Photo credit: Flickr
This is the time of year that many people move into a new house or apartment. Winter has passed and spring is slowly giving way to summer. I have noticed the abundance of moving trucks on the roads....
discernment - Related Content
Listening with a discerning ear
Thursday, May 26th 2016 4:05 pm
Awake and ready in discernment?
Thursday, December 1st 2016 10:00 am
Why is it that when we are excited about tomorrow it’s impossible to fall asleep? I can’t tell you how many nights I’ve watched the clock move slow as molasses towards morning and...
Service Saturday: mutuality at its core
Thursday, January 26th 2017 2:15 pm
Most Saturdays, especially those overshadowed by rain and cold, are prime sleep-in opportunities for college students. Yet at 8:30 a.m. last weekend more than 60 from Viterbo University came through...
Sister Amy's Six Word Story
Monday, April 11th 2016 11:04 am
What's your six word discernment story?
Comment below.
What if it's you?
Thursday, May 4th 2017 10:00 am
Every now and then the concept of which came first—the chicken or the egg—pops into my mind, particularly when I am pondering something mysterious. I often allow myself a few moments to...
Distraction
Thursday, May 11th 2017 10:00 am
Some days are filled with fragmented energy: my attention is pulled in many directions and lacks the clear focus and interior motivation necessary to complete the tasks at hand. Perhaps it’s...
Crisis reveals goodness
Thursday, September 14th 2017 3:00 pm
I have been captivated by the power of wind and water as Hurricanes Harvey and Irma have battered the southern coastline of the U.S. The destructive combination forces of wind and water hammered...
I have no magic words
Thursday, November 3rd 2016 3:16 pm
Traveling across the country, meeting a variety of people in and around the world of discernment, I encounter two questions—open ended, probably pervasive in all aspects of life—time and...
Discerning Religious Life? Consider the power of a good question…
Thursday, June 21st 2018 12:30 pm
We learn by asking questions…lots and lots of questions.
Recently, I was on an airplane across the aisle from a young child traveling with his parents. He was about four years...
Finding mystery in the fog
Monday, April 11th 2016 11:29 am
The weather here in Wisconsin has been a bit confusing lately. One morning it is sunny with unseasonably warm temperatures and the next it’s cloudy and flurries are blowing through the trees....
On the road of discernment?
Thursday, April 28th 2016 2:07 pm
Photo courtesy of www.dreamstime.com
Are you willing to go where discernment takes you?
Recently, St. Rose Convent was the unexpected destination for about 100 people traveling on a mystery tour. They arrived for Mass and were given a tour of Mary of the Angels Chapel.
Are you willing to go where discernment takes you?
Recently, St. Rose Convent was the unexpected destination for about 100 people traveling on a mystery tour. They arrived for Mass and were given a tour of Mary of the Angels Chapel.
Earthquakes: when ground is no longer solid
Thursday, September 8th 2016 12:00 pm
Photo courtesy of www.dreamstime.com
Earthquakes have shaken the lives of people from Italy, near New Zealand and here in the U.S. News stories full of destruction quickly circulated our world. I searched coverage for any small sign of...
Resolutions and reflection in discernment
Thursday, January 5th 2017 10:00 am
“Optimism!” I declare to myself as I take in the sparkly white squares on my crisp, new desk calendar, making it officially 2017. As you turn away from 2016, perhaps scrolling to the new...
Sister Pauline's Six Word Mission Story
Tuesday, February 21st 2017 10:00 am
Are you willing to share (post a comment below) your own Six Word Mission Story?
Freezing and thawing: potholes surfacing in discernment
Thursday, February 23rd 2017 12:30 pm
In the last few days we have been experiencing record-setting, spring-like temperatures, welcome gifts in what are normally snowy, frozen Wisconsin winters. Yet what lies beneath the ice-free...
Grumbling through the desert of discernment
Thursday, March 16th 2017 11:20 am
Memories of science class came to mind as I prayed with Sunday’s first reading from Exodus. I remember using a balance scale and learning to weigh different objects; placing a rock on one side...
Sister Therese's Six Word Mission Story
Tuesday, March 21st 2017 10:00 am
Are you willing to share (post a comment below) your own Six Word Mission Story?
Sister Mary's Six Word Mission Story
Tuesday, March 28th 2017 10:00 am
Are you willing to share (post a comment below) your own Six Word Mission Story?
