The Incarnate Word Foundation Press

Blue Hole Wisdom: My Journey with the Sisters is available now!

IWF Press

Est. 2020

The Incarnate Word Foundation Press was established in 2020 to publish and distribute Blue Hole Wisdom: My Journey with the Sisters by Executive Director Bridget McDermott-Flood, and future publications created by the foundation. All proceeds from the sale of IWF Press publications support the charitable work of the Incarnate Word Foundation.

Blue Hole Wisdom:
My Journey with the Sisters

“When I tell people I work with the Sisters, people are intrigued. What are they like? Who are these mysterious women in a time when sisters are fewer and far between, no longer instantly recognized by their unusual dress. They seem so different – set apart.”

In this memoir of connection and common humanity, Bridget McDermott Flood reflects on the women behind the mystery and souls once veiled by habits, uncovering the wisdom, wit, and the indomitable spirits that have formed the charism of the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word.

In a series of reflections, remarkable women come to life, illustrating the presence of the divine in the ordinary and extraordinary missions each Sister has undertaken. Their stories form the heart of Blue Hole Wisdom: My Journey with the Sisters.

From their traditional work in hospitals and schools to outreach to families in Juarez and work with the people in Chimbote, Peru, these women have garnered the wisdom that comes from decades dedicated to facing life’s greatest challenges not as passive observers, but as active agents of the change they wish to see in the world.

Flood welcomes readers on a journey of self-discovery, reflection, and connection across time and space. Beginning with her earliest relationships with the Sisters and the challenging journey of the first Sisters from France to the arid shores of nineteenth century Texas, Blue Hole Wisdom traverses the globe, following the Sisters and Flood as they navigate an evolving spiritual landscape and deepening bonds of fellowship.

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What (and Where) is the “Blue Hole”?

The San Antonio Spring, also called the Blue Hole, is a famous artesian spring on the Congregational heritage land of the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word.

Indigenous peoples here at the time of colonization called the springs Yanaguana, or “up-flowing waters of the spirit.” Coahuiltecan Native American creation stories describe how the Spirit Waters rose up, giving birth to all Creation.

After a heavy rain, the water bubbles up,” writes Bridget Flood, “an emerald and lapis jewel. Pure. Small minnows swirl in its depths and the outpouring of the verdigris water melds into the dusty brown Olmos Creek as a spreading fan, rolling and teeming with life, heading toward the red bridge to feed the San Antonio River. At other times, the Blue Hole can be calm. The bubbles and ripples of the spring water dance beneath the tiny ferns hugging the stone walls and only a trickle feeds the river…

For more than 150 years, the Sisters have worked, walked, and prayed here. Like the waters of the Blue Hole, their wisdom runs deep, clear, and pure. It is a wisdom derived from their Incarnational Spirituality, their belief that God is present in all things, and that God is most present in relationship.”

Praise for
Blue Hole Wisdom: My Journey with the Sisters

“What a gift”

Bridget Flood writes of her personal experience with the Incarnate Word Sisters from San Antonio. Her engaging style and reflective approach give the reader a window into the commitment of Catholic Sisters for justice in our time. It is a faith-filled read that brings joy and self-reflection. What a gift for these chaotic times.

Sr. Simone Campbell, SSS

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, NETWORK

“Essential clues… for a life of meaning and joy”

Bridget McDermott Flood offers compelling stories of women whose choices and commitments provide essential clues to the perennial quest for a life of meaning and joy. Blue Hole Wisdom: My Journey with the Sisters is a beautifully narrated account of wisdom garnered through the author’s encounter and accompaniment of remarkable Catholic sisters providing diverse and life-giving ministries at home and abroad.

Kerry Alys Robinson

GLOBAL AMBASSADOR, LEADERSHIP ROUNDTABLE

AUTHOR, IMAGINING ABUNDANCE: FUNDRAISING, PHILANTHROPY AND A SPIRITUAL CALL TO SERVICE

“Caused me to think deeply”

These accounts of faith and service present lives deeply formed by their order, caused me to think deeply about the Incarnate Word Sisters and their legacy of service to the People of God.

Dr. Kenneth Parker

Ryan Endowed Chair for Newman Studies, Professor of Historical Theology
Duquesne University

“Bridget lovingly pays tribute”

Through memorably vivid storytelling, Bridget McDermott Flood lovingly pays tribute to the Incarnate Word Sisters who have long inspired her. Anyone seeking to enliven their own faith journey will surely be moved by these beautifully crafted profiles: women choosing to accompany their sisters and brothers on the margins, animated by a deep spirituality of finding God’s presence and joy in all things and every encounter.

Elizabeth A. Donnelly

Co-founder and Preacher Coordinator, Catholic Women Preach

About the Author

Bridget McDermott Flood is the Executive Director of the Incarnate Word Foundation, a ministry of the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word, San Antonio, where she manages the Foundation’s grant making and community initiatives.

Nationally, Bridget served on the White House Task Force for Reform of the Faith- and Neighborhood-Based Office under the Obama Administration. She serves on the Boards of NETWORK Lobby for Social Justice, the Headwaters at Incarnate Word, FADICA, and the St. Joseph Housing Initiative. Bridget graduated from Saint Louis University with a bachelor’s degree in English and political science, and a master’s degree in urban affairs.

She is also an artist at her studio, Carondelet Pottery, and is a beekeeper. Bridget lives with her husband, Michael, in St. Louis. She and her husband have two daughters, Amelia and Carolyn, and two grandsons.

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