More Franciscans share their thoughts

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Pope Francis proclaimed a Year of Consecrated Life that began the first Sunday in Advent and will conclude Feb. 2, 2016. Based on aims and expectations the pope identified for this designated year, The Catholic Messenger asked members of religious communities in the Davenport Diocese to reflect on those aims and expectations. Last week we printed responses from members of the Sisters of St. Francis, Clinton. Here are responses from some more Clinton Franciscans:

Sister Jeanne d’Arc Untz, OSF:  “This is in response to Pope Francis’ question ‘What is it that God and people are asking of religious today?’ What I hear God and people asking of religious today is what Jesus said in his inaugural address as he began his public ministry: ‘Repent and believe in the Good News; the Kingdom of God is at hand…’  We religious, and all of God’s people, are called to be reconcilers and to be filled with Jesus who is peace and who is the kingdom of God.  After being reconciled with God, others and ourselves, we are to bring others to reconciliation with God, themselves and others. Thus, we are called to be peacemakers in our world today.”

Sister Janice Cebula, OSF: “The Clinton Franciscans continue to respond to the call to ‘Wake Up the World’ through our Franciscan Peace Center. We offer many programs that bring attention to the need to solve conflicts nonviolently, educate about climate change, and promote justice for those who have been marginalized. Each week, a comprehensive Action Alert Digest is sent out with articles about critical issues that get little coverage in mainstream media. These are the same concerns that Pope Francis is calling for the whole church to address.”

Sister Marjorie Wisor, OSF: “I think that religious will continue leading the church to live the Gospel today as Jesus preached it and to all persons on the edge of society, just as he did.”

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Sister Kathy Sadler, OSF:  “I think God and people today are asking religious to be contemplative and centered on prayer and to bring a contemporary understanding of the Gospel to the people.  I think religious are being asked to help bring about change by being immensely brave, to be spark throwers, to send up flares and to take risks to overcome the many social injustices related to immigration, sex trafficking and slavery and the violence that surrounds us. We are to bring peace to our broken world and peace among one another wherever we are at home, school, work, our communities or world.  I think people are looking for religious to be people of compassion and to bring hope to a world that is shattered and desperately hurting and crying out for fear and hate to be replaced with healing, love and peace.”


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