Holy Week warm up

March 25, 2013 Monday of Holy Week

Spring came last Wednesday according to the calendar date. According to the weather “feel” it was far from spring…temperature was 2 degrees and the wind chill was minus 20 with very strong winds and a few flakes of new snow! Today it is already near 30 degrees and won’t get much higher than that…which is fine because then the snow will melt more slowly and perhaps help lessen the spring flooding.

Friday evening, March 22nd, Sister Rachel Zenzen, age 93, went to heaven. Sisters had been sitting with her a day or so before her death. This is only the second time in the 70 or so times I’ve sat with Sisters since 2003,that a Sister has died during my watch. When Sisters remember Sr. Rachel, they always remind us of her good cooking, especially her apple pies. We have her Wake this evening and her Funeral is tomorrow. Thank you, Sister, for how you followed St. Francis in your gentle ways and service to others.


March 19th was the Feast of St. Joseph. Sr. Joel, as usual, had a very lovely arrangement near the altar to remind us of this great saint who quietly went about his work of caring for Jesus and Mary. May our lives imitate Joseph in our dedication to love and service of Jesus. Jesus said, “What you do to the lease of My People you do to Me.”


 There was lots of palm weaving all day yesterday. I know only four or five different patterns, but can figure out other designs by using Sister Cecilia’s books. It’s great to see Sisters teaching one another and helping one another with the various folds.



We have several special events during Holy Week. Thursday, Friday and Saturday we have Morning Prayer together in Chapel at 8 a.m. Thursday evening we have our Agape prayer and dinner at 4:30 p.m. The Agape prayer service is a time where we remember the Last Supper of the first Holy Thursday with special readings and prayers before we eat our meal. Our Eucharistic Service is at 7 p.m. with adoration until 10 p.m.

On Good Friday at 9:30 a.m. we have a silent walk for peace where we walk silently through the city of Little Falls with people taking turns carrying a 4-foot wooden cross. We stop at several places along the mile-long route to pray and sing a song, remembering the people associated with that stop…praying for the elderly, the sick and the dying, veterans and all those in military service, the care of creation, students and teachers, the work of the Churches, for people who work in business and financial institutions, police men and women, those incarcerated and others.

At 11 a.m. we will have Stations of the Cross both in Chapel and outside—praying the stations painted by Sr. Alice Doll that are along the path to our cemetery.

At 2 p.m. we have our Good Friday Services in Chapel.

Saturday—the Easter Vigil Service is t 8 p.m. followed by fellowship in St. Francis Hall.

And Sunday is EASTER SUNDAY! The Lord is Risen! Rejoice and be glad!

Happy Easter.

Sister Mary Lou