The Key to the City

A NUN, A CELEBRATION, AND A KEY

     There are times that restore your faith in humanity, places where you always feel welcome and people of all persuasions manage to act as family, and there are people that manage to brighten the room and leave you feeling fuller just by being in their presence.  Sister Janice Rospert is one such person and has done an amazing job to help make Beckley, WV such a place, and the celebration of her departure for Ohio yesterday was such a time.

     Sister Janice's unique influence was brought to my attention when I was a freshman in college.  As young couples are wont to do, Monette and I had many deep discussions about our upbringing and experiences when we first started dating over 22 years ago.  A recurring theme was her respect and admiration for Sister Janice, who she knew through her church and schooling, and that she considered her one of her biggest role models.  Her impact was so great, along with Monette's Aunt Pat, who is also a nun, that Monette at one point considered that path for herself.  I apologize, Sister, but I'm selfishly glad that she didn't follow in that direction!  Even so, Sister Janice's teachings, guidance, and attitude toward life has helped guide Monette throughout her life and I will be forever appreciative of that.

     "You've GOT to meet Sister Janice!  She's one of the best people I know."  Monette would often tell me.  And, she was, as usual, right.  I remember that we met with her in her living room the first time that I had that pleasure.  The first thing that was evident was that the respect was mutual.  You can usually tell when someone is genuine, and Sister Janice was genuinely delighted to visit with Monette and respected her as much as Monette respected Sister Janice.  Secondly, I found myself perfectly comfortable to sit and chat with her about life over tea and cookies, sharing many laughs, and it felt like we had long been friends by the time we left.  I didn't grow up Catholic, so I likely had an unfair stereotype of a nun before the encounter, but she dispelled much of that within seconds.  Sister Janice even gave us the great honor of being a part of our wedding, another instance for which we will always be grateful.  As I've come to realize since, she has this genuine appreciation and way of touching everyone she encounters.

     I have had the pleasure of meeting countless people of various walks of life through the years and can truly say that Sister Janice is one of a kind.  She lives a life of selflessness and gratuity, generosity and sincerity, compassion and empathy.  People feel comfortable coming to her to grieve, to laugh, or for counsel.  All the while, she is uniquely human and a delight to just have a conversation with.  Yes, she is a nun and what she has done for the Church I can't even put into words.  But, even so, her gifts and reach go well beyond the confines of the Church.

     So, when we heard that Sister Janice was leaving Beckley to head back to Ohio with her family and the church was having a celebration for her, we cleared our schedule to make sure we could be there.  She joked that when she left to come to Beckley only 12 people showed up to say goodbye.  Well, yesterday they held a luncheon in a gymnasium and still underestimated the numbers that would come out.  The space was standing room only.  It was truly emotional to see the enormous impact that one quiet and humble nun that has never sought out adulations can make on a community.  This point became even more clear when the Mayor showed up to bestow upon her the honor of receiving the key to the city!  Mind you, this isn't a sports star; this isn't a politician often in the limelight; or is it a famous actor or comedian as you usually see given this kind of award.  But, there has never been anyone more deserving of the honor.  To our amazement, when she was asked to speak she asked for forgiveness.  Forgiveness for times when she couldn't be there for someone, spoke in anger (which no one has ever heard as far as I know), or didn't say the right thing to console the grieving.  Then, she held up a sign she had made to tell everyone that she loved them.

     Anyone who has met Sister Janice knows that, when you leave her presence, you feel better about yourself and/or your situation, and have a more positive outlook on life.  She does this effortlessly because it is from the heart and she is always 100% real.  I knew what she meant to Monette, and how much I thought of her.  But, to see the raw emotion of people young and old, of countless nationalities and persuasions, and how this one special person's genuine selfless life has impacted so many, one person at a time, was more than inspiring.  Never one to seek accolades or recognition, it was great to witness a community realizing that Sister Janice deserved just that more than anyone.  I came away, as is always the case when talking with her, with the desire to do more.  The true meaning of life is to try to leave the world a better place than when you arrived, in whatever way you can, however small that may seem.  Thank you, Sister Janice, for reminding me of that and for everything you have done for myself, Monette, and everyone else you have reached.  The community that you're moving to in Ohio doesn't know how lucky they are to have you moving in.