A Day in the Life of S. Peggy Rein
In celebration of Catholic Sisters Week, five Sisters of Charity gave us a glimpse into their extraordinary lives of charity. From serving children with special needs on the U.S./Mexico border to ministering to seniors at an assisted living facility in northern Ohio, our Sisters provide a loving, compassionate presence to all they encounter. The following article features a day in the life of S. Peggy Rein.
I awaken at 5:30 a.m. grateful for a new day of life. After a hearty breakfast I join my community, five other Sisters of Charity, for morning prayer. We reflect on the readings of the day and pray for the needs of the world. After prayer I head off to my ministry of education.
I teach kindergarten and first grade at Holy Family School in Cincinnati, Ohio. Holy Family is an inner-city school with a 70 percent Hispanic population. My first challenge of the day is kindergarten reading. I am part of a team of four teachers. We each teach one part of the curriculum to a group of six students at a time. My responsibility is to share fairy tales. This acquaints the students with the Classics and also increases their speaking vocabulary. Both the students and I enjoy these stories. Also, the small groups allow the teachers to give the students the much-needed individual attention.
On Tuesdays I have recess duty for kindergarten and first grade. Here I need four pairs of eyes for 20 minutes. There is enough energy on the playground at this time to light up all of Cincinnati. It is fun to watch them play!
After lunch (I do get time to eat), I have the privilege of teaching first grade religion. If they only learn one thing, that God loves each child, then I feel that I have met my goal. It can be a challenge to provide a variety of activities to hold their attention but I feel that it is worth the challenge. After first grade I head to kindergarten for religion, a more peaceful group.
One of the things that I do for myself after school is to walk around our spacious grounds at the Motherhouse. Sometimes I just enjoy the natural beauty, different for each season. Sometimes I “run through the day,” thanking God for the small miracles. Sometimes I am asking God for ideas which He always provides.
Like the beginning of the day, I share the end of the day with community. We relish a home-cooked meal together where we share stories, listen and laugh. This is a treasured part of the day. Not long after supper I head to bed, grateful for the gifts God has given to me.