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Celebrating 25 YearsCONGREGATION OF THE SISTERS OF CHARITY OF THE INCARNATE WORD | HOUSTON, TEXAS

A place of silence,beauty, healing andhope, that is open toall who are seeking God.

Ruah cannot be translated by any single Englishword. It is a Hebrew word that sometimes indicatesbreath of life force, wind, the movement of air, orspirit. In Hebrew scripture “ruah elohim” is thecreative wind of the Lord. We use circular shapes assymbols for Ruah. The circle was an ancient Christiansymbol for God, community and the universe.Our circles are in motion, suggestive of T.S. Eliot’s“still point in a turning world,” the silent centerbeing God and the circular motion being our turningaround and focusing on our creative center. Inthe east, the circle is a symbol of enlightenment.of the buildings and grounds of Villa de Matel torepurpose unused spaces.In November 1986, the idea that eventuallycame to the fore was the possibility of initiating aministry that would be in continuity with the spiritualityof the Congregation and serve the Sistersand others. Sister Mary Adeline O’Donoghue wasRUAH CENTERITS SHORT HISTORY ANDDEVELOPMENTBeginningsIn the mid-1980s, the leadership of the Congregationof the Sisters of Charity of the IncarnateWord became increasingly aware that Villa deMatel, the Congregation’s Motherhouse, had spacethat could be better utilized. The Villa, located on65 acres in Southeast Houston, had housed mostof the initial formation programs for postulantsand novices since 1925. However, in the late1970s and 80s, women entering the Congregationin Central America and Africa were receiving theirinitial formation experiences within their own cultures,and here in the U.S.A., the initial formationprogram had been relocated from the Villa to betterimplement goals of formation in light of the callof Vatican II. Once busy classrooms, offices anddorm rooms were sitting empty much of the time.Moreover, the Villa Chapel had become known as aplace of prayer, beauty and outstanding acoustics. Itwas attractingmany in thearea. In thatcontext theleadershipheard the callto explore howto responsiblyshare thebeauty andspaciousnessasked to explore the spiritual offering most neededin the Houston area and to research what someother Motherhouses had done with their spacesas numbers of those entering their way of lifedecreased. The only specific direction she was givenby the Congregation’s Leadership Team was thatthe new entity ought not to duplicate what retreatcenters in the Houston area were already doingwell. To Sister Mary Adeline, who was missionedto be director of the new ministry, it was clearthat whatever was initiated ought to not activelycompete with these centers.The first step Sister Adeline took was togather a diverse group from the Houston areawho would listen with her and other members ofthe Congregation to discern needs and to focus apossible ministry. She explained to the group thedirection she had been given and many meetingsensued. The process yielded a mission statementwhich was approved by the General Superior,Sister Jean Ann Godsell and the Council. Thatstatement reads that the new ministry of theSisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word was tofocus particularly on promoting the recreation ofthe human spirit. Its primary work was to plan towelcome individuals and groups who seek healing

afforded by an environment of beauty, quiet, andreverence for all life. That document still givesdirection to the annual planning of the ministry.In addition to the mission statement, theinitial process of discernment also yielded a namefor the ministry: Ruah. The Hebrew word for breathor wind of God,Ruah, is firstmentioned inGenesis: Theearth was aformless voidand darknesscovered the faceof the deep,while a windfrom God sweptover the face ofthe waters. Wein Ruah Centercontinue tocapitalize on the rich meaning of this Hebrew word,as we welcome people who come here. We continueto invite them to be intentional about listening forthe breath, the touch, the gentle healing of God’slove in their hearts. The chaos of their everyday livesgradually retreats as the experience of solitude andsilence supports their faith filled seeking.Ruah officially opened on January 1, 1988, theSolemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God. On the25th anniversary of the opening, January 1, 2013,the Congregation will celebrate Solemn Vespers ofthat feast in the Villa Chapel, and pray that Marywill continue to inspire us to grow in openness tothe Spirit’s work as we aspire to become, with others,extensions of Incarnate Love in our situations.Silence – a Touchstone forAdmitting Groups to RuahThe group involved in conceiving Ruah had discernedthe need for a place of prayer in this areawhich would, as it were, specialize in encouragingand guarding silence as a gift and a disciplinenecessary for discernment. That meant that wewould not offer seminars or team building workshopssince other centers do that well. It would havebeen easy to slip into that mode, but we have heldfast, and guests seeking to spend time here, eitherpersonally or as groups, have been called to embracethe discipline of silence.Over the ensuing years, Ruah has been quietlydrawing people from the Houston communityand beyond, and it is now known as a place withan intentional focus on silence and as a place ofcompassionate listening for the Word Incarnate,who Himself needed to go away to quiet places. Wecan assert that the direction discerned by that initialgroup has borne fruit. Ruah has led people to theirhearts where they learn to rest in God’s presencewithin, and the same Breath of God has sent themout to confidently re-echo the News of God’s Loveon the streets of their lives. Many, in varied ways,have given us the message that indeed silence is aremedy for the ills of society.Hospitality and Generosity ofthe CongregationLately one of our Spanish speaking guests, whois learning English, wrote: “Thank you Sister foropening door.” It touched my heart and remindedme of so many who over the years have given us

