Mother Frances Streitel

On March 27, 2010, Mother Frances Streitel, foundress of the Sisters of the Sorrowful Mother, was declared "Venerable" by Pope Benedict XVI. This ecclesastical decision to bestow the title of "Venerable" on Mother Frances confirms that she followed in the footsteps of Christ in an heroic degree. This also means that she can be presented as a "candidate" for beatification, which the congregation is in the process of doing.  Already as a little girl, known then as Amalia, she was drawn to Christ, wanting to unite herself with the suffering Christ. She would look for ways to suffer with Him but more importantly, as a nine year old,  she pondered the Scripture passage: "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all things to myself" (John 12: 32).

The incredible gift called the church

Today we celebrate the feast of St. John Lateran.  You may wonder why we celebrate a building. Sounds strange. You may even be turned off! However,  we are not celebrating bricks and mortar but that we are  celebrating the living stones called the Church.  Yes, each of us, at baptism and confirmation, became a Temple/Building of the Holy Spirit. Like cement poured for the foundation of a house, the gifts of the Holy Spirit--fortitude, counsel, understanding, knowledge, piety, fear of the Lord, and wisdom--were poured into us. This "living cement" of our faith, hope and love" is growing.   We are becoming "shelters" into which others are welcomed, loved, appreciated, uplifted and made whole. Yes, we are living "pillars", "architectural phenomena" that bring hope and beauty, healing and grace to those whom we encounter. We are  "temples/buildings/the church" put together by Christ's love. Out of us flows life-giving water and through us the fire of God's love transforms the world around us. What a feast worth celebrating!