Contemporary Call to be Franciscan

What does it mean to respond to a call to be Franciscan today? Here is a bit of my story: growing up in rural Minnesota, I loved living on the land among an extended circle of families and our small French parish of St. Genevieve’s. While I’ve been Catholic all of my life, I was in public schools until I transferred to a Catholic college in Ohio, now known as the University of Steubenville.

At Steubenville I ‘met’ Francis of Assisi through the Franciscan friars, and was deeply moved by the deep joy and sense of at-homeness I experienced. There I learned about the social dimension of the Gospel and lived in a women’s household. I was invited to consider formation as a Secular Franciscan, and said ‘yes’ to this journey. In the process, I felt at home with the ways of seeing and being, and with the passion for authentic Gospel living shared with others in a spirit of brotherhood and sisterhood.

When I returned to Minnesota to work in a parish in Minneapolis, I felt the loss of what I’d known and valued in college: a communal way of life in the spirit of St. Francis. God’s ways are mysterious: a year later, in 1982, was the 800th anniversary of Francis’ birth. I went to a celebratory Mass at the Cathedral in St. Paul, and my desire for more was re-enkindled. Within months I began volunteering at Listening House, a drop-in center for people on the street. There I met other young men and women inspired by St. Francis, and together we began a new Secular Franciscan Fraternity which met for prayer and service on a regular basis.

While excited about our new little community, I continued to feel restless within. Along the way I met Franciscan Sisters of Little Falls in the area, and noticed the goodness of these fine women. When I first visited the Little Falls Motherhouse, I felt drawn and frightened; thus began a several year dance of attraction and resistance in relation to religious life. With accompaniment of others and continued personal growth, I realized that the rhythm of action and contemplation, the call to poverty and simplicity, to humility and continual conversion was God’s call for me. Upon reflection, my journey has been one of faith seeking understanding, but even more one of seeking communion with God, the Source of all Goodness, and in turn sharing that with others.

After discovering that what I resisted for so long was actually what I wanted with all my heart, I am happy as a Franciscan Sister for 23 years now. What a great grace to share in a collective quest for God, in fostering right relationships with others and with the gift of creation together with Sisters, Associates, friends and partners in ministry. The Franciscan way of life has much to offer in response to the challenges of poverty and violence in this 21st Century. May each of us listen deeply and respond fully to God’s call in this time!

At a glance

Ministry: FSLF Leadership
Location: Brooklyn Center, MN