Franciscan Vocation

Spanish

Who We Are

We are 60 Franciscan women who have been called by Jesus to continue His work on earth. We are presently ministering in the states of Colorado, Nebraska, North and South Dakota, Nevada, and New Mexico. As Sisters Minor, deeply rooted in the Gospel, we believe that fidelity to our calling is expressed in loyalty to the mission of Jesus continued in His Church.
	We reach out to all in a spirit of prayer and contemplation, with a special love for the poor, and a reverence for all God's creation. We share a life of joy and peace, drawing our inspiration from the cross of Jesus. Open like Clare and Magdalen to the creative movement of the Spirit, we say with Francis, "We have done little. Let us begin anew."

Discernment...A Journey of the Heart

All of us who are members of our Province began this journey one step at a time. It is a journey of the heart. We evangelize and are evangelized by those to whom we are sent. We commit ourselves to forward the evangelizing mission of the Church with special concern for issues of justice and the rights of minorities, the poor, the homeless, and refugees. We commit ourselves to a genuine Franciscan identity, being sensitive to cultural identities and values, and rooting out prejudice in all its forms in ourselves and in those to whom we are sent.

Are you willing to risk all and give your life to God? Are you called to join a community in a willingness to be sent, to serve, and to proclaim the Gospel to all? As you gaze on the crucifix, do you hear the voice of the Spirit as She spoke to Francis over 800 years ago, "Go, rebuild by Church."

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Tau Cross and Heart
by Sister Sen Nguyen

The Process of Discerning a Vocation

We offer a series of questions to help you determine whether a religious vocation with the Sisters of St. Francis is what God is calling you to pursue. If you believe you have a calling to join us, we offer the following overview of the vocation process.

1. Your first step is to get in touch with our vocation office. Contact Sister Patty Podhaisky with any questions.
2. If you are interested in discerning your call, you may become an Affiliate member of the community. You will have a contact Sister in the Community who will act as a mentor to you and arrange for you to attend community activities. This is an opportunity for you to get to know us and for us to get to know you.
3. If you decide to continue, you will become a Candidate member of the community, spending 6 months to a year living and working with other community members.
4. The next step is the Novitiate period, lasting up to two years. During this time, you have the opportunity to more deeply study the Franciscan way of life. Spending time in prayer and Spiritual Direction, you can prepare for future ministry. This period is also an opportunity to know yourself on a deeper level and further develop relationship skills.
5. After the Novitiate period, you may make a temporary commitment to the community for a period of years while you prepare to make your perpetual vows. You will be engaged in active ministry as you continue the discernment process.
6. The entire process from candidacy to Final Vows takes 6 to 9 years.

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Invitation

Francis of Assisi took Jesus at His word,

"Go rebuild my Church. Sell what you have and give to the poor. Come follow me."

Listen! Is God calling you ? Come and see!

"Am I being called? I wonder!"

Check it out

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Answering the Call

At a lovely and meaningful Eucharistic celebration, Sr. Hanna Amante made her First Vows with the Sisters of St. Francis. She completed her three years of initial formation, one of which was spent in the Common Franciscan Novitiate in Kearny, New Jersey. This is a collaborative formation program in which Franciscan novices from a variety of men's and women's congregations come together to learn about Franciscan prayer, community, scholarship and ministry. Sr. Hanna currently lives at Queen of Peace community in Denver as she continues her studies towards a degree in early childhood development. She hopes to work with underprivileged children in daycare programs.

Sister Sarah Manchester made her Final Vows on August 15, 2004 after completing six years in the formation process. Sr. Sarah has been active in rural ministry for the past 3 years, dividing her time between northwestern Nebraska and the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in southwestern South Dakota.

Sarah is a former teacher, a widow and a mother of 7 grown children. She is one of two "Sister-Moms" in the province. She is pictured here with some of her children and family at her Final Vows ceremony.

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Vocation Contact

Feel free to contact Sister Patty Podhaisky, OSF, with any vocation questions:

• Sister Patty Podhaisky, OSF
  2851 West 52nd Avenue
  Denver, CO 80221
  303 458-6270 ext. 122
• E-mail: patty@marycrest.org
• www.religiousministries.com

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