"Come,
come whoever you are.
An unbeliever, a fire-worshipper, come.
Our convent is not of desperation.
Even if you have broken your vows a hundred times,
Come, come again."
--Mevlena Jalala'ddin Rumi
(1207/09/30-1273/12/17)
"Here in St Cloud's it
is high time something was done for the good of someone.
What better place for improvement could there be
--for self-improvement, and for the good of all--
than a place where evil has so clearly flourished if not altogether
triumphed?"
--John Irving, Cider House Rules (1994)