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“The more the marble

wastes, the more

the statue grows.

— Michelangelo

“I feel a new beginning coming towards me,

and I'm running to it

with open arms.

— Unknown

October 13, 2024

The beloved Sacred Heart statue gifted to the School Sisters of St. Francis in 1928 has found a new home after nearly a century at Mount Assisi Convent.

Home Away from Home

 

Sisters’ Beloved Statues Find New Life Among

the People of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish

The sun streaming in through the windows of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish Center in Pittsburgh casts a silhouette of Jesus’ outstretched arms across the far end of the main-floor hallway. As the receptionist greets visitors on the left, a storied Sacred Heart statue greets them on the right. He’s new here, recently relocated after nearly a century of greeting everyone — Sisters, students, clergy and friends — who passed through the doors of the former Mount Assisi Convent and Academy just a few miles away.


Nearly 100 years old, the Sacred Heart is among a group of beloved statues that have found a new home after decades at Mount Assisi (known as Mt. Assisi Place personal care home since the School Sisters of St. Francis sold the complex in 2019). They were moved this summer to make way for The Saint Constantine School of Pittsburgh, which opened on the Mt. Assisi Place campus in August.


Learn how it all came to be and view more photos by clicking the button below.

Read the Full Story

A Resilient Heart: Finding Hope

in Disappointments & Loss

Throughout our lives we experience hurt, disappointments, losses and moments of great joy. With this in mind, our Sisters will host a special Twilight Retreat on Thursday, October 24, with focus on finding hope and building resilience. Attendees will explore personal and collective experiences of pain through discussion, music, and spiritual reflection.


The program runs from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in St. Francis Center at Monocacy Manor, 395 Bridle Path Road in Bethlehem, Pa.


Led by Robert Olney (pictured), the retreat will include exercises to identify and address emotional challenges, explore loss theory, understand stress and grief phases, and examine family dynamics. Attendees will reflect on their own experiences, their spiritual journey — particularly through the wisdom of St. Francis — to ultimately find hope and strength.


Registration is $25 per person. To register online now with a credit card, please click the button below. If you would prefer to register by phone or pay by check, please contact Lauren Martin at lmartin@schoolsistersosf.org or 610-867-8990.

Register Online Now

Come Gather, Learn & Pray with Us

Tuesday, October 15

Outdoor Community Drum Circle

7 to 8:30 p.m.

Monocacy Farm Project

in Bethlehem, Pa.

Discover your own rhythm as you connect to the rhythms of your neighbors when you join Monocacy Farm Project for the final Community Drum Circle of the season. Joyful and uplifting, drum circles allow participants to share their spirit, encourage, and empower one another in an act of celebrating community and life as we connect rhythmically. No experience necessary! Drums and percussion instruments provided. Please bring a lawn chair or mat. All donations benefit Monocacy Farm Project. No RSVP needed.

Wednesday, October 23

Transforming Grace Session 14

1:30 to 2:45 p.m.

Franciscan Resource Center

in Pittsburgh, Pa.

Our Sisters invite you to join them for music, prayer, videos, discussion and community, as we build skills for reducing polarization in today’s society. This is the 14th installment in the series, but no previous attendance is required.

All are welcome, and no RSVP is necessary. Freewill offerings accepted.

“The only way to be

better rather than bitter is

to extend the same grace to others that God extended to us through Jesus Christ.

— Unknown

Sunday, November 3

Election Season

Call to Prayer

12 to 3 p.m. Monocacy Manor Chapel

in Bethlehem, Pa.

As Election Day approaches, many are experiencing a need for healing, respect, unity, and honesty. That’s why it’s so important to pray for wisdom. Ask yourself what you wish for our country and what candidate can do that for us. Allow the Holy Spirit to go before you when you cast your vote. Pray also for an acceptance of the outcome so that we can be united as one. Join us on Sunday, November 3, for prayer and reflection on the importance of this election. The Blessed Sacrament will be exposed from 12 to 3 p.m. No RSVP necessary.


Monocacy Manor and Monocacy Farm Project are located at 395 Bridle Path Road in Bethlehem, Pa.

Direct questions to 610-867-8890 or lmartin@schoolsistersosf.org.

 

The Franciscan Resource Center is located at 1023 West View Park Drive in Pittsburgh, Pa.

Direct questions to 412-761-2855 or frcpgh@schoolsistersosf.org.

We Send You Our Blessings for Peace & All Good in the Week Ahead!