I'm back, loving life as ever

I’m back!

Our 3,373 trip was wonderful. My brother, Richard, his wife, Louise, my sister, Cecelia and I headed toward Notre Dame, IN, for our cousin’s 60th Jubilee Celebration as a Holy Cross Brother Our first stop on the journey was at the Shrine Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe in La Crosse WI. After the Jubilee Celebration on Saturday we toured and visited with relatives. We attended Sunday Mass at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart on the University of Notre Dame University Campus. A big surprise for me was that my high school classmate, Barb, was directing the choir for the Jubilee Celebration. Sunday afternoon we continued on our way to Dearborn, MI, to visit Louise’s sister, Jane. One of the things we did there was to tour a Ford Plant and saw F150 pick-ups being built. That was something to see. One day we visited “The Village”, the museum built by Henry Ford. So much history! I loved it. I was also glad we took a wheelchair with us because there was more walking that I could have handled. All along the way we saw much water in fields, ditches and other low places. In one place we saw standing fence posts under water. God made a beautiful world and I was happy to see so much of it…but, right now there is tooooo much water standing in lots of places.

In the meanwhile Life at the Convent continued. Judi, Director of Archives, retired. Julene is now our Archivist and director of the Archives Department. She will do just fine. Having worked with Judi for a number of years she understands most of what is involved in the job.

Now that the Chapel roof has been re-shingled, the next project started today with new shingles going on our 12-car garage. Those guys tap-tap-tap so fast with their hammers. I’d not hit a nail every time if I tried hitting at such a fast speed! And now it is 1:30 p.m. and they are finished on the roof and are now busy cleaning up the mess! WOW.

Sisters have been living at the convent in Flensburg, MN for 78 years. The last group of five Sisters moved to the Motherhouse earlier this summer. So after starting as a Catechetical Mission and then a Catholic School (1953-1969) there are no Sisters living in the Parish. Last Sunday was a day to express Thanksgiving and Appreciation for the work of the Franciscan Sisters in the Parish. Sixty Sisters taught and lived in Flensburg at some time during these past 78 years. (I was not one of them.)

Two weeks ago we had an American Red Cross Blood Drive here. Our Goal was 226. We didn’t quite reach the goal, but came close with 202 donations. Thank you, donors. You truly give the gift of life.

July 13-19th is the 22nd year for the Habitat 500-Mile Bike Ride through Minnesota (St. Joseph to Osakis to Menahga to Bemidji to Pine River to Little Falls and back to St. Joseph.) They expect 135 bikers to participate. Each biker is expected to raise a minimum of $1,000. In Bemidji they will spend a day working on two Habitat Houses. While in Little Falls, they will camp out on our campus, have a spaghetti supper and use the Health and Rec showers. If it rains they will sleep in the gym. I wish them well. It is a worthy cause.

July 18th is the Relay for Life here at the High School Track…another worthy cause. Please pray for favorable weather.

Friday is the 4th of July. Let us remember to pray for our country and its leaders. We have a great country and many blessings even though there are many things that are not good and many things that need improvement, many hungry and homeless--we each can in our own way make it better for someone and work to make it a better country. We can start with prayer and then go to work!

Yesterday was “moving day” for a number of priests in our St. Cloud Diocese. Father Nick Landsberger has moved from St. Mary’s, down the street a few blocks from the Motherhouse, to retirement at Speltz House in Sauk Rapids. We invited him for dinner Monday evening. We wish him well. We will miss him.

I’m sure I could add other things that happened the past two weeks, but this is enough for now.

Peace and blessings,

Sister Mary Lou