Jim, this is amazing- I still think this was the heart of the order, the Institute and even the Church... somebody to hold people accountable to what they are doing, what they have committed themselves to.. glad you stayed.. Dick On Wed, Sep 24, 2025 at 4:25 PM James Wiegel via OE <oe@lists.wedgeblade.net> wrote:
Doris in her own words
And a personal recollection. It would have been October or November of 1967 . . .
Our group on the West Side was organized into Colleges and teams and we were "experimenting" with specific accountability. Doris was my team prior. The focus of the accountability ritual was on Daily Office attendance and we had whittled down the question to "Were you present and on time for Daily Office 7 mornings last week?" And the answer was your name and either "Yes" or "No". I had answered "No" for maybe 2 weeks in a row, and my team was having a conversation with me about this. It had been clarified that Daily Office was a most important ritual and attendance or non-attendance was clearly a sign of commitment or lack of commitment to "being the Church", "the rule of the Order", "our mission", etc. And it was clear to me that I did not measure up and the only course of action available was to pack up my bags and leave (which, it was pointed out) I had already done by my non-attendance at Daily Office. Just before I could stand up and walk out, Doris spoke, in that drawn out voice of hers (I can still hear her) "Well, James," she said, "WHAT WOULD IT TAKE for you to be present and on time for daily office 7 times in this next week?" Ah, the wretch I was saw a chance for new life. I think I said if I was assigned to wake up everyone at the Program Center, then I would get to Daily Office.
That question, "Well, James, WHAT WOULD IT TAKE?" Is with me still and has served me well in many touchy moments. Doris is still in my heart and will be always as many of you have testified-- what a woman, what a saint, what a life.
Jim Wiegel
“We are all time travelers journeying into the future. But let us make that future a place we want to visit.” Stephen Hawking
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