May 13, 2009

We are past the middle of the week and here I am, just getting started on my blog for this week. Time flies!!! We had a little rain shower last night. The trees are flowering in Maple Island Park.

Last Thursday noon, Sister Georgine and I went to the Government Center to pray at the flag pole for peace. It was a national Day of Prayer. There were about thirty of us there for the event. I found it very touching to see the young and the older all so seriously praying for peace in the world, in our country, our state, our city, our families and in our own hearts. May God bless all our troops serving throughout the world. And may God take care of their families here at home.

Friday evening we had the Wake service for Sister Dorine Zupan. Her funeral was Saturday at 11 a.m. It was wonderful to see so many of her nieces and nephews and their little ones come for both services.

Saturday I was involved in the Regional Council meeting for the SFOs (Secular Franciscans). What a great group of men and women.

Sunday, Mother’s Day, fifteen of us from three of our living groups gathered at the Welcoming House in St. Cloud to honor and share about our Mothers. We saw pictures and heard touching stories about these great women. Then we had a delicious meal.

Today we had the blessing of the new kitchen area. What a joyous event. Pictured are Sister Mary Obowa and Terry Bernardy blessing the area with holy water as a hallway full of Sisters and Employees looked on. The finishing touches are being added to the food storage room. Then comes the challenge for the Dietary Staff to learn anew where everything is.

Tomorrow evening, Thursday, we are having our Volunteer Appreciation Dinner. It is the least we can do to thank all the men and women who help us in so many ways.

The rhubarb is big enough for pulling and eating. So far I’ve made three rhubarb cakes. They seem to disappear quite fast. Tonight we celebrated Sr. Matthias’ Feast Day with a fresh rhubarb cake and ice cream. What cake was left, I gave to the nursing staff. I thought it a nice gesture to honor them during Nurse’s Week.

The Music Center is having recitals in the afternoon both on Saturday and Sunday. It makes my heart happy to see how well these students have developed their talents throughout the year.

Sunday evening there will be a Choral Concert in Chapel. They make beautiful music
together. I hope we have another big audience.

Our resident ducks are back. Every year a pair or two make a nest on campus. Then when the young are hatched they walk them across campus, across the highway, over to the Mississippi River. It is a sight to behold. Carl Simons, Jr., one of our volunteers, took this delightful picture.

A little slip of paper fell to the floor in my room the other day.
These two sayings were written on it:
“Just one person taking action can inspire others to do the same.” Leslie Agular.
“The only place you will find “success” before “work” is in the dictionary.” May V. Smith

God bless and continue to care for you.
Sister Mary Lou

May 5, 2009

Greetings and Peace to you.

Here we are into May already! April and May showers are bringing May flowers into view. A row of beautiful tulips lined the entrance area of St. Francis Xavier Church in Sartell, MN. Little wild blue flowers bloom in our back yard. Yellow shrubs shine in our neighborhood. Our bleeding heart plant grew from an inch to seven or eight inches last week. Spring is truly here. Showers and thunder storms seem to be in the offing for the next several days. God is good. May we have seasonable rain throughout the growing season. May farmers and gardeners have a good growing season and a fruitful harvest.

I noticed the plastic-covered temporary green-houses on the parking lots at Coborn’s and at Hardware Hanks. That sure puts me in a mood for digging in the dirt.

Last Tuesday a group of Red Hat ladies had a tour of our convent. They came for lunch, to see a video of the Altar Bread department and our ministry of sending altar breads to 150 churches in Minnesota and many other states, to see the Franciscan Life Office, our library, and our Chapel. Hostesses, Sisters Christelle and Mary Lou and Pat Sharon, librarian, joined them in also wearing red hats.

This morning we received word that our Sister Mary Dorine Zupan went to meet the Lord last evening. We will have Franciscan Wake Friday evening, May 8th, and Sr. Dorine’s funeral on Saturday morning at 11 a.m.

Another death last week was that of Fr. Tom Agar, age 59. I worked with him at Assumption Parish in Morris, MN. many, many years ago when I was principal at St. Mary’s School. Since the end of February Tom has been very ill. He was scheduled to be ordained the end of May, but was ordained early, March 20th, in the critical care unit of the hospital in CA where he was a patient. He will be buried in his hometown of Brown’s Valley, MN, on May 9th, 2009

Because of a meeting with the Secular Franciscans on March 28th, I was not able to attend the Little Falls Regional Meeting that same day. So I attended the St. Cloud Regional Meeting on Sunday May 3rd. It was a great gathering with many Sisters and Associates in attendance. The picture shows Associate Rick Dietz and I wearing our hats for the afternoon activity.

This is the season for First Communions. Saturday evening I attended the Mass at which my great-niece Kate Woeste received her First Communion in Sacred Heart Parish in Sauk Rapids. It was a mini family reunions since most of my family was there.

The finishing touches are being completed on the work in the new Motherhouse kitchen. It is beautiful. (I heard that Josie will bake bread and use the new ovens tomorrow.) The end of January the cooks moved all the necessary cooking items to the small kitchen in Hurrle Hall, across the street from the main dining room. Now they are in process of moving all these things back. And in a few days they will be doing all the meal preparation in their new facility. God bless them for the wonderful way they have made all the adjustments needed in these past three months. You have been an example of Franciscan Joy through this whole renovation process.

Have a good week.
Pax et Bonum
Sister Mary Lou