by Sister M. Clementia Saint Francis looked upon our crucified Lord portrayed in the San Damiano Cross with great longing. He had desired to be a soldier and nobleman, but sickness and circumstance brought him to the poor, dilapidated church searching for truth and meaning. “Then, all of a sudden, he heard a voice coming from the Cross and telling him three times, ‘Francis, go and repair My house. You see it is all falling down’” (Omnibus of Sources, page 640). Francis took the words of our Lord literally, and began to fix the physical Chapel in which the crucifix was found. Later, he realized that there was a deeper meaning to Christ’s call: the building up of the universal Church through the preaching of the Word and evangelization to the ends of the world. This task, given to Francis and his followers, resulted in the founding of the Order of Friars Minor, and later the Second and Third Order Franciscans. As followers of our Lord through the teaching and example of Saint Francis, we, too, are called to rebuild the
Church of our time through the efforts of the New Evangelization. Especially as we look forward to the Year of Faith, which began on October 11, 2012, the Sisters of Saint Francis of the Martyr Saint George, with the determination and zeal of Saint Francis of Assisi, desire to bring about a resurgence of love for Christ and His Church. Through our various apostolates we seek to continue the mission of Saint Francis in our care for the poor, sick, and needy of every condition. Our Lord calls us to evangelize in a variety of ways, asking us to spend ourselves in love for Him and His Church. It is our desire to rebuild the universal Church by living out the vows of our consecrated life. While the world focuses on carnal pleasures, riches, and so-called freedom, we seek to show a different picture of happiness by living a life of consecrated chastity, poverty, and obedience. Our call to the New Evangelization as Sisters of Saint Francis of the Martyr Saint George is deeply rooted in that first call of Saint Francis. We pray, through his intercession, that we may rebuild the Church with joy and love.
Gospel to all people, she has a true “preferential Dear Families and option” for those in situaFriends of our Sisters, tions of greater weakness: the poor, the sick, the elPax et Bonum! On derly, and the young. the 11th of October, the We care for the Year of Faith began. Pope sick and the elderly in our Benedict XVI announced health care center, in our the Year of Faith in nursing home, and in “Porta Fidei” (“The Door homes for retired priests. of Faith”), an apostolic We have a profound reletter released on October spect for the transcendent 17, 2011. value of the human person In his letter, he Our Sisters receive a blessing from Most Reverend Thomas John of every age; the recognisummoned the entire Paprocki of Springfield in Illinois after the Mass for the Fort- tion that human life is a gift Church to a “New Evange- night for Freedom. Photo courtesy of Diane Schlindwein, Catholic Times. from God; the belief that we lization.” He is asking us to are stewards of that life and re-propose the Gospel to those awaiting a first evangeli- not its judges. zation and to those whose roots of Christianity are deep Education is an essential dimension of the but have experienced a serious crisis of faith due to sec- Church’s mission. We teach ularization. in Catholic schools of all All of us have been called to be evangelists and levels, in religious education empowered for the work of evangelization. However, programs and in programs of roles vary according to our state in life. For us Sisters, youth ministry. We educate our contribution to evangelization is, first of all, “the people not just for exams, witness of a life given totally to God and to (our) broth- but for eternal life. We eduers and sisters, imitating the Savior Who, out of love for cate the whole person: mind, humanity, made Himself a servant” (Vita Consecrata body, and spirit. 76). We Sisters do not limit ourselves to giving only a Thank you for helppart of our time, but rather, we give our whole life to ing us by your prayers and participating in the mission of the Church. By imitating support to continue the work the poor, chaste, and obedient Christ, Sisters make of the New Evangelization. Christ present to the world through personal witness. You share in our mission of We bear in our hearts and in our prayer the en- being instruments of God’s tire world’s needs, while at the same time, we work love and mercy for all whom the Lord sends us, and we zealously in our own apostolates determined by our are grateful. founding charism. In our Congregation, we have Sisters who pro- In the joy of Jesus and Mary, claim Jesus Christ to those who do not yet know Him; they teach the Gospel “to the nations” of Albania, Brazil, Cuba, Indonesia, and Japan. We who are at home share in their missionary activity by our prayers. We give help to poor dioceses within our own Provincial Superior of the Sisters of Saint Francis of country. In these ways, we can give a new momentum the Martyr Saint George to evangelization. Though the Church proclaims the
by Sister M. Clementia
God’s Grandma: Sister M. Dominica waves at the children who walk by the convent.
