Guest House

Sisters at Guest House Give a Gift to Cherish

I love to see the Sisters in treatment at Guest House. From around the country and around the world they come, bringing their burdens and their fears, but also their hope. Behind our gates, they confront the addiction that has caught them, interrupting their service to the world and to their Heavenly Father. They stay with us for four to six months or longer–praying and learning and studying, changing the ebb and flow of their days, working the 12 Steps.

And when the time is right they go home, renewed and reinvigorated, to once again share their gifts with the people they meet– in the classroom or the nursing ward or the parish office or on the street.

For those of us who live an ordinary life in an ordinary family or community, the simplicity of the sisters’ lifestyle and their gifts from the heart are an inspiration and a joy. In the administrative offices, we don’t see the sisters every day–but when we are invited to join with them for liturgy, their song and their thoughtful prayers are rich and warm. At a departure luncheon, when a sister leaves to return to her community, the friends she’s made prepare a special send-off: perhaps a song, a poem, a poster, a short play.

So it was that this year, seven sisters currently in treatment prepared a special song for our staff. With one on guitar and six angelic voices, they first sang it for us, then invited the Guest House staff to join in a sing-along to the tune of Marty Haugen’s “All Are Welcome.” Because of confidentiality requirements, I can’t share the happy photos–but here is the song, topped by their hand-painted manger scene.

Merry Christmas, dear sisters. May God bless you and accompany you on your journey to recovery.

If you’re interested in learning more about the work of Guest House or its mission, check out the website.

Rest In Peace, Beloved Archbishop Sambi

Earlier this week, I told the story of how Archbishop Pietro Sambi, papal nuncio to the U.S., had so generously welcomed Guest House to the Vatican Embassy in 2006. Guest House, the treatment center for Catholic clergy and religious, was celebrating the 50^th anniversary of its founding; and the nuncio’s enthusiastic support for our mission was evident in his remarks that evening.

In my brief report I fell short, though, of truly capturing his warmth and his charisma. Here’s what I mean:

In my post I included one group photo of the apostolic nuncio standing at the podium in the Embassy with a group of women from the Philippines. What I didn’t explain was that they were old friends—He had met them years earlier in their home country. He was very cordial to our Guest House group that evening: Catholic University faculty, White House staffers, Washington insiders; but as the evening drew late, he sat and played cards with these old and dear friends, enjoying their company as he always had.

And one other anecdote: Our staff pitched in to clean up a bit at evening’s end. As we were about to leave the offices of the Apostolic Nunciature, one of our group was carrying a tray and dropped a wine glass—which shattered on the marble floor and the rich oriental rug near the front door. “Oh, not to worry!” exclaimed the Archbishop with a smile. He hurried to a closet, pulled out a broom and dustpan, and began sweeping the shards of glass. We were left to watch as he cleaned up our mess, then he thanked us for coming and marched off to empty the dustpan as the Embassy door closed behind us.

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I saw Archbishop Sambi once again, years later, when Pope Benedict XVI celebrated Mass in Yankee Stadium; and the apostolic nuncio was on hand to welcome the Holy Father to America.

* * * * *

The “delicate lung surgery” he underwent a few weeks ago was not successful. After losing half his lung, presumably to cancer, Archbishop Sambi took a turn for the worse and he passed away yesterday evening.

May the angels welcome him into paradise, and may he live forever in the house prepared for him by the Father.

Rocco Palmo offers some insights on the life of this charismatic leader on his website, Whispers in the Loggia.