“In other words” is the name of a new podcast that the German-speaking Dominican Sisters have launched. The initiative originated in the Schlehdorf monastery. An event will take place on Saturday (April 13th).
Schlehdorf – “I was the troublemaker in this matter,” says the Schlehdorf Dominican missionary Sr. Josefa Thusbaß and smiles. For months she had been thinking about how Dominican spirituality could be conveyed to the public. On the one hand, says Sr. Josefa, dialogue and exchange played an important role in the history of the order. “Nowadays this also applies to conversations with people who are no longer in church.” On the other hand, she knows from her own professional experience as head of the Schlehdorf secondary school how important public relations is. So the idea of linking both sides developed in her mind. “You have to take new paths sometimes.”
“Interest in spiritual things is increasing again among the public”
However, the idea wasn't implemented quickly, and it wasn't initially clear that it would be a podcast. Sr. Josefa first had to convince her own fellow sisters, especially provincial superior Sr. Francesca Hannen. But the idea germinated. Through the “Future Cultural Area Monastery” project, which is about the transformation of monasteries, the Missionary Dominican Sisters are now well connected. And so a workshop was held at the Dominican Sisters in Frankfurt/Main, which was accompanied by Ulrike Rose and Paula Oster - the two owners of the office “designing cultural spaces”. They invited two speakers from the Netherlands, the theologians Manuela Kalsky and Paul Wennekes. They specialize in project work on religious topics. “We discussed a lot what Dominicanness means,” says Paula Oster. “Our conversations also revolved around the social needs of our time and how we can address people,” says Sr. Josefa. “Because interest in spiritual things is increasing again among the public.”
Superiors agreed: We'll do it
The idea of a podcast in the form of a moderated conversation with two guests grew more and more - someone from religious life and someone “from outside”. Paul Wennekes encouraged the sisters to network with other Dominican communities. “Because if we can’t do that, we generally have no strength left for the future,” says Sr. Josefa.
The Dominican Sisters in Germany, Austria and Switzerland already form a working group (AGOP). “It was about turning Sr. Josefa's fire into wildfire,” says provincial superior Sr. Francesca Hannen about the subsequent meeting at superior level. Overall, the podcast is a feat of strength. “You need a large group behind it. It should represent the Dominican Sisters as a whole and not just a small community.”
It remains a project without men
This force was then mobilized at the working meeting - and the question of whether the monks should also take part was discussed. “At first it felt like a relief,” says Sr. Francesca. But at the same time there was concern that women might no longer take up much space. The superiors decided to do it without the men. “I think this is very important as far as our future is concerned. Because we all know what things are like in the church in general.”
“We want to talk about things that affect us as people”
The project and its financing remain in the hands of the Dominican Sisters in these three countries. They have now founded the “AG Podcast”. Paula Oster accompanies them and discusses topics and guests together. “In the podcast we want to talk about things that affect us as people,” says Sr. Josefa. “We see this as our contribution to the many processes of change that our society is now going through.”
Prominent guests in the first talks
Maja Ellmenreich, who, among other things, leads the interview series “Zwischendenken” at Deutschlandfunk, was hired as presenter. Three episodes have now been recorded in a studio in Cologne. In episode one, Ellmenreich talks to Sr. Klarissa Watermann and social medicine specialist Gerhard Trabert about their work with homeless and refugee people. It's about compassion, willingness to help and putting it into concrete action. In episode two, the cultural and literary scientist Aleida Assmann and Sr. Scholastika Jurt are guests; they talk about rituals and their timeless meaning. In the third episode, Sr. Judith Moormann and the writer John von Düffel exchange ideas about a simple lifestyle. “All the guests we asked were very open to the idea,” says Sr. Josefa happily.
A total of six episodes are planned for now, other topics include resilience and the ability to deal with conflict. Sr. Josefa can be heard in one of the next conversations.
Available free of charge on all podcast platforms
The creators are happy with how things have started: 1,000 individual views have already been recorded, even though the podcast only appeared for the first time shortly before Easter. You can subscribe to it for free on all podcast platforms. We are currently still working on the social media presence on Facebook, Instagram and Linkedin.
“We would never have been able to do something like this on our own, and now we can work with people of all different backgrounds, even outside the church,” says Sr. Josefa happily. “The desire to give something to the world is there for everyone. That is the common goal.” Sr. Francesca defines it like this: “Receiving is the new sending.”
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