1. Just a few words to wish all of you a holy and blessed Christmas and a peace-filled New Year.


    Keeping Christmas
    Christmas came…
    birthing light and life,
    sheltering that life
    in the silent stillness
    of a winter’s night
     within the darkness of a stall
    And the world slept…
    unaware. 

    Come, we pray,
    into the darkness of our world—
    a world that sleeps…unaware.
    Calm our fears,
    gentle our hearts,
    fill our chaos with your calm,
    and gift our world...
    once more…
    with your gifts
    of newness and of love…
    the gifts of Christmas! 

                                                   Ann Marie Slavin, OSF
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  2.  
     
    Sr. Eileen Valerie Kulacz, OSF
    Many of our sisters trace their introduction to the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia to their educational history and Sr. Eileen Valerie Kulacz is no exception. However, for most sisters that introduction involved a student/teacher relationship. In Eileen’s case the connection grew out of a student/student relationship that began when she was a earning a degree in computer business systems at Marywood University in Scranton, Pennsylvania. “I associated with a group of older students on campus, one of whom was Sr. Gerald Helene Connelly,” Eileen explained. “She later became my sponsor. The IHM sisters who sponsor Marywood were quite surprised that I didn’t choose their congregation since Gerald was the only Franciscan on campus!”   


    Looking back over her life, however, Eileen realized that the Franciscan influence had been part of her life since childhood in both home and parish life. Both the Franciscan Sisters of St. Joseph and the OFM Conventuals served in her parish in Chicopee, Massachusetts. “As I look back, the Franciscan influence was always present, especially through my father who was a Franciscan at heart,” she recalled.  In a video, The School of Fish, created for Neumann University’s Institute for Sport, Spirituality, and Character Development, Eileen described family fishing trips with her dad during which she learned the basics of family values, relationship-building, and care for creation.  

    After her entrance into the congregation, Eileen utilized her knowledge of business procedures and computer programing as she ministered in both healthcare situations and congregational ministries on both provincial and generalate levels. In 2009 she began her current ministry as executive secretary to the vice president of mission and ministry at Neumann University. Her duties there are multiple and varied—maintaining calendars, dealing with phone calls, typing varied reports and correspondences, assisting with budgeting, recording and typing minutes of multiple meetings, maintaining files—and the list goes on.
    Sr. Eileen Valerie works on a committee report.
    Sr. Eileen Valerie and Sr. Marguerite O'Beirne compare calendars to avoid possible conflicts in scheduling.
    Like any position, Eileen’s ministry presents certain challenges—particularly challenges related to calendaring and multitasking. However, she readily acknowledges the blessings that flow from her position. “I minister with a great group of people,” she explained. “The work is energizing and interesting. I was never involved with education prior to this ministry so I am enjoying meeting and working with students. Exciting things are happening at NU!”

    Neumann students, Olivia Gilbertson and Lena Farrell, members of the Neumann University work/study program, check with Sr. Eileen Valerie about their clerical duties.
    As is the case with many busy people, Eileen’s “free time” is often spent in reaching out to others. She enjoys sewing and currently works on two ongoing projects. “I make pillow cases for “Case for Smiles” which provides child-friendly, colorful pillow cases for three children’s hospitals in our geographic area (AI DuPont, CHOP, and St. Christopher’s),” she said. “I also make quilts for Riddle Hospital Hospice Unit. The children can take the pillow cases home with them and families of hospice patients who have died can keep the quilts.”

    Sr. Eileen works on a sewing project for patients in a local healthcare facility. To the right are patches for the quilts she makes for cancer patients as well as material for pillow cases for children at various healthcare facilities.
    In outlining the various facets of her work over the years, Eileen specifically focused on the “multitude” of situations in which she has recorded and transcribed minutes for various meetings in both work situations and congregational gatherings—laughing that she lives “Minutes to Minutes.”  She recalled a conference for congregational secretaries which she attended a number of years ago. Presenters stressed the importance and role of secretarial responsibilities especially in recording minutes. “Recording minutes at congregational meetings is really a sacred duty of recording salvation history being carried out in the congregation,” the speaker claimed.

