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“A time to mourn and a time to dance; a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them.”
To the sisters and friends gathered on June 4 for the closing of Mt. St. Francis in Ringwood, the concept of time held a very special significance. Sisters arrived by bus and by car and gathered in the tent where Sr. Esther Anderson welcomed everyone. “We are here to celebrate 80 years of a journey—for blessings given and received, for relationships that have been fostered, for people who have been nurtured spiritually, and for all the people and ministries who have been welcomed and hospitably received by the sisters and staff during these years,” she said. “We are aware as we gather here today that we are on holy ground.”
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Sr. Annette Lucchese |
A prayer ritual followed, during which Sr. Annette Lucchese shared a beautiful reflection. Thanking everyone for their support and for all that went into preparing the day, Sr. Annette was very open in sharing her feelings. “I will neither negate nor trivialize the pain of closing Mt. St. Francis,” she said. “To do so would be a disservice to all who have lived here, to all our friends, relatives, and benefactors who have loved and supported Ringwood over the years, to all who have ministered and worked here, to all who have found God in this sacred place.” She went on to speak of the significance of time—of there being an “appointed time” for everything under the heavens.”
Referring to the theme which our congregation has focused on over the past year, Sr. Annette applied the idea of “thresholds” to Mt. St. Francis. “I began to look at this property in the same light,” she explained. “Mt. St. Francis has seen several transitions (threshold moments). I’d like to think that it has completed each of its God-assigned tasks in God’s appointed time.”
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Outlining the history of Mt. St. Francis, which at various times served as home to four local families, Sr. Annette explained that the first two sisters moved there in 1931. One of those sisters was Sr. Apollonia Morelli who this year will celebrate her 80th jubilee as a Sister of St. Francis. During those 80 years, the congregation underwent many transitions and crossed many thresholds. Each era, Sister Annette noted, “not only enriched the lives of the sisters but also enhanced the life of the property and the ministries that evolved.” She explained that Mt. St. Francis was not only home to the sisters but also provided a feeling of “home” to all who came there—coworkers, relatives, friends, companions, campers, vacationers, and retreatants. She described the physical beauty of the property that tends to enrich all who visit with a sense of peace and tranquility.
As she concluded her reflection, Sister Annette recalled the words of the prophet Jeremiah. “God reminds the people and God reminds us,” she said, “that God’s plans for us are for good, not for disaster—plans to give us a future and a hope.” She prayed also that with Clare of Assisi, we might “go forward securely, joyfully, and swiftly, imitating Francis’ embrace of Lay Poverty, his embrace of ‘sino proprio’ (having nothing of our own) except the unconditional, unchanging love of God reflected in Jesus Christ.”
Following Sister Annette’s reflection, the sisters shared prayers of gratitude for all that Mt. St. Francis represented—a place of blessing and of opportunity, a place of community and of faithful witness. A pilgrimage through the grounds and the various buildings recalled memories and evoked a sense of history, creating a renewed awareness that this was indeed “holy ground.”
- Ann Marie Slavin, OSF
