Sr. Eleanor Lang, OP

Not yet a middle-aged Sister when her eyesight became more and more dim and when nothing could be done surgically, Sr. Eleanor Lang heard her dear mother come to the "psychological" rescue with these stern words, "Eleanor, you have some living to do yet. Don't be putting yourself on a shelf."

And so, her school teaching years came to an end for her, many teaching days in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and in the colleges of St. Mary of the Springs in Ohio and Albertus Magnus in Connecticut where she taught German for many years. This very intelligent woman had already earned her BA and MA in German at the College of St. Mary of the Springs and at Notre Dame, and had already spent a year at Yale University for study towards her doctorate in German language and literature. What could she do?

With her mother's words pressing her, she studied further in Columbus, Ohio, to receive  an MA in counseling from The Ohio State University, a certificate in spiritual direction from the Josephinum, and a certificate from Riverside Hospital in pastoral care, all of which she used in ministry where and when needed. Now 94 years old, living in Mohun Hall Health Care Center, and engaging her "shelf life," as she endures minimal central vision and only some peripheral vision remaining, Sr. Eleanor, always an avid sports enthusiast, still roots for her Ohio State football team and shows her great coping ability.

Over the years, she has astutely made use of technology or of whatever anything can offer in ways to help her keep functioning in the present: the old records of talking books, books on tape, multiply enlarged magnifying lenses, CD books, enlarged playing cards as she continues with her enjoyable group, and she ever has her knitting-by feel, as well as a bit of peripheral vision for her placement of TV viewing. Vibrantly conversational and intelligent, she hasn’t had a minute of regret for her vision loss or for her early vocational desire to become a Dominican Sister.

She positively counts her gains as a Dominican, citing her first grade desire to be that and also the future influence of Sr. Sebastian in her high school years.  Happy in her choice of long ago, she still travels on her path with the Lord in wonderment, blessing, practicality, and now, in a new way perhaps, still ministering in that choice.