Having a convent in the middle of a diverse neighborhood brings with it multiple opportunities to bring people to know and understand Christ and His Church. While words can sometimes be the catalyst for one to inquire and appreciate the Catholic faith, it is often the small, seemingly insignificant acts of kindness that speak to the heart of a person seeking truth and love. Sister M. Dominica can attest to the power of presence in her often quiet ministry within the neighborhood where her small convent in Springfield, IL, is situated. At the end of Royal Road stands a small day care center which serves twelve
by Sister M. Margaret In this Year of Faith, 2012, we are reminded by Pope Benedict XVI and our holy Catholic Church of the importance of the gift of our own personal faith and how to share that faith with others. By virtue of our Baptism, we as Christians are called to live our lives in imitation of Jesus and to allow our lives to be shaped according to the reality of the Father’s love. In the Apostolic Letter to the faithful “Porta Fidei,” “The Door of Faith,” we are reminded that as we enter the door we are setting out on a journey that lasts a lifetime. We are each sent out into the world to proclaim the Gospel of Christ to all. “Through His love, Jesus attracts to Himself the people of every generation: in every age He convokes the Church, entrusting her with the proclamation of the Gospel by a mandate that is ever new. Today, too, there is a need for stronger ecclesial commitment to a new evangelization in order to rediscover the joy of believing and the enthusiasm for communicating the faith. In rediscovering His love day by day, the missionary commitment of believers attains force and vigor that can never fade
children from the neighboring area. Each day, the children take a walk, and Sister M. Dominica awaits their arrival. She can be found waving to the youngsters and giving candy to their teacher to pass out later. One week, the children noticed that Sister M. Dominica, who was away in Alton, IL, was not outside to greet them. When she returned and they saw her once again, one of the youngsters, Joshua, said to the day care center director, “Isn’t that God’s grandmother that lives there?” While the director became red in the face, Sister M. Dominica found the comment rather amazing. She said, “They know that God lives there and that is the most important thing.”
away. “Faith grows when it is lived as an experience of love received and when it is communicated as an experience of grace and joy. It makes us fruitful, because it expands our hearts in hope and enables us to bear life-giving witness: indeed it opens the hearts and minds of those who listen, to respond to the Lord’s invitation to adhere to His word and become His disciples” (“Porta Fidei”). As a teacher, I find myself in many situations where I have the opportunity to plant these seeds of faith. Where I am currently teaching in Tulsa, OK, the Catholic population is very small and not all of the students in our school are Catholic. I have even had students who have not been baptized. My experience has been that as these young people learn about the Catholic faith and participate in liturgy and prayer, they have a desire to learn more. As Sister M. Margaret teaches fourth grade at they mature as human persons and learn to St. Catherine School in Tulsa, Oklahoma, become better leaders and students, their where she enjoys incorporating the faith in desire for the faith also seems to grow. I the classroom. find that my role as a teacher is to plant the seeds of faith. It is a joy to watch my students as their desire to grow in faith deep- them that will unfold in their lives as they ens and matures. I do not always see the learn to be open to His love and to what He results, but I trust that God has a plan for is calling them in their lives.