Commitment doesn't emerge overnight
Thursday, March 30th 2017 12:00 pm
This is the fourth week of Lent; a time to re-examine the intentions you held at the beginning of the season. Have you followed through with your objectives? Have you formed a new habit that has...
Sister Nancy's Six Word Mission Story
Tuesday, April 4th 2017 10:00 am
Are you willing to share (post a comment below) your own Six Word Mission Story?
A promise to build a new life upon
Thursday, April 6th 2017 11:00 am
I am fascinated by “Who Do You Think You Are?”, a cable television show on the TLC network. Each episode features a media icon who, through the assistance of genealogy experts,...
Sister Georgia's Six Word Mission Story
Tuesday, April 11th 2017 10:00 am
Are you willing to share (post a comment below) your own Six Word Mission Story?
Sister Rita's Six Word Mission Story
Tuesday, April 18th 2017 10:00 am
Are you willing to share (post a comment below) your own Six Word Mission Story?
Sister Clarone's Six Word Mission Story
Tuesday, May 2nd 2017 10:00 am
Are you willing to share (post a comment below) your own Six Word Mission Story?
Sister Juanita's Six Word Mission Story
Tuesday, May 9th 2017 10:00 am
Are you willing to share (post a comment below) your own Six Word Mission Story?
Sister Malinda's Six Word Mission Story
Tuesday, May 16th 2017 10:00 am
Are you willing to share (post a comment below) your own Six Word Mission Story?
Diamonds in our midst
Thursday, May 18th 2017 10:00 am
Twenty-six remarkable members of FSPA are celebrating their Diamond Jubilees, “commemorations that mark 60, 70, 75 and 80 years as a vowed Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration. The...
Sister Sarah's Six Word Mission Story
Tuesday, May 23rd 2017 10:00 am
Are you willing to share (post a comment below) your own Six Word Mission Story?
Sister Margaret's Six Word Mission Story
Tuesday, May 30th 2017 10:00 am
Are you willing to share (post a comment below) your own Six Word Mission Story?
Sister Joanne's Six Word Mission Story
Tuesday, June 6th 2017 10:00 am
Are you willing to share (post a comment below) your own Six Word Mission Story?
Where are we going?
Thursday, June 8th 2017 1:55 pm
Where are we going? When are we going to get there?
These are questions I recall asking incessantly, as a child, every time my family would get in the car and head out of our driveway for a road trip. Sometimes we had a plan and direction; others, we...
Sister Mary Ellen's Six Word Mission Story
Tuesday, June 13th 2017 10:00 am
Are you willing to share (post a comment below) your own Six Word Mission Story?
Sister Mary Ann's Six Word Mission Story
Tuesday, June 20th 2017 10:00 am
Are you willing to share (post a comment below) your own Six Word Mission Story?
Sister Ronalda's Six Word Mission Story
Thursday, June 29th 2017 10:00 am
Are you willing to share (post a comment below) your own Six Word Mission Story?
Sister Arlene's Six Word Mission Story
Tuesday, June 27th 2017 10:00 am
Are you willing to share (post a comment below) your own Six Word Mission Story?
"Yes" to God's invitation
Thursday, June 22nd 2017 3:05 pm
Over the course of the last several weeks our congregation has celebrated the commitment of “yes” to God with the vow renewal of Sister Laurie Sullivan, profession of perpetual...
Sister Fran's Six Word Mission Story
Thursday, July 20th 2017 10:00 am
Are you willing to share (post a comment below) your own Six Word Mission Story?
Sister Helen's Six Word Mission Story
Thursday, July 6th 2017 10:00 am
Are you willing to share (post a comment below) your own Six Word Mission Story?
Sister Marian's Six Word Mission Story
Tuesday, July 11th 2017 10:00 am
Are you willing to share (post a comment below) your own Six Word Mission Story?
Sister Betty's Six Word Mission Story
Thursday, July 13th 2017 10:00 am
Are you willing to share (post a comment below) your own Six Word Mission Story?
Sister Luanne's Six Word Mission Story
Tuesday, July 18th 2017 10:00 am
Are you willing to share (post a comment below) your own Six Word Mission Story?
Sister Antona's Six Word Mission Story
Wednesday, July 26th 2017 10:00 am
Are you willing to share (post a comment below) your own Six Word Mission Story?
Let's celebrate 139 years of perpetual adoration!
