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...

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.
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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.

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.
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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.

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.
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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.

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.
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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.
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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.
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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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