Happy Feast of St. Francis!

and Happy Feast of St. Therese, the Little Flower. May we all learn her “Little Way” of “loving God as a little child: a trustful, willingness to be led, taught and raised in true maturity according to God’s plan rather than her own.”

Our week together last week in our Community Meetings was a very good week. But it wasn’t all work! 

And now, yesterday and today, are more quiet days. Most Sisters have returned to their Missions.

We here at the Motherhouse prepare for another busy week: Celebration of Sr. DeLourdes’ 90th birthday (Tuesday); The Transitus (Commemoration of the death of St. Francis, 7 p.m. Wednesday evening); Feast of St. Francis Thursday; Flu Shot Clinic for the Sisters, Friday morning and for the Employees from 12 to 2 p.m.; the Orphan Train Reunion on Saturday, and Donor Day on Sunday. There is no time to get bored around here!

For Donor Day, there is an 11 a.m. Mass, followed by lunch and then the Blessing of Animals on the West Lawn. Why the Blessing of Animals? St. Francis realized that God made all of Creation…all of creation is in God’s Hands, cared for and loved by God. Animals, our pets, too, need to be cared for by humans and respected because they are made by our Loving Creator. And so near the Feast of St. Francis, many places have a special blessing of animals. There are many stories in the Life of St. Francis where he had inter-action with animals: preaching to the birds and the Wolf of Gubbio are the best known.

These last days have been beautiful and warm…and now is the promise of rain at least in some places. That, too, will be a great blessing. As I understand from radio reports, the harvest is about completed. We have some beautiful colored leaves on many trees here on campus. Pictured, too, is a wagon load of Sr. Ruth’s garden produce.



Yesterday morning I woke up to have the moon shining brightly into my room. It made me think of a little poem I learned as a child:

“I see the moon and the moon sees me.
God loves the moon and God loves me.”

Peace and blessings on your week.

Sister Mary Lou

P.S. Sunday, October 7th is the West Union, MN, Sausage Supper, 1 to 6 p.m.