Franciscan Sisters of St. Joseph

We, the Franciscan Sisters of St. Joseph,

witness the Gospel in joy and peace, committed to prayer, service, and

care for all creation.
FSSJ Mission Statement

 

 

The Mission Statement of the Franciscan Sisters of St. Joseph includes that we are:  “committed to care for all Creation”.  This water barrel was given to the Sisters by students at Immaculata Academy because they recognized and honored our commitment to care for Creation.  The barrel is very useful for the flower garden at St. Francis Park.   As Franciscans we see creation as the “first book of revelation” (St. Bonaventure). 
Let us reflect on the wise words of our Church leaders below:

“Respect for life and for the dignity of the human person also extends to the rest of creation, which is called to join man in praising God.”  Pope John Paul II

“Respect for the human being and respect for nature are one and the same, but they will both be able to develop and to reach their full dimension if we respect the Creator and his creature in the human being and in nature.”  Pope Benedict XVI

“A Christian who does not protect Creation, who does not let it grow, is a Christian who does not care about the work of God, that work that was born from the love of God for us. And this is the first response to the first creation: protect creation, make it grow.”      Pope Francis

 

Our Mission & Vision

Helping to connect people to faith

We, the Franciscan Sisters of St. Joseph,
witness the Gospel in joy and peace,
committed to prayer, service, and care for all creation.

Click ‘Read More’ to read reflection on Mother Colette by Sister Benedicta Dega, FSSJ

St. Francis of Assisi often went to caves to spend time with God, to listen to the voice of God.  Lent is a wonderful opportunity to go into our caves:  Churches, prayer spaces we may have at home, or nature. 

The following slides are wise words from Pope Francis on Ash Wednesday of 2024, reminding us to “Go to your room” (or cave or any of your sacred spaces) to hear the treasured words God  has this Lent.  You will also find the art work by Sister Lynne Anne Schimminger, FSSJ.

“When you give alms, or pray or fast, take care to do these things in secret, for your Father sees in secret (cf. Mt 6:4). “Go to your room”: this is the invitation that Jesus addresses to each of us at the beginning of the Lenten journey.

Going to your room means returning to the heart, as the prophet Joel admonishes (cf. Joel  2:12). It means journeying from without to within, so that our whole life, including our relationship with God, is not reduced to mere outward show, a frame without a picture, a draping of the soul, but is born from within and reflects the movements of our heart, our deepest desires, our thoughts, our feelings, the very core of our person.”

“Let us listen then, throughout this Lent, to the voice of God who does not tire of repeating: go to your room, return to your heart. It is a salutary invitation for us, who so often live on the surface of things, who are so concerned to be noticed, who constantly need to be admired and appreciated. Without realizing it, we find ourselves no longer having an “inner chamber” in which we can stop and care for ourselves, immersed as we are in a world in which everything, including our emotions and deepest feelings, has to become “social” – but how can something be “social” that does not come from the heart? Even the most tragic and painful experiences risk not having a quiet place where they can be kept. Everything has to be exposed, shown off, fed to the gossip-mill of the moment. But God says to us: Enter into the secret, return to the center of yourself. Precisely there, where so many fears, feelings of guilt and sin are lurking, precisely there God has descended in order to heal and cleanse you. Let us enter into our inner chamber: there God dwells, there our frailty is accepted and we are loved unconditionally.”

“Let us return, brothers and sisters. Let us return to God with all our heart. During these weeks of Lent, let us make space for the prayer of silent adoration, in which we experience the presence of God, like Moses, like Elijah, like Mary, like Jesus. Let us lend the ear of our hearts to the One who, in silence, wants to say to us: “I am your God – the God of mercy and compassion, the God of pardon and love, the God of tenderness and care… Do not judge yourself. Do not condemn yourself. Do not reject yourself. Let my love touch the deepest, most hidden corners of your heart and reveal to you your own beauty, a beauty that you have lost sight of, but will become visible to you again in the light of my mercy.” God is calling us: “Come, let me wipe your tears, and let my mouth come close to your ear and say to you: I love you, I love you, I love you” (H. NOUWEN, The Road to Daybreak, New York, 1988, 157-158). Do we believe that God loves us, that God loves me?”

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Prayer ~ Reflection

Remembrance Garden

A place that offers opportunities for prayer

and quiet reflection.

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5229 South Park Avenue, Hamburg, NY 14075
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