October 3, 2016

October 3, 2016

On Sunday Sister Irenemaree renewed her vows.  It was fitting for her to do so since

George Rodak, her father from Australia, has been visiting in the States.

On Friday evening, a capacity crowd of 420, filled both chapels for a wonderful concert titled “with gratitude” by David Haas, Marty Haugen and Michael Joncas.  These three gentlemen make beautiful music both as individuals and together.  The 32-page program included words and music to all the songs they sang…and we got to sing along on some of the songs.  This was another event to celebrate our Community’s 125^th anniversary.

Yesterday we had the 21^st annual Blessing of the Animals at Washington Park, a few blocks north of the Motherhouse.  There were six of us blessing each pets.  First was a short prayer service and then each pet was individually blessed.  Fittingly, the song we sang was, “All Creatures of Our God and King.”  Each pet was also given a blessed medal to be attached to their collar—for fish I guess they have to tape the medal to the fish tank!

Tonight at 7 p.m. we have a prayer service called the Transitus.  This is a prayer service Franciscans have on the eve of the feast of Saint Francis, to commemorate the death of Saint Francis.

Thursday, the 6^th, we have Taize Prayer in Chapel at 7 p.m.

Friday evening and Saturday Sister Elise will be directing a retreat for persons who will make their commitment as Franciscan Associates on Sunday at the 11 a.m. Mass.

The pumpkin and squash are now harvested.  While outside on Friday, I discovered, behind the barn, a trailer filled with this beautiful garden produce.  Lots of good winter eating on that trailer.  Thank you, Sister Ruth and helpers, for all your work to make this possible.

Here’s a picture from the Peace Garden.  Since we’ve not had frost yet, everything is still beautiful!

Happy Feast of Saint Francis.  You will be remembered in our prayers.

God bless you.

Sister Mary Lou

August 30, 2016

August 30, 2016

The “teacher” in my blood says, “School starts in a couple days.”  Where did summer go?”  God bless all teachers and students—whatever grade they are in.  May you teach and learn well and take the most advantage of the opportunities that are before you.

I still always got excited about the beginning of a new school year: new students, new teachers, new books, a new classroom…all things to be grateful for.

Today is the second day of a two-day blood drive.  Yesterday we got 126 units of blood and today we are hoping for 100 units.  God bless all generous donors.  It is the gift of life for those in need of blood.  The next blood drive is October 25, 26, and 27, 2016.

Sunday was also the commissioning of the Franciscan Community Volunteers.  Anna  Taylor is from Berea, KY and will be serving at Mid-Minnesota Legal Aide.  Ann Anosike is from Irving, TX and will be serving at the Saint Cloud Catholic Charities Children’s Home.  Isaac Vacheresse is from Moody, AL  will be serving at Saint Benedicts Senior Community in Therapeutic Recreation with music Therapy.  Jennifer Wonsever is from Severn, MD, and will be serving at Anna Marie’s Alliance daycare.  And John-Caleb Vacheresse (brother of Isaac) will serve at the Boys and Girls Club-Southside.  Thank you Anna, Ann, Isaac, Jennifer and John-Caleb  for your generosity and service to those in need.

Sunday we celebrated Sister Adella Blonigen’s 90^th Birthday.  Lots of relatives and friends came to join us for the Open House.  This morning I asked her if she’s looked at all the cards.  She said, “Yes.  But I need to read them carefully again.”  It was a happy day for her. 

And this coming Sunday (September 4^th) we celebrate two more 90^th birthdays:  Sister Sharon Fyle and Sister Mary Zirbes.  We Franciscans like to celebrate special events.

At 7 p.m. on September 30^th, as part of our Community’s 125 Anniversary we have a sold-out concert presented by David Haas, Marty Haugen and Michael Joncas.m  I’m looking forward to it.

I am reading How to Talk Minnesotan.  Last evening I read about the Generic Hotdish.  And I want to share the recipe with you:  Mix together in a large bowl two cans creamof mushroom soup, 1 pound of pulverized meat, 2 cans of vegetables.  Stir.  Salt to taste. Pour in baking dish.  Sprinkle with canned French-fried onion rings or Chow Mein noodles.  Bake at 400 degrees until a brown crust forms.  “Nothing fancy about that recipe” was my thought.

The week-end of September 3^rd and 4^th is the 44th Little Falls ARTS AND CRAFTS FAIR.  I plan on being there.  How about you?

Peace and blessings,

Sister Mary Lou

Snow on the Roof Tops (in Spring), But I'm Not Complaining!

What a surprise to see snow on the roof tops yesterday morning. But I’m not complaining. We have not had our homes blown away and people killed by destructive tornados. I am sure farmers are concerned about getting their crops planted.

St. Francis Music Center presented two marvelous concerts in our Chapel the past few days. On Friday evening the St. Francis Community Chorale directed by Barb Stumpf, and the Sestri Choir directed by Celo V’ec sang their hearts out for our entertainment. These groups are sooooo good. Thank you, singers, for sharing your talents with us.

