The Winter Solstice, the darkest day of the year, is immediately followed by Christmas when the Light of the World comes and shines into the darkness of our lives. During Advent, we sing quite frequently, "Come Lord Jesus! Maranatha!" But what

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I've had the opportunity to visit many, many churches during my first semester serving Franciscan University in Gaming, Austria. Every time I walked in, my goal was to find the tabernacle and pay a visit to Jesus, if only for

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I walk in and find myself immediately flooded with many tasks to do. While people come over to say hello and give hugs, I'm given instructions for the day. Before I can start any of these tasks, I have an

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A relief of Jesus and St. Faustina at the convent of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy in Krakow "Jesus loves you!" The room, filled with more than 100 college students, was absolutely still. All listened with rapt attention

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"Silk" (Samuel Hayes Johnson) October 20, 1946- September 14, 2016 Silk died, early on the morning of the feast of the Triumph of the Cross. I appreciate that to most people that sentence probably seems funny, like a typo or

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  This year's mission shirts say, "Discover the Beauty," printed boldly under a silhouette of the skyline of Steubenville. Looking back at the week I spent with Franciscan University students spending their spring break in prayer and service for Steubenville, I

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Why the Wild Goose? Because there is a wildness about the Holy Spirit.  Fr. Dave Pivonka, one of our T.O.R. brothers, in a new video series called The Wild Goose, tells how the ancient Celts used to call the Holy Spirit

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The following is a poem written by one of our sisters, fitting for today's mysteries. "Gifts" The Father poured gifts on his Beloved,      his Son, As he slumbered on the Cross      and in the tomb. I am

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one of the hermitages on our property Franciscan Sisters Hermitage Reflections For two weeks after Christmas, Sr. Agnes Thérèse and Sr. Teresa spent time in prayer and solitude in what we call a hermitage experience. This time apart enabled them

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Today ends the year of Consecrated Life in the Church (November 30, 2014-February 2, 2016).  It has been a year of many graces and beautiful opportunities.  As consecrated religious, we were invited by Pope Francis to focus on three things

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Franciscan Sisters TOR give thanks for God’s multiplied gifts through one man’s heart I hear the door click open, the squeak of the dolly's wheels. Though I am new to the Franciscan Sisters TOR (just about two months old), this

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"As contemplatives in the world, we esteem the value of prayer in itself for love of God and give ourselves wholeheartedly to the mission of Christ through the spiritual and corporal works of mercy" (Constitutions #1). Works of Mercy: Praying for

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