    Sr. Eileen Valerie (upper left at computer) takes minutes at a meeting of the Mission and Ministry Team.
    Eileen seems to have grasped the inherent message of that admonition—seeing the “sacred duty” not only in recording minutes, but also of seeing the “sacred” in all aspects of her ministry, the people with whom she ministers, and those in need who might benefit from her gifts. 

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  3. Canticle of Creation
     
    We hold the Earth
    God-birthed
    God-graced,
    In hands that choose
    To share its life
    Or close and choke that life with human greed.
     
    We hold the sun
    Whose powered rays can light our world
    And power Earth
    For evil
    Or for good.
    Whose rays can burn five billion years
    Beyond the finite worlds
    Our hands control.
     
    We hold the heavens,
    Sparkled with a God's clear gaze,
    That light the nights of Earth since time began
    And tremble as we cloud that light
    With strident glares of bombs' displays.
     
    We hold the wind and air
    Whose cycles power Earth with energy and life
    Whose being now is choked and burned
    By human power's threat.
     
    We hold the waters of the Earth
    And weeping, share
    Not tears
    But hope
    With half our glob
    Where water's pure and cleansing forces do not flow.
     
    We hold within our hands
    The power to caress and nurture Earth,
    To kindle from Earth's hearths a world of peace
    Or fan the holocaustic flames of nuclear war.
     
    We hold with reverent awe the fruitful Earth
    That mothers all,
    That makes us one,
    And weep to see the face we mar
    Is ours.
     
    We hold with humbled hands our tangled tapestry
    The sin
    The shame
    Of centuries and worlds that mar our Earth...
    We hold the threads of pain,
    The fears,
    The tears we wove...
    We hold the fringe of hope
    That lives at one with Earth
    And with Earth's God
    Will one day live in peace.
     
    We hold them all
    The shame...
    The pain...
    The tears
    That birth the hope...
    ...The hope
    That Earth so graced by God
    Will mother once again
    A home where God can dwell.
     
                                                                     Ann Marie Slavin, OSF 
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  4.  
    Sr. Karen Pourby’s journey to becoming a Sister of St. Francis of Philadelphia followed a somewhat circuitous route. She grew up in Binghamton, New York, where she attended public schools. During those same years she also attended parish CCD classes. After graduating from Broome Technical Community College, she entered the Angelic Sisters of St. Paul, an Italian congregation.  She went through the typical formation program—even spending her canonical year of novitiate and the year prior to final profession in Italy. “This was a whole new adventure,” she explained. I was the first and only American in the community. The hardest challenge at first was the language.” Karen later attended and graduated from East Stroudsburg University and earned a degree in elementary education. 

    So…how did Karen meet the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia? During her years in Easton, Pennsylvania, she lived near Easton Catholic Elementary School. The school was staffed by three congregations of sisters, one of which was the Franciscans. “A new school years was approaching and I needed a job,” Karen recalled. She visited the principal (our Sr. Kathleen Groome) and was offered a position teaching fifth grade. The initial connection was made and Karen’s work in education began.  

    In 1987 Karen transferred from the Angelic Sisters of St. Paul to the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia. She explained her decision and the journey that led to and confirmed her decision to transfer. “I honestly must say I loved the Angelics. However, there was a struggle within me over a two year period where I sensed a difference in my relationship with the sisters, with God, and with life. I knew I still desired my religious vocation—but not where I was in this present state. I felt lost. I had spent time with the Franciscans. I attended retreats at the Franciscan Spiritual Retreat Center in Easton and felt a renewed spirit every time I was there. I always had a deep sense of admiration for St. Francis’ life and teachings. I found myself reading more about him and the Franciscan way of life. Through much prayer and discernment, I asked God for some kind of an answer as to which direction I should follow. And then I had a dream. I was on a high mountain and suddenly I began falling. I had no control. I passed out and fell into “something.” When I came to, I was in the arms of St. Francis. I had my answer. I left the Angelics and entered the Sisters of St. Francis. It was one of the hardest things I had to do. Yet I feel this is where God wants me to be. I have no regrets.”  
     
