January 5, 2010: Happy New Year!

Happy New Year. I hope you are staying warm and keeping safe in this bitter cold. Here it has been minus 20 or more degrees below zero each of the last three or four days. Yesterday it was + 5 degrees at noon—but the sun was shining on the thermometer! The fireplace outside our chapel is a nice place to warm up these cold days.

Sisters Georgine, Julien, Christelle and I spent some hours at Coborn’s Grocery Store to “Make a Joyful Noise” as part of the Food Shelf fund raiser, We greeted many people. The shoppers were very generous in their donations to the Food Shelf. The need is great. Carol told me that one day they were suppose to close at noon and they were not finished serving clients until well after 2 p.m.

Those four days of snow just before Christmas gave us about 17 inches of new snow. The piles along roadways and sidewalks are starting to get high. And the ice underneath is something to careful about both in walking and driving. Because of all the snow, I asked for a room at the Motherhouse for a few days. (I don’t like getting stuck and I can’t push a car very well and going through deep snow with a walker is a real chore,)

And by staying there, I knew I would be there to work in the mailroom and sub at the switchboard. So I spent Christmas day at the Motherhouse.

We had beautiful services on both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. We had many guests come for Christmas Eve Mass and then come to St. Francis Hall afterwards for goodies. I think many of us were surprised at how many ventured out on such a snowy night.

Most of us did not stay up to watch TV as the ball came down in Time Square on New Year’s Eve. I figured the ball would come down and the New Year would come in whether I was watching or not. So I went to bed.

Sunday, Epiphany or Little Christmas, we Sisters celebrated our Christmas together.

After our morning Mass we had Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament until after 3:30 prayer. Then we had a nice social hour, a delicious meal, and sang Christmas Carols to end the evening.

We have a Sister’s retreat going on from the evening of the 8th until noon on the 14th. So it will be pretty quiet around the building those days. I didn’t count how many names are on the list, but it is quite a few. My name is on the list.

From the 13th to the 15th we will be having a Red Cross Blood Drive in St. Francis Hall. As always, I am so grateful to all the generous donor’s who share the gift of their blood.

Early Monday morning a group of about 20 persons from central Minnesota went to Nicaragua on a mission trip to work for two weeks in two of the parishes that Franciscan Father Ted Niehaus serves. Our Sisters Grace and Carol are in the group. Sr. Grace helps mostly in the medical clinic. They serve the needs of many people who otherwise would have no opportunity to receive medical help. Let us pray for their safety and well-being.

Again, I wish you a Happy New Year—a year filled with peace and many blessings that find you nearer to the Lord. “Lord, come when You are ready and help me to be ready when You come.”

Pax et Bonum--(Peace and goodness.)
Sister Mary Lou

December 21, 2009

As of 11:47 this morning, winter is officially here according to the calendar. From the looks and feel of it, winter has been here for about a month already.

The fourth week of Advent is here and Christmas comes on Friday—the day we’ve been preparing for all Advent. All four Advent candles on the wreath are now lit. Most of the Christmas cards and been sent and MANY received. God bless all our relatives and friends who take the time to reconnect or connect. Building relationships is such an important part of living and being Franciscan.

Music. Music. And more music. This is what St. Francis Music Center has provided for us. December 11th, Celo V’ec directed the two Sting Orchestras for our entertainment. And at this concert, the St. Francis Community Choir joined them for a beautiful rendition of Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring. Then on the 13th the Community Choir had their own inspiring and beautiful concert. Then yesterday a group of six Senior High School girls provided us with another marvelous musical experience. These six girls, the Senior Ensemble, entertained us by singing beautifully twelve Christmas songs. And as part of this concert a String Trio, Students of Celo V’ec, played six numbers for us. What marvelous talent these young people shared with us! Thank you, ALL you musicians, for sharing your gifts with us. We were appreciative audiences.


I hope you weren’t planning on traveling to the east coast the next few days. It sounds to me like moving around there can be a big problem. And now it sounds like we could have our own bout with new snow before Christmas. My two brothers and their wives are planning on snow-birding in Texas the next three months. As each round of snow comes, they say, “Texas is sounding real good right now.”

Last Thursday we had our Sister/Employee Christmas pot-luck meal at noon. After the meal, the drawings were held to give away many items. These items were donated by employees and Sisters as a way to raise some money for Caring by Sharing. This year the funds were donated to the Boys and Girls Club and Hands of Hope. I am so proud of how generous folks were. A total of $1,117 was divided between the two groups. Many people went home with lovely gifts. I didn’t win anything, but was gifted with a pair of home-sewn mittens—the only thing I really wanted. Oh, lucky me!

