December 28, 2017

Merry Christmas.  I hope it is a good one for you. The Christmas season goes on for another couple weeks—until the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord on Monday, January 8, 2018. So keep on celebrating! My sister, Rita, came to spend the day with me. Then she needed to go to the farm to feed the kitties.

Winter came with a blast the other day. Today’s high temperature is about minus 2 degrees with a couple inches of snow forecast by the morning. I’m glad we didn’t get the 5 feet of snow they got some places in the East.

We had beautiful liturgies on Christmas Day With lots of singing. For our Christmas Eve Mass, the chapel was full and then after Mass most people came to St. Francis Hall for cookies and hot chocolate and visiting. Pope Francis said, “The joy of Christmas…comes from Faith and from the encounter with Jesus Christ, the reason for out true happiness” (12-19-2017).  May Jesus be near to each of us with His love and caring support.

These two trees are covered with the prayer intentions that our donors have asked us to pray for. So we pray every day of the year-for our generous donors. May God bless and care for each of them in the ways God knows best. 

We have a Blood Drive scheduled next Wednesday. Thursday and Friday, January 3^rd, 4^th and 5^th.  I hope others step up to the plate to cover for the “snow birds” who are trying to keep warm in southern parts of our country.

I’ll write again next year.

I and we Franciscan Sisters wish you good health, peace and loving relationships in the New Year.

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Sister Mary Lou

December 21, 2017   

Third Week of Advent

Christmas is in the air and all around us! Saturday I was at the Cathedral in St. Cloud for the Concert of the St. John’s Boys Choir. That director knows how to get great sounds out of those young men.  The Cathedral is a big church and it was full! It was a great concert. My brother’s grandson, Ethan, is one of the singers.

We’ve had several wonderful concerts here, too. St. Francis Music presented the Choral Christmas Concert on the 10^th and the Orchestra Christmas Concert on the 15^th. The Beginners Orchestra played a few numbers to start the evening off. Lots of talent there!

We have had many Sisters serve as missionaries in Mexico, so the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe is celebrated in grand style here. This is a picture of the display in the dining room.

Last Tuesday we had a retirement party for Jeff Odendahl, who has served as our Peace and Justice co-coordinator for many years. Thank you, Jeff, for keeping us updated on peace and justice issues and reminding us to write letters when issues demanded it.

That same evening the Dandee Lion Club ladies came to help decorate Christmas cookies. Everyone had fun.

On Thursday, we had a Retirement Party for Donna Field. She has worked as secretary to the Leadership Sisters for about 27 years. Thank You, Donna. (You probably know more about our Community than we do!)

Then that same evening the Lions Club came caroling…and have pizza with us. For them it was supper because they had been singing since 5 p.m., at 5 or 6 other places before they got here about 7:30.

One evening a group of Girl Scouts came to sing to us as we were finishing dinner. Having worked in elementary schools for nearly 50 years, I always really enjoy have youth come to perform for us. The other day the employees sang us a revised version of The Twelve Days of Christmas: On the first day of Christmas: One Franciscan Blessing, 2 flying bats, 3 yoga poses, four Tech HELP requests, 5 Sisters praying, 6 dozen cookies, 7 guitarists strumming, 8 urgent E-mails, 9 brand new donors, 10 sweepers sweeping, 11 maintenance requests and 12 balanced budgets.

The Christmas Eve Mass, Vigil of Christmas December 24^th, is at 7:30 p.m. with singing starting at 7 p.m. Come join us if you are in the area. 

Our Christmas Day Mass is at 8:30 a.m.  Again, come and join us if you are in the area.

May the GIFT of HIS LOVE bring you JOY this Christmas Season and throughout the New Year.

MERRY CHRISTMAS.

Sister Mary Lou

December  6, 2017

Happy Feast of Saint Nicholas.  He came to visit us in the dining room this noon and gave us each a little bag of peanuts…a nice little treat.  I remember him coming to our home when we were children.  There would be a big racket on the porch, but when we went to look there was no one there, but we’d find a bag of peanuts and apples & oranges in the wood box.

There are many activities come up in the next couple weeks. On Sunday December 10^th at 2 p.m. the St. Francis Community Chorale will present their Christmas Blessings, Concert in Sacred Heart Chapel.  There will be a reception in St. Francis Hall.  This group is directed by Barb Stumpf.

The other noon, Jeff and a group of ladies did an enlunchment presentation, telling us about the work a group of them did wile in Haiti.  I am always impressed by the great works volunteers do both in our own country and in other countries.  Thank you for sharing your faith by putting it into action.

On Friday, December 15^th at 7 p.m. the St Francis Chorale and Chamber Orchestra will give a concert, Joyful Yuletide, in Sacred Heart Chapel.  The concert is directed by Bobbi French.   

The Little Falls Lions Club will come for Christmas Caroling and pizza on Thursday, December 14^th from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. in St. Francis Hall.

There will be a retirement party in the dining room for Jeff Odendahl at 2 p.m. on December 12^th.  Jeff has served as director of the Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation department for the past 13 years.  Thanks, Jeff, for a job well done.  We will miss you.  Do come back to visit.

Friday, December 8^th, is the Feast of the Immaculate Conception and the patronal feast of our Community.  It will be a special day for us.  We will have Morning Prayer together at 8:15 followed with brunch.   At 11 a.m. we will have a festive Mass with lots of singing .  Following 4:15 Evening Prayer we will have a special dinner.  A little statistic:  We are 117 living Sisters and 338 deceased Sisters.

The Give to the Max collection was a little over a week ago.  From our generous donors our Community received over $54,000 to support our ministries.  Thank You.  We are grateful and we do pray for you.

We have a bit of snow on the roof tops but not enough on the ground to make mention of.  The temperate is cold—but I guess we should expect that since we are into December.

May your Advent days be peaceful (unstressful) as we get nearer to Christmas.

Peace and blessings,

Sister Mary Lou