I think this deserves a separate post –
Twelve months ago – SIX months ago – if someone had told me I’d soon count a nun as a very dear friend and confidante, I would have said they were nuts.
I’m not a church guy.
But somehow, Sister Clare has stepped into my life. And she’s had a profound impact.
She’s now an integral part of this blog. And I think I speak for everyone when I say that she has brought wisdom, insight, compassion, and an irreverent humour to her writings here.
Next April, she will be my guest on a pilgrimage tour from Porto to Santiago.I know she’s wanted to walk the Camino for some time, and this will be, in a small way, my way of thanking her for being who she is. And for the work she’s done, and continues to do – here on this blog and elsewhere.
I’m looking forward to this time with her. She is a remarkable woman and I hope to learn from her. And to have fun with her!
So Sister, on behalf of everyone here on this blog – we love you, and
HAPPY BIRTHDAY MATE!
A very Happy Birthday Sister
Love Emily
LikeLike
Thank you, Emily, for your kind wishes and your friendship. I am overwhelmed by this, truly!!
LikeLike
Happy Birthday dear Sister… Light and Love Ingrid
LikeLike
Ingrid, thank you. I hope we can hook up next time you’re in my area!
LikeLike
Happy birthday, Sister! May you have a blessed day filled with the people and things you love! With love, Julie
LikeLike
Julie, what a kind birthday wish! Thank you so much!
LikeLike
JOYEUX ANNIVERSAIRE SISTER CLARE, I am happy to meet you soon, have fun preparing for your Camino .
Hi Bill, you know my motto is Always by myself on the Camino , but never the less I signed up for joining Bill s tour, so you can never tell, life is a big surprise bag
LikeLike
Marie –
you are absolutely right!
And so excited that you’re going to be part of the tour!
Bill
LikeLike
Merci pour tes voeux, Marie. Il irait merveilluex de faire ton connaissance face a face en Avril!
LikeLike
Happy birthday Sister. You have angels all around the world thinking of you today. I hope you can feel the warmth. Donna xx
LikeLike
Donna, I don’t think I have ever felt such warmth on my birthday. Thank you!
LikeLike
Well said. I am grateful to call Sister my friend and to be thinking of her on this special day.
LikeLike
And I thank God each day for friends like you, Steve. Blessings!
LikeLike
Happy Birthday Sister,
I am another grateful soul that you have come into my life.
Blessings and love,
Arlene
LikeLike
I am grateful for you, too Arlene. I can’t wait to follow your blog and “pray ” .you along your Camino! I’ll be in touch with a request for you to carry to St James, if the offer is still open.? And thank you for showing me the road id!
LikeLike
Sister,
Absolutely I will carry your request to St. James. I don’t leave home without my Road ID, pretty awesome bracelet, I think.
Arlene
LikeLike
Arlene, I’m so dumb sometimes- I’ve lost your email
LikeLike
HI Sister –
Arlene Mourier
Bill
LikeLike
Arlene Mourier what?
LikeLike
Happy Birthday Sister! Hope you have joyous and blessed day.
LikeLike
Hi Kajo – many thanks for this beautiful post to Sister Clare.
Can I ask your name? I know that Sister would love to respond to you personally, by name.
thanks
Bill
LikeLike
Thank you for your kind wishes. Will you be back?
LikeLike
Happy Birthday Sister!!! Hope you have a wonderful and blessed day!! You mean so much to so many people!!
Debbie
LikeLike
Happy Birthay to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Bithday dear Sister…HApPy BiRtHdAy To YoU!!! Just in case…
LikeLike
Thank you, Debbie. Love the song!!
LikeLike
Wishing you many many happies for your birthday Sister. Have a wonderful day.
Love from Debbie in Perth
LikeLike
Thank you -we must have a special connection. The closest town to my village is also called Perth! Small world, isn’t it?
LikeLike
Sister,
Where exactly do you live and where is it in relation to Toronto? Steve
LikeLike
If you’re looking at a map of southern Ontario, I’m closest to a small university city called Kingston,which is a couple of hours east of Toronto. By car, its about a four hour drive from Westport to Toronto.
LikeLike
Hi everyone – I’ve just got off a long phone call to Sister Clare, wishing her Happy Birthday.
Her power is off where she is – electrical storms – so she hasn’t been on the blog all day, and she has no idea that we have all been wishing her happy birthday.
She was very touched when I told her – (she was reading Paulo Coelho’s book, The Pilgrimage, by candlelight) – and she said she wasn’t used to people being kind to her. I told her that her energy attracted kindness and generosity.
Anyway, this is the reason she hasn’t replied – because she has no power and can’t use her computer. So soon the power will be back on, and she will get a wonderful late birthday present – all these beautiful well wishes from you all.
Bill
LikeLike
yes Bill, we’ve been having some storms. The temperature dropped too, Summer seems to be over. 😦
LikeLike
Bill, it was another 8 hours from when you called until the power finally came on.And you were right -this is the most wonderful birthday gift, ever.
LikeLike
You deserve it Sister.
Mate.
