Franciscan Life
Franciscan life is a love story — with God, with the poor, with the earth, with the stranger. Rooted in the spirit of Francis and Clare of Assisi, these posts explore what it means to embrace simplicity, kinship, and courageous countercultural choices in a world that constantly pushes the other direction. From returning land to Indigenous communities to the spirituality of dumpster diving to what the feast of St. Francis has to teach us today, this is a space for anyone drawn to the Franciscan way — whether you’ve taken vows or are just beginning to feel its pull.
Being part of a Church broken by sex abuse and lies
Imagine you were violently attacked and dropped off a balcony into a dark alley, and somehow you survived. Your body is broken, bloody, mangled; you…
When Jesus came to the ER
It may have been one of the loneliest moments in my life. I was alone in a small, bare triage room with only an examining…
St. Joe and me
I have been praying to St. Joe, the earthly father of Jesus, a lot lately. I call him St. Joe instead of St. Joseph because shortening his…
Praying onward, with more longing
Yesterday, some of my elder FSPA sisters and our prayer partners rang in the celebration of 140 years of perpetual adoration at St. Rose Convent…
Wonder in the wilderness
Over 25 years ago, I was a bruised and bug-bite-dotted scrawny girl, wonder-eyed and singing loudly in the middle of an Iowan prairie with a…
Loyalty and memory in response to the signs
He said to them … “In the evening you say, ‘Tomorrow will be fair, for the sky is red’;and, in the morning, ‘Today will be…
Questions as a path to unity
Years ago, while teaching theology to 9th graders, a particular student tugged at my heart. Each day he would come into my classroom and listen…
On the brink and remaining steady: solid footing in rapid change
As we continue to try to find the balance between love of God, self, and others, true communion with Christ will likely compel us to…