Tuesday, August 1st 2017 10:00 am
Today, FSPA celebrates 139 years of perpetual adoration. As we rejoice and ring in another year of continuous prayer, we invite you to pause, reflect and pray with us.
Sister Amy: grateful for the ways I'm inspired to pray
Tuesday, August 8th 2017 3:15 pm
Hands open, ready to receive what God places in them
It is in the spirit of gratitude that I have invited my sisters to collaborate with me in this new series featuring original...
Life as a nun today: FSPA can relate
Thursday, August 10th 2017 3:10 pm
Sharing your desire to be a sister with family and friends can be challenging, especially if they only envision their teacher — wearing a habit — standing at the head of the class before...
Sister Celesta: Prayer
Tuesday, August 15th 2017 10:00 am
“Yipes! What’s happening?”
Startling, surprising and scary … that’s when I pray fastest. I make a fervent request to get me out of this. I’m counting on a presence that I know is there, but I don’t...
Obituaries and celebrating St. Clare
Thursday, August 17th 2017 10:00 am
St. Clare of Assisi
Reading an obituary can fill us with tension and sadness; loss as well as insight and inspiration. I have read a lot of obituaries. As a former parish pastoral associate I have been present with...
Sister Kathy: The cup and the tube
Tuesday, August 22nd 2017 10:00 am
Morning breaks and the routine begins. Sip your cup of coffee and tune into “Good Morning America.” Both stimulate the body and mind in their own way and can become habit forming...
Sister Katie: ordinary day, invitation to pray
Tuesday, August 29th 2017 10:00 am
One of my most cherished ways of praying is eucharistic prayer, but lately I’ve been challenging myself to turn the seemingly ordinary routines of daily life into moments of deep prayer.
Sister Georgia: A morning offering
Tuesday, September 5th 2017 10:00 am
O my God, I offer you this morning cup of coffee.
As the steam rises upward,
So let all my thoughts, words and actions...
Imagination inspires vision in discernment
Thursday, September 7th 2017 3:05 pm
I appreciate and enjoy the opportunity to plan new experiences in my life. Preparation, for me, sparks imagination to envision what each new season as a religious sister — like the shift from...
Sister Sharon: Letters to God
Tuesday, September 12th 2017 10:00 am
My Lord and my God, I sit down to write this letter, very tired
and stiff. I may have over done it today. Thank you to Father
Sean who gave me the penance today to write a letter to You. ...
Sister Lucy Ann: expression of my time with Jesus
Tuesday, September 19th 2017 10:00 am
Prayer is the personal expression of my time with Jesus. I have found through the years that I move in and out of various expressions/activities that nurture my relationship with God. Scripture,...
Sister Jean: Praying
Tuesday, September 26th 2017 10:00 am
Sister Karolyne: God's sacred creation in morning and evening prayer
Tuesday, October 3rd 2017 10:00 am
My greeting with the earth each morning is one of gratitude and love for the gift of a new day, and the prayer of Blessing and Goodness in the evening is with the earth’s presence.
Gazing and listening in the presence of God’s sacred creation — communion and Eucharist beauty, simple and natural and wonderful — create my deepest prayer.
Sister Rita Mae: painting as prayer
Tuesday, October 10th 2017 2:30 pm
"Crocuses" by Sister Rita Mae Fischer
At times, my prayer is in humming, groaning, rocking or walking. But the day I received word that my friend had died, my prayer was in painting crocuses. Just as for Christopher Pramuk, music for me...
Sister Anita: the soul searching question
Tuesday, October 17th 2017 10:00 am
A lake as calm as glass;
A circle of pine trees enjoying a near-perfect reflection in the fragile lake mirror;
And I am privileged to contemplate both from my aqua cycle perspective on the lake....
This day of thanks and giving
Thursday, November 23rd 2017 10:00 am
Image courtesy freeimages.com
May this day be a time of contemplation as you gather with family and friends and recall the many gifts God has blessed you with throughout the year.
May this day be a time of contemplation as you gather with family and friends and recall the many gifts God has blessed you with throughout the year.
Sister Antona: comfort, joy and security in prayer
Tuesday, October 24th 2017 10:00 am
Image courtesy of freeimages.com
Prayer is very personal — it depends upon individual relationships with God. My prayer life changes as I get older. I don’t need so many prayer leaflets. Prayer has become a part of my...
