As
we gathered in the chapel at Sansbury Care Center we felt the excitement of what
we were about to celebrate. We felt the presence of the Order stretching back 800 years.
We felt the fire of Dominic's vision. We shared a
sense of pride, joy and great hope. The sisters, associates, family and friends
had all come together to mission St. Harriet Agnew to Zambia,
Africa. She will join Sister Rose Mary Stein, a Dominican of Great
Bend and together they will represent the Dominican Alliance. We used the
same service that had been used at the Motherhouse in Great Bend, Kansas. The prayer and missioning
were quite simple and in that simplicity we found great strength. Each time the
question, "Who shall I send?" Sr. Harriet responded, "Send me, Adonai. We are ready to serve, to
speak, to nourish and to work for you
all the days of our lives." The sisters, associates and friends had written
a scripture passage for Sr. Harriet these were placed in a "peace bag"
for her to carry with her. It was our hope that she would draw upon these for strength, courage and challenge. We blessed them and missioned them
with a prayer: "Enter into and love the mission and your many ministries,
labor for justice; work for peace; and may you find contentment in the wages of
commitment when the long hard day is done."