybe I could
have done things better, but always thanking God
for his many blessings in those I have encountered.