Franciscan Footprints

Tomorrow we leave the Motherhouse for the second session of Ministry Development at Nazareth House in Henry, IL. (the diocesan retreat center) We’ll be there until Wednesday afternoon. I think the topic is Healthcare Ethics.

More to follow when I return! God bless!
Sr. M. Veronica, OSF

Well, Sister Faustina and I arrived back at the House of Formation on Wednesday night. After departing St. Louis we stopped at Our Lady of the Snows in Belleville and then headed home. The conference was very good. We learned a lot about Mission, Ethics, Pastoral Care, and the skills one would need to be a good mission leader.

 

Ministry Development was a wonderful experience. There were a total of 70 of us.(I think…) We attended talks given by Sister Judith Ann and Joseph Piccione, among others. Talks were focused on the history of The Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis, and of our apostolate OSF Healthsystem. We learned about the life of Christ and of Christianity and of St. Francis of Assisi and our Franciscan identity. It was so wonderful to be immersed in the history and mission of our Sisters and see how it has been carried on through the years. It was also special to spend that time with our employees-meeting most for the first time. 

 

My second year of Novitiate started in August following our week-long retreat, so recently I’ve begun working in Radiology at St. Francis Medical Center. My ministry is to visit in-patients who have had or are waiting to have a Radiology exam. By visiting them before and after their scheduled exam, I am able to educate them about what to expect during the exam, the duration, and what to expect from our staff. By visiting with the patients following their exam, I am able to assess their satisfaction with the staff, the care they recieved while in Radiology, etc. It has been a great way to get to know our staff and our patients. I am blessed to be afforded this opportunity.

May our Lord bless all who read this!
Sister M. Veronica, OSF

Sister Faustina and I will be leaving in the morning to go to St. Louis, MO for a conference called “Prophetic Voice” hosted by the CHA. (Catholic Health Assn. of the United States) It deals with Mission Integration, Catholic Health care Ethics (how to apply the ERD’s), the role of Pastoral Care in Mission, etc. It will be educational and helpful, I think. We will return Wednesday night after visiting The National Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows in Belleville, IL that afternoon. Here is a picture of one area at the Shrine…

More when we return. (and I haven’t forgotten about a Ministry Development… it’s in progress)

This morning I’m off to the Motherhouse to drive out to King’s House for Ministry Development. We Sisters are priviledged to participate as well as the management at OSF Healthsystem.

The purpose of the Ministry Development Program is to assist all our employees to understand, support, and actively share in our mission in Catholic Healthcare and to pass this heritage on to others. The program was designed to enrich the personal and professional growth and development of individuals at all levels of our organization.

More details to follow when I get back. God bless and keep all who read this.
Sister M. Veronica OSF

On Tuesday OSF Saint Mary’s Medical Center celebrated 100 years of service to Galesburg, IL and the surrounding communities. 14 of us Sisters(including all 7 of us from the House of Formation) traveled to Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church in Galesburg for Mass and a reception in celebration of this most special event. Bishop Daniel R. Jenky, CSC was the main celebrant. The history of OSF St. Mary’s Medical Center can be found here. And The Catholic Post was there to celebrate with us.