1 Franciscan Way

Sr. M. Raphaele pictured with a quilt given to her from her students. God works in mysterious ways. . . . After my high school graduation in 1972, I attended Saint Louis University. I met a young woman in my Math class. Her name was Jayne Goebel. We were both studying pre-med. Jayne was from Kentucky, so she lived in the dorm. I was from St. Louis, so I commuted every day. Two years later, I answered God’s call and entered our Community of the Sisters of St. Francis of the Martyr St. George, in Alton, Illinois. As a postulant, I returned to study at Saint Louis University. Once again, Jayne and I were in the same class, this time a Theology class. A year later, in 1975, Jayne also entered our Community. I was a first-year novice and my new name was Sister M. Anne. When Jayne became a novice, she received the name Sister M. Raphaele. Sister M. Raphaele and I made Final Profession together on October 10, 1981, with Sister M. Ruth, Sister M. Clare, and Sister M. Petra. The five of us wer...

The community, family and friends rejoice... Sister M. Theresia Sister M. Beata and Sister M. Maximilia Sister M. Dolorosa and Sister Mary David Sister M. Bernadette and friends Sister M. Veronica and Sister M. Christine Sister M. Karolyn Sister M. Isabella with her family Sister M. Luka, Sister M. Anselma and Sister M. Pauline ... three generations, one office book. May the Name of the Lord be praised!

Sister M. Theresia and Sister M. Joan state their willingness to take on the commitment of our life forever. The Sisters pronounce their final vows, kneeling before Archbishop Lucas. The ring is a sign of the perpetual covenant. Sister M. Bernadette, Sister M. Pauline, Sister M. Joan, Sister M. Renata and Sister M. Isabella Sister M. Bernadette, Sister M. Pauline and Sister M. Joan with Bishop Gaydos, Archbishop Naumann and Cardinal Rigali Sister M. Theresia, Sister M. Renata and Sister M. Isabella with Archbishop Lucas, Bishop Listecki and Archbishop Carlson It's hard to keep that veil on at first. This is a joy to last forever.

The postulants in procession. And Sister M. Theresia and Sister M. Joan... Sister M. Pauline and Sister M. Renata speak to the community... And profess their vows

Sister Mary David taking care of the convent early in the morning. Pack up the instruments -- a song to my God! Waiting for a ride The veils for the new novices are ready! Get me to the Church on time! And the veils for the newly professed! Mother and Sister M. Kateri are in place...Everything is ready to go...let the celebration begin!

The day of days is here! The young Sisters have been preparing in so many ways for their next step in the religious life and today they make the step. It is always a celebration of the entire Church - the families and friends of the community participate; Sisters come from all over the country; and bishops and priests descend with the very ardor of the apostles. Today, Cardinal Justin Rigali, Archbishop George Lucas, Archbishop Joseph Naumann, Archbishop Robert Carlson, Bishop Jerome Listecki, Bishop John Gaydos and Bishop Robert Hermann and many priests (last count, about 22?) joined our celebration. It is a day when Heaven touches earth and the Church universal sings for joy as women place their lives wholly into the hands of God. In the posts that follow, there will be a lot of images of the day, capturing in digital the joy of the Lord.

It's that time of year again. The feastday of profession and reception is drawing near -- and the school year begins to gear up. Several of our school convents have begun to get in order for the new academic year, and John Paul II in Kansas is no exception. Sister M. Hedwig and I arrived Monday ... and began evicting those beasties who took up residence over the summer. We have had an ongoing conversation with the wildlife about who really lives in the convent - sharing is not an option, even for Franciscans. First it was the field mice and the squirrels. They really thought that our attic was the place to hang out on a hot summer day. Leaping and nesting, playing tag over the chapel and wandering through the walls was their particular joy, but we convinced them to find other places for recreation. Then the tree frogs decided that a visit would be pleasant - one enterprising amphibian thought that leaping from the "choir loft" to the chapel proper would be the thril...