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

You're a blessing!

Welcome back. So many things to write about again this week. So let’s get started. Last week we had Memorial Day on Monday. God bless all our Veterans.

Tuesday until Friday noon we had our Community Meetings. It is so good to see all the Sisters and have everybody home for a few days. Now most of them have returned to their missions and continue on with their activities. And life around the convent is going on as usual with lots of activity, as always.

For the next couple days we have a group of young people from Owatonna visiting us during the day. They are helping with some volunteer work, but also learning about Sisters and our vocations as religious women.

Last evening our six Franciscan Community Volunteers visited with us and told us of the good works they have been doing the past 8 months and of their learnings and challenges. The many places where they have been working really appreciate the services they have given. They are living our Franciscan Values and will continue to carry them on whereever they are.

After our meetings here last Friday, I journeyed to Buffalo, MN for the Queen of Peace Region Annual Ministers Meeting. For the past nine years, I have been the Regional Spiritual Assistant for this group. It has been a wonderful journey. I have met so many wonderful Secular Franciscans, have had so many good experiences, met many of the National Secular Franciscan Leadership people and learned so much in these nine years…and done LOTS of travel for Visitations and meetings. My term of service is now up. I will not miss all the travel…especially in the Cities area. But I will miss the Secular Franciscans. I will continue to assist those whom I’ve been working with to get their certification as Spiritual Assistants. And I will continue with my Local Fraternity in Brainerd.

Anyway, Saturday evening they had a very nice thank you party for me. What we didn’t eat of the big cake, I brought along home and we served it for supper on Sunday. (And there was one piece left Monday noon, so I ate it!)

Before the party we had a prayer service remembering all those Secular Franciscans members who died in the past year. I lit one candle and read the names of the 13 of our Sisters who died since June of 2013.

Between Saturday and Sunday we had a bit over 3 inches of rain in our rain gauge. Some places in the area got 4 to 7+ inches. Now we need things to dry out and let the crops grow. To and from Buffalo, I saw only a couple corn fields where one could see the little corn plants in rows.

Yesterday a crew of 7 or 8 agile, young men started removing the old shingles from the Chapel roof and will be putting new ones on. One of them said it should take about two weeks depending on when it rains. I am most grateful for folks with those talents. No way would I want to do that job—even in my younger years.

Except for the Russian Olive Tree outside my window, all the trees are fully leafed out. The little leaf linden tree is such a perfectly shaped tree. We all enjoy looking at it.

Pictured below, is the CEC Graduating Class of 2014. Their program takes place in St. Francis Center. It is a wonderful educational program and I am so proud of the work the teachers do with their students. Next week they begin Summer School classes for 3 weeks. ( I am a little prejudice, but I think it is the best program the district offers.)

This afternoon we will have a Farewell Gathering for Pastor Damen Heitmann, Pastor of First United Church (the Church across the highway from us.) He has worked with us Sisters in many issues for the Common Good, Social Justice Issues and joined our Green Fair Committee. Members of his Church assisted with recycling at the Green Fair in August. Thank you, Pastor Damen, for sharing your values and talents with our Community. We wish you God’s Blessings as you begin your new ministry in Ohio. You have been a blessing to the people of Little Falls.

Sunday, June 8th, is the Feast if PENTECOST. May we all remember to call often on the guidance of the Holy Spirit in the decisions we make.

Pax et Bonum (Peace and all Goodness),
Sister Mary Lou

February 6, 2011

Bask in today’s temperatures in the 20 degree plus range, because tomorrow it is predicted to be 20 below zero in the morning! There is so much snow buildup on roads, parking lots and sidewalks. Though it is nothing like the picture my brother sent me of a road north of Dubuque, IA where the road is carved out of snow banks that are 2 or 3 times higher than the cars. That’s a lot of snow. I hope melting takes place slowly when spring comes.

Sister Mary Ann and I were suppose to go to Browns Valley for a SFO meeting today, but that got cancelled yesterday afternoon because of the rain, ice and snow they were having in the western part of the State. So today for me feels like a “snow day” like when I was teaching—a day when I can do things I hadn’t planned on doing—like writing my blog!

This is the week of our Legislative/Direction Setting part of our Delegate Assembly Meetings: from tonight’s opening with prayer at 6:30 in Chapel until after noon on Saturday. Most of the Sisters who are coming have arrived. Chapel was pretty full for Mass this morning…and the singing was full and resounding, too.

Judy and Julene from Archives put together a lovely six-bulletin-board display of some of the highlights of our Community over the past 120 years. We officially became the Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate Conception, Little Falls, Minnesota, on March 1, 1891—120 years ago. Sister Mary Francis was elected the first Mother Superior of the Community on March 3, 1891. After a month the display will be set up in Archives for the coming year. Since I’ve been a member of the Community nearly half that time, I remember lots of the things shown.

Last night we had our Soup Supper. I don’t know how many people came, but Terry B. said we served a lot of soup! Guests could also purchase loaves of fresh home-made bread to take home with them. It is always great to see and hear Sisters and guests having a good time sharing memories. (Last year the Soup Supper was cancelled because of a blizzard.) April 16 is the date for the next Spaghetti Supper.

Sister Grace is here from our Mexico Mission and is staying at our house during the time of our meetings. On Friday five of her nine sisters came to visit. Now that was a good time!

Friday morning, Sister Celine was busy decorating cookies for Valentine’s Day…trays and trays of cookies. What a good treat awaits us.

We have four guest Sisters staying at our house this week, so it is exciting with all the visiting and activity.

God bless you and please keep us in your prayers this week. Thank you.

Sister Mary Lou

January 10, 2011

The Christmas decorations are all put away—almost. I was so happy that everything was boxed up and back on the shelf. The next day I saw two items that missed the packing! Has that ever happened to you? All the poinsettias are still vibrant and full. They last a long time. More snow is predicted in the next few days.

The new Memory Care Unit at Clare Residence is shaping up very nicely. Walter has been very busy painting bedrooms, hallways and the dining room in lovely pastel colors. The first Sisters will be moving into the area this week. Since January 6th, the area is staffed with staff who have had training/experience working in a memory care area. May God bless this new effort of our Community to care for our Sisters who have memory challenges. There is a little Chapel with a TV so the Sisters can participate in the Mass from our Sacred Heart Chapel over closed circuit TV. Holy Communion is brought to all those unable to come to Chapel.

The other event of this week is that the bloodmobile will be here Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. The hours Wednesday and Thursday are 1 to 7 p.m. and Friday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. This activity takes place in St. Francis Hall—the big room under Chapel.

One of my Christmas cards had the following message: “Be a beacon of hope for all those whose lives are troubled…” This is a fitting thing to remember especially after the shootings Saturday in Tucson. Let us pray for all whose lives are affected by violence.

That’s it for this week.

Peace and blessings,

Sister Mary Lou