Saint Alphonsa Fraternity

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N e w s l e t t e r o f t h e :

Saint Alphonsa Fraternity

Q u e e n o f P e a c e R e g i o n – S e c u l a r F r a n c i s c a n O r d e r

Minister’s Message – October 2017

October 2017

Volume 12, I ssue 10

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Minister’s Message 1

Spiritual Assistant Reflections 2

The Transitus of St Francis 3-4

September Meeting Minutes 5-6

History of the Franciscan Crown 6

Formation Notes – October 7-8

Calendar - Prayer Requests 9

Upcoming Events 10

Newsletter Notes 10

Next Meetings 10

Dear Brothers and Sisters, October is the month of the Holy Rosary. It is only fitting that we turn our attention to the Blessed Mother. Our beloved Francis made her the Protectress of his family and wrote about her with great love and devotion. Thomas of Celano tells us that he poured out prayers to her, offered her his affections, so many and great that the tongue of man cannot recount them. Francis sang Praises to her because it was she who made the Lord of Majesty our brother. The Praises that Thomas of Celano refers to are known as the Salutation of the Blessed Mother. The Salutation follows:

Salutation of the Blessed Virgin Hail, holy lady most holy Queen, Mary, Mother of God, ever Virgin; Chosen by the most holy Father in heaven, Consecrated by him, with his most holy beloved Son And the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, On you descended and in you still remains all the fullness of grace and every good. Hail, his Palace. Hail, his Tabernacle. Hail, his Robe. Hail, his Handmade. Hail, his Mother. And Hail, all holy Virtues who by the grace and inspiration of the Holy Spirit Are poured into the hearts of the faithful so that, faithless no longer, They may be made faithful servants of God through you. Our Rule #9 states, “The Virgin Mary, humble servant of the Lord, was open to His every word and call. She was embraced by Francis with indescribable love and declared the protectress and advocate of his family. The Secular Franciscans should express their ardent love for her by imitating

her complete self-giving and by praying earnestly and confidently.” As Secular Franciscans we can have no better friend or advocate than Mary, the Most Holy Mother of our Lord. She models a life of humility, obedience and filial devotions to Jesus. She embraced poverty and suffered with our Lord all the way to the cross. She never left the side of Jesus and she will not leave those who call upon her for help. We will say the Franciscan Crown Rosary at our Fraternity Meeting on Sunday, October 29 and will honor her as Our Lady of Fatima. This is 100th Anniversary of the apparitions at Fatima. Be sure to bring your Crown Rosaries. In November we will again consecrate our Fraternity to her. This will begin on November 5 and end on December 8, which is the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. You may wish to use “33 Days to Morning Glory” by Father Michael E. Gaitley, MIC. There are other books available for this as well. Mary Queen of Peace live in our hearts. May we choose to imitate you and make you known to the entire world. You always lead us to Jesus. You are His gift to us. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death. Amen. Peace and all good,

Teresa

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Dear Fraternity, This is a picture of the Beech Tree of Saint Francis. The story is that Saint Francis with some of his companions got caught in a storm one night and this beech tree spread its canopy over them to protect them from the elements. Afterwards Saint Francis blessed the tree and went on his way. It is over 800 years old, the oldest beech tree in Italy. The picture does not do it justice, but it is absolutely beautiful with unique gnarls and a huge low hanging canopy. Most beech trees do not grow this way. It is profound to see and to come into contact with this living creature who "knew" the saint and was so affected by him who is having such an affect upon us. Peace and every good,

Fr. John

Spiritual Assistant Reflections:

A MUST KNOW FOR YOU - "WHY THE ROSARY"? The word Rosary means "Crown of Roses.” Our Lady has revealed to several people that each time they say a Hail Mary they are giving her a beautiful rose and that each complete Rosary makes her a crown of roses. The rose is the queen of flowers, and so the Rosary is the rose of all devotions and it is therefore the most important one. The Holy Rosary is considered a perfect prayer because within it lies the awesome story of our salvation. It's a simple prayer, humble so much like Mary. With the Hail Mary we invite Her to pray for us. Our Lady always grants our request. Therefore, it becomes ever more useful, because what Mary asks She always receives, Jesus can never say no to whatever His Mother asks for. In every apparition, the heavenly Mother has invited us to say the Rosary as a powerful weapon against evil, to bring us to true peace. Each day, through prayer we can drive away from ourselves and from our homeland many dangers and many evils.