    During the years since her transfer, Karen ministered in education and healthcare. Currently she serves as a financial assistant in the congregational finance office. “I was ready for another challenge,” she explained. “My work in the finance office varies daily.” Her main focus is taking care of the car fleet which includes approximately 260 vehicles. This involves checking with the sisters in the various convents throughout the congregation with regard to registrations, licenses, maintenance, recalls, accidents, insurance, etc.

    Sr. Karen (center) meets with Sr. Clare Wieckowski (left) and Sr. Michelle O'Brien to review new updates from Medicare.
    Sr. Karen talks to an employee at Heilman Auto Repair about one of the congregational cars.
    Sr. Clare D'Auria asks Sr. Karen's advice about an incident with the congregational car that she drives.
    Sr. Karen checks out schedules for online driving courses and AARP driving courses for sisters over 70.
     
    Sr. Karen check the tire on one of the congregational cars.
     
    She researches and publishes schedules for sisters required to take update courses either online or in classes. Each issue of our Community New publication carries Karen’s “Car Corner” article containing helpful tips and reminders—plus a car-related joke which demonstrates her ever present sense of humor! In addition to car-related activities, Karen also assists with medial insurance matters and budgeting. She finds everyday a new adventure, especially with the ever-changing insurance companies. And in spite of challenges, she feels blessed in this “different” position. “I’ve gotten to know many of the sisters and I do my best to meet their needs. I’ve learned a lot and truly appreciate my coworkers. And I’ve learned patience—realizing that I have to be on an even keel to deal with everyday situations.”

    Karen’s life experiences—her willingness to journey into the “unknown,” her ability to cope with challenge, and her wonderful sense of humor—all, I assume, do much to maintain that sense of living on an even keel. They also, without a doubt, reflect the Franciscan heart that “drives” her life!

     
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  5. It's been a while since I introduced you to one of our sisters--one on one! This time I'd like you to meet Sr. Margaret O'Brien.
    Sr. Margaret O'Brien, OSF
    During her “growing up years” in County Cork, Ireland, Sr. Margaret O’Brien had the opportunity to meet three different congregations of women religious: Presentation Sisters, Mercy Sisters, and Franciscans Sisters. Her connection with the Sisters of St. Francis began when Sr. Brigid O’Regan invited her to a retreat for high school girls at Mt. Alvernia in Mallow. “Though the Presentation and Mercy Sisters were fine people, our sisters stood out in hospitality and happiness” Margaret explained. “I just knew this was the right group for me.”  

    Most of Margaret’s years in the congregation were spent on the west coast where she ministered in elementary education and later in healthcare. In 2011, she moved to the east coast and today resides and ministers at Our Lady of Angels Convent. After she first arrived, both Sr. Mary Vandergeest (former director of the Franciscan Foundation) and Sr. Christa Marie Thompson (director of the Franciscan Spiritual Center) offered Margaret volunteer opportunities. Margaret accepted their offers and today continues her volunteer work with both offices. One of her first big projects in the spiritual center was assisting Sr. Theresa Yanda in adding a new order of books to the library and removing books that were outdated. “Mondays through Wednesdays I now assist Sr. Christa and staff as needs arise,” she said. “Other activities include hospitality, preparing name tags, posting brochures, etc.”
     
    Sr. Christa Marie Thompson explains to Sr. Margaret what needs to be done in preparation for an arriving retreat group.

    Sr. Margaret O'Brien makes sure that the plants in the Franciscan Spiritual Center have sufficient water.

    Sr. Margaret prepares a set of name tags for an upcoming retreat.

    Sr. Margaret Makes sure that the books in the Greccio Library are filed correctly.
    Fridays find Margaret in the Foundation Office preparing card packets for the display racks, filing, and responding to whatever the immediate need arise.
    Sr. Margaret makes sure that the racks outside of the foundation office are sufficiently supplied with cards and copies of our latest Good News magazine.

    Sr. Kathleen Parisi shows Sr. Margaret the new birthday cards for donors. Margaret assembles the cards which the sisters in Assisi House will sign and mail.
    Margaret enjoys both aspects of her ministry—especially the variety of activities offered by the two departments. “At the foundation I’m reminded to offer frequent prayers of thanks for our benefactors—both living and deceased, she explained. “And witnessing the delight of our spiritual center participants is both a blessing and an encouragement.” And then, laughing, she added that the spiritual center also offers a challenge—“playing the ‘Artful Dodger’ as I try not to be in the path of the workshop or retreat in process!”