Saturday evening we served delicious spaghetti to about 360 hungry eaters. It was a festive evening and I am happy that we had such a fine turnout. Thank you.

Last night we had another wonderful group of friends and supporters for the Second Annual Taste of St. Cloud fundraiser for the Franciscan Community Volunteers dinner.

There were 15 participating restaurants serving delicious foods. I asked and found out that the Cold Spring Bakery brought 42 dozen little cupcakes for the event. That’s a lot of cupcakes! There were also 25 Silent Auction items. I think everyone was pleased with the evening activities. The event happened at the Territory Golf Course--Coyote Moon Grille east of St. Cloud.

This week the Housekeeping Department is being recognized and honored for their wonderful services. We started the week with a morning coffee break and fresh, still warm caramel rolls. What a treat. We commend this department for all their hard work in keeping our house clean and for all the set-up and take-down for the many activities we have going on at the Motherhouse every week—for example three big events Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The Values and Activities Committees sponsor these recognition gatherings.

Thursday, April 5th, and the first Thursday of every month, we have a quiet hour of prayer, Taize Prayer, at 6 p.m. in Sacred Heart Chapel. Come and experience this contemplative prayer time.

Saturday, May 7th, the singing group From Age to Age will give a concert at 7:30 p.m. in the Chapel. We are so fortunate to have these great opportunities available to us.

Happy Mother’s Day to all Mothers, living and deceased. We are blessed with the gift of life because of you. Thank you for the love and sacrifices you’ve made for us. God bless you now and always.

A blessing for you “May knowledge of God become clearer in us that we may know the breadth of God’s blessings, the length of God’s promises, the height of God’s majesty, the depth of God’s judgments.”

Have a wonder-filled week.

Sister Mary Lou

July 12, 2010: Concerts

“Praise God from whom all blessings flow,” are the beginning words of a familiar hymn. These words surely say what I am feeling this beautiful Monday morning with cool temps and low humility. We had a bit of rain over the weekend. Lawns and gardens are looking great.

We are so fortunate to have wonderful concerts in our chapel. Yesterday afternoon was another of those great experiences. Four young, talented artists and professional musicians treated us to an hour and half of beautiful classical music. Scott Lykins played cello and piano. Rebecca Yeh played violin and Emma Hughey played viola. John Taylor Ward shared his beautiful baritone voice. I especially enjoyed his renditions of songs of Cole Porter, George Gershwin and Richard Rogers. Scott, a native of Nisswa, MN, and a few friends started the Lakes Area Chamber Music Festival last summer. The inaugural year of concerts was a colossal success. They have six concert scheduled for next month in Brainerd and Baxter. For more information check http://www.lakesareamusic.org/.

This week we have a special guest visiting us here in Little Falls. She is Sister Margaret, Leader of the Franciscan Sisters of St. Joseph from Kenya, Africa. Last night she had supper at our house. She is meeting with our Leadership Sisters these days and this afternoon I will take her on a tour of Little Falls.

Our Morrison County Fair is this week, Wednesday through Saturday, July 14--17. The Relay for Life is from Friday evening through Saturday morning. I hope to spend a little time at the Fair and also to do the first walk around the Flyers Field Track for cancer survivors.

This coming Saturday, many of us Sisters will be attending the Region 11 Conference for Women Religious sponsored workshop, “Consecrated Life, a Gift and Sign of God’s Presence: Exploring Individual and Common Good” at the College of St. Benedict, St. Joseph, MN. I am looking forward to the day.

Last week one day Sr. Ruth and friends went one last time to pick strawberries. I caught a group of workers preparing the treasures for our eating.

Have a good week. May God bless us and keep us. May God’s face shine upon us and be gracious to us. May God look upon us with kindness and give us peace.

Sister Mary Lou

June 29, 2010: Orphan Train Riders

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What a surprise to have such a cool morning again today. One will have to work hard and fast to work up a sweat! With all the rainy days last week we didn’t get all that much rain. The lawns look beautiful and the grass needs frequent cutting.

Governor Pawlenty proclaimed Saturday, June 19, 2010 as Orphan Train Riders Recognition Day in the state of Minnesota. “Between 1854 and 1929 an estimated 200,000 to 300,000 impoverished, orphaned and abandoned children were placed on trains by the Children’s Aid Society and the New York Foundling Hospital and sent to new family placements all over the United States. Minnesota welcomed thousands of infants and older children during this Orphan Train Movement. The legacy of the Orphan Train riders adds to the rich history of our state.” (From the proclamation) Six Riders were present for the program on June 19, 2010 at the 3M Auditorium in the Minnesota History Center in St. Paul. One of those Riders in attendance was our own Sister Justina Bieganek, age 98. Sr. Justina still volunteers in the Music Center. And she does e-mail! What a Lady!!!

