October 3rd and 4th are special days for Franciscans! St. Francis died on the night of October 3rd, 1226, so it is on that night that Franciscans around the world celebrate the Transitus, a special prayer service commemorating his last moments and passing. After a quiet, solemn night, his feast day on October 4th is…
Author: Franciscans of the Eucharist
Welcoming Our New Postulants
On September 17th, we were blessed to welcome three new postulants, Maggie, Jen, and Mia! Our ceremony to mark the beginning of postulancy is very simple and takes place with only the community present in the context of morning prayer. At this time, the new postulants received a blessed San Damiano Cross that will be…
Summer at the Mission – Part 3: Apostolate Happenings
During the summer, our various apostolates take on a different rhythm than during the school year. Our teaching sisters are off school for the all-too short elementary school summer break, our many gardens in full-bloom, and our neighborhood gatherings and meals move outside to creatively make the best of our lack our lack of a/c…
Summer at the Mission – Part 2: Retreats, Formation, and Travel
Summer is also traditionally the time when all members of our community make their private annual retreat. The Church asks all religious to take at least one week each year to make a personal retreat, and what a gift this time always is! Our current practice allows for all members to make personal private retreats…
Summer at the Mission – Part 1: Summer Volunteers
Alas – once the calendar page or calendar view switches to August, it is clear that the new school year is on the way, and the summer is winding down! Although the Chicago heat will stay with us through September, some transitions are already happening. Our school-teaching Sisters are in the midst of last-minute lesson…
Let your Eucharistic pilgrimage begin today!
Reflection by Sr. Alicia Torres A couple of Sundays ago, I had the chance to make my first official “at-home” Eucharistic pilgrimage. It was a torrentially rainy day in Chicago — as a matter of fact, if you had a basement, there was a high chance you experienced significant flooding. Despite the intense rain, however,…
Flooded with Adventure
Reflection by Sr. Jess Lambert We have long joked that water is a part of our charism – part of the work of the Church entrusted to our little band of Franciscans. When Bishop Bob moved to Chicago around 2005, there were a lot of water features in all of the buildings of the former…
Charlie, the Eucharist, and Our Forever Home
Reflection by Sr. Alicia Torres I love dogs. Not like I love my family, or like I love Jesus, but I really do have a strong affection for dogs. A few months ago, I came home from teaching and was welcomed by an unfamiliar, and rather unpleasant, smell in the convent. Entering our large dining…