by Sister M. Clementia Speaking to youth at his Inauguration Ceremony in 1978, Blessed Pope John Paul II told the youth of the universal Church that, “You are the future of the world, you are the hope of the Church, you are my hope.” With his guidance and inspiration, we, too, wish to bring to the youth the light and hope of Christ, who in the depths of their being is their longing and treasure. Blessed Pope John Paul II saw that “there exists today the clear need for a new evangelization. There is the need for a proclamation of the Gospel capable of accompanying man on his pilgrim way, capable of walking alongside the younger generation" (Crossing the Threshold of Hope). This need to proclaim the Gospel, especially to our youth, is met in a variety of capacities throughout the year but during the summer months the Sisters of Saint Francis of the Martyr Saint George can be seen at a number of activities across the nation. We call it the “revolving door of Saint Francis Convent” as we send off the next group of Sisters for the great adventure of evangelization. Many of us look forward to the change of pace and the opportunity to reach the youth in profound and inspirational settings. It is a great privilege and grace for ourselves to be renewed in our own vocation by helping young people discover the love Christ has for them and to encourage them to follow Him more closely in their daily decisions.
by Sister M. Jacinta My summer schedule sent me accompanying Sister M. Consolata to Champaign, IL, to attend the last two weeks of a five-week FOCUS training. The FOCUS (Fellowship Of Catholic University Students) training took place on the college campus of the University of Illinois (Champaign/Urbana). Sister M. Consolata informed me of our important role to be a “presence” to the over 300 missionaries attending there. One of the first points of the new evangelization is the importance of how our presence keeps the quest of God alive. Attending the first-year missionary classes, I was amazed at how thorough the formation is in FOCUS training. The classes included character formation, such
by Sister M. Dolorosa In the Acts of the Apostles, Christ tells the Apostles: “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). This invitation has been passed down throughout Church history and extends to each of us in the present time. In response to this invitation, I had the privilege of traveling to both Tiger, GA, for the Lifeteen Covecrest Camp with Sister M. Antonia, and to Rapid City, SD, for their Diocesan Totus Tuus vocation camp with Sister M. Karolyn this summer to witness to people of all ages, from little children to adults, of the joy of religious life. The theme of the week for the camp in Georgia was “Radiant Joy.” This theme was fitting as we were able to witness to the joys of religious life in a wide variety of ways by playing sports with the campers, answering their questions about religious life, and by simply being present and listening to them as they shared their lives with us. Sister M. Antonia and I were attending for the second time, so while there we saw the fruits of our labors from
as how to honor others and use proper etiquette; and practical formation such as how to set up a Bible study class, how to bare-hand evangelize, and how to organize your time to accomplish the goals aimed for the day. “Making disciples of all nations” is taken seriously. His Eminence, Timothy Cardinal Dolan, said that “evangelization is about a Person... Jesus Christ!” Part of honoring a person is to introduce him or her to one they have not met yet. To do this correctly, one needs to step aside for the encounter to take place. This is what we need to do when we introduce others to Jesus Sister M. Consolata meets with young women who — we need to allow the relationship are training to be missionaries with FOCUS. to take place!
labor to bring Christ to everyone they meet. This was definitely true during my week at the Totus Tuus vocation camp in South Dakota in which seven Religious Communities, as well as the members of the Duc in Altum team, witnessed to and proclaimed the beauty of a relationship with Christ by our actions and our words. The theme for the week was “No Greater Love” in which we introduced the junior high girls to the Liturgy of the Hours, gathering for morning, evening, and night prayer each day in the Chapel. Sister M. Dolorosa and Sister M. Antonia speak Throughout the week different Sisters with girls attending Lifeteen Camp in Tiger, GA. gave talks on the Paschal Mystery while others gave their testimonies. last year as some of the returners were Sister M. Karolyn gave a talk on the Euoverjoyed to see us again and introduced charist and I gave a testimony on how I felt some of their friends to us as well. Also, a called to be a Sister of Saint Francis of the number of parents told us how their chil- Martyr Saint George. As a Sister of Saint dren had come home and talked so much Francis of the Martyr Saint George, I have about us and all that they learned about continued the call to follow in the footsteps religious life. In our interactions with the of the Twelve Apostles and Saint Francis campers, parents, summer staff, and mis- by evangelizing the people of Tiger, Georsionaries, we shared with them that true gia, and Rapid City, South Dakota, with lasting joy comes in following Christ and radiant joy and sharing with them that there being in a relationship with Him. is no greater love than Christ’s sacrifice on A relationship with Christ is at the the Cross. heart of religious life. Religious Sisters