    And how does Margaret spend her free time? Like Margaret herself, her modes of relaxation are quiet ones—reading; crocheting; taking nature walks; or listening to NPR, CDs, or ballgames.

    Looking back at Margaret’s initial assessment of the Franciscan sisters whom she first met more than 50 years ago—those women that she sensed were the “right group for me” because of their “hospitality and happiness”—how does she view that early assessment? A few years ago we sent out a questionnaire to all of the sisters. One item posed the question “What has being a Sister of St. Francis of Philadelphia meant to you?” Margaret answered, “Being a Sister of St. Francis has filled me with total gratitude for the call to our community. I feel humbled when I consider God’s provident care for me each and every day.” And her view of ministry? She wrote simply that “It’s important to me to try and make life easier for others.”
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  6.  
     
     
    Our relationship with our Muslim friends from the Zubaida Foundation continues to grow as we share with one another various aspects of our faith traditions. In June we met at Our Lady of Angels Convent. Because of the upcoming canonization of Archbishop Oscar Romero, our presentation addressed the topic of sainthood in general and focused more specifically on the life of Archbishop Romero.

    Sr. Anne Amati opened the program with a presentation on “The Universal Call to Holiness: The Ordinary and the Extraordinary.” She stressed the fact that as Catholics, we believe that everyone who gets to heaven is a saint. She went on to distinguish the difference between “ordinarily holy people” and “extraordinarily holy people.” Anne focused on the impact of Vatican II which, she said, “turned the Catholic Church upside down” and reminded us that “all are called to holiness.”

    Sr. Anne Amati explained the varied steps that lead to canonization in the Catholic Church and the requirements for each steps.
    Following her introductory emphasis on our universal call to holiness, Anne focused on those individuals who have achieved an extraordinary level of holiness—those who have been officially recognized and canonized as saints by the Catholic Church. She referred briefly to the practice in the early Church to canonize by acclamation but explained that over the centuries, the process became more complicated. Anne concluded her presentation by outlining the series of steps leading to official canonization, the final two requiring verified miracles.

    As an introduction to Archbishop Oscar Romero who will become the Catholic Church’s newest saint in October, Sr. Marie Lucey addressed the historical background against which his life—and most certainly his death—played out. In El Salvador coffee was the main crop but only the wealthy profited from the income, causing a great divide financially. The peasants rebelled, a civil war ensued, and many thousands were killed. The U.S. contributed by providing aid to the military groups. Many of the officers were trained at the School of the Americas in Ft. Benning, Georgia. Among the thousands killed were the four American Church women, 4,000-8,000 at the Scorched Earth Offensive, the six Jesuit priests and their housekeeper, and Archbishop Romero.

    Sr. Maria Orlandini shared the story of Archbishop Romero—relating his personal history and his slowly evolving participation in seeking justice for his people. I have always been particularly impressed with his own somewhat reluctant “conversion” from a seemingly shy man who, as Maria explained, was reluctant to “make waves” to a leader who answered the call to act and to speak out. Maria used film clips from the film, Romero, in which we saw—in detail—“how conversion happens.”

    Sr. Maria Orlandini used the film Romero to illustrate the story of Archbishop Romero efforts to obtain justice and his subsequent assassination.
    Following Maria’s presentation, Sr. Kate O’Donnell asked our Muslim guests if they had anything similar to our “saints” in their religion. They cited their prophets—which included Jesus and Mohammed—but explained that these are “finished.” They expressed some concern that the saints might tend to replace God or to cause a person to worship the saint more than God. They also explained that they pray directly to God—not to the saints. Several of our presenters explained that our saints do not “replace” God in any way and that we pray to ask the saints to intercede for us with God.

    Members of the audience listened intently to explanations of what led to Archbishop Romero’s involvement in helping his people find justice.
    Following the program we shared dinner in the main dining room. I had the privilege of eating with a young mother and her two daughters—one in middle school who is homeschooled and the oldest who is going into her senior year of high school. I was very impressed by them in many ways—their self-assurance, politeness, warmth, and openness. And as always, I look forward to another visit.!