Fr. Bruno Tumuramye, Kampala, Uganda

The Beech Tree of St Francis

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In Western Christianity, the Transitus, which in Ecclesiastical Latin means crossing, refers to "the time of passage through death to life".

It is

derived from the Latin

meaning "passage," "crossing" or "going over."

The Christian theologian German Martinez writes that

the transitus consecrates the passage of the dying to

eternal life and that offering the sacrifice of his or her

personal life, the believer shares in the paschal transitus

of Christ himself.

October 4 is the day the Church sets aside to celebrate St. Francis of Assisi's dies natalis – his birth into eternal life. Francis is easily one of the Church's most beloved and venerated saints, even the vigil of his death is celebrated in style.

October 3 is the vigil of his passing over – the Transitus specifically remembers the Poor Man of Assisi at his holiest moment – the moment in which he met His God. It calls together the friars, sisters, nuns and secular members of the Franciscan family at which Francis might give us his one, last, perfect lesson. The feast has always been an important part of Franciscan spirituality.

The Transitus of Saint Francis is a Franciscan devotion to

ritually remember the passing of Saint Francis from this

life into God. Franciscans the world over solemnly

celebrate this event each year to honor their Holy Father's

entrance into joy.

It is similar to what one might do on the anniversary of

the death of a family member or very dear friend. The

family and friends gather around and remember their

lives, recall the day they died and what occurred. They

share memories and talk about how much they meant to

them and how they influenced their lives.

To ritually revisit the story of Francis’ passing is

important to us; without it, something significant would

be missing from our celebration. At a typical Transitus

celebration we listen to the stories Francis’ early brothers

and Clare of Assisi shared about the night Francis

died. They tell that, despite the pain he was enduring,

there was a deep joy and peace in him. He wanted the

Gospel read to him and he wanted all his followers there

so that he could give them a blessing. And, of course,

Francis wanted singing all around him as he welcomed

Sister Death.

St. Francis tells us “it is not fitting, when in God’s service, to have a gloomy face or a chilling look” and so, as good Franciscans, we often serve almond cookies after the Transitus celebration.

According to tradition, Bl. Jacqueline de Settesoli (1190–1273) a Roman noblewoman and one of Francis' lay followers, was present for Francis' death as were many of his other closest companions. He met her when he came to Rome to seek permission for his order from the Pope. While staying in Rome, Blessed Jacoba would bake almond cookies for Saint Francis when he visited her home. He renamed her "Brother Jacoba" so that their visit wouldn't cause scandal.

As he lay dying he asked for the noblewoman to come and bring him her almond cookies of which he was very fond. He wanted one more taste of them as he believed death was a time to celebrate. It signified that his long search for the Creator Who loved him into existence would finally be over.

"Brother" Jacoba, arrived in Assisi with her two sons and a surprisingly large retinue to visit Francis. She stayed with him until the very end.

A tradition started among Franciscans to commemorate the Transitus by preparing and sharing almond confections to call to mind that Jacoba was a comfort to the saint in his final moments.

Thus, the man who had attained Christ's stigmata on La Verna, had parleyed with Sultan Malik-al-Kamil, hoping to end the Crusades, tamed the wild wolf at Gubbio, created the first Nativity crèche, preached to birds and had founded three orders for men and women which revolutionized the relationship between the Believer and the Church found himself at the end of his life, blind and in excruciating pain. And all he wanted as he lay dying naked on the ground was to pray with his friends and worship the Lord of All…and maybe share a cookie with them.

Sources for this material:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transitus http://www.ncregister.com/blog/astagnaro/how-to-celebrate-the-transitus-of-st.-francis

The Transitus of St. Francis of Assisi

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Italian Almond Cookies Yields: 3 dozen cookies Ingredients ¼ cup Amaretto (optional ... in place of liquor, you can substitute ½ teaspoon rum extract) ¼ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon pure almond extract ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract ⅔ cup brown sugar 2 large egg whites 2½ cups blanched almonds (additional 36 almonds set aside for garnishing) Preparation Set eggs out for about an hour to get them to room temperature. Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease 2 large baking sheets. Pulverize 2½ cups almonds in a food processor. Add ⅓ cup sugar to the almonds. Mix until well-blended. Scrape down sides as necessary. Set aside. Whisk egg whites. Add salt while whisking until soft peaks form. Gently add ⅓ cup sugar to the egg whites. Keep whisking egg whites and sugar mix until stiff, shiny peaks form. Gradually fold in ground almond to the sugar/egg mixture. Add almond and vanilla extracts. Add either the Amaretto or rum extract to the mixture now. Using your hands, roll mixture into little 1-inch balls. Place each ball about 2 inches apart on baking sheets and flatten each slightly. Top each cookie with one of the almonds set aside for garnishing. Bake until cookies are golden brown (about 25 minutes.) Allow cookies to cool on racks.

