Living Out Life's Lessons
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For Elizabeth Kerwin, CSJ, the lessons that move us through the years are always unfolding and revealing new and more intricate layers of life. As a Spiritual Director at Loyola Spiritual Center, her insights are rooted in 25 years of teaching high school, beginning at St. Anthony in 1957. Yet, what interested her most about teaching were the lives of the students themselves. Liz says, “I always had the attitude that if I quit learning from my students I better quit teaching.”
Outside of the classroom she spent time talking to students about life and what they wanted to do. She remembers, “The students at St. Anthony’s worked very hard.” Most of the young women had jobs in addition to their studies, to pay for their tuition. She spent time listening, questioning, and encouraging the students individually. As she says, “The best ministry was one on one.” |
One memorable culmination of her experience with the students came in 1958, when she prepared the student assembly for the celebration of Minnesota’s Centennial as a state. The area around St. Anthony’s was often referred to as ‘Little Europe’ because the families who lived in this part of Minneapolis came from diverse cultural heritages, each with different churches, and very distinct European traditions. As with most high school students, the young women at St. Anthony’s were usually eager to blend in and assimilate as American teens. However, during the assembly for the Minnesota Centennial, the students shared the dances, dresses and traditions that made their culture unique. Liz delighted in the opportunity to come to understand her students at a whole new level.
In the years after Liz taught at St. Anthony’s High School, the Sisters of St. Joseph uncovered more of their own heritage, when their founding documents were unveiled after Vatican II. The Sisters learned that their order was founded on the principle of love for God and the dear neighbor without distinction. Thus, their spiritual practice is to embrace all people, celebrate their differences, and recognize their oneness with God.
Today, Liz works at Loyola Spiritual Center as a Spiritual Director. She explains, “In spiritual direction I listen with each person to discover where God is present and active in their lives. I reflect back and encourage them in the journey. This involves all their relationships, with God, themselves, their family, the dear neighbor and all of creation. It feels like being at the heart of what we are about.” Just as with her students, Liz found that for her the best ministry is one to one. By connecting with people at a deeper level she comes to recognize God in them. Through Liz Kerwin’s eyes life is a perpetual lesson, and she is continually living out what she’s learned.
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