by Sister M. Karolyn Rome- It was 11:45 a.m. and I was on the other side of the city. There was no way I would make it by the noon Angelus bells, even if the metro arrived at that moment. Whatever the probability, I had to at least try. When else would I have this opportunity? I jumped the blue line, transferred to the orange line at Termini, and got off at Ottaviano-San Pietro. The time was 11:57 a.m. As I emerged from the underground, I could see the glorious dome towering above the busy streets. I could not be too far. Still, I would have to hustle if I wanted a glimpse of him. I sprinted a few blocks and ran out of stamina. Then I heard his voice. It was so familiar, yet it belonged to a man I had never met, and who certainly did not know me. As my eyes welled with hopeful tears, I was filled with a resurgence of energy and sprinted down the “home” stretch of the Via di Porta Angelica. When I finally arrived in the arms of St. Peter’s, I could not see him, I could only hear him. I turned until my eyes fell on a window high above the cobblestones. In that window stood the man in white, the Successor of St. Peter, the Vicar of Christ, a man whose voice and picture on TV had inspired me hundreds of times before. I knelt in the crowded piazza to receive his blessing and began to sob like a baby. I was home. These thousands of strangers were my family and we were there together with our “Papa.” Four years later, my eyes turned again to that window as we prayed with him and commended him to return to the house of his Father, and five months after that, I finally had the “corragio” to do what his presence and message had compelled me to do for so long, give everything to Christ and enter this Community where, through my consecration, I can proclaim the Gospel to the world by my very being. When praying about my religious name as a postulant, I knew only that I wanted to have a ‘zealous, missionary catechist’ as my patron. I had several names in mind, but none fit me quite right. It was April 2, the anniversary of his death, when I was inspired to ask for the name Sister M. Karolyn, after Karol
Wojtyla, and every day since then, I continue to grow in the challenge that it is to model my life and apostolic work on this great and holy man of God. Our late great Holy Father was in his person, both the invitation to and the pattern of the New Evangelization. Before he invited us to the New Evangelization, he embodied it. He “put out into the deep” of societies that had forgotten the work of God in their lives and unafraid, proclaimed the freedom that is found in Christ alone. He made this proclamation first of all, through the love that he showed to every person he encountered. He had a revolutionary understanding of what it means to be human and expressed it through his interactions with others and no doubt through his written and spoken word. In encountering him, one truly encountered Christ and because of that, he can rightly be called a “Witness to Hope.” As we embrace this call to the New Evangelization, it is imperative that we, too, meet people, and in that meet-
Sister M. Stephanie prepares to kiss the ring of Blessed Pope John Paul II during his visit to Saint Louis, Missouri in 1999.
ing, allow them to meet Christ through us. Whether in the grocery store, airport, traffic, or in the work of the apostolate, there is a thirst for hope, freedom and, above all, love. Seeing a Sister in habit alone often quenches this thirst, but we fail if it stops with what we are wearing. Our habits are arrows that invite people to approach us, and when they do, it is our responsibility to point to Christ Who, in the Incarnation, is our hope, our freedom, and our love and to propose Him as “the answer to all of man’s questions.” Blessed John Paul II, Pray for us!
by Sister M. Ancilla “Am I not here, I who am your Mother? Are you not under my shadow and protection? Am I not the source of your joy? Are you not in the hollow of my mantle, in the crossing of my arms? Do you need anything more? Let nothing else worry you.”1 The New Evangelization is a call to encounter the living Christ Who brings conversion, communion and solidarity to the Church in America. Instrumental in the New Evangelization in America is the Virgin of Guadalupe. 2 She who appeared to Juan Diego in 1531 as a Mestiza Virgin, with Child, is God’s gift to America. The encounter on Tepeyac Hill brought the Gospel to the Americas; through her continuing presence, the Gospel continues to heal, liberate, and unite all peoples of the American Continent. In turn, this unity of peoples will be America’s gift toward the formation of a
The Novitiate visits the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in La Crosse, Wisconsin.
