Not too long ago, I told you I was starting a project.

Well, I’m about as excited as a meteorologist in a monsoon that I’m finally able to tell you all about it, but first,

Here’s a little of the back story:

I found out a few months ago that there is an order of nuns in our community living in a building that is hardly sufficient for their needs. Among other things, they have no room to grow, they have squeezed seats into their tiny chapel so they can share Mass and the building itself is not in the best condition.

So, after saving their money for over 20 years, they embarked on a huge project of their own. They decided to start construction on a new building that would not only fit them all, but would allow space for postulates and guests.

But, even with all their savings, they did not yet have enough to finish the project. They began fundraising for the remainder, which is how I found out about them.

One night, as my eyelids began to droop, one of them appeared on the ten o’clock news.

Before falling asleep, I wrote in a notebook on my bedside table, “Poor Clares Need Money.”

Now, before you go sewing me a Captain Obvious cape, just remember I was half asleep when I wrote that.

I pondered this for weeks and it just wouldn’t go away.

Before long, it came to me that one thing I can do is take pictures. Nuns are usually so good at keeping to themselves that most people have only a vague notion of what they do on a daily basis. I thought it would be nice to step inside for a few days and see what life is really like in a monastery, but I needed an angle with which they could make money.

So, after some consideration, I decided to ask if I could take pictures of them for a calendar they could then sell to raise funds for the project. Thankfully, they said yes.

Surprisingly enough, 2012 is the 800th year since the founding of their order, so this just happens to be the perfect time for them to have a calendar printed to commemorate this Jubilee.

(Something I’m sure the guy upstairs knew when He planted this idea in my head in the first place.)

This calendar will be available for sale in time for the new year. And, since I am donating my time and the printer is donating a large majority of his work, most of the proceeds from the sale of it will go to the construction of the new building!

Meet the Poor Clares of Omaha.

I look forward to sharing more, and soon there will even be an opportunity for you to help too! Stay tuned.

But first, pray for Sr. Theresina and her fellow sisters that our time together is nearly as wonderful for them as it is for me.

We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But the ocean would be less because of that missing drop. 

~ Mother Teresa