In this Issue:

Peak of the Week!

Welcome Sister Death

Hurricane Idalia

House of Prayer

St. Joseph's Recycling

Biblical Conference

Allegany Franciscan Ministries

Birthday Greetings

September 16

National CleanUp Day

September 16 is National CleanUp Day, which raises awareness about cleanliness and reducing litter.

National CleanUp Day was created by hiking enthusiasts Steve Jewett and Bill Willoughby in partnership with Clean Trails, a nonprofit that works to keep the outdoors clean.

The outdoors can bring a lot of joy and peace to those who enjoy hiking, walking, and climbing. Littering and trash, however, can not only ruin the experience, but it can also negatively affect the flora and fauna.

National CleanUp Day is an attempt to bring together those who love the outdoors and nature to help clean up trails, parks, beaches, and other natural communal spaces. The observance encourages people to make an effort to reduce littering and to recycle so that the nature around us remains clean and devoid of garbage.

September 19

International Talk Like a Pirate Day

September 19 is International Talk Like a Pirate Day, a parody holiday that encourages people to talk and dress like the sea plunderers of yesteryears.

In the 18th century, the image of pirates got a makeover - from being violent criminals to being somewhat caricatured. They were shown sporting eye patches, a bandana or a tricorne hat, and were always accompanied by a pet, usually a parrot or a monkey. They were also shown to speak a special version of the English language, which is grammatically incorrect, and often interspersed with growls.

International Talk Like A Pirate Day was a low-key event until 2002 when it received media attention via syndicated humor columnist Dave Barry. Today, it is celebrated around the world as a way to raise funds for charity organizations, such as Childhood Cancer Support and Marie Curie Cancer Care.

September 21

Miniature Golf Day

On September 21 head on over to your local miniature golf course with your family and friends for a day of fun and adventure, because it is Miniature Golf Day!

An offshoot of golf, miniature golf is a leisure sport that focuses on putting and includes artificial turf and obstacles.

It is believed that miniature golf was first invented, sans their characteristic obstacles and windmills, in Scotland in the late 19th century as a way to allow women to golf. Because it was unseemly for women to use a full sized golf club, the Ladies' Putting Club of St. Andrews decided to miniaturize the sport.

To celebrate, round up your family and friends and visit your local miniature golf course and play a few rounds of golf!

To see where we found these fun holidays and check out more from around the world, visit: www.timeanddate.com/holidays/fun

ALLEGANY - Sr. Bernadette Mary Donovan, OSF passed away Friday, August 25, 2023 at St. Elizabeth Motherhouse. She was born March 19, 1932, in Utica, NY the daughter of Gerald and Anne O’Hare Donovan.

She entered the Franciscan Sisters of Allegany on February 2, 1951; was received into the Congregation on August 15, 1951, and professed her final vows on August 16, 1958. She joyfully lived the Mission and Charism of the Franciscan Sisters for over 72 years.

Bernadette attended Blessed Sacrament Grammar and Utica Catholic Academy, Utica, NY. After entering the Congregation, Bernadette attended St. Elizabeth Teacher’s College, graduating from St. Bonaventure University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Education. She also received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Music with a minor in Voice from Nazareth College, Rochester, NY, and a Master of Science Degree in Theology/Sacred Science from St. Bonaventure University, Allegany, NY.

Bernadette’s ministry in education included teaching in Congregational Schools in Florida, New York, and New Jersey. She also served as Principal at Sacred Heart as well as Superior of the Convent, Homestead, FL; Corpus Christi, Miami, FL; St. Paul’s, St. Petersburg, FL and St. Patrick’s in Catskill, NY. Sr. Bernadette also served as Regional Minister for Region I, residing at Blessed Sacrament Convent, Utica, NY.

A lifelong learner, Bernadette studied business/organizational management, educational administration and musical instruction. She maintained professional affiliations with educational, philanthropic and religious organizations. Bernadette enjoyed reading, playing the piano, singing and spending time with her Franciscan Sisters of Allegany.

Bernadette worked part time for the St. Elizabeth Mission Society, providing assistance with administrative duties and served as the organist and liturgist for the Motherhouse. 

Sr. Bernadette is predeceased by her parents, Gerald and Anne O’Hare Donovan; brothers: The Reverend Monsignor William Donovan and Gerald Francis Donovan, who died in infancy; sisters: Sr. Mary Lourdes Donovan, OSF and Sr. Geraldine Donovan, OSF, both Franciscan Sisters of Allegany. She is survived by a brother, The Rev. James Michael Donovan and several cousins. 

A wake service was held scheduled for Friday, September 1, 2023 at 4:00 pm in the chapel of St. Elizabeth Motherhouse. A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on Saturday, September 2, 2023 at 9:30am. in the chapel of St. Elizabeth Motherhouse. Burial followed in St. Bonaventure Cemetery.

Arrangements were under the direction of Letro-McIntosh-Spink Funeral Home, Inc. 646 East State Street, Olean, New York. For condolences, please visit

www.letromcintoshspinkfuneralhome.com. 

Hurricane Idalia in Florida

Congregational Leadership extended deep gratitude for the prayers and safety of people in Florida, especially for sisters, associates and partners in the path of Hurricane Idalia.

Leadership had checked with many people via phone and text messages, and heard that everyone appears to be doing well. 

House of Prayer Update

By Sister Kathie Uhler

 kuhler@fsallegany.org; (c) 917-520-7487

Greetings! I trust this finds you in good health and spirits.

This is the first HoP Update since November 22, 2021. Why so long since? Life gets in the way in the staggering whole of creation, of which the HoP plays a very small part. 

My initial thoughts and hopes for the HoP included a continual but changing live-in companion; groups of the faithful of many religions coming by frequently to pray together for peace and reconciliation; and relatives and friends spending a few days of hospitality with me here and with the Trinity Episcopal Church Community. None of this has come to pass. Covid had a lot to do with it, but not all.