Hispanic community. We are very grateful to suchdonors and to the regular guests whose generousofferings support Ruah ministry.The Midwives of the Spirit –Religious and Laysimilar messages. We are grateful to all those Sisterswho have indirectly made this ministry possible intheir home, and people know that the Villa is hometo many Sisters. And then there is the generosity!We have appreciated that for almost 25 years theCongregational leadership has approved offeringRuah services on a donation basis. We have been freeto invite those who inquire about charge to decide inlight of St Paul’s encouragement to the Corinthians:Each of you should give what you have decided inyour heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion,for God loves a cheerful giver.Some have given much more than we wouldhave quoted and others, who would not have come ifwe charged, come and give a little. Those we welcomed,even if they could not pay, later sent checksto say something like:“When I was jobless you ministered to me and Igot courage to go on and now I can say thanks.”Occasionally Ruah receives gifts from friendsof Ruah, and some have been earmarked for aspecific improvement or service we render. One suchhas been designated to help Ruah’s outreach to the…the entire creation… has been groaning in onegreat act of giving birth… and not only creation butall who possess the first-fruits of the Spirit… St. PaulEarly on, spiritual direction became a majorcomponent of Ruah’s offering, and we have beenblessed witha variety ofspiritual directorswho haveserved here.Members of theCongregationsuch as SistersKathleenSmith, MaryTobin, BrendaWilliams andAnn MargaretSavant each mirrored the charism and spirit of theCongregation out of their unique giftedness. Theyhave made immeasurable contributions to developingthe ministry and as they serve elsewhere now, weacknowledge them, and also we fondly remembertwo others who now enjoy God’s immediate presence,namely our own Sister Venard Moran and SisterMargaret Cussen, a member of the Daughters ofMary and Joseph.Several spiritual directors have made andcontinue to make invaluable contributions, helpingwith spiritual direction and/or through participating

