November 7, 2018

Happy Fall Day: Chilly, overcast and a good day to stay inside!

A little snow on the rooftops and grassy areas. This looks like it will stay awhile.        

I suppose it should not surprise me as we are into November.

Last week we had another very successful blood drive. Generous donors donated 227 units of blood.  Thank you, donors, for your generosity. Many recipients will be grateful for your gift. God bless you.

This Saturday, November 10^th, we have our Harvest Supper—4:30 to 7 p.m., at the Convent. The menu is: Chicken breast, sausage, garden vegetables, coleslaw, bread-sticks, homemade bars and beverages will be served. Adults $10, children (5 to 12 years) $5, Children under 5 years—Free.  Come and join us.

On Sunday, November 11, Ladies from Princeton and Zimmerman will be here for a day of retreat.  May God bless you during your time with us.

Veteran’s Day will be observed on Monday, November 12^th.  May God bless all Veterans and their families and give them peace and good lives.

Give to the Max day is Thursday, November 15^th.  Please consider giving a donation to support our ministries. Here is the information.

Make your donation today by clicking the link below.

https://www.givemn.org/organization/Franciscansisterslittlefalls

May all your days be filled with blessings from God and from others.

Peace,

Sister Mary Lou

October 23, 2018

Sister Annella Bieniek, age 95, died Sunday evening at St. Francis Convent. She requested a Natural Burial, so we had a prayer service yesterday afternoon and then the burial. We will have a Memorial Mass at a later date.

Starting this afternoon until Friday noon we have “All Community” meetings. After Mass today, we took a picture of all the Sisters who could be gathered in Chapel.  Here is what we look like!

                                  

Enjoy these nice fall days.

Peace and blessings on you and your family.

Sister Mary Lou

September 12, 2018

One thing many of us think of when we say. “September 11” is the event in New York which took place 17 years ago…the bombing of buildings in New York and Washington, D.C.

The event in Little Falls the past weekend was the 46^th Little Falls Arts and Crafts Fair. We welcomed over 120,000 guests and 500+ vendors to our city for this gathering. God gave us perfect weather and all were pleased with that. I always enjoy looking at all the creative and beautiful things people make. I bought a massage pillow, a bar of goat milk soap and this “My Minnesota Wall Eye!”

The amazing thing to me, is that the clean-up crew is so efficient that by 6 p.m. Sunday evening, everything is put back in order and you’d never know we had all that activity the past two days.

All the vendors that I talked with seemed pleased with the sales they had and that they planned on coming back again next year. 

St. Francis Center hosted a number of vendor guests Saturday night and a few Sunday night. (The ones that didn’t want to start the long trip home after a busy weekend stayed an extra night.)

According to the weekly calendar, this should be a quiet week. Other than a speaker at noon lunch on Thursday, I didn’t see any other activities. And that is OK, too.

God bless you. Blessings on the activities of the week.

Enjoy this beautiful weather…and pray for those in storms’ way.

Sister Mary Lou

August 13, 2018

Happy hot August Day.  It was 90 degrees at noon! And will get warmer as the day goes on. “The corn should grow good.”

At Mass yesterday we had the Commissioning of the 5 Franciscan Community volunteers. Such a nice group of young people who are dedicating a year of their life to doing volunteer work. I am including their pictures and a bit of information about each of them.

We have a retreat going on here this week until Friday afternoon so it is very quiet around here these days. The retreat director is Sister Sandra Schneiders, IHM.

Peace and blessings on your day and on your week.

Sister Mary Lou

July 30, 2018

Not many days left of July! Tomorrow it will be 65 years that I became a novice and an official member of the Franciscan Sisters of Little Falls Community. Oh, all the people that have been part of my life in those 65 years! (Sisters, students, parents of students etc., etc.)  May God bless them ALL!

Yesterday we celebrated the 60^th Jubilee of Sister Marjorie Bischoff, Sister Joanne Klinnert, Sister Juanita Mauer, Sister Rose Margaret Schneider and Sister Christelle Watercott. Congratulations, Sisters. It was a great day!

Most evenings, Sister Mary Fabian Schneider, age 103, enjoys the gentle breeze as she sits outside praying her rosary. She is such an example of how to age gracefully.

Wednesday, August 1^st, we celebrate the 12^th GREEN FAIR FOLK FESTIVAL. There will be booths displaying environmentally friendly products and activities. Come. join us on the west parking lot of the convent. Enjoy some food and fun time with us.

                        

                                                                                                       

Father Ilo, a priest from Indonesia, will be celebrating our Motherhouse Mass at 11 a.m. on ‘Friday.  Since my sister, Rita, was a missionary in Indonesia for 33 years, I am always interested in things about Indonesia.

This beautiful raised garden of flowers is outside the convent front door. This picture does not do it justice. What a great way to greet visitors.

Peace and blessings on you and your family.

