Feast of the Assumption of Mary

A little over and inch of rain Saturday night and a couple tenths last night. With all the rain there are little bunches of mushrooms popping up all over the north lawn. Yesterday was a beautiful day.

Yesterday we celebrated the 50th Jubilees of six of our Sisters. The 11 a.m. Liturgy was full of great singing and lots of good music. The altar area was beautiful with lovely flowers and the two 12-foot red banners with gold ribbons. The Sisters had many family and friends join them for the day. It truly was a day of Jubilee. In her welcome at the beginning of Mass, Sr. Bea listed some of the events happening in 1961 when these Sisters entered the Order. I’d forgotten some of those events.

Tonight Retreat starts for about 50 of us. Sister Joanne Meyer, OSF is the Retreat Director. The topic is: The Testament of Francis. I am looking forward to it. Retreat will end Sunday morning. Ahortly before the Jubilee Mass.

Next Sunday we celebrate the five 60- year Jubilarians. A am so amazed at and proud of all the good works these Sisters have done in their 75, 50 and 60 years of their Religious Life…students they’ve taught, sick they cared for, poor and needy they’ve helped in so many ways. They have been of service in such Franciscan ways.

It’s been a while since I included one of the wooden banners from the Canticle of Creatures by St. Francis. “Praise to You, my Lord, through Sister Water, who is very useful and humble and precious and chaste.” (I am sure those people who suffer because of an over-abundance of water, don’t feel it such a blessing…and those in severe drought pray for and long-for the gift of rain and water.)

Last week, “they” finished the 1,000-piece puzzle of Wild Ducks and other wild birds. Many Sisters and others spend little slots of time putting in a piece or two at a time. And the end results are beautiful.

I will keep you in prayer this week while I am in retreat.

God bless and continue to care for you.

Sister Mary Lou