Death of St Francis by Giotto (1267-1337), fresco. Detail. Bardi Chapel, Basilica of the Holy Cross, Florence.

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Continued on next page

SEPTEMBER MEETING MINUTES: The St. Alphonsa Fraternity meeting was held Sunday, August 27, 2017 at Epiphany Catholic Church in Coon Rapids, MN. Members Present were: Fr. John Bauer, Ellen Drasin, Cathy M-Hills, Teresa Isenor, Jean McGinty, Shirlann Biser, Donna Green, Carol Schiebold, Jeanette Schelonka, Ray Schelonka, Mark Urick, Patti Urick, Gordon Walker, Teresa Walker and Kathy Weissman. Excused Members: Jerry Swanson, Irene Brandenburg, Jeanne Page, Janet Uhlir and Laurie Lacina Affiliate Present: Elizabeth Dohogne

Visitors Present: Linda Löes, Ken Yarke The meeting was opened by Minister, Teresa Walker at 2:05 pm. She read the Opening Prayers from the Ritual p.35. The Scripture reading from Eph. 1:3-19 was read by Patti Urick on page 55 of the Ritual. We prayed a Hail Mary for our deceased brothers Rick Isenor and Jim Malisheski, and for Trisha Swanson wife of Jerry Swanson and Jessica, daughter-in-law of Irene Brandenburg. We also prayed a Memorare for our Priests and vocations. Liturgy of the hours was led by Fr. John from week 1 of the Psalter, Christian prayer. Father John led us in singing “O Christ You Are the Light and Day.” We prayed The Chaplet of Divine Mercy for Trisha Swanson and Fraternity members with cancer and other illnesses. Minister’s Report/Business: Teresa W. called Jeanne Page to officially welcome her as a member of St. Alphonsa Fraternity. We prayed a Hail Mary with Jeanne. Elizabeth Dohogne was welcomed as an Affiliate. She was presented with a certificate and a San Damiano pendant made by Carol Schiebold of the Fraternity. Jean explained that Elizabeth will meet with her monthly for 12 months. She must renew her desire to be an Affiliate every

24 months by submitting a letter of intent. (Queen of Peace Regions requires this to be done once a year). Ray Schelonka and Ellen Drasin were formally thanked for their servant leadership on The Council and presented with a Mass card. Jeanette was thanked for offering her home on many occasions for the Council meetings. Teresa Walker was also presented with a Mass card in thanks for her service as Vice Minister. We will have our regular Fraternity meeting November 26th since it is after Thanksgiving. We will have a Christmas gathering on December 10, 2017 pending room availability. We might sing Christmas Carol’s, share favorite memories, talk about the Creche as created by St. Francs. We can bring store bought treats. Carol will check on the room status. The funeral for Trisha Swanson will be at Sacred Heart in Robbinsdale possible Thursday or Friday. (Late note – it is Saturday.) Teresa W. reported that the Poor Clare’s will host a Transitus service for St. Francis on October 3rd at 7pm at the Poor Clare’s Convent in Bloomington and we are welcome to attend. The Franciscan Brothers of Peace will have a Transitus service but it is not open to the public this year due to lack of space. Several brothers are taking vows and family members and friends are coming. We are welcome back next year. Spiritual Assistant Report: For the January retreat there will be Mass at 8:30 AM followed by a light breakfast. Lunch and breakfast will be Holy Spirit potlucks. Notepapers were passed around for members to make suggestions or to submit questions for Father regarding his talk. Father invited someone to give a testimony “or he will appoint someone!” Treasurer’s Report: Beginning balance was $2876.31. We received $55.00 and had an expenditure of $57.99 leaving a balance of $2873.32.

The Beggar Bag was passed as we said the prayer for the collection.

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Brief History of the Franciscan Crown Rosary

The Franciscan rosary, or as it is properly called, The

Franciscan Crown, dates to the early part of the 15th

century. At that time a young man who found

spiritual joy in weaving a crown of wild flowers for a

beautiful statue of Mary decided to enter the

Franciscan Order. After entering the community,

however, he was saddened when he no longer found

the time to gather flowers for his personal devotion.

