Praying, Living, & Loving the Franciscan Way
"Where love and skill work together, expect a masterpiece." -Anonymous- Thank you, Larry Willkomm for the renewed Nativity Scene in the Motherhouse Chapel!
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Work continues on the new crèche to be displayed in the Motherhouse chapel. Larry Willkomm uses re-cycled materials and an artistic flair to make things come to life.
Sister Thomasita Fessler,OSF was instrumental in founding the Cardinal Stritch University Art Department. She collected Christmas creches from around the world in her many travels to gather art for her studio and comment on art.Her philosophy of art was that everyone was an artist and that one could furnish and decorate one’s own home tastefully and creatively oneself. She had many contracts to create church art. Her family had several artists and architects in it, including Erhard Brielmaier, who designed our Mother house chapel, St. Josaphats Basilica and St.Benedict the Moor, all in Milwaukee, WI. He had three granddaughters in the OSF community. Sister Jean Mariani, a former Hospital Administrator, now serves her parish as Social Concerns Coordinator. She leads the parish people to meet the poorest people of Tucson at the Catholic Worker Casa Maria House, and at the Sister Jose Hobday, OSF Women’s Shelter. The people were so thankful for this new experience they have worked to repair the stove and building at the Catholic Worker. The Sister Jose Shelter was named to honor a deceased sister of our community who made it her life work to serve poor people. The present director of the shelter is a nurse and accompanied Sister Jose in Tucson on her journey of hospice to embrace: Sister Death. Sister Jean has contagious enthusiasm.
Colette and Rick made their first visit to our Franciscan Motherhouse Monday, November 23. They enjoyed their tour and met Sisters Clarinda Zech who served at Hanover for many years and recently wrote up its history. Sister Ann Kelley, the new Associate Director joined them for lunch with Sister Adele who offered their tour. Sister Maxine Hart has specialized in nutrition, dietetics, future planning and teaching at varied universities, including our Cardinal Stritch University. Sister Maxine enjoys preparing wonderful meals and does so to thank the parish committees that Sister Jean engages in service. Sister Maxine is a wonderful hostess and her meals are a dining experience. Larry loves his ministry for the Sisters of St. Francis of Assisi! He served in this ministry for over 20 years at St. John the Baptist, Paris, WI. He takes great delight in creating beauty for the annual liturgical seasons of the church year. He is also the nephew of our own Sister Generose Willkomm, OSF. He describes beauty as a gift to our senses that speaks to and feeds our souls. He featured large, dried bunches of beige hydrangea, gourds and little orange lanterns in delicate gold vases for fall. Advent, sparse, but warm with its glowing lavender candles is the Church’s way of saying: All the glamour some give the Christmas season can be quite false. Scripture says: “Prepare the way of the Lord!” Make our hearts spiritually ready to welcome the God of heaven and earth, in the guise of a tiny, newborn infant. St. Francis of Assisi would agree. He was known to go on repeated retreats of prayer, fasting and silence. Advent was one of those. What do I do to celebrate Christ, not consumerism? Students joined Sisters Sue Felice, Joyanne Mueller, Evelyn Brokish and Adele Thibaudeau Sunday, November 22 for a panel on the lives of sisters, brothers, and priests in the Sisters’ St. Francis chapel. The sisters offered the history and a tour of the 166 year old Motherhouse. Earlier that morning students had been to the seminary for Mass, a tour and lunch.
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