The New Wine Press vol 26 no 1 September 2017 | Page 6

Vocations
Displaying the artwork that will become the peace poles for pbmr
Reminder of Ministering With Those on the Margins
by Fr. Timothy Armbruster, c.pp.s., Vocation Director
“Why a vegetable and a flower garden in the
middle of the city?” was the question I asked at our
last circle of the week at Precious Blood Ministry of
Reconciliation (pbmr) in Chicago. I know what both
Sr. Donna Liette and Sr. Carolyn Hoying would say
as they both tend to the gardens, but I was answer-
ing from my experience. For four days, beginning
Sunday evening July 23rd through Thursday, July 27th,
Fr. Steve Dos Santos and I hosted a pbmr Mission/
Discernment. We invited our inquirers to experience
firsthand our Precious Blood spirituality. Each day
we touched upon a different aspect; everything from
Circle, to the vegetable garden, to the peace garden,
to the wood shop, to preparing a meal, to the art shop
and painting a peace pole. We listened to stories of the
youth and mothers as the talking peace was passed.
We pulled weeds from the garden beds and walking
path. We dug potatoes and planted seed potatoes for
the next crop. We shared meals together.
Each day we had a different aspect of the ministry
of the center that we focused upon and participated in.
We began and ended each day with