Time flies when you’re having fun

The middle of the week…and by next week Wednesday we will be past the middle of the month. “Time flies when you’re having fun.” And that is what it is for me and so many others.

Last Friday was the 4th of July. I attended the 27th annual West Union Parade. Now that doesn’t sound like much to many of you. West Union has a population of about 100. The 25-minute parade had about 50 units—and for the first time had no marching band. (Even the Kazoo band had to be cancelled because it takes at least 8 people and until after it was cancelled there were not that many people to be part of the band.) There were the Color Guard leading the parade, then fire trucks, the old tractors and farm equipment, the humorous units, old and new fire trucks, etc. and LOTS and LOTS of candy. There were about 1,000 viewers. After the parade everyone was invited to the city park for free hotdogs and buns and watermelon.

Sunday was Adoration Sunday. There was Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament until after Evening Prayer. The house was quiet with lots of prayer happening all day long.

Yesterday we had a Tour Group from St. Bridget’s Parish in the cities come for Mass, lunch and then a tour of the Motherhouse and of course the Gift Shop. After they left here they went to the west side of town to the Lindbergh site and visited the boyhood home of Charles Lindbergh and the Interpretive Center. They saw a LOT of things in five hours.

Father Michael, Kwatera, OSB is coming to say Mass for us Franciscans on the feast of St. Benedict. We are blest that he’d come to us on the Feast of St. Benedict. Thank you, Father.

The Community Gardens are doing so well. Folks are so proud of the produce growing in their individual little plots. There are 58 plots of varying sizes to meet gardeners’ needs and energy levels. These gardens are used by the people of Little Falls. All they have to do is contact Jim and Donna to arrange for a space.

Sister Ruth’s Convent Gardens are also doing very well. We are enjoying lots of fresh lettuce. Yummy!

Sunday, July 20th we will be having a St. Francis High School Gathering. All graduates of St. Francis High School are invited for Mass, lunch and an afternoon of visiting. It should be a fun day.

Let us pray for peace in so many places of our troubled world.

God bless you, Be safe. May we be spared damaging storms, hail and strong winds.
Sister Mary Lou

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