April 24, 2023

In this Issue:


National Library Week


Brazil Assembly


St. Mary's Medical Center Anniversary


Renewal of Vows


"Free the Girls"


Teresinha de Jesus Santos - Golden Jubilee


HNP Francis Medal - Follow up


"Pathway to Peace & Inner Freedom:

Reflections on the Twelve Steps"

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National Library Week

Celebrate National Library Week (April 23-29, 2023)

with the theme

"There's More to the Story."

"Libraries are full of stories in a variety of formats from picture books to large print, audiobooks to ebooks, and more. But there's so much more to the story. Libraries of Things lend items like museum passes, games, musical instruments, and tools. Library programming brings communities together for entertainment, education, and connection through book clubs, storytimes, movie nights, crafting classes, and lectures. Library infrastructure advances communities, providing internet and technology access, literacy skills, and support for businesses, job seekers, and entrepreneurs. National Library Week 2023 will be a great time to tell your library’s multi-faceted story."

"National Library Week ", American Library Association, November 8, 2006. http://www.ala.org/conferencesevents/celebrationweeks/natlibraryweek

This is National Library Week, so we thought it was a good time to give a shout-out to St. Elizabeth Motherhouse librarian Sherri Lothridge.


She makes sure the library has the latest books, fiction and non-fiction.


“Mysteries are the biggest thing,” she said, adding that she likes to have a handful of books by the most popular authors in the library. “If they ask for something specifically, I’ll find a way to get it.”


Sherri noted that while the library is filled with books, they are not necessarily the sisters’ favorite things to read. She said the women often stop by on their way to or from lunch to read the current issues of newspapers and magazines. 


She said the sisters without computers or smartphones will sometimes ask her to look up information on the internet for them.


“I’m here to help,” she said.


Sherri said her favorite part of the job is reading to the sisters who, for a variety of reasons, can’t read themselves anymore. Sister Ann Rothmeir said having Sherri read to her is “a gift.”

2023 Brazil Spring Assembly

Regional Assembly of the Franciscan Sisters of Allegany kicked off April 20. Meeting at the Admirable Mother Convent the sisters of the Brazil region and Congregational Minister Sister Margaret Magee lived the joy of the fraternal meeting and discussed congregational matters. In her opening speech Regional Minister Sister Goianira Silva reminded everyone that Easter time invites us to recognize the joy of the resurrected Christ and the commitment to live it until the end of life.

To see more pictures, go to our Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/FSAllegany

St. Mary's Medical Center 85th Anniversary

St. Mary’s Medical Center in West Palm Beach, Florida, will be celebrating its 85th anniversary.


It was founded on April 28, 1938, by the Franciscan Sisters of Allegany as a small, 50-bed facility. It’s now a 420-bed acute care hospital that provides myriad services to a five-county area.


Among the activities planned for the celebration is a special anniversary Mass. 


Also, Laura Gies of Tenet Health will be posting photos and engaging on social media all week.

The picture, dated

Dec. 20, 1961, shows Robert F. Kennedy, First Lady Jackie Kennedy and President John F. Kennedy being escorted into the hospital to visit JFK’s and RFK’s father, Joseph Kennedy, who was a patient there.

If you have any stories or pictures you would like to share you can send them to Laura.Gies@tenethealth.com or anne.holliday@fsallegany.org

Renewal of Vows

April 16, 2023

On April 16, Franciscans renew their vows in honor of St. Francis of Assisi and his companions who made their vows into the hands of Pope Innocent III on that day in 1209.


Franciscan Sisters of Allegany throughout the Congregation around the world took part in vow renewal ceremonies.


At the St. Elizabeth Motherhouse in Allegany several friars joined the Sisters for Mass and renewed their vows after Congregational Minister Sister Margaret Magee led the Sisters in their vow renewal.

"Free the Girls"

Featuring: Kathy Doyle, Associate

When we asked our Earth Day question about what people are doing to help save the planet, we didn’t expect the answer we got from Associate Kathy Doyle, who participates in, what she calls, a unique form of recycling.


Here’s her story:


For the past eight years I have been collecting new and gently used bras in my 55+ community for a program called “Free the Girls.” The organization helps formerly enslaved/trafficked women set up their own micro-businesses selling secondhand bras. There is a strong demand for used clothing in poorer countries and bras are especially valued. They are easy to store but complex to make so they don’t compete with local goods. Setting up shop can be as easy as hanging out a half dozen bras from an open umbrella in the marketplace.


Free The Girls operates in El Salvador, Costa Rica and, apropos for the Allegany Franciscans, Mozambique -- places where import laws allow bras to enter as clothing and not as underwear which cannot be imported. Four bras provide a living wage for a woman in El Salvador. Two hundred bras supply a half month’s inventory for a woman in Mozambique. Because they work for themselves the women in the program become entrepreneurs. With the income earned they are able to provide for themselves and their families and no longer worry about their future. A recent report noted that some women are enrolled in school/college, their children are getting health care, most go to school, even private schools. Homes and land have been purchased as well.


The first year netted 141 bras, the highest year total was 364. Over the years my community has sent more than 1,500 bras! This is an easy project that anyone can undertake with their family, parish/Associate group or local organization. 




More info can be found on their website: https://www.freethegirls.org/about

Golden Jubilee Celebration for

Teresinha de Jesus Santos, OSF

Sister Teresinha de Jesus Santos is celebrating her Golden Jubilee in Brazil. You can find a video of the Mass on our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/FSAllegany

Holy Name Province Francis Medal

We promised you more from Holy Name Province on Sister Patricia Shirley and Sister Mary McNally each receiving the Francis Medal. Here it is:


“It is a privilege to serve, support, and care for my brother friars. They have spent their lives caring for others,” added Sr. Mary, who has been involved in wide-ranging ministries – including parish pastoral care, counseling, spiritual direction, healthcare, and congregational leadership. She has also served as a vocation director and as director of the Franciscan Center.


You can read the full story by following this link: Friars Honor Allegany Sisters with Francis Medal at St. Petersburg Friary - Holy Name Province (hnp.org)

Publication By: Judith Terrameo, OSF

"Pathway to Peace and Inner Freedom: Reflections on the Twelve Steps"

Just about every adult has heard of the Twelve Step program. Sister Judith Terrameo went one step further.


She wrote “Pathway to Peace and Inner Freedom: Reflections on the Twelve Steps.”


A recovering alcoholic, Sister Judith said another sister asked her to share her reflections on the Twelve Step program in an effort to help others cope with various issues. She said while she was caring for her sick father the project “was a nice outlet” for her.


The 32-page booklet includes prayers, poetry, photography and “Spiritual Groundwork” questions. She said combining poetry and Ignatian Spirituality seemed to be the best approach to achieving the goal she had in mind. She added that the Spiritual Groundwork at the end of each reflection is “perfect for group sharing,” with questions like “What is my image of God?” and “Did you like the person you were today?”


She stressed that the booklet is not exclusively for people with addiction issues. “We all deal with something,” she said.


Sister Judith said “being given the gift and grace to share with others is an honor.”

To purchase a copy at $5.00 each, please send a check payable to

Franciscan Sisters of Allegany” and mail to:

Franciscan Sisters of Allegany; Attn: Claire Majot; P.O. Box W, St Bonaventure, NY 14778.

Or if you are visiting the St. Elizabeth Motherhouse cash can be accepted.

Newsletter Content Submission Deadline:

May 8th Publication: Due 12:00pm EST - May 5th

May 22nd Publication: Due 12:00pm EST - May 19th

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