The Bloodmobile was at St. Francis last week. Each day I would call Party Line to give the report and to drum up business. Our three-day goal was 260 units. We received 226 unit of blood. (We had 27 who were turned away because the hemoglobin was too low.) That’s a lot of blood! When asked some questions I didn’t know the answers to, I asked Sr. Julien some questions and found out some very enlightening information. In October it will be 11 years that the Bloodmobile has been coming to St. Francis. Each year we collect between 1,000 and 1,100 units of blood. Do the multiplication. That’s a LOT of generous donors. After they donate blood, donors get the usual juice, water or coffee AND convent home-made cookies. Friday morning I went to see what kinds of cookies were in the baskets: Carmel Apple, Peanut Butter, M & M, and Oatmeal Raisin are the ones I can remember off the top of my head. I’ve heard that some people donate blood just to get the cookies!

Saturday night we had a wonderful choral music ensemble concert in Chapel. The group, From Age to Age—changing the world one concert at a time, were six women and seven men. This a cappella group sang in Latin, German, Russian and English. The harmonies were very pleasing to the ears. Just looking at them, one could tell they liked to sing together. The founder and artistic director is Andrew Miller, who in 2007-2008 school year, taught vocal music K--12 in Long Prairie/Grey Eagle school district.

Another thing that happened last week was that three YTM (Youth in Theology and Ministry) participants came to the Motherhouse to share their ministries for the past year. A year ago these young people attended two weeks of theology camp at St. John’s and during the past year lead projects in their home parishes. They showed great leadership ability in working with peers and young children. (The YTM students also had another two-week theology camp this year.) One project that I liked was “Rent a Kid.” The YTM student gathered young people who offered to help elders and others in need with raking lawns, washing windows or whatever was needed for a free will offering. We can be very proud of these young people. The Franciscan Sisters help sponsor the YTM program.

Tuesday – Thursday we have the Girl’s Camp activities going on. The 32 girls and seven adults will be tenting in Assisi Park on the south end of our property. They will be having other activities in Breezy Inn and will tour the Motherhouse. They will attend Mass with the Sisters on Wednesday. We are hoping for no rain the next couple nights.

Saturday several of us attended the Memorial Service for Sister Maristell’s brother, Bill, in Grand Rapids, MN. On Wednesday some of us will be going to the funeral for Lois Loher in Morris, MN. I taught a number of the Loher children when I taught at Morris.

Have a safe and fun 4th of July. I will be going to the West Union Parade on Sunday. If you want something to do on the 4th, come to the parade. Pot-luck lunch in the park afterwards.

Have a good week.
Pax et Bonum.
Sister Mary Lou

May 3, 2010

We received about a quarter inch of rain the past several days. Lawn mowing can’t be far behind. There are so many beautiful blooming trees and shrubs. Makes it a joy to go for a ride.

Last Wednesday, about 30 Crosier Priests and Brothers were our guests for prayer, dinner and a trivia game. It was a joyful evening filled with much story telling and laughter. We are grateful to have their Community as friends of our Community. It was so good to see Fr. Ray, who is recovering from a nasty fall and bump on his head. At the end of the meal we sang our Franciscan Blessing over our guests. Then they sang their Crosier Blessing over us…first in Dutch and then in English. It was the first time I’ve heard Dutch sung.

St. Gabriel’s Hospital sponsored a Health Fair at the Little Falls Middle School last Friday. The Franciscan Life Office had a table with materials showing help for nurturing one’s spiritual life. St. Francis Health and Recreation Center had a table displaying the opportunities available there to nurture ones physical health. I spent an enjoyable hour + visiting all the displays. Thank you to all who work to keep us healthy and active.

Sunday afternoon several of us Sisters attended the St. Camillus Place Dinner and Dance at the Falls Ballroom, for mentally challenged adults and their families of our county. I don’t know exactly how many people were there, but it was a lot. They all seemed to have a good time. And I am sure there are many very happy, tired people today. I know that it is quiet at St. Camillus Place today as the residents rest from all the dancing and excitement of yesterday. This was the 25th dinner and dance. The first one was held in Rainbow Hall at St. Otto’s Home. We’ve outgrown that small space by many times.

The other big event on Sunday was the Spring Concert by the St. Francis Community Chorale. Those singers are so generous in all their practice time to put on such a beautiful concert! Besides making lovely music, one can tell they have a good time, too. Barb Stumpf is the director and they are accompanied by Vicki Spofford. Thank you for sharing your talents with a chapel full of enthusiastic listeners. Now they will have a summer break and will be back together next fall.

Before the Chorale sang, we were privileged to hear four Folk Songs sung by thirteen members of the newly formed Sestri Na Mir (Sisters of Peace) Choir directed by Celo V’ec. They sang Croatian, Bulgarian, Georgian and Macedonian Folk Songs. We have marvelous musical talent in our Little Falls area.

I close with a blessing of St. Francis: May knowledge of God become cleared in us that we may know the breadth of God’s blessings, the length of God’s promises, the height of God’s majesty, the depth of God’s judgments.

Peace,
Sister Mary Lou


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