For St. Francis, Community since the beginning was understood as a gift. St. Francis says in his Testament: “The Lord gave me some friars as gifts” and wants the friars to be called “minor” from the beginning.
The Community never considered itself as a privileged group or as being better than others. Within the Community there is room for everyone, whether poor, rich, educated or illiterate...
In the Community, each one is equal and cares about everyone else. The care is directed in a special way toward the poor – lepers, sick, thieves. Creation participates in this communion, and Francis calls all into this relationship as brothers and sisters: the birds, the wolf, the moon, the sun, worms, rocks and even death. We can say that Francis was the first one to sing and praise the Community of Life.
Community is a gift
So, how can we live this out NOW? How and where can we bring about places for COMMUNION AND CARE? We need to take up this great challenge in order to build our future:
Generate compassion and hope in the Community of life
When I started planning my Sabbatical year, I realized that I truly wanted to spend part of it with the Franciscan Sisters in USA. I am grateful to Leadership for making my wish come true. I am also grateful to Jesus and Mother Frances...
On a beautiful Fall day, Sisters and Associates gathered in the Peace Center lobby of St. Clare Convent to “Celebrate Life and Mercy” at the 2016 Assembly Day. The Chiara room door had been transformed into our “Holy Door...
We are grateful to God and to the whole SFP family for the grace of visiting the tomb of Mother Frances and meeting her daughters in Aachen for their 30th General Chapter. They welcomed us a Sisters, and they were very thoughtful...
On Saturday, September 24th, the Sisters and Associates in the Northeast held their Assembly Day in Warwick, New York. Srs. Jeanne Glisky and Jacinta Doyle coordinated the efforts of the day. The day was staged nicely with a welcoming...
After six years on the wonderful island of Sicily, a period of time spent at our Mission in the Philippines, I was given the gift of a period of rest and rejuvenation during the month of August. Grateful for the gift of this experience -- and grateful...
The Brazilian Area Assembly held at the Frances Schervier Formation Center in Goiania counted with the participation of our Congregational Minister, Sr. Licia Mazzia, our Area Councilor, Sr. Maria Helena Carvalho, all the Sisters and our Associates...
Joy was the energy that motivated us and transformed us on our journey together, united in Mother Frances, who continues to inspire our healing gestures, creativity and love toward the most vulnerable people
From April 17th to the 23rd, the General Leadership of the Sisters of the Poor of St. Francis visited the SFP General House. It was a beautiful event that also was meaningful to the history of our Congregations that we wanted to share with all...
We met in Vermicino for our Area Assembly; our objective was to deepen our first Chapter Call - To Be Prophets of Dialogue and Healing in the Church and throughout the World. We used the symbol of a “Door”...
I like to think of our Congregation as a garden made of a wide variety of flowers, each with a different fragrance. Even the scents of the ones who have withered away are still steeped in the memory of many people…