     
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  7. I remember very clearly the day I learned what prejudice was. I may not have learned the word but the concept became clear in a way that left me confused and shaken and unable to grasp the reality. It happened the summer I was nine or ten--a significant time because for the first time I was allowed to go to the playground in the next block by myself. I definitely felt very self important! But being very shy, I started my day by heading to a row of empty swings by myself. Eventually I saw a young African American girl about my age come out of a house across the street. I didn't know her name because the family was new to the area. I watched as she crossed the street and stood outside the chain-link fence looking in. She waved to me and, filled with my new status of "being grown up," I lost my innate shyness and wandered over to the fence. We talked for a few minutes and I learned that her name was Stella.

    "You want to come and swing with me," I asked.

    "I'm not allowed," she answered calmly.

    "Go ask your mother," I urged. After all, in my experience my mother was the one who could either give or withhold permissions.

    "My mother can't let me," Stella said. And just as calmly she explained and I finally grasped that she couldn't come into the playground because she was black.

    At some point we both sat down in the grass--on our "assigned" sides of the chain-link fence. Had a photographer with any sense of the innate power of photography been on hand, he or she could have made a fortune. Stella and I talked for a while--although I don't remember any of the conversation other than the line "My mother can't let me."

    When Stella returned to her house, I had lost my enthusiasm for playing on the swings. I wandered home and headed immediately to tell my mother about Stella and to find out just why she couldn't come into the playground. My mother confirmed the fact that even Stella's mother couldn't give her this permission because it was the law. I kept repeating "But that doesn't seem right. She should be able to come in." My mom finally tried to console me with the idea that some laws had already been changed and may soon that one would change also.

    My mother was right--by the next summer the law had changed and Stella and her brothers and sisters could come into the park. But the experience had touched something in me as I learned that there are systems in our world that are unjust. And as years went one I didn't lose that awareness. But the years also taught me that, as citizens of our world, we have a right and an obligation to continue to work to change unjust laws and to work against systems that deprive individuals of their God-given rights.

    This song speaks to me of both those rights and those obligations. God has given us our world but God has also placed in us the responsibility to make that world a place where all are welcomed, all are cared for, and all are treated justly and with respect.

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  8. It's not often that we have one of our sisters celebrating a century of life AND 80 years as a Sister of St. Francis of Philadelphia. This year Sister Angela Patrice Power is the second sister within a few months to do so this year! Our communications director, Florence Smith, interviewed Sr. Angela and her follow-up article gives you some insights about Sr. Angela's years as a Sister of St. Francis and about all she has accomplished during her wonderful life! We also have some photos from her combined birthday and jubilee celebration.

    Sr. Angela Patrice Power grew up Kathleen Mary Power in Dungarvan, Waterford, Ireland.  She was the youngest of eight children—four girls and four boys.  One of young Kathleen’s favorite things to do was Irish dance.  She competed in many competitions and received many awards.  Growing up in Ireland she was taught by the Mercy Sisters and had four aunts who entered various other religious congregations.  Some Sisters of St. Francis lived nearby and when they were home, they visited the Power family.  Angela was very fond of the sisters and knew that she was called to follow in St. Francis’ footsteps.  She entered the congregation in 1932 at age 16, two years after her sister, Eileen, entered.  Her mother and father thought she was too young and expected her to change her mind so she was held in Mallow for one year before being sent to the United States.

    When she arrived in the states, her sister, Eileen was a novice.  Back in those days, postulants weren’t allowed to speak to novices.  “Since we weren’t allowed to speak to each other, we would sneak off to the tunnel to talk,” Sr. Angela remembers. “We were young.  I finished high school at the motherhouse and as soon as I was professed, I began teaching.”   

