Author archive

Susan Classen CoL

Susan has been a Loretto Co-member since 1996. She is the director of Cedars of Peace, a retreat center on the grounds of the Loretto Motherhouse. A passion for transformation is the common thread that weaves its way through her varied interests which include gardening, woodworking, retreat leading and involvement in Loretto’s Farm and Land Management Committee. Previously, she lived and worked in Latin America.

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Reflection on the Feast of the Epiphany of the Lord

By Susan Classen CoL / January 2, 2022 /

These words from Wendell Berry call to me this Epiphany Sunday: “And we pray, notfor new earth or heaven, but to bequiet in heart, and in eye,clear. What we need…

Reflection on the Easter Vigil, April 3

By Susan Classen CoL / April 3, 2021 /

Sunlight shines through the window in the Motherhouse Church

“And.” A…N…D… That’s the most important word to remember from my reflections this evening. With God, what looks like an ending is always followed by “and.” We see that truth…

Reflection on the 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time

By Susan Classen CoL / September 20, 2020 /

As I reflected on Jesus’ use of parables, I was reminded of an experience soon after I arrived to live and work in El Salvador. Felipa, a Poor Claire novice,…

Reflection: Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

By Susan Classen CoL / February 23, 2020 /

Disruption. That’s the word that came to me as I reflected on our readings. A disruption is a break or interruption in the normal course of events. On a personal…

Retreat Centers and Transformational Change

By Susan Classen CoL / September 1, 2019 /

How do retreat centers support transformational change? I was among the diverse group of retreat center directors and social movement leaders invited to discuss that question during a three-day meeting…

Motherhouse Entices Monarch Butterflies

By Susan Classen CoL / July 1, 2019 /

The food supply for monarch butterflies received a boost at the Motherhouse in May with the planting of 4 acres of milkweed and other plants favored by pollinators. Last fall,…

Emerging Forms/Emerging Mission

By Susan Classen CoL / November 1, 2018 /

(Editor’s Note: Part 1: A reflection at the one-year anniversary of the Nov. 4, 2017, vow celebration.) JoAnn Gates and I recently visited Natural Bridge State Park in Kentucky where…

Beef and Climate Change: A Continuum

By Susan Classen CoL / April 1, 2018 /

Does eating beef harm the planet? Many are asking that important question and, like most good questions, there is no clear answer. Think of a continuum ranging from beef choices…

Mission: Motherhouse Land Contributes to Climate Solutions

By Susan Classen CoL / March 1, 2018 /

I am intrigued by what I am learning about the role of land in mitigating climate change. Actually, challenged would be more accurate. I have been actively involved in fighting…

The Loretto Community consists of the congregation of the Sisters of Loretto and Loretto Co-members. The congregation of the Sisters of Loretto at the Foot of the Cross was founded in rural Kentucky in 1812. Today, our Sisters and Co-members continue to live out the Loretto Community’s mission to “work for justice and act for peace because the Gospel urges us.” In the United States and throughout the world, Loretto Community members serve in many fields, including education, healthcare, elder care, environmental stewardship and advocacy.