Sister Sue: nature is prayer
Thursday, November 9th 2017 10:00 am
Image courtesy freeimages.com
I pray outside when I can. Being in nature is prayer for me. Whatever brings me closer to God — feeling God’s presence and love — is prayer for me. I prefer to take time in the...
Sister Ronalda: I need to live and love
Thursday, November 30th 2017 10:00 am
Image courtesy freeimages.com
Some of my best moments in prayer come when I am walking. Once, I was on a road in the woods. A grouping of tall pines with branches only at the...
A transformative moment
Thursday, November 16th 2017 10:00 am
Next week marks the beginning of travel for many as the Thanksgiving holiday approaches. Millions of people will board planes and trains and drive cars to gather with loved ones. Traffic, in one way...
Discernment: clothed in your own uniqueness
Thursday, October 19th 2017 10:00 am
Before I entered elementary school my favorite color was orange. It is a fact of my life story that I haven't recalled in years until I noticed my lunch today — cheddar peanut butter...
Action vs. contemplation in discernment?
Thursday, October 12th 2017 10:00 am
Every year, a cycle of radical busyness invades my life. I brace for it and always persevere. Strategy is embedded in the pages of my calendar and I make defensive moves to try to protect time for...
Discerning, igniting a revolution of peace
Thursday, October 5th 2017 12:00 am
The first thing I do each morning is check the news app on my phone. Before my feet even touch the floor I become conscious of the violence that has occurred while I slept — horror has erupted...
Intuition: an essential tool for home improvement and discernment
Thursday, September 28th 2017 2:00 pm
To me, do-it-yourself home improvement projects always sound simple and I typically imagine completing whatever the task in a short amount of time; achieving the perfect final product. My...
Tuning in to God, discernment
Thursday, September 21st 2017 2:30 pm
Often when I am looking for inspiration in my writing, I go to places that feed my soul. Recently, I was sitting in the back row of our adoration chapel, pondering what to share in my next blog,...
Viewing relationships in a discernment eclipse
Thursday, August 31st 2017 10:00 am
There are some common experiences that every generation shares and become markers of life. For my parent’s generation it’s the recollection of “Where were you when you heard the...
New horizons ahead
Tuesday, August 22nd 2017 10:00 am
Image courtesy of outloud.com
This time of year brings a parade of moving trucks, SUVs and vans, packed to the hilt, making the trek to college dorms and apartments. Dreams of graduation dates and soul-fulfilling careers are...
Prepare
Thursday, December 14th 2017 10:00 am
As we continue into second week of our Advent pilgrimage, two words have come into my consciousness —discipline and commitment. I am a bit surprised: I typically associate these nouns...
Merry Christmas!
Monday, December 25th 2017 10:00 am
Merry Christmas to you from the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration.
Image courtesy pixabay.com
May the joy of Christ's birth be in your heart today and throughout the year....
Happy New Year!
Monday, January 1st 2018 10:00 am
Happy New Year to you from the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration.
Image courtesy pixabay.com
May the coming year be filled with inspiration as you discern your vocation....
Beacons of hope
Thursday, December 21st 2017 10:00 am
Whether on a trip to visit a friend with a detour along the way or forging my continual pilgrimage through religious life, I rely on mile markers and signs to point me in the direction of...
Journey of Advent
Thursday, December 7th 2017 10:00 am
Image courtesy pixabay.com Do you like to travel? Have you ever been on a pilgrimage? A pilgrimage is a journey on which the participant commits to growing in faith, discovering lessons along the...
Pray as you pray
Thursday, January 18th 2018 10:00 am
Image courtesy pixabay.com
I first learned to pray at home and was taught that prayer is important. Then, prayer was often spoken aloud. After entering FSPA, I experienced many prayers said collectively; sometimes spoken...
It's where I pray
Thursday, January 25th 2018 10:00 am
Image by Sister Amy Taylor
One of my favorite places to pray is in my recliner in my room at St. Rose Convent. It sits in front of a window from which I can see the Adoration Chapel behind a variety of trees. The chapel...
Turn your back or open your arms to discernment?
Thursday, February 1st 2018 1:00 pm
A fleece blanket, crafted and wrapped with care for someone in need
Lori True composed and sings a wonderful song called “What Have We Done for the Poor Ones.” This past Saturday, FSPA sisters, Viterbo University students, staff and alumni took this...
