Catholic to Quaker: Encountering a Holy Silence
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- Опубликовано: 19 авг 2024
- QuakerSpeak is a bi-weekly video series. New video every other THURSDAY!
A special thanks to Buffalo Friends Meeting, Sue Tannehill, and Jesse Deganis-Librera for this footage.
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Filming by Jesse Deganis-Librera
Editing by Rebecca Hamilton-Levi
Music: "We are Home" by Four Trees
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Transcript:
I like feeling the silence, and one time when I was still at 72 North Parade (I probably was there for two or three years), it was-- I had the strangest feeling during meeting, and I went up to my friend Ester after meeting and I said, "Ester, this is like all of a sudden, like everything was united. It was like a spider's web where everything is united in the web," and she said, "that's called a gathered meeting." And I don't know if I hadn't read about it or what, but it was magical to me.
Catholic to Quaker: Encountering a Holy Silence
My name is Roberta Bothwell. I belong to the Buffalo Religious Society of Friends for over 30 years, but I don't know - I feel as if I've always belonged to them, and they to me.
An Early Relationship with the Catholic Church
I was born into a Catholic family and I had been in a convent when I was 24 - I went into the convent for 15 months studying to be a Catholic nun: Congrégation de Notre-Dame, and I spoke no French, so I had to learn how to pray in French. I was the oldest one in both classes, and then mother had a heart attack and I came out to take care of her. So I was out, I lived with my sister and her CIA husband and family in German for four months and tried to figure out "am I going back to the convent?" and I thought, "no, I'm going to stay out and I'm going to get my masters and I'll teach, and I'll get married." And so then when I got married I married a man who was an instructor- very Catholic! World Religions was what he was working on-- and I was so happy to learn all about Buddhism and Daoism and everything, and we moved and I started to then think differently about the Catholic Church.
From Catholicism to Quakerism
So I talked to another friend and she said to me, "You know I left the Catholic church, Roberta?" and I said, "Oh? Ok" and she said, "But you know, I found something else-- I found the Quakers! And they're in a house on 72 North Parade Street!" I said, "A house?" You know, I had only been to churches, and she said to me, "You know, why don't you come sometime?" and I said, "Well, fine, I'll come - yeah, sure."
So I walked in; I didn't know a soul. It was a regular house I walked in. Some people were in another room talking. I didn't want to interrupt them; I felt very nervous, shy, and there was a little holder with literature right there in the lobby. And I went over to it and I saw a card-- it was like a light blue card (my favorite color), and it said, "Welcome to the Quakers. We sit in silence. If the Spirit moves you to speak, please speak. If the Spirit moves you to remain silent, please remain silent." That was an aha moment. I had been in a convent for 15 months; nobody had ever told me, including mother mistress or the priests who would come and talk to us, nobody ever ever said that silence was as holy as talking. Nobody in my whole life. So, I was just blown away just by that. I mean, I would have stayed just for that.
I sat in the back row of this double living room and looked around at people and everything, and they were very nice. They came up afterwards and greeted me, and I thought, "you know, the whole time I've been a Catholic and I've gone to 17 different Catholic churches in my lifetime, nobody is as friendly as these people, so there feels like it's a community here. It was a whole new world. I was so happy-- I was confounded, you know, because I was dropping little by little all of those preconceived notions of what makes up a religious community.
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The views expressed in this video are of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views of Friends Journal or its collaborators.
I have been watching this channel on and off for the past year. Because of Covid, I haven’t been to a church in over a year. I was very excited to see this particular video come up in my feed today. The reason is because, although I did not grow up in a religious home, when I turned 37, I entered the Catholic Church. Within four years, I entered the seminary. I was studying to become a Roman Catholic priest, and I completed three years of study. Unfortunately, I was not to continue. After that, I felt somewhat spiritually lost. So, I began to meditate at home in front of an altar that I put in a corner of my bedroom. At the time I didn’t know anything about the Quakers. Then, I came across this channel. I have been watching for quite a while now, and although I have not yet attended a meeting, this particular video is one that I have been waiting for. Thank you very, very much for uploading this wonderful interview.
I started going to Quaker meetings in Dublin after a very difficult Master's program. They were so incredibly welcoming and they didn't make demands. They were just glad to see you. I can't describe how comforting that was for me as a very distressed and lonely immigrant. That's why I chose Quakerism after I'd lost my previous faith. Sadly, the lockdowns have prevented me from joining the meeting in my hometown (which I never knew about growing up!).
Look up online meetings and see if they have any in your area.
As a former Catholic, I was so thrilled when I attended my first Quaker service where we sat in contemplative silence for almost an hour! It was the most beautiful church experience I ever had. I've been back many times since. The beauty is, you realize you have that silence within all the time, everywhere.
I remember Roberta as one of my teachers at ecc. I’m happy to see you’re doing well Roberta. You were a very good teacher.
I’m committed to a quiet life. I may visit a Quaker meeting. I’m thinking of it.
I have only been once, but it was so beautiful and moving. I hope you get a chance to experience the profound peace in their services.
We are very hopeful that we'll be able to meet again in person soon. Depending on your location there may be a meeting that uses outdoor gatherings. If you're not sure of meetings in your area, QuakerFinder may help www.fgcquaker.org/connect/quaker-finder
@ Linda O: Many Quakers I know are also committed to a quiet and simple life. You will fit right in.
Thank you for being here.
I discovered during my first visit to a Friend's meeting the extraordinary spiritual value of meditative silence in my relationship with God. A profound relief from the din of the world.
Thanks for your story Roberta
Religion divides, spirituality unites. Thank you we don’t need the middle man
Lovely ❤️
The Catholicism she experienced wasn’t the Catholicism before the 1930s, in which she would’ve been introduced to mental prayer , grand silence and other things that involve silence
What happened to change it?
Sadness:The Catholic Church até open Doors tô her
Lived with her CIA husband? What the heck?