On February 15th, about 20 sisters drove to Cleveland's Playhouse Square to see the Tony Award-winning musical Suffs on its national tour. The musical follows a critical slice of women's history, and depicts the suffragists' rigorous work in the 7 years preceding the ratification of the 19th Amendment.
Sister Rosanne Lindal-Hynes, one of the founders of Erie's Emmaus Soup Kitchen, was among the sisters who traveled to attend Suffs. She happily noted that all roles were performed by women, even the male roles. Sister Rosanne also observed how powerful it was to see what the suffragettes endured in order to give women their right to vote, and said that we "have to remember the past in order to be grateful for it and move on to the future." She expressed that it was evident no matter where you sat how touched the audience was by the musical.
Following the musical performance, the sisters attended a reception organized by the Woman Religious Archives Collaborative. WRAC focuses on guiding Catholic sisters' archival plans to preserve their legacies. Sister Katherine Horan, OSB, noted the importance of this organization, stating "We recently became members of WRAC to help ensure that the history of our community is carefully preserved and that our stories will continue to be shared with future generations. Just as Suffs honors the perseverance and leadership of women who claimed their rightful voice, WRAC safeguards the legacy of women religious whose lives and ministries have shaped countless others."
Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur, the longest-serving woman in congressional history, was present at this reception and gave an address to attendees. Sister Katherine mentioned that Kaptur "shared heartfelt reflections on the impact of women religious in her life, from her childhood through her years of public service." Kaptur came from a background of Ursuline education, and she noted her great respect for our sisters present and their work in education.
Sister Susan Durkin, OSU, executive director of WRAC, also spoke and acknowledged our own Sister Joan Chittister for her dedication to working against the patriarchy in the Church, comparing her to the suffragists whose lives are told about in Suffs.
Photo Credit: Woman Religious Archives Collaborative (WRAC)