Lori True composed and sings a wonderful song called “What Have We Done for the Poor Ones.” This past Saturday, FSPA sisters, Viterbo University students, staff and alumni took this...
1,080 years of religious life
Thursday, February 8th 2018 4:20 pm
Today commences a new year of jubilation for our Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration celebrating 75, 70, 60 and 50 years of vowed religious life. These annual celebrations are known as jubilee....
Hearts and ashes
Wednesday, February 14th 2018 8:25 pm
There are special occasions we all look forward to in life; days that we want to mark by dressing up and celebrating with a nice meal. As this Valentine’s Day coincides with Ash...
Temptation and transformation in the desert
Thursday, February 22nd 2018 10:30 am
The Gospel for the first Sunday of Lent makes me imagine a movie trailer for a film directed by Mark. He sets a pithy scene in the desert, features a cast of characters that include Jesus,...
What inspires Sister Janet about about religious life today?
Friday, March 9th 2018 10:00 am
In honor of National Catholic Sisters Week, Show me a sign posed the question "What inspires you about religious life today?" to women religious in our community. Here's what...
What inspires Sister Sue about religious life today?
Tuesday, March 13th 2018 10:00 am
In honor of National Catholic Sisters Week, Show me a sign posed the question "What inspires you about religious life today?" to women religious in our community. Here's what Sister Sue...
FSPA at RE Congress 2018 ... Rise Up!
Thursday, March 22nd 2018 10:00 am
Sisters Amy and Kathy greeted hundreds of people -- youth and adults -- at the annual congress for religious education in Los Angeles, California. (Photographer Victor Aleman)
Sister Kathy and I would like to send a shout out to all those we met at RE Congress 2018: Rise Up! while we represented the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration and vocations there....
FSPA reflects upon World Day of Prayer for Vocations
Thursday, April 19th 2018 1:45 pm
The Catholic church will celebrate the annual World Day of Prayer for Vocations on Sunday, April 22, 2018.
Sisters Sarah Hennessey, Julia Walsh and Eileen McKenzie pray in the FSPA Adoration Chapel at St. Rose Convent.
Stepping into bright futures
Thursday, May 17th 2018 10:00 am
Image courtesy pixabay.com
As we enter into the season of graduation, may you take a moment of quiet to recall all the ways God has brought you to this milestone in your life. Every ounce of hard work and determination has...
As we prepare for Memorial Day
Thursday, May 24th 2018 10:00 am
Image courtesy pixabay.com
As we begin to contemplate Memorial Day, let us give pray for and praise to all who have died in service for their country.
And, today and every day, let us pray for world peace.
Finding God at the wheel with Sister Laurice
Thursday, May 31st 2018 10:00 am
When I am inspired to learn something new, I look around to find someone who shares my interest. Many years ago, I desired to work with clay on a potter’s wheel. Several people suggested I talk...
Empowering peace this Fourth of July
Wednesday, July 4th 2018 10:00 am
Discerning wisdom in words
Thursday, July 19th 2018 10:00 am
Image courtesy pixabay.com
There is a phrase my parents share with me every single time I go out the door: “Be safe, have fun, you know the rules … love you.” Whether I was a young girl heading to a...
Sounding the bell for 140 years of 24/7 prayer [video]
Wednesday, August 1st 2018 1:00 pm
Sister Marguerite Bruening is one of several sisters and prayer partners at St. Rose Convent, ringing this bell in commemoration of 140 years of perpetual adoration.
Today we celebrate the beginning of our 141st year of perpetual adoration, ringing this bell 140 times for those full of unending prayer since Aug. 1, 1878, and once to commence a new year of...
Mary, Clare, a novice and an associate: discerning pathways to God
Thursday, August 16th 2018 10:00 am
This time in August marks the celebration of two wonderful and inspirational women of faith: Mary of Nazareth and St. Clare of Assisi. From this point in history, we can trace the pathways from each...
Honoring service, goodness
Monday, September 3rd 2018 8:00 am
Image courtesy of Pixabay
May this be a day of relaxation, renewal and honor of our gifts of service to the world as we celebrate Labor Day.
*Do you know someone experiencing discernment of religious life? We invite you to share this link, www.fspa.org/showmeasign, and join the conversation.
May this be a day of relaxation, renewal and honor of our gifts of service to the world as we celebrate Labor Day.
*Do you know someone experiencing discernment of religious life? We invite you to share this link, www.fspa.org/showmeasign, and join the conversation.
