February 16, 2009

I am amazed at how the snow is melting. Most roof tops are clear or nearly clear of snow…and for some, the moisture is leaking into basements, which is not a good sign. I marvel, too, at how there are such nice circles of melted snow around the tree trunks in both the front and back yard. Yesterday, Sister Moe saw a female cardinal eating red berries from the bush in our neighbor’s yard. Spring gets nearer each day. But winter is not over yet. Snow is forecast in the next couple days.

This past weekend we had a large Marriage Encounter group at St. Francis. We had 37 guests. For whatever reason one or two of the last scheduled gatherings had to be cancelled, so this group was large. God bless all married couples and thank you for working at making your marriages succeed.

Saturday the Queen of Peace Regional SFO (Secular Franciscan Order) Council had their quarterly meeting at St. Francis. There were 10 of us present. The Regional Minister, Ed Feiler, was recently diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma. We had a short prayer service for him and then presented him with a couple gifts. The Brown’s Valley Fraternity sent him a Prayer Shawl and the Elk River Fraternity presented him a Prayer Lap Blanket for both him and his wife, Pat. We wish you the best, Ed, as you undergo treatment.

When the sibling of a Sister dies and the Sister is not able to attend the funeral, we have a Memorial Service for that person. Last week we had a service for Father Jerry Ahles, OFM, brother of Sister Antonette. The week before, we had a service for Sister Haroldine Malinowski, sister of Sister Mary DeSales.

Our prayers are extended to the families of deceased Sisters Inez, Venard and Helen Niehaus at the death of their brother Edward Niehaus on February 1, 2009. Also, our sympathy to the family of Sr. Janet Kunkel at the death of her brother, Gerald, who died recently.

Oasis Share-A-Meal hosted a fundraiser at Our Lady of Lourdes Church on Sunday. Oasis Share-A-Meal, along with many groups, help sponsor a free meal every Thursday at First Lutheran Church for anyone who comes. Carol told me the numbers were down in January because of the severe cold. The Franciscan Sisters and our employees provide this meal twice a year.

Work on the kitchen remodeling project continues. The most frequently used word last week was “noisy.” The men removed the walk-in freezers and cooler and are now in process of removing the floor. The saws cutting the concrete are noisy. The big pieces of concrete are then put on a conveyor belt and lifted out a window and then into a big dumpster in the parking lot. Cooking in the kitchen across the street in Hurrle Hall seems to be going well.

Peace and all Goodness,
Sister Mary Lou