[Culturechat] A Swiss Nun Story
Gerald J. Clancy, Jr.
jclancy@billtrak.com
Wed, 05 Nov 2003 17:51:05 -0500
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Barbara,
Good for you. You must have been a Girl Scout. It is just this kind of=20
serendipity that makes for great stories on travels. One of the Fatima=20
girls is still alive, I believe, now a nun and there is some controversy=20
(maybe too strong) regarding whether or not Pope John Paul was the subject=
=20
of one of the visions (more specifically, his shooting in the '80s, as I=20
remember).
You story reminds me of the two times (at least) that I picked up=20
hitchhikers in Europe. I did this once in Madrid where the U. of Madrid=20
student I picked up on his way home personally gave me a tour of Franco's=20
tomb in the mountain (Escorial). Since I spoke no Spanish we conversed in a=
=20
limited pidgeon French. As a reward for his kindness I just drove him to=20
his home.
On another occasion I had just driven off the ferry at Halsingborg, Sweden=
=20
(from Denmark) at a time when they still drove on the "wrong" side of the=20
street. After grabbing coffee to steel my nerves for the upcoming overnight=
=20
drive to Stockholm, I stopped for a hitchhiker on the way out of town. As=20
he approached the car I told him, "Get in. You're driving."
No Swedish, so again that pidgeon French. Handy language.
The next year Sweden was to switch over to the European side of the street=
=20
(vs. the British Isles) and the running joke at the time was that the first=
=20
year they were going to test it by just having the lorries (trucks) switch.
Jerry
At 02:51 PM 11/5/2003, Barbara Roy wrote:
> Last Saturday, I went to a full day English teachers workshop in=20
> Z=FCrich. It was a long day but well worth it. When I arrived back in=20
> Sachseln, on the train, around 7 PM, I noticed a very young looking nun,=
=20
> dressed in a full habit, disembarking with a medium sized suitcase on=20
> rollers. I had my car at the station so walked the short distance to=20
> where it was parked. As I pulled away from the station, I saw the sister=
=20
> again looking quite lost. So I rolled down the window on the passenger=
=20
> side and asked her, in my all too imperfect German, if I could help her=20
> or give her a ride. She said some other sisters were supposed to meet=20
> her train but didn't show up. I am not accustomed to offering rides to=20
> "strangers," but it seemed like the most natural thing to do in this=20
> situation.
> I must look very honest because she very quickly put her suitcase in=
=20
> the back seat, got into the car and said she was going to Fl=FCehli-Ranft,=
=20
> the birthplace of Switzerland's patron saint, Bruder Klaus. It turns out=
=20
> she had traveled that day from her Sisters of the Holy Cross house in=20
> Innsbruck Austria, planned to spend the night at their convent in=20
> Fl=FCehli, and head out the next morning, by car with some other sisters=
to=20
> go to Fatima Portugal for a week. I could understand enough of her=20
> German to "feel" her excitement about the trip. Having been educated in=
=20
> Catholic schools, I remembered having heard the stories of Fatima, where=
=20
> in 1918 ,the Blessed Mother is said to have appeared 6 times to a group=20
> of school children.
> We drove the short 10 minute ride "chatting" about the miracle at=20
> Fatima and how, after all these years, the world has still not achieved=20
> peace. It was unclear if she knew any English, since we only spoke in=20
> German. This young woman, who couldn't have been more than about 22, was=
=20
> truly beautiful, both inside and out.
> When we arrived at the convent, I got the biggest smile and thank you=
=20
> imaginable. She shook my hand, thanked me and, in perfect English, said=
=20
> "God Bless You. I will say a prayer for you at Fatima."
> I have felt blessed ever since and am glad to have had this=20
> encounter. It was just one of those special moments, never to be=20
> repeated. Sadly however, I don't even know her name.
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<html>
Barbara,<br><br>
Good for you. You must have been a Girl Scout. It is just this kind of
serendipity that makes for great stories on travels. One of the Fatima
girls is still alive, I believe, now a nun and there is some controversy
(maybe too strong) regarding whether or not Pope John Paul was the
subject of one of the visions (more specifically, his shooting in the
'80s, as I remember).<br><br>
You story reminds me of the two times (at least) that I picked up
hitchhikers in Europe. I did this once in Madrid where the U. of Madrid
student I picked up on his way home personally gave me a tour of Franco's
tomb in the mountain (Escorial). Since I spoke no Spanish we conversed in
a limited pidgeon French. As a reward for his kindness I just drove him
to his home.<br><br>
On another occasion I had just driven off the ferry at Halsingborg,
Sweden (from Denmark) at a time when they still drove on the
"wrong" side of the street. After grabbing coffee to steel my
nerves for the upcoming overnight drive to Stockholm, I stopped for a
hitchhiker on the way out of town. As he approached the car I told him,
"Get in. You're driving."<br><br>
No Swedish, so again that pidgeon French. Handy language.<br><br>
The next year Sweden was to switch over to the European side of the
street (vs. the British Isles) and the running joke at the time was that
the first year they were going to test it by just having the lorries
(trucks) switch.<br><br>
Jerry<br><br>
At 02:51 PM 11/5/2003, Barbara Roy wrote:<br>
<blockquote type=3Dcite class=3Dcite cite><font size=3D2> &=
nbsp;
Last Saturday, I went to a full day English teachers workshop in
Z=FCrich. It was a long day but well worth it. When I arrived back in
Sachseln, on the train, around 7 PM, I noticed a very young looking
nun, dressed in a full habit, disembarking with a medium sized suitcase
on rollers. I had my car at the station so walked the short
distance to where it was parked. As I pulled away from the station,
I saw the sister again looking quite lost. So I rolled down the
window on the passenger side and asked her, in my all too imperfect
German, if I could help her or give her a ride.</font> <font size=3D2> She
said some other sisters were supposed to meet her train but didn't show
up.</font> <font size=3D2>I am not accustomed to offering rides to
"strangers," but it seemed like the most natural thing to do in
this situation. </font><br>
<font size=3D2>I must look very honest because she very
quickly put her suitcase in the back seat, got into the car and said she
was going to Fl=FCehli-Ranft, the birthplace of Switzerland's patron saint,
Bruder Klaus. It turns out she had traveled that day from her
Sisters of the Holy Cross house in Innsbruck Austria</font>,
<font size=3D2>planned to spend the night at their convent in Fl=FCehli, and
head out the next morning, by car with some other sisters to go to Fatima
Portugal for a week. I could understand enough of her German
to "feel" her excitement about the trip. Having
been educated in Catholic schools, I remembered having heard the stories
of Fatima, where in 1918 ,the Blessed Mother is said to have
appeared 6 times to a group of school children.<br>
We drove the short 10 minute ride "chatting"
about the miracle at Fatima and how, after all these years, the world has
still not achieved peace. It was unclear if she knew any English,
since we only spoke in German. This young woman, who couldn't have
been more than about 22, was truly beautiful, both inside and out.
<br>
When we arrived at the convent, I got the biggest
smile and thank you imaginable. She shook my hand, thanked me and,
in perfect English, said "God Bless You. I will say a prayer
for you at Fatima."<br>
I have felt blessed ever since and am glad to have had
this encounter. It was just one of those special moments,
never to be repeated. Sadly however, I don't even know her
name.</font></blockquote><br>
</html>
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