A new career in religious life?
Thursday, September 27th 2018 1:45 pm
A common question that surfaces in vocation is this: can I change careers while serving as a Catholic sister?
Yes ... it is acceptable to discern a change of ministry in religious life! The spirit is always at work within you and often leads you to new experiences -- perhaps the opportunity to care for...
Yes ... it is acceptable to discern a change of ministry in religious life! The spirit is always at work within you and often leads you to new experiences -- perhaps the opportunity to care for...
These are our own Meribah moments
Thursday, March 8th 2018 10:00 am
It’s common for many people to run away, hardening their hearts to a possible call to religious life. Fear, anxiety and worry are sometimes overwhelming and leave little room for joy, wonder,...
What will you bring to the feast today [and every day]?
Thursday, October 4th 2018 10:00 am
Do the good -- globally -- today and everyday
Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration celebrate Transitus -- the passage of St. Francis of Assisi from death to life on the eve of the Feast Day of St. Francis of Assisi -- in Mary of the...
Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration celebrate Transitus -- the passage of St. Francis of Assisi from death to life on the eve of the Feast Day of St. Francis of Assisi -- in Mary of the...
What if my family isn’t Catholic? Meet Sister Sarah. [Video]
Friday, February 1st 2019 7:30 am
Welcome to another Show me a sign video premiere! And, World Day for Consecrated Life greetings to you (a day early).
We promised to introduce you to five Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration who share the joys and struggles they experienced in personal relationships as they walked their own pathway of...
We promised to introduce you to five Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration who share the joys and struggles they experienced in personal relationships as they walked their own pathway of...
How will religious life affect my relationships? Meet Sister Dawn. [Video]
Friday, March 8th 2019 7:30 am
Welcome to another Show me a sign video premiere! And, happy National Catholic Sisters Week!
We continue introducing you to Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration who share the joys and struggles they experienced in personal relationships as they walked their own pathway of discernment.
We continue introducing you to Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration who share the joys and struggles they experienced in personal relationships as they walked their own pathway of discernment.
Will I stay in contact with my family? Meet Sister Jacinta. [Video]
Wednesday, March 13th 2019 10:00 am
We continue to celebrate National Catholic Sisters Week and welcome Sister Jacinta Jackson to the Show me a sign video family!
Like Sisters Lucy, Sarah and Dawn, Sister Jacinta shares her joys and struggles she experienced in family relationships as she walked her own path of discernment.
Like Sisters Lucy, Sarah and Dawn, Sister Jacinta shares her joys and struggles she experienced in family relationships as she walked her own path of discernment.
What did you say?
Thursday, November 2nd 2017 3:15 pm
Image courtesy morguefile.com
Amidst the world news articles online I recently came across the lighter read “50 Unique Words and Phrases From Each State That Only Locals Understand.” As an avid traveler, I was...
Amidst the world news articles online I recently came across the lighter read “50 Unique Words and Phrases From Each State That Only Locals Understand.” As an avid traveler, I was...
Documenting discernment
Thursday, September 29th 2016 12:02 pm
It is rare that I receive a handwritten note or card in the mail anymore. Such artistry has morphed into emails and text messages in which descriptive stories of elation or frustration are relayed in...
Advent light and joy: the vocation that may shine from deep inside you
Thursday, December 15th 2016 3:00 pm
Can you feel the energy in the air as we continue our journey of Advent towards the celebration of Christmas? It reminds me of dragging my feet across the carpet and experiencing a small shock of...
Open eyes can change world views
Thursday, January 19th 2017 11:00 am
This week we celebrated Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. He was a charismatic civil rights leader who offered a new vision for the United States; who gave to the world “I Have a Dream.” He...
Sharing courage to walk in darkness and light
Thursday, February 9th 2017 2:40 pm
My time with television news at home or listening to the radio on my way to work has been full of sorrow and worry. There's been very little positive news woven into each broadcast. Sometimes I...
Sister Esther's Six Word Mission Story
Tuesday, January 31st 2017 10:00 am
Have you enjoyed FSPA's Six Word Stories about vocation? Check out our new series, Six Word Mission Stories. We invite you to share (post a comment...
Sister Mary Myron's Six Word Mission Story
Thursday, March 2nd 2017 10:00 am
Are you willing to share (post a comment below) your own Six Word Mission Story?