Many, many generous donors are returning one of the two paper ornaments we sent to them in our Christmas appeal letter. These ornaments are now gracing two large Christmas trees in chapel. After Christmas these ornaments will be divided up among all of us Sisters and these will be our special people to pray for each day of 2010.

I wish each of you, my blog readers, a very Happy and grace-filled Christmas. May the love of Jesus fill your hearts and overflow in the good you do for others.

Peace and all good. (Pax et Bonum.)
Sister Mary Lou

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October 7, 2009

Since I wrote last week, we’ve received 4+ inches of rain here in Little Falls. Today is sunny and bright. Many trees are wearing beautiful fall colors. But in the weather forecast I heard the word “snow” for Friday for our area!!!

Since my last writing, we’ve celebrated the Feast of St. Francis on Sunday, October 4th. A faith-filled Mass started the day. In the evening we celebrated with a special dinner. John made pork chops and ribs on a wood-pellet-fired-smoker-grill--the use of which came from the Nelson Hardware Store in Swanville, MN. Good prayer and good food, good company—this must be heaven will be like!

I am quoting an article Sr. Bernice Rieland wrote in our Community Newsletter this week. It is too good to not share. “Animal Blessing: All God’s creatures had a voice in the choir on Sunday, October 4, at the Blessing of Animals in honor of St. Francis of Assisi. A menagerie of pets—all sizes, colors and voices with names such as Woody, Rylie, Sophie, Taco, Cinder and Willy—were present in Washington Park in Little Falls, MN, for the well attended event. We heard howls, barks, purrs and yips. One participant stated he brought his dog, Rose, to last year’s blessing and later she gave birth to a litter of 12 puppies. This year Rose refused to get into his pickup. The blessing obviously had merit and Rose wanted no part of it this year.’

Saturday afternoon, Oct. 10th, we have a special treat. The Woodbury Choir and orchestra will be performing a concert for us in our Sacred Heart Chapel. They have been here before and they make beautiful music. They are stopping here to perform before they continue on to Brainerd where they will make music for a Church service and a concert Sunday afternoon.

This coming Sunday we have Associate Commitment Day. Four applicants from the St. Cloud Area will be making their commitment as Franciscan Associates. The afternoon program will feature Associate Rick Dietz speaking on “Engaging the Franciscan Charism: As Associate’s Perspective.” It should be a very good day. (Long ago, Rick and I were both on staff at St. Mary’s Parish in Morris MN.)

Let us pray for one another.
Peace and all good.
Sister Mary Lou


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June 2, 2009

The lilacs are in full bloom, but are now starting to fade. The fragrance near the rows of bushes on the south part of our Motherhouse property is heavenly. On my trips to Melrose and St. Cloud over the weekend, I noticed many fields of corn that seem to be growing nicely. But we very much need rain. Let us all pray fervently for the gift of seasonable rain—not too much and not too little.

On Sunday we went to a pancake breakfast in Melrose. It was a fundraiser for the Franciscans in Brazil. Father John Schwieters, Sister Jean’s brother, is a member of that Community.

Last Tuesday we welcomed back another bus of troops. As I sat shivering at 8 p.m. while waiting for the bus to come to town, I thought, “What little I am suffering right now is little compared to what these men and women had to put up with for this past year during their deployment.” The police, the fire trucks and a group of patriot guard were in front of the bus as it came into Little Falls…and a long line of cars followed the bus.

Last Thursday the Little Falls Franciscan Life Commitment Group had a tree planting to honor Mary Kranz, who has terminal cancer. The new tree is on the lawn, west of the Motherhouse. Sr. Georgine took the picture of Mary and her family and the tree-planters.

Finally the Russian olive trees between Hurrle Hall and Mary Hall have gotten leaves on them. They really are late-starters.

Sunday was the Feast of Pentecost. We had a wonderful liturgy with lots of singing.
I read this quote which I though worth passing on: “This Pentecost, may God’s liberating and life-giving and boundary-shattering Spirit rush through us and our communities. Inspired by the Spirit may we discern anew the universal scope of God’s love—for humans and for all of God’s creation. (Rev. Peter Sawtell) I guess that can serve as a challenge for each of us.

The other day I walked around the west side of the Motherhouse. Pictured here are a couple of things I saw.

