July 1-3, and 7-10, 2014, , Franciscan Sister of Christian Charity are gathering to ‘Glance at the Past-the Beginnings of our Story, Franciscan History’. Sister Louise Hembrecht leads these informative sessions offering an afternoon and evening option. Here is her course description:
“Our Foundresses-Teresa Gramlich, Rosa Wahl, Josepha Thoenig, Mary Ann Graf and Sophia Fessler, as well as the Franciscan Sisters who would join us from Germany, chose to be Franciscans. They embraced the Franciscan charism and Franciscan Spirituality. They chose to follow in the footsteps of Francis, Clare and those who followed them. If we are to understand the choice our foundresses made, the choice we made (whether consciously or not), we need to look at the early Franciscans.
Our days together will be an overview of Franciscan History, not in the sense of events and dates (though some may be given) but more the story of the early Franciscans.
The days were divided into these subject areas:
Day 1: Modern and semi-modern sources of Franciscan History, Life of Francis-key events in the Foundation of the Order, Early biographies and histories of the Franciscan Order
Day 2: The Order during the time of Francis, From Francis to Bonaventure, the rest of the 13th century
Day 3: 14th century, 15th century
Day 4: 16th century, 17th century
Day 5: 18th century, 19th century
Day 6: Second Order, Third Order Secular, Third Order Regular
Day 7: Significant Events in the 20th-21st Centuries, challenges
Day 8: Franciscan Spirituality, The Franciscan Charism”
We are grateful for the planning and insights that Sister Louise has to offer. She has great handouts that clearly outline the session’s material, allowing for hardly a need for note-taking. Her own Franciscan heart clearly guides her teaching. These outlines will make great material for future posts.
