Remembering Sister Denise Mosier

The first time I stood beside her, I was shocked. Sister Denise Mosier was, in the world of adult American females, slight. Though she had a soothing, soft-spoken voice, her presence in a room drew 100 percent of everyone's attention. I had assumed she was much bigger

On Sunday, August 1, 2010, at 8:20 AM, my husband and I slowly drove into the circle drive of the Benedictine monastery in Bristow, Virginia. In the background, I heard a siren but didn't really give it a second thought. Linton Hall Road, which runs in front of the school and the monastery, carries a lot of traffic. On Sunday mornings, law enforcement officers are stationed at the parking lot entrances of several large churches along this road.

The Accident

We didn't find out until an hour later, during the mass, that three of the monastery's Sisters who had been assigned to work in Richmond had been involved in a horrific accident in which their vehicle was struck by another. They were just a few miles from the Bristow monastery, on their way to mass and a five-day retreat with the other Sisters.

The details of the collision, attributed to alleged drunk driving, appeared via many news outlets covering the nation's capital and Richmond, including this story in The Washington Post. The accident took the life of Sister Denise and critically injured the other two sisters in the car, Sister Charlotte and Sister Connie Ruth.

My husband and I met Sister Denise while we were going through the formation phase of the Benedictine Oblate program at the monastery. For an explanation of what an Oblate is, see this article. We both felt particularly drawn to her and were selfishly disappointed when she was assigned to work in Richmond in August of 2009.

How She Made an Impact

In recent years, Sister Denise's assignments in her Benedictine community were primarily those of a spiritual advisor. Since she frequently met dozens of people for the first time at any event, my husband and I were shocked when we encountered her a couple of months after initial introductions and she remembered our names and circumstances.

Jeanette Mosier was from Pennsylvania and entered religious life at 18, when she took the name of Sister Denise. She was the embodiment of the creative. She brought tremendous joy to the community with her liturgical dancing at various events. Her calming influence was perfect for teaching the Benedictine practice of lectio divina to those who had never tried this form of prayer. She was, in one phrase, totally full of life at its best.

We kept in touch with Sister Denise on weekends when she came back to the Bristow monastery. Sometimes it involved an extended conversation. Sometimes it was just a wave from one side of the chapel to the other. Just as Oblates support the Sisters at the monastery, Sister Denise was the epitome of how the Sisters support their Oblates. She was probably the most spiritual and joyful person I've ever met.

Now What?

Media coverage of the death of Sister Denise and the grave injuries of the two other nuns in the car - still in critical condition in the hospital - immediately honed in on the fact that the driver of the vehicle that struck them was allegedly an illegal alien and intoxicated at the time of the accident. They also cited previous DUI convictions. At least in the Washington, DC area, this has stirred up a huge hive of political opinions about immigration problems.

Sister Denise would not have wanted that. She would have wanted the authorities to deal with the situation and the rest of us, to do our best to support the Sisters.

I will walk away from this unfortunate event remembering what Sister Denise Mosier contributed to the lives of so many in her 66 years. If there's anything in these circumstances that suggests joy, it's the sweetness and deep spirituality of her life and the belief that her spirit undoubtedly now soars much higher than her feet ever could on earth.

Sources:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/02/AR2010080205264.html

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1612033/what_is_an_oblate.html?cat=34