HOUSTON – We have seen them, heard them, and appreciated them.
With this said, how did the Dominican Sisters of Mary Immaculate Province, who are known as the “Rally Nuns” end up becoming one of the main attractions of the Houston Astros World Championship run?
Jim “Mattress Mack” McIngvale asked them if they wanted to go to a game.
It’s as simple as that.
On Monday afternoon, they were back at Gallery furniture bearing gifts of appreciation to McIngvale.
“We have a little gift for you,” said Sister Maria Teresa.
Mack returned the gesture with 60 tickets for a pivotal Game 6 of the World Series.
Sister Maria Teresa summed up the last two weeks in three words: “Too much fun.”
However, while picking up tickets, the sisters were just as interested in showing KPRC 2 Investigates the home run they are hitting in a secret section of the furniture store.
Behind a door near the cafeteria sits a school they have helped set up in what they call “The Atrium.”
Once a week, a nun comes here to teach children Montessori lines and to read biblical accounts from the scripture.
When asked who has more fun, the teacher or the children? Sister Maria Teresa said, “I think it’s mutual.”
One fascinating detail is that nearly everything in the classroom is handcrafted by the sisters.
When it was pointed out to them that the Montessori style color coordination lacked some orange, they all started laughing at the Astros reference.
However, inside Gallery Furniture there is a lot of orange. It is worn primarily by the man who invited them to teach here. When asked how they view McIngvale, the sisters said, “He is a man of God. Very fulfilled, very generous and he has a big heart that really wants to change this world by just loving people.”
That passion has resulted in a world of Astros fans loving them and catching the sisters off guard.
“We did not know how this has skyrocketed in the last two weeks just by a simple gesture of his,” said Maria Teresa.
Down 3-2 in the best of seven, the Astros will need some divine spirit at Minute Maid for Games 6 and potentially Game 7.