May 2024 Update
Sister Alice Thraen was featured in a story on KIMT-TV – “Exploring Assisi Heights.”
https://www.kimt.com/news/exploring-assisi-heights/article_fee5c786-fd20-11ee-be7a-bb505120731e.html
Sister Dawn Nothwehr was one of three theologians from the US participating in a unique conference in Assisi, Italy, in March, 2024, “The Feast of Creation and the Mystery of Creation.” She was invited by Cardinal Cupich and the Archdiocese of Chicago’s Office of Human Dignity.
The April 9, 2024, issue of the Rochester Post Bulletin featured an article “Art that Rocks” about local artist Chris Allen who incorporates nature into her bead and rock art. She states that her love of art was encouraged in the late 1970s by Lourdes teachers, such as Sister Flora Zimmerman, OSF!
April 2024 Update
Sisters Marlys Jax and Linda Wieser presented a “Zed” talk at Zumbro Lutheran Church on Sunday, March 17. A video link (via their Facebook account) is noted below. If you fast forward to 40 minutes and 30 seconds, you will hear Dr. Ruth Johnson speak about the impact of the Sisters of Saint Francis on the beginnings of the Mayo Clinic. https://fb.watch/qUJiL26Mqm/?mibextid=w8EBqM
Two articles written by our Sisters have been published recently:
Ecumenical Trends, November/December 2023, Week of Prayer of Christian Unity 2024, “Who is Neighbor? What is Neighbor? Must I Neighbor?” by Sister Dawn Nothwehr
St. Anthony Messenger, April 2024, “A Life filled with the Franciscan Charism,” by Sister Kathy Warren
March 2024
Sister Phyllis Sellner is quoted in this article from Global Sisters Report on February 29, 2024: On US-Mexico border pilgrimage, sisters ponder response to migrant hardships. (Click on the headline or go to: https://www.globalsistersreport.org/news/ and search for the headline.)
The February 24, 2024, Human Trafficking Awareness event, held in the Spirituality Center, was covered by KIMT-TV news:
A letter was received from Sister Barbara E. Reid, OP, President of the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago, Illinois, a portion of which is included below:
“It is with deep gratitude along with profound sadness that we announce the retirements of three most valued colleagues…
“[One of our colleagues,] Dawn Nothwehr, OSF, Professor of Catholic Theological Ethics and holder of The Erica and Harry John Family Endowed Chair in Catholic Ethics, will retire at the end of this academic year. Dawn began teaching at CTU in the fall of 1999. She has been a leading Catholic environmental ethicist and has also been a leader in the religion/science dialogue. As well, she has done groundbreaking work in antiracism. She has served as Director of CTU’s M.Div. and MAPS Degree Programs and the Certificate in Healthcare Mission Leadership Program. Her most recent book is Franciscan Writings: Hope amid Ecological Sin and Climate Emergency (London: Bloomsbury, 2023). Dawn will complete her ministry on the faculty of CTU at the end of this academic year.”
January/February 2024
“Mother Alfred” takes to the skies!
In early 2024, Mayo Clinic added three new helicopters to their fleet. One of them has the call letters “n483MA”, with the MA standing for Mother Alfred. (The other two are to remember Dr. W.W. Mayo, and Drs. Will and Charlie).
On Monday afternoon, February 5, members of the Leadership Team and the Saint Marys Hospital Sisters were part of the blessing and commissioning ceremony of the new helicopter.
Sister Cashel Weiler gave a reflection, Sister Tierney Trueman blessed the helicopter with holy water, and those present were invited to have their hands blessed if they chose.
Sister Tierney blesses “Mother Alfred.”
L to R: Sisters Teresa Hoffman, Jean Keniry, Bernadette Novack, Christine Stanoch, Fr. Benjamin, Sisters Cashel Weiler, Marisa McDonald, Marilyn Geiger and Tierney Trueman.
If you have access to the Post Bulletin online, you may enjoy reading this story about Sister Mary Walburga and a young patient at Saint Marys in the 1890s:
https://www.postbulletin.com/community/sister-young-girl-share-history-for-early-mayo-clinic-success
KAAL-TV featured a segment on a look back through time: The history of Mayo Clinic, featuring an interview of Sister Cashel Weiler and Matt Dacy:
https://www.kaaltv.com/news/a-look-back-through-time-the-history-of-mayo-clinic/
This article appeared in the Daytona Beach News-Journal in December, featuring a story on former Rochester Franciscan Sister Maeve (Marjorie Gallagher): A wild century-long ride: 100-year-old ex-nun went from small town Minnesota to Bogotá.