Dear friend,
Life continually emerges around us and within us. Day by day, for better or worse, we are each part of the great unfolding of God’s love in the world. This unfolding can be so incremental we hardly notice Sometimes it is a huge shift which startles us. Sometimes it’s hidden in mystery or in painful questions of why.
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Sister Renita
Brummer, OSF
Minister General
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Over the past year we Sisters have experienced a significant increase in *prayer requests. It shouldn’t be surprising. We live in a messy, wounded world. We take our vocation to be prayerful women very seriously.
While we know prayer is a great healing power, we also understand the words of Tagore, “You can’t cross the sea by merely staring at the water.” We must not petition God to answer prayers, if we do not act to answer them. Our vocation calls us to be prayerful and prophetic.
Thank you for inspiring us, for calling us to action, for requesting prayers, for being part of our Franciscan mission.
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Celebrating the Life of Sister Gale Bednarek, OSF
1943-2021
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On October 27, 2021, Sister Gale Bednarek, our resident Scripture scholar, left us for the fullness of God’s light and love. Sister Gale was baptized Lucille Michaeline, the name given by her parents Victoria and Lucian Bednarek, at St Joseph’s Church in Chicago Heights, IL. Read more...
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Photos remain on display at Tau Center from the private Memorial Masses celebrated October 19 for our Sisters who have died since the start of the pandemic, (L-R) Sisters Mary Philip, Erlinda, Kathryn Ann, Charlotte and Victoria. |
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Dearly Departed Sisters celebrated with Masses |
We were finally able to safely gather to celebrate Memorial Masses for the five Sisters who have gone on to their eternal rewards since the start of the pandemic. On October 19, small private Masses and meals were offered in the morning and in the evening to accommodate all of the St Louis-area Sisters. The photos remain on display at Tau Center in Kirkwood. |
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Stories from the lives of our dear Sisters Mary Philip Patin, Erlinda Gurule, Kathryn Ann Geringer, Charlotte Struckhoff and Victoria Munoz were shared. The Sisters' family members and friends were virtually included in the celebration and held in the Sisters' Common Heart throughout the day. |
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Witnessing Gospel Values: |
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Congratulations to Our Jubilarians! |
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We postponed our June 2020 and June 2021 events, hoping and praying for a time we could safely gather in person. On Saturday, October 2, our prayers were answered when we gathered our Sisters, their family members, and their friends into St Justin the Martyr Parish in Sunset Hills, MO, to celebrate Jubilee. Our seven 2020-21 Jubilarians renewed their vows and enjoyed a celebration of the Eucharist together before moving on to a dinner reception at Orlando's in South County.
Celebrating 50 years as professed Sisters are (above L-R):
Sister Ann Francis (who likes to be called Sister Panchis), originally from El Paso, TX, and currently serving at St Gabriel the Archangel after-school program in St Louis; Sister Barbara Siderewicz who was born in Omaha, NE, and currently ministers as secretary for the Congregational Leadership Team of the Sisters of St Joseph of Carondelet in St Louis; Sister Marie Angele Sanchez who was born in Albuquerque, NM, grew up in El Paso, TX, and currently ministers in administrative and service roles with Austin, TX, home care agencies and as a Board Member for Eremos; Sister Cheryl Kemner who was born in Washington, MO, raised in Augusta, and currently leads the Sisters' Franciscans For Earth movement and manages the Community's database; Sister Ann Wiesen who hails from West Pointe, NE, and currently serves at Erwin Technical College in Tampa, FL; Sister Angela Senyszyn who was born in Brooklyn, NY, and currently ministers in St Louis at Barnes-Jewish Extended Care; and Sister Annette Kaba who was born in St Louis, MO, and has most recently served at St Luke/St Teresa in Belleville, IL.
More photos will be posted in the print edition of the Franciscan Spirit. The Sisters want to thank everyone who attended the celebration or reached out in any way. It's not too late! Email your message for a specific Sister to info@fsolph.org, and we will see that she receives it. Also a quick reminder -- our "Find A Sister" link is located in the "About" menu on our website, www.fsolph.org.
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Commissioning Ceremonies held in September |
The new Leadership Team elected on June 27, the Feast of Our Mother of Perpetual Help, was officially commissioned on Sept 8 with the Senior Sisters at Cardinal Ritter Senior Services in the morning, at Tau Center for St Louis-area Sisters in the evening, and on Sept 9 over Zoom so the out-of-town Sisters could take part. |
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During the ceremony, Sisters were reminded of the vision for the next five years - to always be "Tending the Heart of the World...prayerfully, prophetically, and courageously" and each Sister received a personalized Mission Card for 2021, (Sr Rose Marie's is shown above) reminding them to "Touch the Wound. Heal the Heart. Love gratuitously as Jesus did."
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Responding to the Needs of Society: |
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Sign up for our final Eco-Series Event of 2021! |
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“In moments of confusion such as at present, we are not left simply with our own rational contrivances. We are supported by the ultimate powers of the Universe as they make themselves present to us through the spontaneities within our own beings…by means of story and shared dream experience.” |
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— Thomas Berry from The Dream of Earth
Join us through Zoom on Tuesday, November 9, at 7pm Central, as we welcome Sister Gail Worcelo. During our time together we will inquire into the question posed by Thomas Berry in his book, The Dream of the Earth: “What is the Earth Community asking of me/us?”
Through images, story and direct experience, we will seek guidance from the Earth community for our individual and collective lives and way into the future. To receive the Zoom link via email, please register at www.fsolph.org/events. We ask that you start logging in by 6:45 Central, so that we can begin promptly at 7pm.
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During this Season of Thanksgiving, we would like to share this beautiful reflection by Thomas Merton: |
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“To be grateful is to recognize the Love of God in everything He has given us -- and He has given us everything. Every breath we draw is a gift of His love, every moment of existence is a grace, for it brings with it immense graces from Him.
Gratitude therefore takes nothing for granted, is never unresponsive, is constantly awakening to new wonder and to praise of the goodness of God. For the grateful person knows that God is good, not by hearsay but by experience. And that is what makes all the difference.”
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Our mission is to be a transforming presence in society through witnessing Gospel values. Faithful to our charism in the mission of the Church, we prophetically respond
to the needs of contemporary society. As compassionate women alive in the spirit,
we enable and empower others to live the Gospel with hope and joy.
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