world community.3 Because John Paul II consecrated the entire American continent to Our Lady of Guadalupe and, at the start of the Third Christian Millennium, commended the mission of the Church in America to her protection, he commended her also as the Star of the New Evangelization, to lead us to her Son, for the conversion of our lives and the transformation of the world, as a celestial star that shines in the darkness of night. The great works of God and of the Church are always preceded by the Star of Evangelization. Mary, at the birth of Christianity, is the dawn that preceded Christ over the horizon of human history, and continued along the way of Jesus from Nazareth to Calvary. Later came the sufferings of the Reformation. Then, the Star of New Evangelization began to dawn
in Spain, as Christopher Columbus prepared his voyage to the New World. He prayed in front of the image of the Lady of Guadalupe and took a replica of the image with him aboard the ship Santa Maria. The day on which America was discovered, October 12th, is the feast of Our Lady of the Pillar, an apparition of our Lady to the Apostle James as he was trying to evangelize Spain. However, the work of evangelization in the New World was not bearing fruit. Evangelization efforts took on new life in 1531, when Our Lady of Guadalupe appeared to Juan Diego. The historical and cultural identity of Latin America “is symbolized in a most luminous manner in the ‘mestiza’ countenance of Mary of Guadalupe, who has revealed herself at the beginning of the evangelization.”4 Millions of the indigenous were soon converted to Christianity. Our Lady crushed the serpent’s head. Tepeyac, where many human sacrifices, particularly of children, were executed, is now a powerful place of life. In our own day, unfortunately, the Aztec temples have been replaced by temples of materialism, relativism, and secularism. John Paul II’s call to the New Evangelization remains an urgent one: “May the continent of hope be the continent of life! The time has come to banish once and for all from the continent every attack against life.”5 The Church is confronted with “new” challenges – thus, the “New” Evangelization invites us to turn our hearts and our glance to the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Star guiding the Christian on the sea of life.6 Again, as did the Magi, we follow that Star to lead us to be zealous disciples of the Gospel of Life, working to end the horrors of abortion and euthanasia, and to promote the respect for the dignity of every human person. “To venerate Our Lady of Guadalupe as Patroness of the Americas and Star of the first and new evangelization is to venerate her precisely as a Eucharistic woman, a woman through whom Christ came to humanity, a woman who experienced a unique closeness to the Holy Trinity. Her love surpasses herself, and leads us to the source of love, a Source which demands from us and enables us to love our neighbor without reservation, without hesitation, without borders. She is the Mother of the Civilization of Love.”7 Footnotes on page 10 “Guadalupe”
by Sister Cordia Marie “The specific contribution of consecrated persons, both men and women, to evangelization is first of all the witness of a life given totally to God and to their brothers and sisters, in imitation of the Savior Who, out of love for humanity, made Himself a servant. In the work of salvation, in fact, everything comes from sharing in the divine agape. Consecrated persons make visible, in their consecration and total dedication, the loving and saving presence of Christ, the One consecrated by the Father, sent in mission.” ~Vita Consecrata #76 This passage from Pope John Paul II’s encyclical “Vita Consecrata” very clearly explains the life and duty of consecrated persons, but I also see in it the path my own family life had in directing me toward my vocation. I grew up in St. Louis, Missouri, the seventh of nine children. From the time that I was very little, I understood that our Catholic faith was the first priority and after that came our family. My parents were beautiful examples of fidelity to each other in marriage and also in caring for the family. They made it clear that we were all supposed to grow closer to God in life and that Jesus should be our best friend. From Kindergarten to 5th grade I went to a private Catholic school where the Legionaries of Christ worked. Having an older brother in the Legionary seminary, I always felt that all the Legionaries were family. They always stressed the importance of giving God the first chance in your life, to allow God the opportunity to tell you what plan He had in mind for your life. When I was 16 years old, I distinctly remember thinking about religious life, but did not go too far with that because I wanted to get married. It was finally in the Spring of my senior year of high school that I listened to the urgings in my heart to look into religious life to see if God was truly calling me to belong to Him. At the very last minute I heard about a discernment retreat being held at our Provincial House in Alton, IL. I called
