A Visit with Br. Thomas Hetland, FSC

Br. Thomas Hetland, FSC, with most of our younger sisters (some couldn\’t get away from work, one was at adoration, and one took the picture)

Br. Thomas is a member of the Christian Brothers, and for some years now he has been helping us with our health insurance needs. The Christian Brothers were originally founded as a teaching order, but after Vatican II when so many changes were taking place and fewer people entered religious life, one of the brothers had the idea to diversify their mission by taking on insurance needs for clergy and religious as well as those lay people employed by them. And they are doing very well, it seems! Br. Thomas was happy to tell us that this is our 30th year with Christian Brothers!

Not long ago, we changed our plan a little, so that now all the sisters who are too young to be on Medicare use Cigna as their insurance provider. Every year when Br. Thomas comes to our monastery, these younger sisters are strongly encouraged to visit with him in the parlor and find out what is new. Some of us were intrigued by a new plan called HAWA–Healthy As We Age–which provides free blood tests to check various functions, including a complete metabolic panel, liver, kidney, etc. They will also help with nutrition advice and exercise. Although it\’s hard to commit to exercise and such (in this respect, nuns can be like anyone else!), we know that by keeping healthy we are serving the common good of our community. And that, as St. Augustine writes in his Rule, which we follow, means we are growing in charity!

Please pray for us and all those who benefit from Christian Brothers\’ services, and for the Brothers themselves who have adapted to this new mission.