From early on there have been weekly and monthly retreatants here at the HoP. I appreciated very much their prayerful camaraderie. As well, other neighbors and commuters have come by to pray, chat and add intentions to the HoP Prayers Book. I am grateful to offer a spiritual atmosphere and services and believe that this alone could justify the existence of the HoP.

However, having said that and in spite of my hopes and dreams, the HoP has evolved organically through the ideas and needs of other people – through outreach!

In December 2021, a friend staying at the HoP showed me the intricacies of Zoom tech. From early January 2022, starting with two Trinity Church parishioners, I began Zooming a Monday evening Psalm Prayer Hour. To this day, from about a dozen in the total group, we have met 63 times and prayed and discussed over 60 psalms.

A parishioner invited me to join her in starting a women’s group that would serve the Gulph Mills neighborhood. We began to organize in the summer of 2022. The Women’s Group of Trinity – Gulph Mills took off and soon expanded into the Trinity Neighborhood Group, with about two dozen members. Our favorite phrase is, “How can we support each other?” Among other TNG activities, I have enjoyed our neighborhood “walk-abouts.” Over the past year, two or three of us have knocked on doors and rang bells in over 50 homes in the area. More important than spreading word of the group and our activities, just seeing who our neighbors are and getting to know them has proved to be a rewarding experience.

In the Fall of 2022, I joined Our Mother of Good Counsel RC Parish in the Bryn Mawr/Villanova area. It is a very active Augustinian parish. I became a member of the Peace and Justice Committee which meets monthly. So far I have participated in various annual campaigns and parish celebrations. My two parish memberships keep me out of trouble!

Oh, yes, and I am a life-time member of the Franciscan Sisters of Allegany, NY. (FSA) This year I volunteered to become a facilitator in a process called, “Transforming Communities through C.A.R.E.” C.A.R.E. stands for “Conversational Approach to Relational Effectiveness.” Indeed, the goal is to assist all our sisters to engage in more in-depth, mutual conversations. The hope is that we will be enabled to participate in discerning the future of our Congregation as we get older and smaller in numbers. The time allotment for us facilitators is considerable: It has been averaging a week a month that started in February 2023 and will end in September 2024. My commitment includes serving among our sisters in Brazil starting this November.

On a serious yet lighter side at the HoP, one sunny day in July 2021 a huge mulberry tree – one of three that had grown out of the same root system – fell over right in front of the HoP! Fortunately, no one was hurt and the HoP was spared any damage. For scale, the photos above show Sister Barbara Bartkowiak, OSF, my companion at the time, standing by the roots (R) and the top (L). The tree core had rotted out; the other two trees had to be taken down.

I am glad that I have not updated till now. The 19 months I have lived here have given me time to settle in: to adjust to the pace and responsibilities of the single home-dweller; to get to know and love the Trinity Community and, more recently, the folks at OMGC; and to gradually realize a turning point in my spiritual life.

This last and very personal development came about to a great extent through my conversations with and guidance from friends and mentors, for whom I will always be grateful. Moreover, I have learned by experiencing the simplicity of daily life here that attention to the present moment is key to my spirituality.

I identify with the hermit life. I am accustomed to and love the FSA adaptation to an active monastic or evangelical community lifestyle. Here, however, I have come gradually to own, and prize, my own lifestyle; and it is quite fluid. I have taken to heart St. Francis of Assisi’s Rule for Hermitages. (It is only one page long.)

Also nudging me along this path are thoughts such as these from Br. David Steindl-Rast, OSB: “A hermit monk is not supposed to decide on a fixed daily schedule …. He is supposed to remain free to be led by the Spirit that ‘blows where it chooses.’” And, describing how the hermit relates to others, he says: “Sensitivity, awareness, compassion – meaning shared joy and suffering…. Not cutting off but connecting.” And, “…keeping the heart ‘exposed’ and open to ‘all the world’s tears.’”

All for now. Come visit me! Send me your intentions for the HoP Prayers Book. Let’s stay in touch.

Peace and All Good!

Your sister,

St. Joseph’s Hospital-South in Florida is the recipient of a 2022 certificate of achievement for its work in recycling and reprocessing a specific piece of medical equipment.

During 2022 the hospital recycled more than 50,000 pulse oximeters, which are disposable, one-use devices placed on a patient’s finger to record blood oxygen levels. A light source is used to take the reading.

The recycling diverted 2,123 pounds of waste from landfills in 2022.

“Historically, these would get thrown away,” said Gary, the supply chain services manager. “But, we’ve had success in recycling them and saving tons from going into a landfill. We want to be eco-friendly.”

Gary added the hospital’s eventual goal is to recycle 105,000 pulse oximeters annually, almost double what is being recycled now.

Hospital nursing units are equipped with plastic containers to recycle the pulse oximeters.

“Education is readily available on our nursing units to put the devices in the buckets for them to be sent off to California to be reprocessed,” said Amy, a vendor representative who works on the pulse oximeter recycling/reprocessing at our hospital and other BayCare hospitals.

“We try to do education consistently on all shifts to help nursing staff know why we are doing this,” Amy said. “It’s less waste for our landfills and also recycling as a whole for our future.”

Pictured, the hospital’s supply chain services team on the loading dock with each holding a pulse oximeter recycling container. Gary, supply chain services manager interviewed for this article, is third from left. Vendor representative Amy, also interviewed for this article, is wearing blue scrubs.

Sisters & Associates Invited to Biblical Conference

St. Mary of the Angels Basilica in Olean has invited all Sisters and Associates (and anyone else who is interested) to participate in a free, two-day Biblical Conference at the end of the month.

Update from Allegany Franciscan Ministries