1 Franciscan Way

God granted a lovely day for seven young women to make a long step forward in their journey to him. Sister Teresa Maria, Sister M. Caterina and Sister Mary Francis  consecrated themselves to him more profoundly through the vows of Obedience, Chastity and Poverty. They proclaimed with great joy and determination their desire to do this for him and for his Church. They professed their vows with glorious freedom, knowing the challenge of each, but also knowing, profoundly, the One to whom they could trust such a radical gift. And we all got to share in it. Just before Mass began, four postulants declared their readiness to learn . They publicly asked for our Rule and Constitutions; they appealed to the Sisters to teach them this life, to teach them to live according to the Gospel of Christ in our particular religious family. They received our religious habit (always a moving experience for everyone present) and their new religious names: Sister Maria Christi, Sister M. Xav...

Today we rejoice and give thanks for the gift of our "Feastday Sisters".  Our postulants and novices make their next step in religious life today.  Please pray for them as they are received into the Novitiate and make their first profession of vows. From left to right:  Sarah Marie Schulze, Sister M. Caterina, Katrina Delaney, Sister Mary Francis, Theresa Wilks, Sister Teresa Maria, Sarah Lynne Gangl Soon they will no longer look the same!  The postulants will be wearing a habit and veil and the novices will be wearing a black veil and crucifix.  We are grateful for the gift of each one's "yes" to Jesus today!

There is a great joy and peace in my heart as I prepare to take the habit and a new name.  It is the official start of the mission God has chosen for me.  Yet, I must remain watchful, inwardly alert, prepared for spiritual battle.  Though my appearance will be changing, I am more excited for the inward transformation God has started and wishes to deepen. - Sarah Lynne Gangl

For me, being received into the Novitiate means that something I have been imagining since I was nine will now become a reality.  Not only will I receive a habit and veil, but I will be called "Sister" for the first time.  I will learn to be open to the work of the Holy Spirit in a new and deeper way.  I will learn about the life to which God has called me and I will learn to be the person God has created me to be. - Theresa Wilks

To be receiving the habit and veil, along with my new name, means more to me than words can express.  To become a Sister is more than just simply wearing new clothes and changing my name.  It is to become who God has created me to be.  Finding words to describe how excited and happy I am is harder than finding a needle in a haystack in the dark, so I will leave it at this:  God has given me far more than I could ever even imagine asking for and I cannot wait to take this next step in the lifelong process of giving my life to Him. - Sarah Marie Schulze

Joy is a word that comes to mind as I contemplate entering the Novitiate of the Sisters of St. Francis of the Martyr St. George.  I am blessed by God to be joining a community of sisters to praise and give glory to God daily, each moment.  Christ is calling me to Himself to live for Him and that ist he most precious gift. - Katrina Delaney

The most important aspect about religious consecration and what it means to me is that it is a gift.  Every baptized member of the Church is consecrated, set apart for God and now Christ has invited me to come even deeper as His Spouse, in a new and special way.  It is not because of anything I have done or could do, because "apart from God, I can do nothing."  As Christ died on the Cross out of a gratuitous love for us sinners, so too, He extends this gift of gratuitous love to me as the path He has planned for me for all eternity.  This gift must be handled then with gratitude and prayer because it is a relationship.  It is a relationship that says, "God is everything."  I cannot take advantage of such a gift and so each day I want to witness to this merciful love of Christ, which He wants every person to receive as a gift. - Sister M. Caterina, FSGM

"I have been crucified with Christ.  I live no longer I but Christ lives in me."  Galatians 2:20 I think for me the easiest way to explain what it means to be consecrated is to look to the Eucharist.  At each Mass we offer to the Lord the everyday things of bread and wine.  "Fruit of the earth and work of human hands."  We present them on His altar and by His grace working through the mediation of a priest they are literally changed into the Body and Blood of Jesus.  Similarly we as religious present ourselves and through our profession of vows ask to be transformed - conformed to Christ.  In both consecrations the distinguishable attributes do not change.  His Body still looks like bread, tastes like bread, even smells like bread, yet it is changed.  It is Christ.  Furthermore, just as the Blessed Sacrament exists for the nourishment of the Church, so too we as religious bind ourselves to Christ becoming one with Him not for our own...

As I prepare for my consecration I am more amazed by God's love for me as I come to realize how He has created me for this life.  Even before I was born, my heart and soul were claimed to be all for Jesus.  For the past three years I have been living the religious life, but on the day of my profession, my life will become what I have been practicing.  I have been given this vocation of being espoused to Jesus Christ.  On August 14th as I recite the vow formula I freely give my heart to Jesus.  I am His.  After my consecration every act of service becomes an act of love. - Sister Teresa Maria, FSGM

Last night our postulants and novices began their ten day retreat in preparation for their next step in religious life.  As they spend these next days with Jesus in silence we ask you to please keep them in your prayers.  During these days we will share their thoughts on what this next step means to them.  May they encounter the face of Jesus and His love for them.