Pax et Bonum (Peace and Goodness)
Sister Mary Lou

March 22, 2009

WELCOME SPRING! On Friday we had an inch of new snow, 2/10s inch of rain and bright sunshine to end the day! Praise God. When I went to the Motherhouse for Mass on Friday morning, Keith and Tim were in the flower plot near the kitchen digging up bulbs—bulbs with four-inch green sprouts. Snow all around them, it seemed too early in the season to be digging in the ground. But the bulbs had to be moved and there they were doing their job. I think it has something to do with the kitchen renovation.

Congratulations to the Flyer Boys Basketball team. They are in play-offs this week.
Good luck, boys.

I will be part of a big retreat (about seventy Sisters) starting Sunday evening until noon on Friday. The retreat director is Fr. Dan Crosby, OFM, Cap. The theme of the retreat is “Eight Beatitudes of a Contemplative Franciscan.” There will be a lot of silence on the campus. Holy Spirit, come be with us.

I am not Irish, but I celebrated in a great way on March 17th! I was given an award by the Little Falls Chamber of Commerce as the 2008 Volunteer of the Year. The award was presented at the annual Chamber meeting that evening. Also the Big Business of the Year, (Coborn’s Superstore) and the Small Business of the Year (Century 21 New Horizon Realty) received awards. It is an honor to receive this recognition and I accepted it not only for myself but also for all the Franciscan Sisters who volunteer and share their time and talents to help make the world a better place. There were 280 guests for the dinner. Three of my family members, Cecelia, Rich and Louise, surprised me by attending the evening’s event. The Morrison County Record has a picture and an interview with each of us in the March 22nd edition.

Last week we had the funerals for Sister Judith on Tuesday and for Sr. Virginia on Thursday. And I attended the funeral for my sister-in-law’s brother, John, on Wednesday. May they all be enjoying new life with the Lord.

Today, March 22nd, is World Water Day. The Sisters of Saint Benedict from St. Joseph, MN, and the Franciscan Sisters and Associates of Little Falls, MN, have been working with several organizations on the problems we all face regarding the WATER crisis. Through our study and work we realize that all peoples must work together to save our diminishing resources. The little flyer I am looking at gives eight points for us to start a conversation with our friends, neighbors and adversaries as to how we can preserve this sacred resource for future generations. The eight points are: 1. Water is sacred. It belongs to all life on the planet. 2. Every creature needs water to live. Earth’s freshwater must be protected and conserved. 3. Water is a basic human right. Every person must have access to enough safe water to meet essential needs. 4. It is everyone’s responsibility to use water sparingly and with care so that all living things can share in this resource. 5; Water is a public trust. It must be guarded by individuals, communities and government. 6. Polluted waters are to be reclaimed. 7. Environmentally unsustainable activity must be discouraged. 8. Natural watersheds are considered to be the best protection for water. Two other points of interest are: the amount of fresh water on the earth is a mere 2.6% of the total and we oppose the privatization of water and the use of bottled water unless absolutely necessary.

Work on the kitchen remodeling project is progressing nicely. On Thursdays, it is great to take a peek into the area to see all the progress. I noticed that the floor tile and the wall tiling seems to be completed, the stove hoods are up and there is lots of duct work done and now a couple walls are up. God bless and keep safe all those who are working on this big project.

On Saturday, March 28th, we will have the Secular Franciscan Order Annual Spring Retreat here at the Motherhouse. Our speaker is Fr. Lester Bach, OFM, Cap. I look forward to hearing him speak about topics from his newest book, Seeking a Gospel Life.

And one last note is to congratulate my friend, Father Tom Agar, on his ordination to the priesthood in a private ceremony in the ICU unit of a hospital in Monterey, CA. Tom has been really sick for nearly a month and it was his desire to be ordained, so Bishop Richard Garcia brought to fulfillment, Tom’s dream of becoming a Priest in the Catholic Church. The Bishop issued only one working assignment order to Father Tom at the conclusion of the Ordination Ceremony: Get Well. Tom’s home town is Brown’s Valley, MN. His mother was an SFO member.

Pax et Bonum.
I will be praying for you during my retreat.
Sister Mary Lou

February 2, 2009

Feast of the Presentation—Jesus presented in the Temple…and also the blessing of candles. We use candles in so many ways. And because of our Baptism we are expected to be lights to all around us. Let us strive to make the world a better place, one person at a time starting with ourselves.

Last Friday we had a blessing service for those being deployed to Iraq. Relatives and friends of employees and Sisters were invited for this prayer service. Four men were present for the blessing, but I included all those being deployed in my prayers. May they come back safe and sound.

Yesterday I attended the thirty-sixth annual l Pro-Life dinner at the Falls Ballroom. They were expecting four to five hundred for the dinner. As full as the Ballroom was, I believe there were that many present. The guest speaker was a local lady, Laureen Witt. She spoke on the blessings and challenges of raising a Downs Syndrome child. God bless all families who live with any challenges especially in this time of a tough economy.

