The Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia

Sr. Esther

On behalf of the Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia, I would like to welcome you to our special day for remembering the blessings of Mount St. Francis here in Ringwood. Thank you for coming to share this day with us. Many of you have traveled distances.  A number of you have spent long hours in preparing transportation, the ritual that we will experience, and the meal that we will share together. We are grateful.

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. We are aware as we gather here today that we are on holy ground.

Saying goodbye to a loved place is never easy. Our presence today is to provide support for those who have called Mount St. Francis home for so many years. Joyce Rupp in her book, Praying Our Goodbyes, reminds us that there are four aspects of praying a goodbye: recognition, reflection, ritualization, and reorientation. These elements can be experienced individually or at times they can all seem to be happening at the same time. Ritualization includes two elements: the use of images and the use of some type of movement in our prayer. Our ritual today with its pilgrimage to each site is intended to help each of us appreciate the blessings of that sacred space and  to connect our loss with a deeper meaning and with the God of healing.

The people who have been blessed by the beauty and hospitality of Mount St. Francis have left and will leave blessings for those who come after them. They will also take blessings with them to share with the people of God in new ways and in new locations. We are reminded once again today that we are a pilgrim people. We trust and believe that the God of our journey will continue to be with us as God has always been with pilgrim people throughout all of salvation history. 

Welcome!

-Esther Anderson, OSF

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