    Sr. Angela spent 50 years in education.  She taught at St. Paul School and St. Katharine School in Baltimore before spending 20 years in the Diocese of Wilmington where she taught at St. Paul School, St. Ann School, and St. Thomas School. She also ministered for five years at Our Lady of Lourdes School in Bethesda, Maryland.  When asked to share a memory of her years of teaching, Sr. Angela smiled as she recalled, “I remember it was 1938 and I was teaching a class of 90 first graders at St. Katharine’s.  One day I asked a little boy to sit in the front desk and act as ‘principal.’ At the end of the day all the students lined up to leave.  I look over and the boy was still sitting there. I asked, ‘Why are you still here?’ to which he replied, ‘You said I would get a prize.’  I didn’t have anything to give him so I gave him an old medal I had.”   

    She first returned to Ireland in 1949, 13 years after entering the congregation.  “It was wonderful to see my family again after so many years,” said Sr. Angela.  While in Ireland, she ministered at Immaculata Convent in Mallow, County Cork, helping young women who wished to enter the congregation prepare.  “Some of the novices I helped to enter now live here at Assisi House with me.  I never imagined I’d be living with those I helped so many years ago,” she remarked.  “Sr. Sheila Byrne is one of them.  I call them all my grandchildren.” 
    Some of the sisters that Sr. Angela Patrice welcomed at the doors of the convent in Mallow were on hand at her jubilee/birthday celebration to sing one of her favorite hymns--"Salve, Regina."
     
    In 1979, she got a call from her brother who was a priest that he needed help.  He was transferred to a small parish on Shelter Island in New York and was by himself.  Sr. Angela went to lend a hand.  She served for one year as his housekeeper and cook but also began a CCD program for the children in the parish.  

    During the Mass Sr. Angela renewed the vows she first made 80 years ago.
    When she returned to the motherhouse, she was asked to take over the roll as administrator of Assisi House for six years.  After that she served for 12 ½ years at St. Joseph Parish in Aston, Pennsylvania. While serving in parish ministry at St. Joseph’s, Sr. Angela took up the task of collecting pennies to help build the church.  “I looked on the ground at gas stations, I asked for donations, and I put containers in restaurants,” she said. “When all was said and done, I brought $10,500 in change to the church.”  In 2005 Sr. Angela was honored by St. Joseph Parish for her many contributions to the life of the parish and for collecting the money for the new church.  
    TT
     
    Sr. Angela's family and friends were present for Mass and for the celebratory dinner and the food services staff (below) led the singing of Happy Birthday.
     
    When asked about how she felt about turning 100 and celebrating her 80th year as a sister, Sr. Angela responded, “I always said I didn’t want to live to 100. I was and am ready to go to God anytime he is ready. I guess he’s just not ready yet.”  She feels the key to her longevity is eating properly and keeping moving.  “I am very independent. I don’t sit still.  Even now I get up and walk as much as possible.”  She is grateful to have her mind and her wits about her and says overall her body is keeping up nicely for 100.   

    “I am grateful for the life I have had,” Sr. Angela said. “I would do it all over again. Living in community is very special.  It is wonderful to have a place to pray together.”  Although she never got to live with her sister, Sr. Eileen Power, during her years of ministry, they did live across the hall from each other in Assisi House for a couple years before Sr. Eileen passed away.  “It was great to be so close for the time we had” recalled Sr. Angela.  “The whole thing is to love God and to remain close to the Blessed Mother.  Anything I ask, she is always there to help.”  

    May 9 is Sr. Angela’s actual birthday but many members of her family came from Ireland in April to celebrate with her—taking her out for dinner.  More nieces plan come on her actual birthday to have cake with the congregation.  We wish Sr. Angela a very happy and blessed 100th birthday and 80th jubilee!

     













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  10. Bishop Thomas Gumbleton
    
    Each year--usually in March--we celebrate Charism Day on which we take a deeper look into what it is that underlies our life as Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia. Our Franciscan Spiritual Center in Aston usually has a special speaker for that day to address a particular aspect of our Franciscan charism. After attending our recent Charism Day presentation by Bishop Thomas Gumbleton, I wrote the following article to publish in our newsletter. I thought you might also find it a helpful source for reflection.