our Vocation Director two hours before the retreat began, and found out I could still come and surprisingly was able to get a ride there. God’s providential guidance was evident! As soon as I walked in the door I was overwhelmed by a deep peace and joy in my heart that I had never felt before. The retreat was beautiful and I was so grateful to find out that I was not the only young person looking into religious life. I was so amazed to find so many beautiful young, joyful women giving their lives to God. Later that year, I came back to visit again for a week to pray and live the life and asked to enter at the end of that week. I knew that I had found my home; I did not need to look at any other Communities. I knew that I desired a love that no one but God could satisfy. Since I have entered, I have experienced such joy and peace in my vocation and have fallen ever deeper in love with Christ and His Church. It is now my desire to share that love with those that I encounter, whether it is my own Sisters in the convent or the people I meet every day, not only within the work I do, but by being the joyful person God created me to be. I want to show them Christ.
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Sister Cordia Marie professes her first vows into Mother M. Regina Pacis’ hands on August 15, 2012.
Footnotes from “Guadalupe”, page 5 1. Our Lady of Guadalupe to Juan Diego, December 12, 1531. 2. Cf. John Paul II, Ecclesia in America, 1999. 3. Ibid. 4. cf. John Paul II, Address - Opening of the Fourth General Conference of Latin American Bishops, October 12, 1992, #24. 5. John Paul II, Homily, Jan. 23, 1999. 6. John Paul II, World Youth Day, Aug. 20, 1989. 7. Msgr. Eduardo Chavez, Our Lady of Guadalupe: Mother of the Civilization of Love.
welcome with great joy our ur new postulants and we aise God for their vocation ur Franciscan Community! oin us in praying for our postulants, that they may severe in this way of life to ch God has called them, in er that they may partake in vangelizing the world as brides of Christ.
Name: Katrina Delaney (pictured first) Hometown: Buffalo, NY Age: 28 Education/Recent Job: Youth Ministry; Family Faith Formation Program teaching 5th grade What drew you to us: The Sisters’ devotion to the Eucharist and the Passion of our Lord – both of these are very important to my faith. The Sisters are very joyful and faithful servants of Christ.
Name: Sarah Marie Schulze (pictured second) Hometown: Anna, OH Age: 23 Education/Recent Job: Vincentian Service Corps in St. Louis serving at Central Catholic School and Academy What drew you to us: The main thing that drew me to the Sisters was their abundant joy. I also feel very at home with the way they pray, the way they work, and the way they recreate.
ease pray for those young men who continue to discern their vocation to our mmunity. We pray for many re vocations to the religious life. Name: Theresa Wilks (pictured third) Hometown: Reedsburg, WI Age: 27 Education/Recent Job: Master in Theology – Ave Maria University; Assistant Program Director at Camp Gray in Reedsburg, WI What drew you to us: I desired a life of sacrifice made up of many small sacrifices throughout the day, as well as prayer and community lived out joyfully. I found exactly what I was looking for in this Community.
Name: Sarah Lynne Gangl (pictured fourth) Hometown: Brainerd, MN Age: 24 Education/Recent Job: Doctorate in Pharmacy– North Dakota State University What drew you to us: The first time I met the Sisters in 2010 I was greatly attracted to the joy and sisterly charity I witnessed. I am so happy now to be a part of this Franciscan community. I look forward to growing in love of our God with all of my Sisters.
St. Francis Convent 1 Franciscan Way P.O. Box 9020 Alton, IL 62002-9020 If you have a change of address or want to be removed from our mailing list, please contact us . Thank you and may God bless you!
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