If you read the founding stories of many sisters in the Church, their guidance came initially from either a bishop or a priest. That continues to be a valuable treasure in our tradition. However, at Springbank, we have learned that spiritual guidance can be accessed in a non-anthropocentric ways. For example, our dogs Max, Jake, Shelly, and Bennie provide wisdom and guidance in ways that we are perhaps still trying to understand.
Years ago, I spent holy week at Madonna House in Combermere, Ontario. Fr. Émile-Marie Brière at Madonna House wrote a piece I still value. The title of his small book is Priests Need Priests. I would like to expand on his thesis to say that “sisters need sisters.” We can also say “people need the planet.” And “all of us here at Springbank need each other.”