Sister Cormarie's Six Word Mission Story
Thursday, July 27th 2017 10:00 am
Are you willing to share (post a comment below) your own Six Word Mission Story?
Discovery in discernment: breakthroughs of mind and heart
Thursday, January 11th 2018 10:00 am
Image courtesy freeimages.com
I am fascinated with the brains of scientist and inventors. What keeps them in the lab testing and retesting and searching for the answers they long for? How do they resist boredom? How do they deal...
Praying for a blessed Holy Week
Thursday, March 29th 2018 10:00 am
May God guide our hearts as we begin the celebration of Holy Week.
Image by Sister Amy Taylor
*Do you know someone experiencing discernment of religious life? We invite you to share this link, www.fspa.org/showmeasign, and join the conversation.
Sister Marla celebrates, contemplates religious life in jubilee
Thursday, April 5th 2018 10:00 am
Called to religious life and FSPA 50, 60 and even 70 years ago, our 2018 jubilarians are celebrating and contemplating. Show Me a Sign asked Sister Marla Lang — who embodies 60...
Sister Cormarie celebrates, contemplates religious life in jubilee
Thursday, April 26th 2018 10:00 am
Called to religious life and FSPA 50, 60 and even 70 years ago, our 2018 jubilarians are celebrating and contemplating. Show Me a Sign asked Sister Cormarie Wernimont — who embodies...
Called to the right now of the journey
Thursday, May 10th 2018 10:00 am
I spend a lot of time in the car. I am usually in a hurry to complete my commute so that I can get to the tasks on my agenda for the day. I recently chose to walk to a meeting rather than drive. I...
Sister Sandra celebrates, contemplates religious life in jubilee
Thursday, May 3rd 2018 10:00 am
Called to religious life and FSPA 50, 60 and even 70 years ago, our 2018 jubilarians are celebrating and contemplating. Show Me a Sign asked Sister Sandra DeMann — who embodies 50...
Transforming the power of snow
Thursday, January 12th 2017 10:10 am
Close your eyes and take a moment to walk around in your childhood memories of snow. Can you hear the crunching of the frozen earth beneath your feet? A deep breath brings a twinge of pain that...
World Day of Prayer for Consecrated Life
Thursday, February 2nd 2017 2:56 pm
Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration Katie Mitchell and Laurie Sullivan share their "Called" experiences.
Around the world today the Catholic church celebrates the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord. It’s also the World Day of Prayer for Consecrated Life. In the time of Jesus, infants were...
Around the world today the Catholic church celebrates the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord. It’s also the World Day of Prayer for Consecrated Life. In the time of Jesus, infants were...
Unpredictability, overwhelming beauty coexist
Thursday, April 27th 2017 12:05 pm
Sometimes we are like spring: indecisive and moody. In one moment calm breezes and blinding sunshine soak into our winter-weary bones. In the next, peals of lightning and ear-splitting...
Seeing discernent from new heights
Thursday, May 5th 2016 2:33 pm
Photo credit: www.freeimages.com
Flying on an airplane is a great way to see life from a new perspective. Things that normally look big around us suddenly appear tiny. The snarling annoyance of sitting in bumper-to-bumper...
Flying on an airplane is a great way to see life from a new perspective. Things that normally look big around us suddenly appear tiny. The snarling annoyance of sitting in bumper-to-bumper...
The chronos and kairos of our lives
Thursday, May 19th 2016 10:10 am
Photo credit: Sister Amy Taylor, FSPA
Many of us live with calendars that are full. Even on the rare occasion that a meeting gets canceled, another task usually arises before there is time to...
Sister Joyce's Six Word Story
Tuesday, July 12th 2016 10:11 am
What's your six word discernment story?
Following the light
Thursday, November 10th 2016 3:10 pm
Photo credit: freeimages.com
This week has brought opportunity for morning risers to awaken to a new pattern of light. The sun has begun (on its best days) to ascend earlier and rouse reluctant sleepers with sunbeams pushing...
This week has brought opportunity for morning risers to awaken to a new pattern of light. The sun has begun (on its best days) to ascend earlier and rouse reluctant sleepers with sunbeams pushing...
Love beyond measure
Thursday, February 16th 2017 10:00 am
This week I have witnessed traditional signs of love with Valentine’s Day as flowers were delivered to St. Rose Convent for employees; their spouses taking time from their busy lives to pause...
