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News and Events
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Franciscan Spirituality
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The Franciscan Spirituality Committee now has a blog! All current and previous reflections can be found there.
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Quick Links
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Allegany Franciscans Website
Did you know that a daily reflection is posted on our Facebook page, or that it is also shared with a Portuguese translation by our Sisters in Brazil? Take a look!
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Golden Jubilee Celebration
May 28, 2016
St. Elizabeth Motherhouse Chapel
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 Second Annual May Crowning
By: Monica Colts, Activities Director
On May 16th, 2016, the Activities Department held its second annual May Crowning. This tradition goes back hundreds of years in the Catholic Church as a remembrance of the Blessed Mother and a celebration of spring. In coordination with Mary Lou Plesac, the Director of Spiritual Life at Southern Tier Catholic School, 17 fourth grade
students
from Mrs. Crawford's class joined the Sisters for the event. Mary Lou led the singing and accompanied the congregation on her acoustic guitar. Xavier Hilmey did a reading from the
gospel
of Luke and Rose Scordo assisted Sr. Joan Clare Chin-Loy in the Crowning. Sr. Joan then led the assembled in praying the 5th Joyful Mystery of the Life of Mary, her crowning as the
Queen of the Universe
and the
Mother and Advocate of Sinners
.
After the May Crowning
t
he children gathered around
for some delightful photos.
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 St. Anthony's Hospital President given Papal Award
From STAT Newsletter
St. Anthony's President Bill Ulbricht was among 18 Tampa Bay residents to recently honored by Pope Francis for their work with the Catholic Church. All recipients were honored by the Most Reverend Bishop Robert Lynch at a private ceremony at the Bethany Center last month.
Bill received the Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice (For the Church and Pope) Medal, which is given to lay people and the clergy for distinguished service to the Church. It is the highest honor that can be awarded to lay people by the Pope. Bishop Lynch petitioned the Holy See, with the names and biographical information of those whom he felt should receive the award.
In notifying Bill about the award, Bishop Lynch said that the honor is "bestowed on people like yourself who have been extremely generous to the work of the Gospel in the local Church."
"I am most humbled by this recognition," said Bill, whose family is active at the Nativity
Catholic Church of Brandon. "I am most grateful to have received this honor from Pope Francis and Bishop Lynch for work at my church that truly does not feel like work at all. It is a mission for me, one that I hope to continue for many years to come."
Sr. Mary McNally, vice president of mission, said it was an honor to be at the ceremony. "We have been truly blessed to have Bill as our leader,'' Sr. Mary said. "We recognize that he
is a leader not only at St. Anthony's, BayCare, and in our community, but has received the highest honor by the Catholic Church, as a person/leader who truly lives the Gospel values of care and concern for humanity."
The Diocesan Bishop can nominate potential recipients when he sees fit to do so and there is no frequency in which the award is given. In the St. Petersburg Diocese, the medal was last presented in 2013 and was previously given in 2008.
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 Jamaican Assembly
By: Colleen Brady OSF
What an opportunity I recently had to spend a few days (much too few) in Kingston, Jamaica. My trip had a three-fold purpose: to attend the Assembly, meet with Sister Teresita DeSouza and Tenicea Hewitt (affiliate), and to generally soak up the goodness and warm hospitality of our sisters and associates!
The Assembly was very rich, not only in the presentations (thank you Sisters Pat Shirley, Margaret Magee, and Carmelita Murphy, OP) but in the wonderful and honest sharing which took place as we sat in our rockers. Oh, if only all the Assemblies could offer those accommodations!!
It was perfect joy to meet Tenicea for the first time. We had been corresponding through email but now had the wonderful opportunity to really explore her journey on the spiritual path. She is full of life, with a genuine smile and an eagerness to serve and grow in her Franciscan spirituality.
There was also the opportunity to work on Chapter liturgies with Sister Maureen Clare Hall, Donna Haynes and Margaret
Jarrett
. Of course, there was a lot of "beat", laughter, and just plain good fun and harmony in the process. The composer of the Chapter theme song, "Be the Fire", Allison L. Wallace, spent some time with us. We are so grateful to her for giving so generously of her beautiful musical talents.
