Sister Feliciana used to tell this favorite:  One day the Sisters didn't have any money. One of their prayers was for some eggs as the community didn't have any. Sister put a broken egg shell by the statue of St. Joseph as a prayer and as a reminder to him that he was to take care of their needs.  Within a few days, a truck showed up. "Sister, can you use some broken eggs? The truck had an accident, and most of the eggs in the truck were broken. Now they can't be sold."  It was easy to see the work of our holy patron in that one! 

And again - the Sisters were hoping to have a dairy cow to provide milk for the Sisters, so one of the Sisters drew a cow and put it under St. Joseph's statue. In a few days, a man asked the Sisters if they would do him the favor of watching his cat while he was out of town. They agreed to do so. After quite some time, wondering if the man would ever come back for his cat, they looked at the drawing of the "cow" under the statue. They realized that it looked a lot more like a cat than a cow!  "No wonder we got a cat -- St. Joseph didn't recognize it." A few days later, the man came back and was so grateful that the Sisters took care of his cat - and gave them a cow in appreciation!

 

The most famous of these stories is from the staircase in Santa Fe.

Thank you, dear St. Joseph, for your faithfulness to us over all these years!  And please don't forget that we are praying for a chaplain.     :  )

Come August, these Sisters will be moving to St. Joseph's Parish in Amarillo, TX, ministering in St. Joseph's Elementary School and at Holy Cross Catholic Academy. We're excited to be at these schools that we already love!  We have Sisters who entered the community from St. Joseph's, and our community has had Sisters assigned to the schools before in different capacities.  Sister Mary Pia and Sister Mary Grace will be teaching at St. Joseph's, and Sister Mary Michael will be teaching at Holy Cross as well as continuing as Vocation Director for the Community.  All three Sisters will share their gifts in parish life. May God bless this new venture in our apostolate as we seek to spread His Word and share His Love in one of our favorite venues - where the young people are!

 

Snowmen and softball are just two examples of good times in Community.  All religious strive to live a balanced life of prayer, work, personal time, and Community life.  Show me a Sister who doesn't enjoy some fun, and we'll show you someone who is out of balance! Fun and exercise are necessary components of normal consecrated life.  Our recent trip to Greenbelt Lake (courtesy of relatives who have a cabin) was a tribute to Spring Break and a glorious week of no school.  We enjoyed the beach, the rustic cabin, fellowship, Scripture Study, and Dairy Queen.  We discovered unknown talent in softball, (like how to fall down gracefully), and found out what it is that Horton actually hears (you've seen the movie, right?).  All in all, we had a wonderful time.  Think we 'll go again.

 

119 Franciscan Way

Panhandle, Texas 79068

Religious Life Magazine, a publication of the Institute on Religious Life, has honored us by choosing our Mural of the Holy Trinity for their cover of the March/April 2010 Issue. We are very excited -- we revere this beautiful image that reminds us of the awesome Love and Communion of God every day in our new chapel. The Panhandle Franciscans are pleased that now others may enjoy it, as well.