Vietnamese nuns build a community in Houston
…Their disciplined way of life begins at 5 a.m. with an hour and a half of prayer and worship, followed by breakfast before they commute to full-time jobs. After work, they pray together again before they prepare meals and eat. During meals they have lessons, so they can be “fed physically and intellectually.”
Different activities on their packed agenda each evening include visiting nursing homes and the sick, studying, preparing lessons and holding workshops. Before they retire, there is more prayer.
“We sacrifice ourselves in service of others,” Sister Bernadette said. “We limit ourselves to entertainment for 45 minutes once a week. We lead a very balanced life, and there is lots of joy, laughter and singing. We balance between prayer life, community life and work life.”
The sisters have always been self-supporting with working incomes. All work full time either in their preschool, as Catholic schoolteachers, or as nurses. One sister teaches at the University of St. Thomas.
