The Casa community gathered to roast marshmallows and drink apple cider in the front yard, greeting trick-or-treaters this Halloween!

Welcome to the FMS e-newsletter! Each week, our newsletter will be highlighting what our missioners are learning through their mission preparation at Casa San Salvador, the FMS missioner house. Enjoy these stories from the missioners' eleventh week!

Join us virtually for the Commissioning Mass in honor of Kim, Ralph, and Susan tomorrow at 2:30pm Eastern.

Scott Graham, OFS, joined the missioners via Zoom to discuss risk and emergency management and the importance of having plans and knowledge should emergencies occur while they are on mission. Drawing on his long experience serving in the Marine Corps on the Chemical Biological Incident Response Force, Scott stressed the importance of learning about and planning for potential emergencies or disasters that could occur in their specific mission sites.

"Scott Graham gave an excellent presentation on Risk & Emergency Management. As an overseas missioner going to an unfamiliar place, I need to be particularly diligent in learning about the risks and emergencies I may face. This is important, not just for my safety, but also for the safety of those I serve or work with."

-Susan Sarkissian

Simple Living and Budgeting

Franciscan spirituality is known for emphasizing a life of simplicity and intentionality. This week, Executive Director Liz Hughes led a session called "Simple Living and Budgeting." In it, the missioners discussed the importance of prioritizing their relationships with Christ and one another over material things. They discussed the ways that budgeting is part of living simply, but that true Franciscan simplicity is about the freedom to find joy in simple pleasures and creativity. It’s a choice to be in solidarity – in some measured way – with people who are on the margins economically. It frees us up to be truly present and embrace a ministry of presence.

"This session was helpful to put simple living in overseas mission work in perspective. It was helpful to cover different aspects that can make up a simple life rather than only discussing living on a budget. I appreciated how it made us think and consider what we might be adding that is hindering us from living life fully."

-Kim Wagner

The missioners visited the US Conference of Catholic Bishops this week to meet with David Spicer, Senior Policy Advisor of the Department of Migration and Refugee Services. This department assists the bishops in developing and promoting policy positions on migration and refugees according to the Church's social and moral teachings, as well as fostering greater advocacy, awareness, understanding, and support for the work of MRS and the vulnerable populations it serves.

"Meeting with David Spicer from the USCCB was very impactful, learning about migration policy, unaccompanied children, and refugee resettlement. If you ever wondered where the money goes, I assure you it is being used for the common good according to Catholic Social Teachings."

-Ralph Anderson

Meghan and the missioners at the USCCB office.

Each week the missioners will learn about different styles of prayer as part of their faith formation. We encourage you to enter into this journey; hopefully it can assist in your own spiritual life as well.

This week, the missioners spent time learning about the feasts of All Saints and All Souls, particularly focusing on how these feasts are celebrated around the world, and then took turns sharing the legacy of a deceased loved one. On All Souls Day, the Casa community gathered in the chapel in Casa San Salvador for a Dia de los muertos prayer service led by Chris Zaragoza, DC Service Corps alum and community member. The community gathered images of deceased loved ones, marigolds, candles, and other traditional symbols for the Casa ofrenda, or home altar, pictured below. Praying and listening to music together, the community celebrated the lives of their loved ones and prayed with joyful hope for the repose of their souls.

The Franciscan tradition is brimming with Saints, Blesseds, and Venerables included in the Roman Canon. Each week, we will highlight a different Franciscan who lived a notable life of holiness.

St. Catherine of Bologna was born on September 8, 1413 in Bologna, Italy, to a noble family. She served as a lady-in-waiting in a noble court, where she learned to read, write, and play music. She eventually left court to become a beguine, a member of a semi-religious community of women who lived according to a monastic rule but did not take formal vows. The community she joined was eventually incorporated into the Observant Poor Clare convent in Ferrara, where she served as Mistress of Novices.

St. Catherine had a reputation for piety, and there are accounts of her experiencing visions and miracles. She also became a prolific writer and artist, penning several works of prose and poetry on the spiritual life as well as sermons for her sisters. Her artistic works were largely preserved in her breviary, drawn while meditating on Scriptural passages. Along with several images of Jesus, Mary, and the saints, her art also incorporated needlework and was interwoven with prayer rubrics she created. It served to further both her own devotion and the devotion of her community, as the artwork served a teaching role in the convent.

St. Catherine was eventually invited to serve as the abbess of a new convent in Bologna, where she lived until she died in 1463. Devotion to her as a saint was initially very localized, but she was eventually canonized in 1712. She is the patron saint of artists and against temptation, and her feast day is celebrated March 9th.

St. Catherine, pray for us!

Let's Stay Connected!