Franciscan Sisters Of The Renewal

[Ora et Labora]

yah...that makes sense.

[EJames]

[quote name='ThyHolyLove' post='1267159' date='May 7 2007, 12:47 PM']Their convents in the US are all in the Bronx in New York.

Their habit is gray so that they don't stand out.

Yes, they say the Divine Office. I think they do Office of Readings, Morning Prayer, Evening Prayer and Night Prayer.

No, none of the CFR sisters are cloistered. Their mission is evangelization and to work with the poor and homeless. They are a very on the go community![/quote]
They also have a few Sisters working with the Brothers down in Honduras.

there are Communities similar to them in Spirit-Renewal, that are semi-Cloistered(less 'active') ,like the ones in Pennsylvania..and some in Sicily.

[EJames]

[quote name='Ora et Labora' post='1267017' date='May 7 2007, 11:21 AM']yah! they sound awesome! ok, where are they're convents are the US?? is they're habit brown? do they say the divine office? are any of the CFR sisters cloistered?

:[/quote]
there are some of the Sisters CFR, in this musical slideshow...it takes a minute ti download properly though
[url="http://ejvideo-place.blogspot.com/2007/02/franciscan-peace.html"]http://ejvideo-place.blogspot.com/2007/02/...scan-peace.html[/url]

and Nazareth capuchin Sisters here
[url="http://ejvideo-place.blogspot.com/2007/02/capuchin-franciscan-sisters-of-nazareth.html"]http://ejvideo-place.blogspot.com/2007/02/...f-nazareth.html[/url]

[Ora et Labora]

downloading! :

[the lords sheep]

Capuchin Franciscans of the Renewal, I believe...

For prayer, they also have an hour of adoration daily. I don't remember if we said midday prayer or not... The Sisters also have a day of prayer every Friday, and the professed Sisters have two/three days of retreat every month.

I don't think they have Sisters permanently in Honduras, they just go down from time to time...

[Ora et Labora]

that video is really cool!

[angelusdomini]

Hey, i just wanted to add another community that is relatively new in the Franciscan family. They are called the Franciscan Sisters Minor and are from Massachusetts. They have a lot of similarities with the CFR sisters and the Capuchin Sisters of Nazareth. I spoke of them a few times last year and so I will reproduce a merged version of the information here.

[quote]The Franciscan Sisters Minor are a community that is contemplative and apostolic. They work in parishes to offer spiritual support to the priests they work with in serving the communities at the parish. They teach C.C.D at the parish and they also do door-to-door missions. They have their postulancy house in Bellingham, MA at St. Brendan's Parish but their main house is in West Warren at St. Thomas Aquinas Church. Here's a brief explanation from their statement of Charism:
"Although a single apostolate [to be missionaries in and for parishes], our mission is twofold: to revitalize the interior parish life and to evangelise everyone within the boundaries of the parish...(6)". Usually their apostolate work is from 2 PM to 5/6 PM from Mon-Thur.

They live strict poverty. They own nothing personally or communally.They do not own a car nor the places where they live- they totally abandon themselves to what our Lord provides for them. It is really beautiful to see how this plays itself out in there lives because they get asked to do apstolic engagements and they must rely on the generocity of parishoners or just regular citizens to help them accomplish their mission. They do not have telephones or other media appliance where they live- no TV, Computer, Radio and the like. If they need to use any of these or others such as these they use them from the parish. ([i]The difference for this was so striking for me. When I was there we were able to do our work in such peace without the never ending interruptions of the telephone ringing down the hall. I especially noticed this when I came home and was working around the house in the afternoon. I found myself putting down my work due to the phone ringing.[/i])
The community was begun in late 99/early2000. They have close relations with the Franciscans of the Primitive Observance in Lawrence, MA with whom they share a lot in spirituakity and apostolate. They received two postulants this past August([color="#FF0000"]ed. [/color]They are receiving four postulants in to the novitiate on May 31st, 2007). They have also had three sisters make their perpetual vows this year. The sisters make the vows of Poverty, Chastity and Obedience. They also have a fourth Marian vow.

In their open letter they describe their habit thus:
"According to the desire of St. Francis, we have only one habit- a full length penitential tunic made in the shape of a cross as a sign of our consecration to our crucified and risen saviour".
The novices and professed sisters wear a grey tunic with a white turtle neck-like shirt under it. They wear a kerchief and then the veil on top. The veil is very long and goes below the middle of the back. They ahve a rope cord tied around the waiste with rosary beads. The professed sisters have four knots. The postulants wear a grey tunic also but it's different from the habit. They have a belt about the waist. They wear a dark blue (Navy??) turtle neck under this. They wear a miraculous medal and wear a blue kerchief on their heads. The sisters (and postualnts) wear sandles.

[b][u]Prayer life[/u][/b]: Well , simply put -they pray a lot They spend about a third of their day in prayer communal and private (morning). They rise at 4.20 Am and pray the Office of Readings at 4.50 AM. From this time until 12.00 Noon they have exposition of the blessed sacrament, morning prayer and mass (at 9.00 AM). Breakfast is taken in silence. They end the morning (11.20 AM) with a communal Rosary and Midday prayer. The Grace and spiritual reading at the noon meal ends Grand Silence. This is generally the first part of the day from Monday to Thursday. Friday is Hermitage Day and Grand Silence is observed all day- all prayers and devotions are done privately.

They do not have a website so if anyone would like me to post the Horarium please ask and I will gladly oblige.

The practical way of their life (day to day) is what lends in a very distinct way to their contemplative life. They observe grand silence from after compline (8.00 PM) 'till noon meal on the following day. In the afternoon (2.15 PM on), their work is done in 'relative silence'. They have no telephones in their houses. I don't know what else, I guess my personal experience of them left such an impression of quiet on me.

Oh... and they [ed. [color="#FF0000"]also[/color]]sleep on the floor- no beds. I know they are not the first or the only ones and this isn't anything new but I just thought it was really cool when I first heard it.


Anyone who would like to contact them for any more info may contact:

Sr. Agnes Marie
Franciscan Sisters Minor
391 Hartford Ave.
Bellingham, MA 02019

One may also call them at (508) 504- 0323. This is a pager number so just leave your number and press pound. They'll call you back.

[b][u]They have no website[/u][/b][/quote]

I have come to a profound love and admiration for holy father St. francis from seeing these sisters trying in their little way to love our Lord as he did.

I would also like to add that I will be entering the convent of Our Lady of the Angels with the Franciscan Sisters Minor on Ascension Thursday- 17 May 2007. Please keep me in your prayers.

pax et bonum

Anne

Edited May 8, 2007 by Angelus_Domini

[Ora et Labora]

that's amazing! i wish they had a site though. i've been trying to look for them!