Push, pull and go with the flow
Thursday, April 21st 2016 12:02 pm
Image courtesy of www.freeimages.com One of the gifts of living near the Mississippi is observing the movement and activity along the river. With the spring thaw already in motion,...
Bridges of peace built with prayer
Thursday, September 1st 2016 1:00 pm
Image courtesy of freeimages.com
Diversity is one of the greatest gifts we have been given on Earth, but also one of the most challenging. In the beauty of distinction it is often perplexing when we feel misunderstood by another....
Sister Mildred's Six Word Story
Tuesday, May 10th 2016 8:46 am
What's your six word discernment story?
Threshold moments
Thursday, May 12th 2016 9:49 am
Photo credit: www.freeimages.com
This week I had the honor of attending a college graduation. With joy-filled hearts that could not be diminished by darkening clouds, wind, and the threat of lighting, we all proudly claimed our...
This week I had the honor of attending a college graduation. With joy-filled hearts that could not be diminished by darkening clouds, wind, and the threat of lighting, we all proudly claimed our...
Jesus under wraps
Thursday, July 14th 2016 10:11 am
Sacred Heart of Jesus statue "under wraps"
St. Rose Convent is undergoing minor renovations: new carpet installation is underway and some of the walls are soaking up fresh coats of paint. Walking down the hall to my office one day I noticed...
Sister Margaret's Six Word Story
Tuesday, September 6th 2016 12:00 pm
What's your six word discernment story?
Peace in the midst of unrest
Thursday, July 21st 2016 12:10 pm
Photo courtesy of Lisa DeLay
Through the screens of our televisions and computers and smart phones we are facing increasing violence around the world. Full of humanity, pain and sorrow for the hurting world, each interview we...
St. Clare of Assisi: model, mentor, friend
Thursday, August 18th 2016 10:17 am
FSPA celebrate St. Clare in Mary of the Angels Chapel (photo by Sister Nina Shephard)
Recently FSPA, along with the global Catholic church, celebrated the Feast of St. Clare of Assisi who, after more than 800 years, continues to be a model for all. St. Clare's gentle, loving...
Unplugged
Thursday, September 22nd 2016 3:10 pm
Thankfulness, flaming rolls and the illusion of perfection
Thursday, November 17th 2016 2:30 pm
Americans are hungry to dine on the tradition of Thanksgiving next week. It’s a race to the table as young and old vie for the seats closest to the food of their dreams. The stuffing. The...
Sister Rosalia's Six Word Mission Story
Tuesday, March 7th 2017 10:00 am
Are you willing to share (post a comment below) your own Six Word Mission Story?
Surrendering to the task at hand
Thursday, October 13th 2016 12:00 pm
Photo courtesy of freeimages.com
Quick: think of five tasks you have been putting off over the past month. What else comes to mind?
Dread?...
Sister Donna's Six Word Story
Tuesday, October 18th 2016 12:00 pm
What's your six word discernment story?
Grilling, chilling and discernment
Thursday, July 28th 2016 12:30 pm
Image by Sister Amy Taylor
When I think of summer I revel in the possibilities of beautiful weather and time to slow down, relax and reconnect in person (not through Facebook) with family and...
When I think of summer I revel in the possibilities of beautiful weather and time to slow down, relax and reconnect in person (not through Facebook) with family and...
The hope and conversion in Christmas
Thursday, December 8th 2016 10:00 am
Photo by Sister Amy Taylor, FSPA
I am a fan of holiday movies. In a span of two hours plots develop with a challenge in the life of the main characters that invites reflection, followed by a new choice. Usually the story has a happy...
I am a fan of holiday movies. In a span of two hours plots develop with a challenge in the life of the main characters that invites reflection, followed by a new choice. Usually the story has a happy...
Mary and our "Yes" to mystery
Thursday, March 23rd 2017 10:00 am
This Saturday is the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord. As I prepare for the celebration I’ve contemplated the Gospel we'll receive that day and thought about all the announcements...
Mantle of grief
Thursday, April 20th 2017 2:15 pm
In moments of despair and grief in my life I have longed to hear the words “It’s going to be okay;” okay meaning others will walk with me through times of pain and loss (although...
Kindness: we are all called to be Esther
Thursday, March 9th 2017 12:45 pm
In a spirit of collaboration, we enter into the celebration of National Catholic Sisters Week (March 8 through 14). There are over 45,000 women religious in the United States, and FSPA is a member of...
