When reflecting upon the silver anniversary of the Institute (WVIS), I thought not of the building, nor even the fortunate retreatants who found peace, solace, and friendship within its walls. Instead, I meditated upon the word silver because it seemed symbolic. Native Americans wear silver jewelry, we are told, because of its beauty, but more because silver has healing powers. In the past 25 years, countless souls have been healed through retreats and counseling at WVIS.
Tangela Harper writes in The Significance of Silver in Our Lives, that silver is “associated with emotions and sensitivity. It raises sensitivity and can expand your psychic awareness, it does not judge, and only seeks to bring balance and calm. It is also thought to be a mirror to the soul, helping us to see ourselves as others do.” Her words surely reminded me of the Institute. Retreats at WVIS have accomplished this for a quarter century.
Harper concludes that this precious metal “has a bright and clear appearance and therefore represents qualities such as purity, clarity, and vision. It also symbolizes subtle strength. It is very versatile, strong, yet malleable.” My hope for the future of the West Virginia Institute for Spirituality is that it will always be a center of strength, clarity, and vision.
Sister Rita Yeasted, SFCC, is the Dorothy Saladiak Distinguished Professor of English Emerita at La Roche University. Her many decades of teaching range from elementary school through college. Having served as department chair of the English Department for 33 years, she now teaches as an adjunct professor there. She holds a B.A. in English from La Roche University and an MA and Ph.D. in English from Duquesne University. After 25 years as a Sister of Divine Providence, Sr. Rita transferred to the Sisters for Christian Community, a non-canonical religious community founded in 1970. She is the author of “JON: John Oliver Nelson and the Movement for Power in the Church,” and “Pacem in Terris: A History of Hope.”