Finding Strength in Communit(ies)

Emma (center) with her housemates and Loretto Community members

By: Emma Laut

Emma is from Indianapolis, IN and graduated from Marian University in 2015 where she studied Biology, Sociology, Pastoral Leadership and Psychology. This year Emma is working at Family Care Health Centers in St. Louis with Dr. Abbe, a dear friend of Loretto.

​My year of fun and fellowship in the Loretto program has revealed to me the sheer beauty and depth of collaboration and community, something I did not fully anticipate for this year.  And in this development, I’ve found the strength to grow and understand myself - a strength that comes from three areas of my life: my house, the Loretto Community, and my city of St. Louis...

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In my kooky house

Living with two beautifully different women who are grounded in the Loretto core values like me has been a challenging and life-giving experience. After months of living together, it has dawned on me just how brave all of us are for moving in with strangers with the commitment to be a community. I have also come to the realization how much of a privilege it is to live with others who are committed to supporting my work and lifestyle of service and social justice. So many people live in an environment that is hostile, lonely, or with others that may care for you but simply don’t encourage you to grow. Being and laughing with my housemates is certainly not perfect all the time. We have opinions and hobbies that push us apart, and, time after time I feel us seeking each other for encouragement and support. Intentional community living has blessed me with friendship and the security to keep growing and questioning.

With the spunky Loretto sisters and Community members

One of the major benefits of being in a small volunteer program is the opportunity to meet and connect with the group that is supporting you. In the Loretto program each volunteer is treated like a unique jewel that is cherished and shined by many of the Loretto community; this kind of love would be nearly impossible with a large volunteer group or spread out program. Additionally, as a volunteer in St Louis, I get the benefit of being so close (some a sidewalk away!) to many sisters and community members. Sharing meals, conversation, and grace with these women had made St Louis a home for me. I love being surrounded by their experiences and decades of wisdom. They teach me patience and resilience and strength through their deep commitment to peace over time. I am blessed by their diversity of ideas, pasts, and compassion.

St. Louis at large

Moving to a new city is one thing, but serving in a new city is a totally different experience. For me service is based in solitude and community with others. So instead of just exploring and being in a new city for the sake of my entertainment and need for people, I look at this city through a lens of finding neighbors and friends who are connected to my work and thirst for social justice. For me this means walking the blocks around my clinic and talking with patients, being vulnerable in conversation, sipping coffee and beer at the local joint, and finding where my passions fit into the needs of my growing community. This is a challenge because it requires me to be present to the city and people and not wishing for cities of my past or ideal ones of my future. St Louis has affirmed in me the importance of the people that fill the city and not the streets themselves. And St Louis has blessed me with compassionate solitude with so many great people.

I am so thankful and inspired by the community that surrounds me. Thankful for the way they make me squirm and uncomfortably consider new views. I'm thankful for the ways we grow in experiences together and for the way they fill my world with love and support.