Lessons from sisters and ‘Shrew’

By Tom Ernster

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Recently, while reminiscing with two dear, former classmates, we segued into a discussion of how inspired we were by the sisters who taught us through those very formative periods of our lives in the Catholic school system.

Interestingly enough, all three of us had given some years of service to religious life, and we agreed with much heartfelt remembrance that it was not the priests who had been our most loyal supporters and nurturers, but the nuns, especially the Holy Family Franciscans from Dubuque.

On my way home from our biannual get together, I reflected on the current conflict going on between the Vatican officials and the Federation of Sisters headed by Sister Pat Farrell, who coincidentally is a Holy Family Franciscan. The hard work and dedication by the women religious in this country is being regarded too lightly by a male-dominated church hierarchy.

As a young kid going through school, it was the sisters, not the priests, who never gave up on my abilities to perform socially and academically, even when I thought I couldn't. It was the sisters, not the priests, who disciplined me with firm but gentle hands and moved me quietly toward lifelong service as an educator, extending the lessons and virtues they gave me to my junior and high school and now college-level students. I am deeply indebted to the women religious.

I have a hard time, therefore, understanding why a so-called modern church is going backward in its perceptions of these women, the work they do, the acknowledgment they deserve.

And I am reminded of one of Shakespeare's most controversial plays wherein a strong woman, dedicated to her fighting for her rights and dignity as a woman against a male chauvinist suitor, finally wins - but in a most positive and brilliantly wonderful way that could only have been made possible by Shakespeare's artistic genius. Ironically, “The Taming of a Shrew” is not so much Kate's angry and aggressive behaviors being wrestled with by Petruchio in his attempt to tame her but rather Petruchio's distorted perception of women in general, whether real or feigned, yet healed in the end by her commitment to teaching him that true love and respect between man and woman shows no boundaries. She and Petruchio marry and live harmoniously - she shows Petruchio the true meaning of manhood.

Seems to me the church hierarchy could learn some important lessons and virtues from Shakespeare's Kate as I learned from God's Franciscan sisters.

Tom Ernster is associate professor of English at Kirkwood Community College. Comments: ternste@

kirkwood.edu