The Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity announce; “Camp Franciscan 2016 Women of Strength, Women of God” June 15-17.

Catch the Franciscan spirit!

Young ladies in 6-9th grade are invited to come to our Motherhouse in Manitowoc, WI. Camp begins June 15 at 1pm and ends 1pm June 17. We invite high school sophomores through college age young women to consider our Leadership Team with in-service beginning June 13 at 1pm.

We offer hospitality to Milwaukee and Green Bay airports.  Amtrak, bus and ferry connections are also a travel possibility.

Meet many Sisters and young women from various states across the country, form new friendships, experience Community prayer, Sacraments of Eucharist and Reconciliation, fine arts, homespun entertainment and more. 

Special to this year’s camp is a Franciscan Variety Show. We are seeking camper acts.

FSCC – Sharing Advent

Isn’t autumn a beautiful time for a field trip?  The Pre-Kindergarten, Kindergarten and First Grade classes at St. Francis of Assisi School in Greenwood thought so.  They all piled on the big bus bright and early and took off for Bull Bottom Farm.

 

The first event was a ride in the wagon through the hilly pasture.  Somehow those hills seemed huge in our tractor drawn vehicle.  It was a beautiful and fun ride through the woods and meadows.  Eventually we arrived at the pumpkin patch!

 

Ready, set, go!  We’re off through the pumpkin patch in search of the perfect pumpkin.  Each visitor could choose one pumpkin to take home.  What a treasure!

The ride back to the main farm area took us through patches of cotton and sunflowers.

Without missing a beat all were off to play in the corn box…a variation on the old favorite, the sand box!

We didn’t even get lost in the corn maze!

Our next stop was “Tiny Town”, a set of miniature buildings just right for kids to play in.

Let’s take a little rocking chair break on the old front porch.

Next stop…LUNCH!  Hot dogs and chips sound delicious!

Now we’re off to the slide, the swing and the sand box.  We’re getting dirty now!

What is a farm without some animals to pet?  We checked out the goats, rabbits, pigs and chickens.

The giant slide was the crowning activity of our fantastic day!  Slippery sliding is a major amount of fun!

Fun, fresh air and frolicking makes for tired children.  The bus ride back to school was just the right time and place for a good nap.

All went home with a pumpkin and plenty of memories of a day at the farm!  What a harvest of blessings!

For whoever is not against us is for us.
Anyone who gives you a cup of water to drink
because you belong to Christ,
amen, I say to you, will surely not lose his reward.

Mk. 9:38ff

These words from Sunday’s Gospel were the impetus behind the action of church youth groups from all the corners of Greenwood, Mississippi.  On September 27 youth from about a dozen youth groups gathered for the 27th annual canned food drive here in the city.  Sr. Kathleen joined the troops as one of the many drivers for the activity.

 

Youth gathered and registered at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church.  This is the parish that originally did the food collection after a visit to a Mexico mission where adults saw food distribution facilities run out of supplies and thus send the hungry away.  Coming back to their own well-stocked pantries, those adults were motivated to not only send increased donations to the mission, but to open their eyes and hearts to the needs of the hungry right here in our own community.  Drawing the youth into the planning, this became an annual youth group project which has since spread to churches throughout the community.  All of this history was shared with the youth as they gathered yesterday.

 

The afternoon began with a short message and blessing from Pastor Calvin Collins of New Zion Baptist Church.  He urged all to take to heart Pope Francis’ call to act on their faith.  He repeatedly challenged the young people to “give legs to their faith”.

 

 

Next, the youth were reminded that each of us is like a tiny spark on our own.  We are of infinite value, but our efforts can sometimes seem futile.  But, if we join our efforts as one community, they can become very powerful.  These thoughts were symbolized by each young person presenting a candle, thus adding their small light to bring forth a great light.

Soon, church groups were sent forth to their vehicles armed with bright yellow tote bags to collect food and maps to direct their drivers to specific neighborhoods of the city.

Young people go door to door either picking up canned goods left on the doorstep, or ringing doorbells to ask support for their cause.

As the yellow bags filled and the sun began to set, the youth congregated once again at Immaculate Heart of Mary parish center to repack all the canned goods on a trailer.  They enjoyed hamburgers and hot dogs and finally the trailer was towed to the Food Pantry.  A final count of canned goods was not yet available, but results looked most promising.  These young people had truly “given legs to their faith!”

St. Francis of Assisi School has now enjoyed 19 days of learning and exploring as a school community.  Check out the journey our kindergarten room and students have been on since before the first day to the present.

 

Learning is a carnival, isn’t it?  Numbers are learned with popcorn and colors are mastered with cotton candy.

 

 

 

Soon the classroom looked like it was ready.  Now it really needs some smiling students!

The bells ring, the school days begin!  We are glad to have Brother Patrick join us as our Art Teacher.

 

Along with art and reading and math and writing and of course, religion classes, we also study science.  We begin by exploring how we can use our senses to learn about our world.  Popcorn is the perfect snack to employ use of all the senses.  First, we examine a popcorn seed.  Expressions on faces reveal that the children weren’t quite sure what this was.

As the popcorn popper heats up, little faces are full of anticipation.

 

And then…sight, sound and smell all at once.  It’s amazing!

 

Of course, the best sense to use was the sense of taste.  What could be better?

Kindergarten has had many adventures so far and we anticipate many, many more.  We’ll keep you posted!

 

This summer I was so blessed as to be able to spend several days with my brother in southwestern Wisconsin.  Each place on God’s good earth has its own beauty, so here’s a peek at some of God’s fingerprints that I got to see.

There was time for pulling out a favorite recipe…chocolate chip cookies!

The roadsides were elegant with God’s garden planted by His hand only.

The country roads took us to visit the Motherhouse of The Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration in Lacrosse, WI.  This was the place where Sister Thea Bowman entered religious life.  We were blessed to view the display the sisters have created to share the life of Sr. Thea.

Even sitting in the grass on a sunny day revealed a certain beauty.

 

A summer’s evening is perfect for Concerts On the Square.  The Madison Chamber Orchestra offers weekly free concerts on the capitol square.  Everyone brings refreshments and vendors sell food as well.  It’s a wonderful experience of shared joy in taste, sight and sound!

Some Wisconsin residents get very creative with their yards and love to make a statement in beauty.

There were reminders that the harvest is plenty but the laborers are few.

The Kindergarten students of St. Francis School in Greenwood, MS enjoyed making the Spirit alive and active with their dove kites.  As part of their religion class, they considered how the wind in invisible to the eye, but its effects are quite evident.  So it is with the Spirit.  See the joy of celebrating the Spirit!

Come, O Holy Spirit, come! From Your bright and blissful Home Rays of healing light impart.

Come, Father of the poor, Source of gifts that will endure Light of ev’ry human heart.

 

O most blessed Light divine, Let Your radiance in us shine, And our inmost being fill.

Bend the stubborn heart and will,

Melt the frozen, warm the chill,

Guide the steps that go astray.

On the faithful who in You, Trust with childlike piety, Deign Your sevenfold gift to send. 
Give them virtue’s rich increase, Saving grace to die in peace, Give them joys that never end.

Amen. Alleluia!

(Text from the Sequence for Pentecost)