{"id":14993,"date":"2026-06-27T14:00:58","date_gmt":"2026-06-27T12:00:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.olcgs.org\/?p=14993"},"modified":"2026-06-27T14:22:25","modified_gmt":"2026-06-27T12:22:25","slug":"sr-madelines-sabbatical-journey","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.olcgs.org\/es\/sr-madelines-sabbatical-journey\/","title":{"rendered":"Infinite Grace: Sr. Madeline\u2019s Sabbatical Journey"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Kaitlyn Holdmeyer, Communications Manager, Region of US-Toronto<\/em><\/p>\n

When Sr. Madeleine Munday began planning her sabbatical after 14 years of serving as province leader for the former Mid-North America Province, she knew she wanted more than rest. She was searching for a way to deepen her commitment to compassion and bring her values to life. \u201cI was looking for a way to put my ethical veganism into action beyond what I put on my plate<\/em>,\u201d she explains.<\/p>\n

That search led her to One Living Sanctuary<\/a> (OLS) in Martinez, California, a nonprofit animal sanctuary dedicated to creating a peaceful community where all life is treated with kindness, compassion, and respect. The sanctuary\u2019s mission integrates care for animals, environmental sustainability, education, humanitarianism, and spirituality<\/strong>. On the sanctuary\u2019s 120 acres, rescued cows, horses, pigs, goats, chickens, ducks, pigeons, cats, and a turkey live free from harm and exploitation.<\/p>\n

After discovering that the sanctuary offered live-in internships, she submitted an application that described her simply as a \u201cCatholic sister, senior citizen, vegan, no farm experience, willing to learn and work<\/em>.\u201d The response came quickly from the founder, veterinarian Dr. Faith Albright: \u201cYou will be welcome in our community.<\/em>\u201d That welcome became the beginning of an experience that continues to shape her understanding of compassion, contemplation, and the sacred interconnectedness of all creation<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

A Community Rooted in Compassion<\/strong><\/h4>\n

The words \u201cInfinite Grace<\/em>\u201d greet visitors from the gatepost of the main house, a fitting introduction to a place where every aspect of daily life is guided by reverence for life. From the moment she walked through the gate, Sr. Madeleine found herself immersed in a community she describes as \u201cwelcoming, open, safe, respectful, kind, harmonious and hard-working.<\/em>\u00bb.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Finding God in the Rhythm of Daily Life,<\/strong><\/h4>\n

\"\"Life at OLS follows a simple but purposeful rhythm. Each day begins with a communal breakfast, where interns and staff gather to review the day\u2019s responsibilities. From there, everyone disperses to their work: feeding animals, watering gardens, hauling water, cleaning, recycling, and maintaining the property. Delivering food to the animals is one of Sr. Madeleine\u2019s favorite responsibilities. \u201cThey all know when it\u2019s time to eat, and each has their own personality.<\/em>\u00bb.<\/p>\n

For Sr. Madeleine, many of these tasks have become opportunities for reflection and solidarity. Preparing food buckets for dozens of animals each day connects her with the often-unseen labor of agricultural workers whose efforts bring food to tables around the world. Carrying buckets of water across the property reminds her of women in many parts of the world who perform the same task daily for their families, often traveling much farther distances. \u201cI appreciate each drop of fresh and recycled water in this arid climate<\/em>\u00bb, afirma.<\/p>\n

\"\"Surrounded by animals, plants, and open skies, Sr. Madeleine has found a profound connection between daily work and contemplation<\/strong>. \u00abMost of my work is done in solitude and much of it outside,<\/em>\u201d she reflects. \u201cThe silence and rhythm of the chores have been a gift for contemplation. Few or no words are needed. God\u2019s creation is more than enough!<\/em>\u00bb.<\/p>\n

Living at the sanctuary has also deepened Sr. Madeleine\u2019s awareness of la responsabilidad ambiental<\/strong>, such as witnessing how much food is discarded in the United States. \u201cThe produce we receive is discarded by stores because of an expiration date, small flaw, or sheer excess<\/em>,\u201d she says. At the sanctuary, however, nothing is wasted. Food nourishes both animals and humans, while anything left over is composted and returned to the earth.<\/p>\n

Hope for the Future<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Among the most unexpected lessons of the sabbatical have come directly from the sanctuary\u2019s animal residents. \u201cI have learned that the animals exist in their own right and to not have expectations of them other than their presence and freedom<\/em>,\u201d Sr. Madeleine says. \u201cForemost is the care and concern for each animal, that each one can live their life in peace<\/em>\u00bb, afirma.<\/p>\n

\"\"Sr. Madeleine recognizes that many of the lessons are still unfolding. She hopes to carry home a renewed commitment to spending time in nature and embracing the balance of work, rest, and reflection. Emphasizing, \u201cTake breaks and days off!<\/em>\u00bb.<\/p>\n

Amid the hills of California, surrounded by rescued animals and the beauty of the natural world, Sr. Madeleine is discovering anew what it means to live with reverence, gratitude, hope, and one act of kindness at a time.<\/p>\n

\u00abI am experiencing Good Shepherd values each day in tangible ways in the environment of OLS,<\/em>\u201d she says. \u201cCompassion, sustainability, respect for all life, dignity, zeal, empowerment, advocacy, mercy, and reconciliation. Thank you, dear Region of the U.S. | Toronto, for this extraordinary gift of sabbatical!\u201d<\/em><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Kaitlyn Holdmeyer, Communications Manager, Region of US-Toronto When Sr. Madeleine Munday began planning her sabbatical after 14 years of serving as province leader for the former Mid-North America Province, she knew she wanted more than rest. She was searching for a way to deepen her commitment to compassion and bring her values to life. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":14995,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[76,51],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-14993","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-integral-ecology","category-north-america"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.olcgs.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/PXL_20260526_223453393-scaled.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.olcgs.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14993","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.olcgs.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.olcgs.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.olcgs.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.olcgs.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14993"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.olcgs.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14993\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15004,"href":"https:\/\/www.olcgs.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14993\/revisions\/15004"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.olcgs.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/14995"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.olcgs.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14993"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.olcgs.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14993"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.olcgs.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14993"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}