Photos / Events

Drive-by, Honk, and Wave Parade

A “Drive-by, Honk, and Wave” parade, conducted by the Associates of the Sisters of St. Francis, took place on Saturday, June 20, to honor and cheer the Sisters at their Motherhouse in Oldenburg. With cars and trucks decked out in colorful decorations including balloons, flowers, flags, streamers, and signs, the parade wound its way around the convent grounds greeting all the Sisters who came outside to see it. The Sisters were seen smiling ear to ear, waving, and holding signs expressing their love and gratitude. The nuns have been on lock-down since the middle of March due to COVID-19, so it was a joyous occasion for them to see their Associates and off-campus Sisters and vice-versa.

Associates Alice Beresford, Betsy Savare, Linda Hilsinger, and Sister Patti Zureick were instrumental in planning and organizing this successful event. Associates are affiliated with the Sisters of St Francis in their mission and prayer, and share their spiritual, social, and service opportunities. The Associate relationship is rooted in the Gospel and in Franciscan values, mindful of the call to be the presence of Jesus to all, especially to the powerless, the poor, and the oppressed.
Written by April J. Boyle, Associate

Annual Pancake Breakfast

The 6th annual pancake breakfast for the Sisters and their Associates was held on February 15, at the Motherhouse in Oldenburg. Associates served pancakes, scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon, cherry “thing-a-lings” from Schmidt’s Bakery in Batesville, IN. The morning provided an opportunity for Sisters and Associates to develop closer relationships through face-to-face communication and the sharing of stories and current events. Fifty-seven Sisters and Associates were in attendance this year.

Sunset Sharing

On November 7th the Associates, Sisters and Prospective Associates gathered for an evening to celebrate fellowship, prayer and the coming of Autumn. “Sunsets with all their various colors provide an opportunity to reflect on the day and spend some time in quiet gratitude.” This quote set the tone for sisters and Associates as they enjoyed photos of sunsets from all over the world and discussed other sunset related quotes. After a break of hot chocolate and a s’mores dessert the theme moved to reflecting on the month of November as a time of thanksgiving and gratitude.

Day of Remembrance

The Associates provided, “ A Day to Remember, A Day to Celebrate,” on Saturday, November 2, 2019. During a prayer service in the Motherhouse Chapel over 230 friends and family were honored and remembered. As names were read, a quilt was composed representing the fabric of our lives and the precious memories we all share were honored with song and prayers. Participants were able to take a luminary home with them as a keepsake of the person they remembered.

Advisory Board Meeting

On October 5th, the Associate Advisory Board gathered in Peppertown, IN for a retreat day led by Andy Meyer. Andy serves the Sisters of Charity in Nazareth, KY as their Associate Director. He summarized team assessments completed by each Board member and gave insight into the personalities of each member using a color spectrum.
Everyone shared what they needed from the Board and what they hoped to bring to the Board to guide the Associate relationship into the future. The day was enhanced by the beautiful fall weather, a chance to enjoy each other’s company through prayer and a meal.

Active Hope

Associates and Sisters gathered at Marian University on June 1st for a prayer day to celebrate Active Hope. Each person shared stories about finding hope in their lives and explored ways to live with a hopeful attitude. Through prayers, music and drawing we brought hope to the forefront of the day and discussed how we will continue to be an inspiration of hope to others.

Looking versus Seeing

The Associate Office sponsored a prayer day for Associates and Sisters on May 4th in Oldenburg. The theme, “Looking versus Seeing” was carried out through the day with prayers and activities that helped us realize how often we look at people and things without seeing details or specifics. We had the chance to identify “hidden” objects within photos, describe photos that was saw using Viewmasters, and were nourished through meditations and reflections.

An Early Nod to St. Patrick

The Damiano Associate Group had an early surprise for the Sisters at the Motherhouse on March 3, 2019. They held a St. Patrick’s Day sing-a-long in the Sisters’ dining room. The party was early because of all the meetings and a retreat crowding around the holiday. Sisters gathered and sang songs of a wide variety including those old Irish favorites. In addition to singing there was the now infamous “potato chip game.” A variety of local brands of potato chips were served and the Sisters had to determine if they actually tasted different from one another. Some were even brave and guessed the brands. Potato chip aficionados abounded. Not to be outdone by the potato chip sharing, the Damianos served cookies to both the Sisters in the dining room and the Sisters in St. Clare Hall who were unable to attend. Thanks to the Associates’ enthusiasm, it was indeed a celebration of green and a fond tradition!

A Day to Remember

“A Day to Remember, A Day to Celebrate”
Associates and Sisters led a prayer service on Saturday, November 3, 2018 to remember and honor friends and family members. The Motherhouse Chapel was radiant with light from sconces, luminaries and candles as scripture readings were proclaimed and singing gave thanks and praise for all of our blessings.
The Associate’s fundraising committee prepared and organized the service and the reception that followed. Donations made to honor or remember went to the Sisters of St. Francis, Oldenburg. We thank everyone for their generosity and support.

Prospective Associates Meet for Retreat

Prospective Associates gathered in Oldenburg on August 25th to continue their formation and get to know one another. The two Associate co-directors, Carolyn Meyer and Jane Schaefer led morning prayer and facilitated discussions and reflections about the Franciscan teaching, “Care of Creation,” Ministry and Call and Franciscan symbols. The group toured the Motherhouse, including the gift shop filled with homemade crafts, cards, baby items and candy. Lunch was shared with the sisters in the main dining room and the afternoon brought the group back together for final commitment preparations.

Celebrating Summer (07/19/18)

Thirty Associates, prospective Associates and sisters gathered during the morning of July 14th at Oldenburg in ICA Hall to celebrate the season of summer. They were invited to relax and enjoy a time of hospitality, reflection, and conversation with the sights and sounds of summer provided with a power point presentation.

Always Make Room for God (06/04/18)

Nomads were tent people…they were always on the go. In life today many of us feel like nomads (always on the go), we need to be careful not to overfill our tents with stuff so much so that we no longer have room for God. We need to make room for what God is going to bring into our lives. It may not be what we expect, but it will be better than we imagined.