“Allow the answers within you to emerge.”
-Sister Marlou Ricke
“Allow” is an important word for Sister Marlou Ricke. She spent part of her life trying to figure out what others expected of her and forcing herself to comply. “I don’t know if Mom ever let me be me. I wanted to express myself.” Sister Marlou entered the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration where a requirement was to wear a black and white habit. She willingly did so, but still felt the desire to express her own unique self. Thankfully for her, things changed in the late 1960s when the Second Vatican Council brought more freedom to the Catholic Church and to women religious. Sister Marlou jumped right in!
Now she can say, “I hate black and white!” Color became very important to her. She even became a clown at one point in her life. Now she has become known around our motherhouse as the sister with the unique colored socks. Each day she wears different ones to match her outfit. They are given to her by her many friends and acquaintances who know of her desire for color in life, and create a community of love and expression.
All of Sister Marlou’s ministries have included her desire to help others express themselves freely. She became an elementary school teacher, where she was able to be creative and help her children learn and express themselves. Later,she enrolled in the Spiritual Direction Preparation Program at the Franciscan Spirituality Center in La Crosse, and became a spiritual director. As such, she learned how to listen deeply to others in order to help them to recognize God’s path in their lives. All parts of her life came together when she earned a master’s degree in Expressive Therapies. Sister Marlou described Expressive Therapies this way: “It is helping people to get outside of themselves and explore what is inside by using the creative arts.” These creative arts include writing, journaling, art, dance, music, and more to develop whatever helps the person express what is inside.
Not only does Sister Marlou help others, but she uses Expressive Therapy in her own life. When she is confronted by grief, loss, anxiety, anger, anything that is difficult to express, she will turn to journaling, art, and writing poetry. In 2007, she published "Dance, Words, Dance! A Celebration of Expressive Therapy in Story and Poetry Form." Below is an image of the book's backcover, featuring a childhood photo of Sister Marlou.
For her, “poems say it all.” Sister Marlou has written over 1000 poems. They have helped her to work through the hard times and emerge on the other side. Below is a poem she wrote in 2017.
“Stump”
Stump, so sacred and unique
Silently speaking to me
You and I speak the same language.
….
For me wisdom grows in me as I age
and seemingly become less than I was, just like you.
As my body lessens, my Spirit
and Soul life
Thrive and blossom
as
Inner Source speaks deeply within.
As I center in my Core in silence,
I hear Truth more clearly.
We are more than we ever dreamed we could be!
Sister Marlou also loves to laugh. She is energized by people who have a sense of humor. At our motherhouse, she writes jokes regularly on two whiteboards in high-traffic areas. Our partners in mission on staff and sisters love it, and often contribute their own jokes. When asked what she would like to say to the people of the world today who need some wisdom and hope, Sister Marlou offered, “Be who you are and trust in God and the goodness that’s in you, in the world, and in every person. We have the answers within us. Listen to your heart (or your gut) and ALLOW wisdom to emerge. We are wisdom people!”
About Wells of Wisdom
As many more women religious in the United States are entering their 70s, 80s, and 90s, women’s communities are realizing what a wealth of wisdom there is among us. It is too rich to be ignored. So in “Wells of Wisdom," author Sister Karen Lueck features a Franciscan Sister of Perpetual Adoration in her golden years who is willing to share some of her wisdom with a world desperately in need of it.