On October 13, 2019 Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity Community Director Sister Natalie Binversie presented the Insignia of St. Francis to Postulant Mary Jane.
The insignia is described in Thomas of Celano’s first book when he writes that Francis made for himself a tunic showing the image of the tau cross so as to remind himself of his call to imitate Christ. The tau that Mary Jane received was on a chain showing the hand of Jesus covering that of Francis.
This symbol is to remind Mary Jane of her own call to to follow Christ with us. The afternoon ceremony occurred in St. Mary Chapel with special Scripture readings, songs and comments by Sister Mariella Erdmann, Mary Kaye Winkler, Sister Paula Vanden Hogen, Sister Theresa Feldkamp and Sister Natalie.
We share an Exhortation taken from the Letter to the Ephesians and Chapter 24 from the Earlier Rule of St. Francis read by Sister Natalie:
“Live life then with a sense of responsibility not as a person who does not know the meaning and purpose of life but as one who does. With Francis I ask that you learn and frequently call to mind the tenor and sense of what has been written in this life for the salvation of our souls. I beg God, Who is All-powerful, Three and One, to bless all who teach, learn, retain, remember and put into practice these things each time they repeat and do what has been written there for the salvation of our souls. I implore everyone to love, keep and treasure them greatly. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit as it was in the beginning is now and will be forever. Amen.”
