Christmas Greetings from an RPCV in the Order of Cistercians (Indonesia)

Mother Martha Driscoll, O.C.S. O., (Ethiopia 1965-67) graduated from Georgetown University School of Foreign Service (at that time, women were not allowed in the undergraduate A&S College) and joined the Peace Corps. After Training at the University of Utah, she went to Ethiopia as a secondary school teacher in Addis Ababa, where, as a wonderful singer and actress, she also “starred” in several play productions staged by British Ex-pats in the city.

After her tour, she returned to New York City and Staten Island where she had grown up and worked for a while in New York before going to Boston and earning an MFA in Theater from Brandeis University. It was during this period, she told me, that she began to question what she wanted to do with her life, and on a trip to Europe she visited and then entered a monastery in Italy where she took her religious vows.

In the summer of ’87, she returned to the States and we met in New York. She was on her way to Indonesia, being sent there by the monastery to become the superior of a new foundation of Cistercians. She is still there, now serving as Abbess. In her expanding role, she also gives retreats for nuns and monks in Asia, Africa, and the U.S., besides giving conferences for Indonesian religious about the spirituality of communion and consecrated celibacy.

She just sent me this Christmas greeting that I want to share with you for this Holiday Season.

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Christians and Moslem together

John — Merry Christmas a little late. Here’s a short video of the surprise visit of the Governor of Centrla Jwa on Dec 24th. He’s a Moslem and like many others seeks to strengthen units and fraternity among different religions and groups so he visits a few Christian places every Christmas. Very sportive and informal!

with my prayers,

Martha