Clare leads us into the depths of Advent.

Following along with Papa Francisco she calls us to be “poor with the poor.”

For Advent reading: THE GREAT REFORMER by A, Ivereigh is the best of the best.

Austen tells the story of Jorge Mario Bergoglio, born into a lower middle class immigrant family, joined the Jesuits, himself called to the people of the slums, connecting and worshipping with our brothers and sisters of other communities, his pectoral cross, Christ the Good Shepherd.

Blessings on your journey!

ADVENT

These are the days when the whole pattern

is spread before us: the long intricate past,

the wars and wanderings, prophets and kings;

and the future as well, the vineyards and orchards

of the age to come, the safe and happy children

playing in the streets, the high road to peace

And our eyes are drawn to the center,

to the jewel at heart of the plotted web,

to a girl in a village and her ordinary life,

her willing response to mystery

when it came seeking her,

to the answer she gave

and the light it poured

over the whole story.

Sr. Kate

 

 

 

 

Francis goes to God with all of Creation, and with the Sisters and the Brothers whom he loves.

Transitus at the Clares, October 3, 7:30 pm.

Eucharist at the Clares, October 4, 10:00 am.

Listening Sessions with Archbishop Hebda to Help Inform Pope Francis’ Choice for our New Archbishop

Monday, October 5:

1 – 3 p.m., Rauenhorst Ballroom, Coeur de Catherine, St. Catherine University, St. Paul

7 – 9 p.m., St. Stephen, Anoka

Tuesday, October 6:

1 – 3 p.m., For women and men in consecrated life, Carondelet Center, St. Paul

7 – 9 p.m., Pax Christi, Eden Prairie

Monday, November 2, 7 – 9 p.m., Saint Peter, Forest Lake

Tuesday, November 3, 7 – 9 p.m., Divine Mercy, Faribault

Wednesday, November 4, 7 – 9 p.m., Woulfe Alumni Hall, Anderson Student Center, University of St. Thomas, St. Paul

Additional listening sessions are being scheduled for Latino Ministry parishes (in Spanish) and priests.

Pope Francis has emphasized the importance of dialogue in the life of the Church. And in the spirit of speaking and listening in charity, the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis is hosting a series of listening sessions. Archbishop Hebda will lead the sessions to hear your input on our strengths, our challenges, and what characteristics are important in a new archbishop. Feedback gathered during these sessions will be shared with those responsible for advising Pope Francis as he makes this important choice and with the new Archbishop whenever he is named. Summaries will be published in The Catholic Spirit.

Our retreat with Fr. Mike and Pope Francis.  Yes, it was that week, time out of time, the most memorable retreat of a lifetime.  Everyone was watching the Pope so no need to write how wonderful the message, so wise and merciful, Pope Francis moving seamlessly from deep prayer to joyful communion with God’s people.  

front row: Sr. Caroline, Fr. Mike Crosby Sr. Anne

second row: Sr. Gabriel, Sr. Lucie, Sr. Kate, Sr. Francis, Sr. Helen

 

 

A special feast day greeting to Friar Bob Frazzella.  We know him as a frequent visitor to our Blog.  We all appreciate friendly visits.  Right?  Thank you, Bob.

 

     Please meet some of our new friends.    Gina comes from sisterstory.org out of St. Catherine University in St. Paul.  Some months ago Sr. Kate shared her life in relation to her love for music and sharing this gift with the Sisters at the monastery and the larger community that prays with us.  We will apprise you when the video is ready for your viewing via this Blog.

     Sr. Gabriel and Lowell renewed their friendship from days on the farm in Nebraska where they fished, hunted squirrels and rabbits and played every game that children’s imagination can devise.  It was ten years since their last visit and they and they shared deeply of how their faith had shaped their lives.

     Bishop Patrick Chilekwa Chisanga was born in 1971 in Kamuchanga in the Copperbelt region of Zambia, Africa.  He entered Franciscan Conventual Order in 1990. Patrick was ordained nine years later in 1999 and pursued studies in psychology at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome (2002-2006). His pastoral assignments have included parish ministry and formation work at St. Bonaventure College in Lusaka. He served as Provincial of the Franciscan Conventuals  in Zambia for four years. At the time of his nomination, Friar Patrick was serving as a formator at St. Bonaventure College in Lusaka.

     He was named Bishop of the Mansa Diocese by Pope Francis in November of 2013 and ordained bishop in February of 2014.   The Diocese of Mansa is in northern Zambia and currently includes about 1.6 million people, of whom 434,000 are Catholic.  The diocese has 16 parishes. Bishop Patrick has opened 5 new parishes in just over a year.  At 44, he is one of the youngest Catholic bishops in the Church.

     On the Fourth of July we celebrated and prayed for freedom for all God´s people.   Fr. Thomas Joseph was with us as presider at the Eucharist and stayed for fellowship.  Thomas Joseph is from India.  After ordination he worked with Teresa in Calcutta.  Later he spent some time in Mexico where he became fluent in Spanish.  Archbishop Harry Flynn invited Thomas Joseph to serve here in St. Paul/Minneapolis where he ministers with great  joy and love for God’s people.

 

 

Religious Sisters and Brothers from our Archdiocese joined our new Administrator,  Archbishop Bernard Hebda, at the Basilica Block Party.   How many Sisters and Brothers do you recognize?

Do you remember the lovely Ella Fitzgerald?  Her song was “Summertime and the livin’ is easy.” 

It looks that way in Sister Caroline’s photo of a corner of our garden.

And it is not just easy, it is fun for the grey, red and white squirrels who play together in the lush foliage of the little pine forest behind the monastery.

I think this photo deserves a poem.

EDGE

I understand an edge: a border, isn’t it, a first wedge into

something else, something new? – somewhere you can only

get past by falling, falling, and giving yourself into the hands

of gravity, flying to the nest you, the one that only appears

beyond the limits of what came before. There are sharp edges

that cut your fingers when you cling to them, and there are

long concavities that curl upwards and lift you till you are

flung into space, a free place wide enough for fear, euphoria

and second thoughts, a space where something is born that

turns you wide-eyed toward the welcoming curve of newness,

and you find yourself at the beginning, the threshold,

the other side.

Kate Martin 8/ 09

 

but it is not green peace in our woods behind the Monastery.

 A baby owl fell into a window well at the back of our building, and evidently mom and dad flew in to comfort the youngster.

Sister Margaret called the Minnesota Raptor Center and a young volunteer was sent to the rescue. 

All is well.  Well, not exactly. 

There is a feathery fight going on between the crows and the owls, the crows resenting the territorial takeover of the owls.  

“Add insult to injury,” the Minnesota Raptor Center is sending over an orphan owl to join the first family.  Stay tuned.

 

 

 

The Confirmation Class from Assumption Parish and some of the dads spent their Saturday removing Garlic Mustard from our woods.  

Garlic Mustard is an invasive species and is on the “noxious weed” list of the Department of Natural Resources.