    The presenter for our 2018 Charism Day was Bishop Thomas Gumbleton, auxiliary bishop of Detroit and a long time advocate for justice and peace. His presentation focused on the theme “The Most Radical Call of the Gospel: Nonviolence/Active Love.” Early in his presentation, Bishop Gumbleton stressed the reality of the intense need for today’s world to heed that call. He posed the question, “Why is it that our country—which claims to be a Christian country—is so immersed in the culture of violence?” He described our dependence on nuclear weapons and our decision to use them as the “taproot of violence in our country.” Supporting the idea that such decisions are the polar opposite of the message of the Gospel and of all that is Christian, he quoted John McKenzie who, in The New Testament Without Illusion, said, “If Jesus did not reject violence for any reason whatsoever, we know nothing about Jesus at all. … Jesus taught us how to die, not how to kill.”  

    Bishop Gumbleton also stressed the idea that an important factor of a culture of violence is that we sometimes “forget” the horrendous impact of previous acts of violence. Quoting Henri Nouwen who said that “A sin that is forgotten can never be healed,” Bishop Gumbleton suggested that to forget our sins might be an even greater sin than to commit them! Speaking of the world’s seeming fascination with nuclear war, he suggested that we sometimes “forget” the horrendous impact of previous acts of violence. “A forgotten Auschwitz can cause a Hiroshima,” he said, pointing specifically to the bombing of both Hiroshima and Nagasaki with all of its accompanying horrors.  

    In the past the Church has often qualified what constitutes a just war. Since World War II the U.S. has engaged in numerous wars, against which various popes have spoken out declaring, “Never again.” And still we “go to war.”  Outlining the long history of our presence in the Middle East, Bishop Gumbleton described the violence against civilians caused by the bombing of infrastructure. These bombings destroyed water purification plants, communication systems, and electric power systems. The bombings were followed by an embargo which, once again, resulted in great suffering for civilians and noncombatants.  

    After describing these and other acts of violence that seem be have become part and parcel of our evening newscasts and, indeed, of our everyday lives, Bishop Gumbleton made a seemingly simplistic statement that summarized the reality of gospel living: “Jesus taught us a different way.” He also suggested checking out the Vow of Nonviolence which helps individuals recognize the violence in their own hearts and to begin—each day—to practice the nonviolence of Jesus. The vow can be found on the Pax Christi website:
    https://paxchristiusa1.files.wordpress.com/2014/02/vow-of-nonviolence-11-16.pdf.  

    Following a break for refreshments and socializing, we returned to Bachmann Hall where Bishop Gumbleton conducted a question and answer session, allowing individuals to share their own concerns and ideas and to seek further clarification of topics from his presentation.



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About Me
About Me
My Photo
Special Franciscan Welcome!
Special Franciscan Welcome!
Special Franciscan Welcome!
This beautiful sculpture of St. Francis greets all visitors to our motherhouse.
Welcome to Franciscan Life!
Welcome to Franciscan Life!
I hope you enjoy reading about what is important to us as Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia, about the normal routine of my life and the lives of my sisters, and about the way we try to live out our Franciscan heritage.

Our Mission Statement (1986)
We the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia, choose to live the Gospel in the prophetic spirit of Francis of Assisi and our Foundress Mother Francis Bachmann. With Jesus Christ as Brother, we live as sister with one another, with the entire human family, and with all creation. Calling ourselves and one another to continuous conversion of heart, we commit ourselves to a life of contemplation, poverty, and humility. As vowed women of the Church, we respond with diverse gifts in a spirit of collaboration and of mutual service to the needs of others, especially the economically poor, the marginal, and the oppressed. Seeking to participate in the Spirit's action in the world, we direct our personal and corporate resources to the promotion of justice, peace, and reconciliation. Filled with trust in the goodness of God, we move forward.

Commitment Statement (1996)
We recommit ourselves to "rebuilding the Church" by the living passion of the Gospel in the discerning of our Franciscan charism and tradition. We are willing to take the necessary risks to be a healing, compassionate presence in our violent world, especially with women, children, and those who have no voice. We desire to reflect this commitment in our dialogue with the entire Church, in our own governing structures, and in our relationship with one another as sister.

NEED A PRAYER? Visit our website, www.osfphila.org. Under "Prayers" you'll find a link to "Request A Prayer." These requests are prayed for by the sisters at our motherhouse and at our retirement residences. Or you can leave a comment on my blog and I'd be happy to send the request for you. Hope to hear from you!

Mother Francis Bachmann
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