Of course, all work and no play makes for a sad girl
, so a trip to the pool was enjoyed by Sisters Angella Harris, Pat Shirley, and Trinita Solnek, along with Ellen Winger and one of the Franciscan Missioners
, Janice Smullen. (I forgot my suit so settled for being the photographer and dipping my toe in the water.)
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 Auburn Parish Became Family
By Jennifer Burke/Catholic Courier
Sister Chris Treichel took the first step toward discerning her vocation while still in elementary school at St. Teresa School in Washington, D.C.
Admiring the women religious who taught her there and at La Reine High School in Suitland, Md., she decided she wanted to follow in their footsteps, she recently told the Catholic Courier.
"I always wanted to be a nun. It was always in my heart. I loved the sisters through grade school and high school. You just hung with the sisters and enjoyed being with them," recalled Sister Treichel, who in June will retire as pastoral administrator of Sacred Heart Parish in Auburn and St. Ann Parish in Owasco.
Continue Reading
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 St. Joseph's Says Thanks to Bishop Lynch
By: Arlene McGannon, Vice President of Mission
On May 12, St. Joseph's Hospital welcomed Bishop Robert Lynch and more than 20 Franciscan Sisters of Allegany to Mass in the hospital chapel. It was an opportunity to say "Thank You" to Bishop Lynch for his 20 years of pastoral leadership in the Diocese of St. Petersburg as he prepares for retirement. Sister Margaret Magee offered a message of gratitude to the Bishop for walking with the community and the hospital as a true brother over the years, and then invited the Sisters to sing the Blessing of St. Francis as a parting prayer for him. Arlene McGannon, vice president of Mission, presented Bishop Lynch with a beautiful replica of the San Damiano Cross for his retirement residence, thanking him for his leadership and support over the 20 years of his episcopacy. After Mass, the Sisters were treated to a delicious luncheon in the Medical Arts Building. May God bless Bishop Lynch with many years of happy retirement and good health!
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 Franciscan Action Network speaks on The Sultan and the Saint
The Sultan and the Saint is a new documentary film project addressing an urgent global need:
support the positive role that religion must play in ending violent religious conflict and building relationships among Muslims and Christians.
The Sultan and the Saint tells one of the great stories
from Franciscan history
. Set in a past period of East-West conflict, it speaks with urgency to our present. Two men of faith, one a Muslim hero and the ruler of a Muslim Empire, nephew of Salah ad-Din, the other an itinerant Christian preacher who would become one of Christianity's most revered saints, bucked a century of war, distrust, and insidious propaganda in a search for mutual respect and common ground. It is the story of the Sultan Al-Kamil of Egypt and Francis of Assisi, and their meeting on a bloody battlefield during the period of Christian-Muslim conflict known as the Crusades. Not only does it speak directly to the conflicts of today, the story itself is very dramatic with many fascinating twists and turns, and with central characters who are more compelling than even their legends claim.
Click here to watch a video message from the Franciscan Action Network about this film.
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 From the Office of Communications
By: Denise Bunk-Hatch, Communications Director
I recently took a phone call from a Sister who was concerned about the functionality of our mobile website, as she uses her phone as her primary point of access to the internet. After listening to her concerns, I pulled up the website on my own phone and realized the format was very confusing. Immediately after our phone call, I logged in to our website and began redesigning the mobile layout. You will now see a much more streamlined appearance with less content if accessing the website from a phone or tablet. If anyone has any other questions or comments, please feel free to call or email at any time - I can't fix an issue or address a concern if I don't know about it!
Additionally, the Spring and Summer editions of
Allegany Connections have been combined into a single issue, which will be released in June. This will allow for the publication of a special Chapter Edition in August.
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Upcoming deadlines:
June 8, 2016 - First edition e-newsletter
June 22, 2016 - Second edition e-newsletter
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