A Day in the Life of S. Romina Sapinoso
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. Romina Sapinoso, an educator who lives in El Paso, Texas, and ministers on both sides of the border.
Our day usually starts with prayer but it’s Ash Wednesday, so we (S. Christa Parra, an IBVM Sister and my community mate) went to church together first thing in the morning. After Mass is an airport run. Sisters tend to travel a lot to and from our motherhouses and where we currently minister and live. Being in active ministry also takes us to many other places for meetings and commitments. There’s been quite a bit of traveling between Christa and me lately so we take turns holding down the fort in our intercongregational community in El Paso.
Next I head over to my first ministry stop for the day. I intern at Mount West Montessori located on the west side of El Paso. Though I’ve taught for many years and different grade levels, I’m back at learning and training to be a Montessori guide for the Children’ House of Casa de Los Niños to get my certification. The lovely children at this school as well as my supervising teacher, Gaby, are a ray of sunshine and just perfect to start my days off.
After the first half of the day, I cross the border to my main ministry – Proyecto Santo Niño (PSN). PSN is a day program for children with special needs and their families. It started more than 20 years ago by Sisters of Charity Carol Wirtz, Peggy Deneweth and Janet Gildea, MD. S. Andrea Koverman and I joined the team about four years ago to help expand our ministry to provide more inclusive educational services to the children who often cannot attend regular school because of their needs. We are experienced educators but are back in school getting our Montessori certifications.
At the end of our ministry day, S. Christa and I usually prepare dinner and eat together while debriefing and sharing our experiences with each other. It is not uncommon for us to have a few guests during the week or weekend. Long-term volunteers at the migrant shelter, Annunciation House, as well as other Sisters and community members are welcome guests to our intercongregational/intercultural home which we named Magnificat House. The same week of Ash Wednesday, we had a PALentine’s dinner with some of our good friends.
I find it important to nourish my spirituality with some quiet time. Reading and silence are ways that I choose to end my day. Bookending my days with prayer keeps me grounded in God and more aware of and grateful for the many ways I encountered God throughout my day.