On April 5-6, 2008, over forty-five Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity involved in Jesus’ healing ministry gathered to reflect on changes occurring in the community’s healthcare organizations and to gain insight into the Franciscan response to change. After opening with Morning Prayer on Saturday, Sister Laura Wolf, CEO of the FSCC HealthCare Ministry Inc. updated all participants on the system’s organizations. Sister Louise Hembrecht, OSF, FSCC Community Director, concluded the session entitled “Change, Change and More Change” sharing on the Community’s own health services to the Sisters.
Other significant individuals that were part of the two-day agenda included Mary Pineda , a psychotherapist and educator on women’s issues in life transition/change who led sessions entitled “Chicken Soup for the Franciscan Soul”. Sister Anne Marie Lom, OSF, a spiritual director at St. Raphael’s Parish, Oshkosh, WI, as well as serving her own Franciscan Sisters, guided Sunday’s prayerful reflection and group process on the topic ” A Franciscan Approach to Change”. Fr. Richard Klingeisen, former chaplain at Holy Family Memorial Medical Center in transition to serving at St. Francis of Assisi Parish, Manitowoc, WI, also presided at the Saturday late morning Eucharistic Liturgy. Sister Patricia Linssen, OSF and Sister Martin Flavin, OSF assisted with organizational and creative needs.
What Franciscan attitude do you think will help you as you deal with change in the coming weeks e.g. carry little, an attitude of openness, being surprised?