Bill
LikeLike
🙂
LikeLike
Happy birthday! No storms here on the west coast.
LikeLike
Thank you Clare! I hope the storms stay away from your corner -I love thunderstorms, but these long outages are tedious.
LikeLike
Happy Birthday, Sister. And thanks for your encouragement during my recent Camino adventure.
Michael
LikeLike
It was my pleasure Michael. I enjoyed every step! Will you be going back?
LikeLike
Absolutely. My wife Kathryn is considering joining you next spring on the Portuguese. My next chapter will have to work around my new business, which I’m starting now that I’m home.
LikeLike
Oh, it would be wonderful if Kathryn came in April! I would really look forward to that!
LikeLike
Happy Birthday Sister. I haven’t sent birthday greetings to a Catholic since the early 90s when I lived in just-post-Communist-and-very-Catholic Poland for a couple of years! My kiwi Catholic friends and acquaintances are all “lapsed” (as they say).
I hold a respect for you that comes from my Polish friends’ Catholicism and from reading St Therese of Avila earlier this year. My gift to you today is to delve more deeply into how we might have come from stars.
LikeLike
God’s Astral Economy!!Another book you might find interesting is “The Practice of the Presence of God ” by Brother Laurence. He was a simple kitchen monk who found a way to make every act and thought an act of prayer, so felt he was always accompanied by God. Its a small book, and I even have a copy on my kindle -one of those volumes you discover and continue to dip into for the rest of your life. God’s joy to you, Rachel!!
LikeLike
Candles, birthday, surrounded by friends, albeit thousands of miles away. Sounds like a birthday party! 🙂 Hope your day was restful Sister.
Susan
LikeLike
It was sublimely quiet -but I missed everyone!! Thanks, Susan!
LikeLike
Sister, you are a gift to all of us, so we receive the presents through your presence each day. We thank God for you and pray for your intentions on this special day.
Have a very happy, fun-filled birthday. Enjoy each moment.
Blessings
Anne
LikeLike
Anne, thank you for your kind wishes and the gift (priceless!!) of your prayers.
LikeLike
I hope you had an amazing birthday, today, Sister Clare! So happy we will meet face to face soon! Love, Julie!
LikeLike
Thanks Julie -I can’t wait to see you!
LikeLike
Happy Birthday Sister, I hope you had a wonderful day in spite of the lack of electricity. I have so enjoyed your thoughts, blogs,, humour and interaction with others on this site – although I rarely post. You are so blessed with all your internet friends from around the world! I am so excited for you that you will actually get to experience the Way!
“This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice in it and be glad.”
Fran
LikeLike
I am blessed indeed, Fran -and didn’t even know it! Thank you for the lovely complement. I hope we hear from you again!
LikeLike
Happy birthday to my awesome friend.
Big hugs.
LikeLike
Hi Sweetie! Thank you. Are you being good to those feet? Keep on loving yourself, and all good things will follow. Blessings!
LikeLike
Dear Sister Clare, as usual I’m late with getting on here, but hopefully not too late (and between the time difference between Australia and Canada and your lack of power, I should be right!) with adding my very heartfelt congratulations and blessings on your special day. I can’t imagine that you’d not normally have lots of people thinking warmly of you for your birthday and if that is not usual, I hope we’ve started a new tradition for you. Love and sunny warmth from Britta from Sydney 🙂
LikeLike
Believe it or not Britta, this is the first time, ever!!!And I am so touched.Too many birthdays and Christmasses spent alone over the years, so if this is a trend, my arms are wide open!Thanks for thinking of me
LikeLike
Greetings and Happy Birthday from Georgia, USA, Sister Claire.
Jill
LikeLike
And a very sincere thank you from Canada, Jill!
LikeLike
Dear Sister,
Late to the party (as usual) but not so much as to forego wishing you a belated Happy Birthday! I hope a nice quiet, read was a gift in itself. Plus, I’m glad that you now are hanging with a nicer group of people.
Warmest wishes,
Brendan
LikeLike
Has Sister turned traitor? I thought she was still hanging with the pgs mob. Steve
LikeLike
I believe she is still celebrating lol She’s younger than us she can still do that.
Em
LikeLike
Steve,
Man, don’t get me in trouble!
I was trying to address (apparently in a very poor fashion) the comment that she was not used to people being nice to her. I figure that “hanging with the pgs mob” probably heralded a change for the better.
Brendan
LikeLike
Steve, the PGS mob IS the nicer group of people. Brendan is referring to a previous affiliation
LikeLike
Pssst, Em -we’re the same age!
LikeLike
I was beginning to think you’d fallen off the end of the earth, Brendan! Its certainly much sunnier over here! Thanks for the birthday wishes
LikeLike
Ma chère Soeur Clare, c’est à ton tour de te laisser parler d’amour..
Happy belated Birthday Sister,
I don’t think you realise how inspiring you are to us all.
May God bless you and keep you.
Sonia(from Ottawa)
LikeLike
Merci, Sonia. Je vais l’essayer. Salut!
LikeLike