One evening, while feeling tempted to abandon his

vocation, he received a vision of the Blessed Virgin

Mary. The Virgin Mother encouraged the young

novice to persevere by reminding him of the

joyfulness of the Franciscan spirit. She also

instructed him to meditate daily on seven joyful

events from her own life as a new form of the rosary.

Instead of a crown of flowers, the novice would now

weave a crown of prayers. Before long, many other

Franciscans began to pray the Crown and soon it

spread to the entire Order, becoming officially

established in 1422.

[Taken from the Introduction of The Franciscan Crown: The

Joyful Mysteries in the lives of the Virgin Mary and Saint Francis

of Assisi. Robert Melnick, O.F.M. Conv. & Joseph Wood, O.F.M.

Conv. (A beautiful booklet available in most Catholic Book

stores, courtesy of The Franciscan Friars of Marytown);

Compiled by Deacon Dave & Thérèse Ream, O.F.S., Revised July

2017]

Secretary’s Report: Fraternity members were encouraged to submit articles, quips, prayers, etc. for the newsletter. Deadline is one week after each meeting for the following month’s newsletter or submissions can be at any time if it can be published in any upcoming issue. Deadline for the October newsletter is 10.2.17. Formation Report: The new formation class will be starting October 29, 2017 after the regular Fraternity Meetings. Interested people will meet for 1 hour. Jean offered copies of “The Franciscan Journey” to those starting formation and to others who wanted a copy at $16.70 each. Linda Loes and Ken Yarke will meet with Jean and Father after today’s meeting for an orientation interview. Formation: Jean facilitated the formation portion of the meeting by asking members to reflect on each question pertaining to pgs. 647 – 679 in the Omnibus. Closing prayers were said from page 36 of the Ritual. Father gave a blessing. The meeting was adjourned at 3:45 pm by Minister, Teresa Walker. Cake and treats provide by Fraternity members were shared following the meeting. Respectfully Submitted, Carol Schiebold, ofs

Secretary

Fraternity Meeting Minutes, Continued;

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October Formation Assignment

Hello Dear Brothers and Sisters of Penance, God's peace be yours~! “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” 1 Thes. 5:16-18: "Let us not, for the hope of obtaining some pleasure, satisfaction, or advantage, expose ourselves to the danger of withdrawing our minds from God; but I beg you, brethren, by holy charity, which is the spirit of God Himself, to reject as far as possible the cares, preoccupations, and turmoil of the world, and serve, love, and honor God in purity of heart and mind; this is what He demands before all else." Saint Francis of Assisi This month’s assignment is to read pages 679-711 in the Omnibus. Read pages 705-711 thoroughly, to learn in depth about Francis personal prayer life. Francis prayer life took priority and was the source of all he did. He was so filled with God's love that even the animals were attracted to him and would submit to him.

Page 680 1: No one was so greedy for gold as Francis was for ____________? 2: Poverty, the Queen of all virtues" will do what 5 things?

Page 681 3: Anyone who clings to his own ______________ in the depth of his heart has not renounced the world perfectly? 4: What did Francis say was the basis of the whole order? _______________

Page 684

5: Francis exemplified gospel perfection equally in his _______________,_____________,______________? although ____________ was his special boast. 6: _______________ showed him to regard himself as last of all?

Page 690

7: Why did our Lord choose Francis? 8: When you see a beggar you are looking at _____________ and his ________ __________? When Francis saw the poor, he was prepared to give him need of it. He said,” we only got it on loan until we found someone in greater need of it..."everything he had even if he himself was in urgent.”

Page 692 9: "God himself will regard it as a _________ on my part if I do not give what I have to someone who needs it more" Ponder: How do I live out poverty in my own vocation? Ponder: What distracts me in prayer and how do I minimize distractions? Also come prepared (if you wish) to share your "rule of life" and/or fasting methods...:) United in Prayer,

Jean+

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Our Lady of Fatima visit to our meeting. About the statue: She is a Pilgrim (traveling) Statue of Our Lady of Fatima and is approx. 11 years old. She has traveled to many homes, classrooms, nursing homes, etc. She was initially obtained from a Home Visitation Program in '2016, and has since been a source of strength and consolation to those seeking God's power and grace in their need. She was brought to the September Fraternity meeting to remind us of her presence and power as the "Mediatrix of all Graces,” and in honor of the 100th Anniversary of her apparitions to the children of Fatima. At Fatima and now more than ever, she reminds us to pray the rosary daily, to offer our prayers and penances for the salvation of souls and conversion of sinners, to wear our scapular as reminder of our consecration to her, and to honor her in fulfilling the five first Saturdays in reparation for the sins and offenses against her Immaculate Heart. The Pilgrim Statue of Our Lady of Fatima is currently making her rounds to visit those in our fraternity who would like her powerful presence, prayer and protection in their necessities. Please contact Shirlann Biser, OFS if you would like to have her in your home for a two-week visit. Mary....our Life, our Sweetness, and our Hope,

