(above) Finance department staff members Amanda Riney, Cole Troutman, and Jennifer Stone enjoy lunch on the piazza.
By Sister Michele Morek
In my translated book of Saint Angela Merici’s Counsels (Advice to the leaders of her Company) the Second Counsel begins, “Be kind and compassionate toward your dear children …” But the original Italian on the facing page is so much richer! It says, “Siate piazzevole”—be like a piazza.
Sister Michele Morek
In New Mexico we would call it a “Plaza,” but it is the same: a park or open space where you can come and be at peace, sit on a shady bench or bask in the sun, and meet friends.
Years ago, we remodeled our chapel here at Mount Saint Joseph, and part of the plan was to open up the dining room below it, to allow access and let in more light. So, the architect proposed something she called “a sunken garden.” Some of the Sisters were uncomfortable with that idea; they thought it sounded too extravagant, too fancy. Then someone in a true flash of inspiration started calling it a “piazza.” Immediate acceptance! A piazza is part of our Ursuline heritage.
How can people be “like a piazza?” My Aunt Grace was one for me. Her home was so welcoming, with a pantry full of goodies: brownies for one nephew, animal crackers for the little ones, and a jar of green olives for me. When I was spiritually bruised and broken from teenaged angst, she would know just the right moment to show up in her dusty old station wagon and whisk me off for an adventure. Her heart was as big as all outdoors, a shelter for the weary child. A Piazza!
- As we approach Thanksgiving, are you thankful for someone who is a Piazza for you?
- How are you a Piazza for others?
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