“Be diligent in serving the poor. Love the poor, honor them, my children, as you would honor Christ Himself.”
St. Louise de Marillac
Poetry as Prayer
By Sebastian Isaacs, Communications intern
Facilitator Bill Tonnis (right) leads (from left to right) Sisters Ann Elizabeth Von Hagel, Ann Hunt, and Grace Ann Gratsch in a poetry circle meeting.
Every fourth Saturday of the month, a small group gathers in Mother Margaret Hall nursing facility at Mount St. Joseph to share in the beauty of poetry. Poets and non-poets alike come together to listen, reflect, and explore how words can deepen their connection to nature, God, and one another.
Initiated more than 10 years ago by former employee Paula Gray, the poetry circle invites all Sisters in Mother Margaret Hall to participate—whether by reading their own work, sharing a favorite poem, or simply listening. Co-facilitators Bill Tonnis or Debbie Knight lead the group in a style inspired by Lectio Divina, encouraging participants to “listen with the ear of your heart” and to notice which words, phrases, or images stir something within. Instead of Scripture, the circle uses poetry as a way to pray and reflect: What am I drawn to? What line really touched me? Why do I feel connected to this word or phrase?
For S. Grace Ann Gratsch, the gatherings “awaken feelings of appreciation in me and new awareness of the beauty of poetry.” S. Ann Hunt attends to share her own work and to listen to her fellow Sisters.
In his three years as co-facilitator, Bill has noticed a common hesitation toward poetry. “Even I’ve heard a Sister say, ‘Oh no, I’m not going to sit there and read poems,’” he says. “It’s not something that was always done.” Many in the circle shy away from calling themselves poets, yet often share heartfelt writings of their own.
S. Grace doesn’t consider herself a “poetry savant,” but she enjoys reading Mary Oliver and believes poetry can help reveal spiritual connections. S. Martha Walsh once introduced a poem she wrote about nature during a retreat by saying, “I am not a poet. I don’t write poetry.” Yet, her words moved the group. S. Ann, by contrast, embraces her poetic side, preferring poems that “encourage me to keep thinking” rather than conversations that let thoughts “die on the vine.”
Poetry often appears in unexpected moments. One of S. Ann’s most memorable haikus reflects on the quiet presence of a spider. Another favorite shared in the circle was by S. Mary Gallagher, centering on ministry. Debbie Knight has found that “many of the poems I hear are actually prayers,” carrying meaning in artistic ways. For Bill, both poetry and prayer reveal the same truth: “You start seeing that we’re all sharing the same kind of faith journey life.”
The group reads works from a wide range of voices—finding shared meaning between the 13th-century Persian poet Rumi and contemporary Colorado writer Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer. Both, like many poets, reveal God’s hand in nature.
Franciscan priest Richard Rohr once wrote, “The first Bible is the Bible of nature. It was written 13.8 billion years ago, long before the Bible of words.” Bill has noticed nature is the most common theme in the circle’s discussions. “The Sisters of Charity are very connected to the Earth and their concern for the planet,” he says. For them, the poetry circle offers another way to strengthen their bond with creation—and with the Creator.
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