+Shirlann

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-2017 Calendar -

Bold Print: Meeting attendance is

required by our Rule

October 3rd Transitus of St. Francis

October 4th Feast of St. Francis

October 10th Canonical Establishment

Anniversary of Fraternity

October 29th Sunday 1:30 Adoration &

Meeting

o Council Meeting 12:15

o First Orientation Class 4 PM

November 19th St. Elizabeth of Hungary,

Patron of the Third Order

November 26th Sunday 1:30 Adoration

& Meeting

o Council Meeting 12:15

o Orientation 4 PM

December 8th Feast of the Immaculate

Conception

December 10th Christmas Party

(No Meeting December 31st)

Saturday, January 27, 2018, Fraternity

Retreat at IHM (No meeting Sunday,

January 28th)

For all those who suffer with emotional and mental illness

Employment for those in need For an increase in the Holy Rosary and

Triumph of Immaculate Heart of Mary For Jeanne: For healing of lymphoma For those affected by the hurricanes,

especially in Puerto Rico For Carol for resolution of acute onset

myopathy (muscle weakness) Healing of breast cancer For my children’s return to the Church For my daughter, Marion, to come back to

the church For my son, Jack, to come back to the

church For Janet’s complete healing and healing

for all my patients For persecuted Christians though out the

world For healing of Jennifer’s ankle Health and healing for those in need For our President and our Nation to return

to God For unity, peace and healing For John and Andrew Conversion for Angie, Tim and Chris For our sons to open their hearts Family’s conversion Baptism for two great-granddaughters For strength, triumph and God’s will

during persecutions Please pray for Irene’s daughter in law.

May she rest in peace and may God comfort her family.

Prayer Requests

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Spiritual Assistant:

Fr John Bauer, OFS 651-962-6825

Minister:

Teresa Walker, OFS 763-553-1343

Vice Minister/Co-Infirmarian:

Mark Urick, OFS 763-754-3062

Formation Director:

Jean McGinty, OFS 763-494-8693

Secretary:

Carol Schiebold, OFS 763-323-4930

Treasurer:

Teresa Isenor, OFS 763-757-4037

Co-Infirmarian: Janet Uhlir, OFS 952-835-4406

Next Meeting

All are welcome to our monthly meetings

which are held in the Charity room at Epiphany

Catholic Church, 2:00 PM the last Sunday of

each month. Meetings are preceded by

Adoration beginning at 1:30 PM in the chapel.

Initial Formation is at 4:00PM in the Charity

room. Call Teresa Walker if you are interested

in attending. Next meeting date is October 29,

2017.

The Newsletter of the Saint Alphonsa Fraternity

is published monthly. You are invited to submit

articles for the Newsletter. Please note author

name and/or source. Deadline for the next

month’s Newsletter is 7 days after the previous

month’s meeting. If date to be published is not

important please indicate when submitting.

Send articles to Carol Schiebold, Secretary:

schieboldmn@gmail.com.

FRANCISCAN HOLY HOUR

Adoration + Franciscan Crown Rosary + Chanted Compline + Benediction

Every First Friday at 7:00 PM

Refreshments and Fellowship Follow

Franciscan Brothers of Peace Queen of Peace Friary 1289 Lafond Avenue

Saint Paul, MN 55104-2035

Newsletter Articles

Visit our Website:

http://queenofpeaceregion.org/coon-

rapids-st-alphonsa

Webmaster needed!!!!

MEMBER’S CORNER:

Submitted by Jeanne Page

This passage is in today's (October 2) reading

from the book I read every day called Day by Day

with Saint Francis; pretty cool. “One of his

brothers and followers, a man of some fame . . .

saw the soul of the most holy father rise straight to

heaven over many waters. It was like a star but as

big as the moon, with the brilliance of the sun, and

carried up upon a small white cloud.”

There are two prayers that I pray after the Decades

of the Rosary. The first is Jesus-Mary-Joseph!

save Souls. Years ago, I added my own personal

plea to God our Father which is: Jesus Mary

Joseph! save the family. The issues of “family"

are always in my heart.

St Alphonsa Fraternity Council