1 Franciscan Way

            Sixteen women from Franciscan University joined St. Clare Convent for an evening of prayer, and sisterly fellowship. The joy of sharing a meal, and the presence of Our Lord encompassed the evening. We discovered the beauty of being present to one another, and found our faces aching from laughter. The “Saints” faced off the “Poor Humble Sinners” in a lively game of Guesstures.                 The evening came to the close with an invitation to remain in Our Lord’s love: to take the time to hear Him call you by name, invite you into relationship with Him, and respond generously with your life. Inviting us to meditate upon the Father’s love, “As the Father loves me, so I also love you. Remain in my love,” (John 15:9), may each of us allow ourselves to be immersed in the Lord’s abundant love, and choose to remain there.  

Oh, the places you'll go! Sometimes my summers feel like the title of that Dr. Seuss book. I never know where I'll be sent and where I will go next, while other years my summers are much more predictable. As a teacher who has their "summers off" we give our summers to the community as needed. It really is beautiful. I often marvel at the true gift of self that our Sisters experience as we trot across the globe of the United States, filling in for each other so that we can take time off to retreat and renew ourselves in the Lord. It is in this very act of selflessness that unknown cooks are born, florists are discovered, and above all a greater appreciation for the apostolate of your Sister is experienced and embraced. A little humility is always good for us as we step outside of our comfort zone. If we are not working in one of our convents you can very often find us doing one of many summer programs. That was my summer this year. I think I lived at various c...

Seventy-five Sisters were in town over the weekend.  Why all the fuss?  On Saturday, we celebrated the Feast of Saint Francis, the founder of the Franciscan order and patron of our religious community.  Then on Sunday, we gathered for another joyful occasion: the Diamond Jubilee (60 years of profession) of Sister M. Julia Kuropka and my Silver Jubilee (25 years in the convent). Jubilees are a time to thank God for the gift of one’s vocation, to thank Him for his love, mercy, and faithfulness, and for the grace of perseverance.  The spiritual highlight of the day was of course the Mass with scripture readings that focused on a covenantal relationship with the Lord.  The remainder of the day had a wonderful mix of prayer, fun, and fellowship with my Sisters in community.  T here was lots of food and the delight of opening presents.  Sister M. Julia was “Queen for the Day” and I was the “Princess”, but it was all about remembering that we are serv...