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Sister Marian Senish knows that God is a God of Providence. Believing that God will provide allows her to be at home in the present moment, not worrying about the future, not dwelling on the past. She believes that humans are called to respond lovingly to the "now" moment, to see a blessing in everything. "Today is the day," she says. Sister Marian recently celebrated 50 years as a Sister of Divine Providence. Twenty-five of those years she has been director of the Transfiguration House of Prayer, located just north of Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania . Simple living and judicious use of resources are characteristic of her life and ministry. "We tell visitors, "All we can give is what we have, and if we don't have what you need, we will help you do without it."
The word that best describes the way Sister Marian lives is "rhythm," or as she prefers, "God's rhythm." Her prayer and work life entwine in that rhythm. She prays in solitude in the predawn hours; quiet prayer into the light. When she prays, she "goes to the cave of my heart." At daylight, she prays the office followed by reading and studying. Raised in the Byzantine rite, Sister Marian identifies strongly with eastern spirituality and prefers reading the Eastern mystics, those whom she describes as "taking the wisdom of Christianity and blending it with the spirituality of the East." After the noon meal, it is time for work. There is always physical work to do for the upkeep of the house, chapel and grounds. The day ends with vespers. Evenings may be spent in meetings, catching up on world events and local news. "But, I protect the morning," says Sister Marian. Sister Marian entered religious life in 1952 and spent her first years as a teacher. It was during the turbulent 60s that she discerned what she describes as her "call within a call" -- the call to contemplative living. The House of Prayer movement was gathering followers, and she saw it as an opportunity to combine contemplative living and active ministry. With the blessing of her community, Sister Marian immersed herself in the movement, and began a House of Prayer ministry. She was encouraged by her community leadership, who believed that her work and life were to be prophetic witness for others.
Transfiguration House of Prayer is a self-sustaining ministry situated on 21 acres of woodland. A simple house and four hermitages nestle among the trees. The stark beauty of a detached A-frame chapel is a perfect complement to the lush nature that surrounds it. The view from the chapel is a prayer itself. The ministry survives on the generosity of those who have found refuge there over the past 25 years. They support Sister Marian and her work through donations as well as volunteer hours. Sister Marian believes that the "transfiguration experience" comes in whatever way it happens. It could be through prayer, but may come by some other way. She and the House of Prayer ministry meet people where they are. Active in the life of her parish community, Sister Marian is present to people. And at the House of Prayer, she welcomes those who are in need of solitude or shelter, sometimes from domestic abuse. "It's a safe haven," she says.
Sister Marian recognizes the need for people to "come away" from the busyness of their lives, not to learn something new, but rather to assimilate what they already know. To be guided by God's rhythm, and in that rhythm to find the present moment. There is no trick to living in the now . Sister Marian encourages people to seek it. She cites a very valuable lesson she learned from her mother. One day, she noticed that her mother was reading a book on anatomy and medicine. Sister Marian opened it and marveled at the difficulty of the subject matter. She asked her mother how she understood the book and her mother responded that she simply read it over and over until she did. "That's how you find the present moment," says Sister Marian. "You stay with it." Questions & Answers with Sister Marian
Q. How do people find out about Transfiguration House? A. By word of mouth. Many people have come through our doors in the past 24 years and have been enriched by the experience. They tell others. We also receive referrals from social service agencies such the Volunteers Against Abuse Center (VAAC) in Butler County. Q. Do you recall any particular story about people you have met through the ministry? A. There are so many stories. Shortly after we began here, someone donated a trailer. We used half of it as a chapel and the other half was available to anyone who might need shelter. The trailer was delivered on Christmas so we called it Emmanuel. One of the first women to come to us was the victim of abuse. She was bruised from head to toe. She stayed in the trailer until arrangements could be made for her. Two years after her stay, I was giving a talk to a group of people working in advocacy programs and I saw the woman. She was completely changed, and she was working for the advocacy group to help other women. You do what you can and let God take care of the rest. Sister Marian fondly remembers one Christmas time when circumstances brought a woman, her three children and the woman's mother to Transfiguration House. "It was a beautiful experience for all of us," said Marian. "We keep in touch to this day. It was a wonderful story of conversion and healing." Q. How does providence work with contemplation? A. Contemplation is providence. We are insulated from creation inside our buildings. The psalms were written about the glory of God and nature. Providence brings us back to that. Contemplation recognizes God's expression in nature. But we have to be quiet and listen. Quiet helps us to get in touch with the temple within, the holy within. If we can't find the holy temple within, we are not going to find it outside. In 1952, when I was a young sister, we did the housecleaning at the Provincial House. I remember cleaning the corners of the rooms on my knees when Sister Alselma Elzer, an older sister, would stop and stand by me, tap her cane and say, "remember the present moment." I now understand that she meant we should LIVE in the present moment. As it says in Genesis, "let there BE light . . . let there BE darkness." Let there BE . . . let there BE. There is nothing else to do in the moment but "taste and see how good the Lord is."
Transfiguration House receives referrals from social outreach programs that serve children and women. Marian tries to limit overnight guests to 12, a number that can be comfortably seated around the dinner table for communal meals. She shares all that she has with those who cross her path. More and more these days, she is working with an aging population of people in the area who have supported her so faithfully throughout the years and who are in need of care now. Most importantly, though, Marian is open to whatever comes. When asked about the future of Transfiguration House, she responds that whatever God wants of the House of Prayer is where it will go. "We know who holds the future; but we don't know what the future holds," she said.
Come apart and rest awhile . . . Transfiguration House of Prayer
From Butler: South on Route 8 OR From Pittsburgh: North on Route 8 to Dinnerbell Road;
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