Love Springs Eternal

by Sr. Mary Virginia
(USA)

Yes, that’s right, even at the age of 57. As an older nun you’d think I’d know better right? Wrong! One time, on a 30-day retreat, I met this cute little priest all of 28 years and my heart went bingo.

He was young, lots of fun and appealed to my adolescent sense of careless fun.

His level of maturity was closer to 15 than 28. He wore torn off jeans, a baseball cap turned backwards (on a retreat no less!!). He sported shoulder length raven colored hair, a stubbly chin and a thin mustache. He laughed heartily and liked to joke around. That’s what attracted me.

I am drawn to persons who like to joke and have fun..

I knew instinctively from the start that this was pure adolescent attraction…but what the heck it was fun. I was not pretending or thinking to be ministering or providing spiritual direction for this young priest.

Even though it was innocent and not a physical relationship, it didn’t take long to figure out how inappropriate the situation was for a nun and a priest.

How did it end you might ask…One fine day, the retreat ended and so did my infatuation. (Retreats aren't supposed to be fun, but that one was!)

However, love springs eternal and had I been 15 and he 16 we would surely have been dancing and laughing our hearts out at the school prom.

I learned something about myself as well. I had the good sense to know I wasn’t doing ministry or spiritual direction in this situation. This made it easier to set things straight as well as re-establishing appropriate boundaries.