Saints and Dragonflies
By Peggy Quesnell
I believe that St. Mary’s Parish/School Community, the City of Moscow, Moscow High School Bears’ sports teams and the University of Idaho Vandal athletic teams all have been very blessed to have had a “saint” live among them, touching their lives.
Sister Mary Incarnation Menager, osu, an Ursuline nun, lived in Moscow for over forty years, dying in 1988 at the age of 92. It is fitting that Sister Incarnation was born and died in the month of May, since it is during this month that the mother of Jesus is honored. Sister had a deep devotion to Mary as witnessed in her distribution of green scapulars. If one had any special needs, she would give you a green scapular advising you to tell Mary all your needs. She always assured you that she would pray too. I know many businesses in Moscow have green scapulars buried on their property, even to this day.
Sr. Incarnation was better known by a nickname she had received many years before, “Sr. Inky”. At her death, Moscow was sent a small “miracle” to tell us both the joy and truth that was Sr. Inky’s. I would like to share with you my personal recollections surrounding her burial services.
The rosary for Sister was the night of May 13th. I arrived at the church to sing with the music group. As I reached out to grab the door handle, I noticed that there was a large dragonfly sitting right on the handle. Now I have never been a fan of bugs, so I yelled! As I walked into the church, I told our pastor, Father Dennis Wassmuth and David Hutton, the head of the mortuary: “Yuck, there’s a dragonfly on the door of the church!” Fr. Dennis’ response was, “Well, that’s appropriate.” Looking at him rather strangely, I proceeded upstairs to the choir loft.
The celebrant of both the rosary and Mass was Sister Inky’s spiritual director, Fr. Jim Worsley. During the vigil service, he told the wonderful allegory about the metamorphosis of a water bug to a dragonfly!
The story goes that the water bugs had noticed that whenever their friends would float to the surface; they would suddenly disappear never to be seen again. Now they weren’t sure what was beyond that magical surface. So they agreed among themselves that the next one to go to the surface and disappear would come back and tell the others what it is like “out there”. Well, it happened that their leader was the next to go. After the leader “woke up to the fact” that he was now a beautiful dragonfly, he was ready to go back and tell the good news to the others. But as he looked at his friends in the water, he realized that it was impossible for him to return. Further, he realized that even if he could return, they would not recognize him in his changed state!
That allegory, along with the dragonfly sitting on the door handle, truly touched everyone at church and reminded us of the mystery of resurrection. And would you believe, that dragonfly on the church’s door handle stayed the entire time that Sr. Ink’s casket remained in the church! Not only that, guess what was on the headstone, waiting for us in the cemetery? The dragonfly!
I have reflected often on that wonderful experience of the dragonfly at Sr. Inky’s funeral. And I truly believe that Sister sent that dragonfly then as well as the very many times she continues to send them our way to let us know that she is praying for us. I loved the dragonfly she sent me right after my son, Tony, was born in 1995. Our school had a dragonfly sit on the back wall for a week last spring where the proposed new addition for the school is to be built. On the first day of the school this year, while our principal, Sister Margaret, was offering a prayer, a dragonfly flew over the school children. A dragonfly even visited us in our lunchroom this fall! These are just a few instances of dragonflies in our midst!
Sister Inky truly loved God, her Ursuline sisters, St. Mary’s community, the City of Moscow and her beloved Idaho Vandals. We are glad that her presence is still felt among us.
Have you seen a dragonfly lately? 