Sister Mary Lou

July 11, 2018

The big news of the day is that today Sister Mary Fabian Schneider is celebrating her 103^rd birthday!  Oh, the many blessings and gifts she given to so many people along the way. She is so alert and interested in everything that is going on around here. Just a couple years ago she was still answering phones in the reception office! I can’t imagine how many lives she has touched with her gentle voice and sweet smile. God bless you, Sister. May the Lord continue to keep you in His Loving Care.

Over the weekend we had about 2 inches of rain in our area. The gardens look great…and the weeds are doing well, also.

On June 24^th, we celebrated the 75^th Jubilee of Sisters Sharon Fyle, Mercita Pipp and Mary Zirbes and the 50^th Jubilee of Sister Janice Wiechman. Thank you for the 275 combined years of service you have given as a Little Falls Franciscan Sister…and all the lives you have touched! Congratulations, Sisters, and just keep on going.

Sister Mary is and artist. The Mass program featured 5 of her beautiful drawings. Here is one of them.

Here we had a low-key 4^th of July and God provided some mighty fireworks during the night. No storm damage that I am aware of—at least nothing that I saw here on campus.

Last evening I was out and about on my scooter and took a couple pictures of places on campus that I want to share with you.

May all be well with you and with those you love.

Peace and blessings,

Sister Mary Lou

May 21, 2018 

Yesterday was the Feast of Pentecost, the birthday of the Church.  And next Sunday is the Feast of The Most Holy Trinity.  I just read the following pray to The Trinity and want to share it with you:  “Grant to us, O Lord, this day to walk with You as Father, to trust You as Savior, to worship You as Lord; that all our works give You glory.”  I guess that’s the most important agenda item in our life here on earth.

Yesterday or 11 a.m. Mass was a Memorial Liturgy to pray for our deceased Donors…and of course, to remember all our living Donors, too.  We are grateful for all our donors and remember them in our daily prayers.  May God bless and care for all who support our Franciscan Community.

The following are a few pictures from around campus:

an apple tree,

the well from Clare’s Well,

new growth on the pine trees

 the trees have so many beautiful flowers on them

We will have a Volunteer Appreciation Dinner Thursday evening, May 24^th.  We are most appreciative of the many people who give of their time and talent to assist us in so many ways.  God bless you.

I just read a very sad note on our bulletin board:  “Sister Annella Henger’s niece (age 48) and her husband, from Wisconsin) were in Iceland fishing.  Janet fell into the river and Brian went after her to save her and both of then drown.  Help was gotten, but too late to save them.  Please keep them and their families in your prayers.  They live in Wisconsin.”  Yes, please keep them in your prayers.

Blessings on the activities of your week.  Peace,

Sister Mary Lou

Holy Thursday, March 29, 2018

May these last days of Holy Week fill your heart and soul with many blessings of peace and gratitude for the many blessings the Lord give us today and every day.

We had three Sisters die in March: Sister Donna Guyott, (age 77), on March 11^th, Sister Donna Zetah (age 88) on March 15^th and Sister Janet Kunkel (age 86) on March 21^st,.  May they all be having a joyous Holy Week and Easter in Heaven.

Our Holy Thursday Services is at 7 p.m. tonight with adoration until 10 p.m. here at the Motherhouse.

The Silent Walk for Peace through down town Little Falls for tomorrow—Good Friday--have been cancelled because of impending rainy/snowy weather.

We will have Stations of the Cross in our Chapel at 11 a.m.  Good Friday Services will be at 2 p.m.

Easter Vigil Services on Saturday evening start at 8 p.m. with the blessing of the fire and the lighting of the Easter Candle. I would say this is my favorite night of the year because of the wonderful Liturgical Services…darkness, then the lighting of the Easter Candle, the lighting of the small candles that the people hold during the procession and the first part of the service, the joyous music and the glorious Easter Vigil Mass!  May God be praised through our worship this holy night.   Our Easter Sunday Mass is at 8:30 a.m., the usual time.

My Easter Prayer for you is:  May Christ, Our Risen Savior, bless you and those you love with peace and joy.

Happy Easter,

Sister Mary Lou

March 6, 2018

By looking out the window today, you’d never know that everything was shut down yesterday because of a blizzard. All schools were closed. Snowy, icy roads made travel difficult and not safe.  We had about a foot of snow and there was a 40 mph wind pushing it all about.

National Catholic Sisters Week starts March 5^th, on International Woman’s Day which is based at Saint Mary’s University of MN in Minneapolis. Because women religious are not as visible and tend to be older, many Catholics have never interacted with Sisters and this is a chance to get to know them.

Last week we had Community Meetings from Tuesday afternoon until Friday afternoon. The main agenda item was to elect new Leadership Sisters. The two pictures below tell the results of our work.  We are happy about the outcome and we pray for them as they prepare to assume their new responsibilities—which will happen mid-June. 

Daylight Savings Time starts Sunday. Set the clocks ahead one hour sometime before Sunday morning.

Peace and blessings on your day.

Sister Mary Lou