“Whoever is generous
to the poor lends to the Lord, and He will repay
him for his deed.”
— Proverbs 19:17
“You shall open wide
your hand to your brother, to the needy and to the poor in your land.”
— Deuteronomy 15:11
CATHOLIC SISTERS WEEK IS MARCH 8-14
Rising to the Challenge
Although food insecurity has been an ongoing problem in the United States, the COVID-19 pandemic has greatly heightened its severity. Feeding America reports that the number of people experiencing food insecurity grew from 35 million in 2019 to more than 50 million in 2020. This includes some 17 million children. Now more than ever, people in our communities need our help.

The School Sisters of St. Francis are rising to the food insecurity challenge during Catholic Sisters Week March 8-14 by collecting nonperishable food items, grocery store gift cards and monetary donations for local families in need. For details on our efforts and to find out how you can help us make a difference, please click below.
The Song of the Poor
An original poem by Sister Barbara Ann Webster
Sing me a song of the poor,
The staccato rumble of hunger,
The wail of bloated-bellied babes.
Sing me a song of the poor,
So I can orchestrate a symphony of love.

Sing me a song of the poor,
The soft flip-flop of tired aching feet,
That trudge along in search of food.
Sing me a song of the poor,
So I can orchestrate a symphony of love.

Sing me a song of the poor,
The sighs, cries and fears of the homeless,
Whimpers from a shivering child.
Sing me a song of the poor,
So I can orchestrate a symphony of love.

Sing me a song of the poor,
the hunger rumble,
the bloated-belly wail,
the flip-flop of tired feet,
the sign and cry,
the whimper,
And I will orchestrate
the symphony of love.
A Journey with Jesus
Jesus suffers today in the lives of His people. During this pandemic, and other painful disasters of 2020 and 2021, we have been united with Christ’s suffering in a unique way. Without leaving the comfort of your home, join Sisters Anita Kuchera and Barbara DeStefano for a walk in the footsteps of Jesus during Simply Prayer: Stations of the Cross, an online retreat set for 10 to 11:30 a.m. this Tuesday, March 2.

Participants will reflect on the sufferings of God’s people during a pandemic that has taken over the lives of so many worldwide. As we journey with Christ, we will feel not only the people’s pain, but also God’s pain. We have a God who weeps for us and with us and is always there to strengthen us and grace us with His healing presence. This program will be conducted entirely online through Zoom. After registering, a unique link will be emailed to you to join the meeting.
The 1944 Mount Assisi Academy basketball team contemplates their game plan ... and maybe some ice cream afterwards.
A Lenten Lesson Learned
Once again, I saunter down memory lane and recall my sophomore year at Mount Assisi Academy. Every once in a while, we basketball players were scheduled to play teams of other high schools outside the City of Pittsburgh and needed to transfer to a second streetcar downtown. After the games, we transferred again to a streetcar for the ride home.

Waiting around downtown for our second streetcar was always a lot of fun. We all piled into an ice cream parlor near the old Joseph Horne’s department store. There we enjoyed ice cream sundaes, milkshakes and more until the second streetcar came along. What fun we had bantering one another with teenage conversation.

Despite the nonsense, we remembered the words of our religion teacher, Sister Bonaventure (Sister Anna Catherine Melichar): “It is Lent. You must behave yourselves and even make sacrifices, as good Catholics do.” The next morning, as we entered her classroom, one could hear coins jangling into the "Poor Box" near the classroom entrance. We all offered our sacrifice money because “it is Lent,” and, once the ice cream wore off, we recalled our Lenten virtues.
— Sister Norberta “Vern” Kralosky
Mount Assisi Academy Class of 1946
Sister Bonaventure
Upcoming Online Spiritual Programs
March 6
March 13
March 29-30
April 15