In 2019 the Franciscan Sisters of the Poor celebrate the bicentennial of the birth of Blessed Frances Schervier, foundress of the Congregation, born on January 3, 1819. A special year, called the “Year of Healing” is announced, starting on December 14, 2018, and lasting until January 3, 2020. The celebration of the Year of Healing commemorates Frances Schervier, who was born and lived in a time of great changes, marked by deep social rifts and poverty. In different circumstances, her call to incarnate the Gospel in the footsteps of Francis and Clare of Assisi continues to resound throughout history.
On January 3, in Aachen, Germany, the Franciscan Sisters of the Poor honor the foundress with a celebration, together with the Sisters of the Poor of St. Francis (SPSF), who had come from the nearby convents in Germany and Belgium. In the Chapel of the Mother House where Mother Frances’ tomb is located, the celebration begins with a solemn prayer. It is a great joy to be in Aachen on the very anniversary of Blessed Frances’ birth! The celebration continues with a celebration for the entire city at the “Depot Talstraße”, a building that had been used as a tram depot and garage, a place that reminds us of the factories, the workers and all the poor people that Mother Frances and her daughters met at the origins of their history. There were almost 300 participants: Sisters, SPSF Associates, guests, employees, collaborators, friends, representatives of civil and religious authorities of the city, members of other religious Congregations.
During the time in Aachen, as a tangible sign of the special communion between the two Congregations, Sr. Martha Kruszynski, General Minister of the SPSF, presents to Sr. Licia the rosary of Mother Frances so that it can be prayed throughout the year wherever her daughters and sons are located. The rosary reaches the Philippines, Brazil, Senegal, Italy, and the United States. It passes through the hands of SFP Sisters and Associates, friends, employees, and benefactors. It is prayed in the prisons of Dumaguete as well as in the kindergarten in Ipameri. It is a sign of hope, trust, and unity.
The Year of Healing is celebrated in all local communities. Various initiatives recall Mother Frances and contribute to the spread of the healing charism. “I recognized my divine Lord in the poor and suffering as clearly as if I had seen him in them with my bodily eyes. For that reason, my every thought and wish were directed towards loving and reviving him in the poor and suffering.” The celebrations are shared on a blog created specifically for this purpose, through which it is possible to see directly the interculturality of the Congregation united in Mother Frances. The personal experiences of Sisters and Associates are also shared, telling their own stories of healing and expressing the joy of being part of the charismatic family.
During the bicentennial, month by month, an itinerary of spiritual reflections accompanies and supports the contemplative prayer, the meetings of community sharing, and the spiritual growth of the entire Congregation.
The Sisters are given the opportunity to experience a pilgrimage to Aachen, a special time in which to return to the “heart” of the charism and spiritually enrich themselves. Sr. Jo-Ann Jackowski, SFP, prepares an itinerary of meditations that traces the main milestones in Mother Frances’ life, to offer inspiration for contemplative prayer to both those who go to Aachen on pilgrimage and to those who, on pilgrimage spiritually, desire to be transformed by her healing charism and by love for Jesus, which is present in the poor and in the suffering.
The Year of Healing is an opportunity everywhere to grow together in our charism and to join in Mother Frances’ embrace, renewing our dedication to be instruments of healing, reconciliation, compassion, and hope.