Well, we didn’t have a January Thaw. I think I heard that you have to have two days in a row with temperatures over freezing to make it a January thaw. January ran out of days before the second day of warmer weather. It was 40 degrees above zero on the 31st and into the 30s on February 1st. So was it a January ½ thaw? And the Groundhog saw its shadow today. Even without that I believe we will still have another six weeks of winter!

Our Community Newsletter recently carried the following article submitted by Sister Gloria Haider. I hope you can relate to it.

On the sixth day God turned to the Archangel Gabriel and said:
“Today I am going to create a land called Minnesota. It will be a land of outstanding natural beauty; a land of 10,000 beautiful lakes—each one full of fish.’

It shall have tall majestic pines, peacefully flowing rivers, landscapes full of buffalo, tall grass, and eagles, beautiful blue skies, forests full of bear, elk and moose and rich farmland.”

God continued, “I shall make the land rich in resources so as to make the inhabitants prosper and they shall be known as a most friendly people, people who practice being Minnesota Nice every day.”

“But Lord,” asked Gabriel, “don’t you think you are being too generous to these Minnesotans?”

“Not really,” replied God. “Just wait and see the winters I am going to give them.!”

The remodeling project in the Convent kitchen started in earnest today. The workmen were there in full force. This past week there has been much activity in moving some of the needed cooking items to the small kitchen in Hurrle Hall across the street where meals will be prepared the next three months while the kitchen is being fixed up. A temporary bakery is set up in the storeroom across the hall from its usual home. So again we will have the mess of reconstruction going on for a little while, but it will be so nice when it is all finished. The remodeling projects in the other areas of the Motherhouse are so beautifully done. Now the last project is under way. May the work proceed without accident, injury or without unforeseen delays.

Peace and blessings,
Sister Mary Lou

December 10, 2008

The first words I read this morning after I got up were, “Sometimes it seems as if everyone I meet is tired…tired of working, tired of their daily grind, tired of boredom, tired of loneliness, tired of financial pressures, tired of stress, even tired of being tired.”

It almost made me want to go back to bed again! Next I read from the Gospel of Matthew (1:28-30) “Jesus said to the crowds: ‘Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For My yoke is easy, and my burden light.’” That lifted my spirits. Christ offers Himself, opening His arms wide, and inviting all who are weary to come to Him and to find rest. When we are “yoked” to Jesus, we can be assured that the Lord will do the heavy lifting and will be our Guide as we move through the day. So the day has moved along nicely and there have been no burdens that I can’t handle. Thank you, God.

The concert last Friday was beyond words to describe. The Strings players were superb and then the Chorale joined them to do the “Halleluiah Chorus”! It was a spiritual experience that brought the audience to their feet. Thanks, Celo.

Sr. Rosaria just came back from her Mother’s funeral. She said it was beautiful. To think that her Mom lived to the age of 114 years. Think of all the changes she had seen in her lifetime. Wow!

Monday we celebrated the feast of the Immaculate Conception. None of us will soon forget that feast day Mass. Just at the Consecration, the fire sirens started blaring and kept it up until Father said, “Now offer one another a sign of peace.” We had quiet for a short time and then the noise all began again, but for a shorter time. My thought was, “We are all in Chapel and in what safer place could we be?” A sprinkler system head froze and broke and water was coming down the steps as the men ran up the steps to find the problem. One thing we know for sure is that one cannot ignore the fire alarms!

Various departments are having their Christmas parties. Last night I worked at the Convent Switchboard while the regular workers had their party. Today the Community Relations and Development Department had their party and I was invited to that one.

Good food. Good company. Good visiting and sharing. Next Sunday we have our SFO Christmas party in Brainerd. On Sunday, also, is the Heartland Orchestra concert at the Charles Martin Auditorium. Since I don’t yet have bilocation, I guess I will need to give my tickets to someone else to use.

This Friday afternoon/evening I will be going out to the Corborn’s superstore to “Make a Joyful Noise.” This is a fundraiser for the local Food Shelf. I recruited a helper to join me in my four-hour shift. We will make joyful noises and invite people to help our cause.

Winter has definitely come. Between Saturday and Tuesday we had 5 inches of snow. And the temperatures have stayed cold. I don’t mind the cold and snow so much, but I don’t like freezing rain and ice.

God bless and continue to care for you. I’m off to writing more Christmas cards and letters. The second batch went out this morning. There are still more to go!

Sister Mary Lou