in coaching and in peer group for directors. Amongthese are: Maureen Bacchi, Kathryn Stelmak, theRev. Mike Gemignani, Sister Mary Pat Driscoll,Sister Josepha O’Brien, Stephanie Harrison, GenevaGreen and Jenella Smith. Along the way, EugeniaRust, Nance Weir and Jana Ryder have volunteeredmany hours, helping Ruah staff in various ways.As we sensed the groaning of the Spirit callingus to reach out to our neighbors, Sister RoseScanlan, who had been serving as an English asa Second Language teacher at St. Austin Center,became instrumental in expanding and shaping abroad based structure for a growing and vibrantbranch of Ruah to our Hispanic community. NowRachel Rodriguez and Janet Mayorga have grown inconfidence and creativity as they lead that aspect ofRuah at St. Austin. Not the least, and certainly oneof the most faithful helpers, has been our committedsacristan, Sister Esther Marie, who is ever willingto help us with Liturgies, Taize Services and otherchapel events.In addition to the help of the many wonderfullay workers of Villa de Matel Center, under thesupportive leadership of both Sister Lucille Desmondand Sister Rachel O’Keeffe respectively, other laypersons have co-ministered directly with us in Ruah.They have shaped and supported Ruah’s developmentbeginning with Kathryn Fitzgerald, Cathy D’Eramoand Barbara Rooney. Today, Janet Troy and KayeJohnson bring dedication and creativity as they servewith gladness and generosity exercising leadershipand influence in their areas. They not only offerspiritual direction and lead groups but they touch ourguests through displays, brochures, prayer services,plants and flowers and attentiveness to the Liturgicalseasons. Their flexibility has been a gift and bothsay that they have grown in many different ways,becoming a blessing and being blessed. During thefirst 18 years of Ruah’s life, Sister Adeline, Director,also served as Vicar for Religious for the Galveston-Houston Diocese. She could not have done thatwithout the able assistance of co-workers in Ruah.Continuity amidDiscontinuityRuah has been tremendously blessed to be bornand grow up in this beautiful Villa building on thissacred ground. Changes, growth and developmentshave marked Ruah’s history; yet, there has beena thread of continuity which has kept the focusclear. Initially the Sisters commissioned Ruahto be a resource for both themselves and theHouston community. At that time many Sisterswere still actively ministering in hospitals,schools and clinics, and many of them came toRuah for their annual retreats of eight or sixdays. As more Sisters retired, some Ruah staffministered to them in their communities hereon the grounds, but now their spiritual needsare met in different ways.Gradually fewer Sisters were coming toRuah and, at the same time, we began to noticelarger numbers of lay people seeking refreshmenthere. Some of those came for days, others forweekends, but few could manage to make longerretreats. There was an explosion in the numbersseeking personal spiritual direction. So, somechanges were introduced from without, inviting us tolisten for God there.Other changes have been introduced fromwithin. We have learned to pay attention to whatseems to work, what truly re-creates the humanspirits entrusted to us, and what surfaces as deeplongings of groups who have come often. When wenoticed that few lay persons could come for oursix or eight day retreats, we heard the call to offermini-retreats. Another such example is the initiativeto schedule Taize Prayer experiences in the VillaChapel and invite the public. That move arose out oflistening with a group from Willow Meadows Baptist

Church, who initially led it. Later,leadership for that service was taken upby Friends of Taize under the leadershipof Elizabeth Turner, her husband Al, andBridget Wink.Ruah staff’s annual planning is aprayerful process for decision makingabout retaining current offerings oradding new ones. All are made in light ofthe original mission statement, whichcalls us to focus on promoting there-creation of the human spirit and towelcome persons to experience healingafforded by an environment of beauty,quiet, and reverence for all of life. It hasserved as our anchor of continuity.Therefore, everything Ruah offers inministry, every change we make, everyrestriction we place on ourselves andothers, is in service of this one thing: enabling personsto listen to and trust the Ruah of God within theirown hearts.Yes, and we do place restrictions on ourselves asstaff. Such flow from reflection on our work habits,noticing the influence of the evolving culture whichinfluences not only our guests but which also influencesus. We regularly call ourselves to grow in attentivenessto the Spirit of Truth through our staff meetings, PeerGroup supervision and in-service sessions.What we Now SeeThrough the years we have noticed Ruah Centerbecoming what we never deliberately plannedand we can affirm that Ruah provides a good exampleof what being Catholic means: grounded, yet welcomingpersons of many Christian deno mi nationsand from other faith traditions. It attracts many whohave been offended or disillusioned by the Church inwhich they have grown up, and provides experiencesthat initiate reconciliation. Moreover, Ruah alsoconnects with our Hispanic neighbors who areoffered nourishment in their strong faith andintroduced to various ways of prayer.Finally, we can affirm that Ruah is becoming anecumenical and an interfaith center, where silence isa shared language through which God’s Love healsand unifies.Today after 25 years, we are ready to celebratethat who we are becoming together in Christ is itselfour best way of ministering to those God sends us.It is the work of the same Spiritthat overshadowed Mary andcontinues to call us to pray:Praised Be the Incarnate Word.This article is the fruit of the teameffort of Sister Mary AdelineO’Donoghue, Janet Troy andKaye Johnson.

The nature of God is a circle of which the center is everywhereand the circumference is nowhere.– EmpedoclesCONGREGATION OF THE SISTERS OF CHARITY OF THE INCARNATE WORD | HOUSTON, TEXASVilla de Matel | 6510 Lawndale Street | Houston, Texas 77023 | 713-928-0053 | sistersofcharity.org© 2012 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Any use of these materials, including reproduction, modification, distribution orrepublication, without the prior written consent of SISTERS OF CHARITY OF THE INCARNATE WORK, is strictly prohibited.