Associates of the School Sisters of St. Francis

05/18/2026

Congratulations to all the associates who renewed and the one who made her LifeTime commitment.

04/28/2026

First Lay Franciscan Associates.

On April 28, Franciscans celebrate the memory of Blessed Luchesio (Luchesius) of Poggibonsi (c. 1180–1260). He and his wife, Buonadonna, were traditionally the first laypeople to join St. Francis's Order of Penance. The town of Poggibonsi is located in the Chianti region of Tuscany, between Florence and Siena.

To learn more about Luchesius and Buondonna, see our blog: https://www.franciscantradition.org/blog/blessed-luchesius-of-poggibonsi-first-lay-franciscan-penitent/

Image: Blessed Luchesio in the church dedicated to him

04/28/2026

Happy Foundresses Day!

04/08/2026

🙌🏾"There was a once upon a time, not too long ago, when compassion was an expectation from leaders. Jesus’s commandment to love is rooted in compassion.

"The call for change is a cry for mercy in a world where compassion is lacking from the highest offices. The church and communities of faith should be at the forefront calling for mercy as Bishop Budde and others have done. Instead, the call for silence is supported by the church. Those who continue to claim that the church has no place in the public square. Prophetic witness demands different when there are voices in the chair who claim the anointing of this president and support his actions as being sanctioned by God.

"Across faith traditions and spiritual practices, love and compassion are cited repeatedly as God-centered values. To miss these essential elements and claim faith as a part of one’s life is counter intuitive."

-Rev. Dr. Karen Georgia A. Thompson
General Minister & President/CEO, UCC

👉🏾 Quote from her latest On My Mind Today blog post, “A Compassionless Culture:” https://ow.ly/UrOp50YFgMP

04/07/2026

04/06/2026

Beautiful message.

Happy Easter! Wonderful message from Pope Leo this morning. We pray that all our hearts will be transformed by the immense love of the Risen One. And that peace will reign in those hearts and in our world.

03/31/2026

"Brothers and sisters, this is our God: Jesus, King of Peace, who rejects war, whom no one can use to justify war. He does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war, but rejects them, saying: 'Even though you make many prayers, I will not listen: your hands are full of blood' (Is 1:15)."

Pope Leo XIV on Palm Sunday

03/24/2026

Today is the feast day of St. Oscar Romero. He was canonized by Pope Francis in 2018 and is remembered for his faithfulness as Archbishop of San Salvador. On March 24, 1980, he was shot to death while offering Mass. Amidst the persecution we face today, St. Oscar Romero, pray for us!

https://ow.ly/5jQp50YlWVS

03/19/2026

Good to remember.

Though bishops are applauded for their visible gestures for migrants, let's not forget the women religious who toil daily to serve migrants and refugees in the absence of mainstream headlines.

03/11/2026

“The poorest are not only objects of our compassion, but teachers of the Gospel. It is not a question of ‘bringing’ God to them, but of encountering him among them.” Pope Leo XIV, Dilexi te, no. 79

www.usccb.org/lent