December 2019
Dear Sisters, Greetings and Peace! I hope you are all enjoying the beautiful fall weather, perhaps including some colorful foliage. I realize those of you in the South may still be warm while our Sisters in Great Falls have already had over 35 inches of snow! God is truly magnificent in his display of nature’s power and is always full of surprises!! God is also a God of companionship and Providence as we all know, as evidenced by events among our Sisters these past few months. The Abbesses from both Federations met in St. Paul, MN in September, thanks to the organizing effort of Sr. Carolyn Forgette (TR). There was much positive feedback about Sr. Gabriel Uhlein’s presentation, as well as an enjoyable time being with other Sisters. The idea then came to continue monthly discussions among Abbesses via Zoom videoconferencing, organized by Sr. Etta. What a wonderful way to keep in touch and continue speaking about matters of importance to all communities. Thank you, Srs. Etta, Carolyn and all, for your continuing gifts of time and talent.
Speaking of time and talent, we continue to be grateful to Sr. Mary Francis Hone (JP) for her work on the Poor Sisters of St. Clare book. We are currently in our final discussions with the printer and hope to have it finished before Christmas. Please keep us in your prayers as we near the end of this stage of the project. We are all looking forward to receiving these beautiful books!
Very generous as well with their treasures of talent and time are Srs. Kathy and Theresina (Omaha) who have agreed both to organize the Poor Clare Enrichment (St. Bonaventure study) program – effective immediately – and to edit the Tidings newsletter for Mother Bentivoglio Federation, beginning in Fall of 2020. We are so grateful for their offers and are looking forward to hearing from them. We are still in need of both a text editor from Holy Name Federation as well as a photo editor (from either Federation) to work with them on Tidings. I am asking all of you to please prayerfully consider this opportunity; it would be of great service to your Sisters in both Federations. Regarding Cor Orans, your Council continues their work on updating Federation Statutes, taking the project at a pace that allows incorporation of new developments. There will be more detail on this as we get closer to the Chapter meeting.
Speaking of Chapter, there is still time for you to submit your logo, and perhaps win the $50 Amazon gift certificate! The theme is renewal/revitalization since we will be discussing Cor Orans and listening to Bill Short’s talks on the Franciscan/Clarian charism as a living, dynamic expression leading us into rebirth for the future. The deadline is December 31; we have already received a few entries and look forward to more if the Spirit so inspires you!
I would like to close this letter with mention of a special opportunity of living of our Sisterly bond: the privilege of walking with our Memphis Sisters during this phase of their journey. Thanks to our Sisters in Cincinnati and Traveler’s Rest, as well as other communities who have been in discussion with them, the Memphis Sisters have been closely accompanied and welcomed into new homes.
Let us help them in their transition to a new life through our prayers and good wishes. May the Lord fill them with his love and peace as they begin this new phase of their lives, surrounded by those who love them! And may the Lord fill all of us with his joy and peace as we begin our Advent and Christmas preparations, looking forward to a new year of loving service to the Lord and each other.
Gratefully,
Sr. Anne