Cfr Sisters

[laetitia crucis]

[quote name='angelofmary' date='20 March 2010 - 09:43 PM' timestamp='1269132181' post='2076528']
I am sorry to see this thread has become to upsetting and Here the sisters are great and last weekend the friars did one of our youth2000 retreats was a pleasure to work with them.
[/quote]

Hey angelofmary!

I was wondering, in the UK what is the Sisters' main apostolate there?

I remember a few years ago when I went to visit the CFR Sisters here in the U.S., they were hoping to be able to open a mission in the UK in a few years. God is so good, right? It must be wonderful for them to be able to join their friars in new mission territory!

[TeresaBenedicta]

[quote name='laetitia crucis' date='20 March 2010 - 09:39 PM' timestamp='1269131975' post='2076523']
I love me some CFR Sisters!

Great prayer life, great apostolate, and a beautiful witness to their holy founder, St. Francis!

Was your group able to spend a good deal of time with them in prayer and apostolate?
[/quote]

We spent about 4 1/2 hours with them.

When we arrived, two of the sisters took us upstairs to give us a talk about religious life and in particular the charism of the order. Afterwards we helped out around the convent a bit-- me and three other girls were down stairs in the basement helping organize screws and nails. Which was actually rather fun! :-)

Then we helped out with their soup kitchen and we were split into different groups to help with different tasks. I was in the back, in the kitchen, helping dish up the soup/do dishes/etc. Then a few girls helped with the actual serving. A few girls helped give out rosaries/holy cards/gloves/hats as people left. And two brave girls stood outside in the pouring rain with one of the sisters to help greet people and pray.

After the soup kitchen, we went upstairs into their chapel-- which was very simple, but beautiful, to pray midday prayer (which began with five minutes of silent meditation... so beautiful!! It was such a nice "pause" to the busy day... I loved it!!) Then we joined the sisters for lunch, helped clean up, then headed out.

It was such a beautiful experience overall. I was struck by their great simplicity and how their prayer completely permeated every aspect of their lives. Loved them!

[mariaassunta]

for now I think they are still setting up...havent heard of any works as of yet

[vee]

[quote name='laetitia crucis' date='21 March 2010 - 10:39 AM' timestamp='1269131975' post='2076523']
I love me some CFR Sisters! [/quote]


Me too! I hope their plans for global domination go well.


[quote]Was your group able to spend a good deal of time with them in prayer and apostolate? [img]http://www.phatmass.com/phorum/public/style_emoticons/default/smile.gif[/img][/quote]

and did you take any photos to share with us?

[TeresaBenedicta]

[quote name='vee8' date='20 March 2010 - 09:52 PM' timestamp='1269132746' post='2076544']
and did you take any photos to share with us?
[/quote]

One of my friends took some photos-- still waiting for them to get posted on FB, LOL!!!

[OnlySunshine]

I remember my retreat with them was very much focused on living their actual life. It was more unstructured than other retreats I had been on and you get a taste of everything. They didn't have many talks or conferences, but we participated in whatever the Sisters had planned that weekend. They were so nice that they let me come a night early so I could save money. I genuinely hope to go back and visit them again because I had so much fun! I had spent time with them before, but never in one of their own convents. I met Fr. Andrew Apostoli, Sr. Clare, and worked with the homeless in the soup kitchen on Saturday. I highly recommend that anyone discerning religious life and interested in the mendicant Franciscan orders check them out. You will not be disappointed.

[laetitia crucis]

[quote name='MaterMisericordiae' date='20 March 2010 - 11:10 PM' timestamp='1269137438' post='2076649']
I remember my retreat with them was very much focused on living their actual life. It was more unstructured than other retreats I had been on and you get a taste of everything. They didn't have many talks or conferences, but we participated in whatever the Sisters had planned that weekend. They were so nice that they let me come a night early so I could save money. I genuinely hope to go back and visit them again because I had so much fun! I had spent time with them before, but never in one of their own convents. I met Fr. Andrew Apostoli, Sr. Clare, and worked with the homeless in the soup kitchen on Saturday. I highly recommend that anyone discerning religious life and interested in the mendicant Franciscan orders check them out. You will not be disappointed.
[/quote]

Your experience seems very similar to the one I had, too. I stayed with them for about a week and was able to experience their way of life, and several of their apostolates -- including the food pantry and my first ever Youth200. I also met Sr. Clare (she was the community servant while I was there), and I was also able to speak with Fr. Andrew Apostoli for quite some time. (He had some good stories to tell about Fulton Sheen. I suppose that's a huge bonus to being the postulator for his cause for canonization.)

I was visiting with another girl that was going to the Sisters of Life "Come and See" that following week with me. We had never met before that trip, but I thought it was really great to have a fellow "Come and See"er with me on both!

Ooh, and the CFR Sisters also took us with them to see a taping of Fr. Benedict Groeschel's show on EWTN. Later on in the week, he came to teach class at the novitiate, too. I think I must have looked like a fangirl during that whole class. I took notes and stared him down between my note-taking. Haahahahaha! (I guess you could say I was a tad... saint/star-struck?)

What else was I to do in the presence of a real life, living, breathing SAINT?

I second your recommendation, MaterMisericordiae!
[quote] I highly recommend that anyone discerning religious life and interested in the mendicant Franciscan orders check them out. You will not be disappointed.[/quote]

[zunshynn]

I think I met Sr. Clare once... I walked into the extern workroom at OLAM and she was using the phone. I was all startled. I don't recall why I didn't meet the rest of the sisters (several of them stopped at the monastery I think after being on EWTN and met some of the community in the parlor.) It may have been during my canonical year when I didn't really see people in the parlor, or maybe I had been out or at adoration, I'm not sure. She was awfully sweet though.

[OnlySunshine]

[quote name='laetitia crucis' date='20 March 2010 - 09:24 PM' timestamp='1269138286' post='2076660']
Your experience seems very similar to the one I had, too. I stayed with them for about a week and was able to experience their way of life, and several of their apostolates -- including the food pantry and my first ever Youth200. I also met Sr. Clare (she was the community servant while I was there), and I was also able to speak with Fr. Andrew Apostoli for quite some time. (He had some good stories to tell about Fulton Sheen. I suppose that's a huge bonus to being the postulator for his cause for canonization.)

I was visiting with another girl that was going to the Sisters of Life "Come and See" that following week with me. We had never met before that trip, but I thought it was really great to have a fellow "Come and See"er with me on both!

Ooh, and the CFR Sisters also took us with them to see a taping of Fr. Benedict Groeschel's show on EWTN. Later on in the week, he came to teach class at the novitiate, too. I think I must have looked like a fangirl during that whole class. I took notes and stared him down between my note-taking. Haahahahaha! (I guess you could say I was a tad... saint/star-struck?)

What else was I to do in the presence of a real life, living, breathing SAINT?

I second your recommendation, MaterMisericordiae!
[/quote]

Sr. Clare is so awesome! I met her when the group of girls in the retreat went to the Our Lady of Guadalupe convent on Friday night for the "Handmaidens" meeting. She was hysterical and very approachable. I also really liked Sr. Faustina who is a newly professed Sister. She was too sweet and asked me all sorts of questions about my discernment and gave me great advice. I love her accent too. I love these Sisters so much.

[tnavarro61]

is sr jacinta the skater in the news before?

[Tridenteen]

JMJ
Does anyone know anything about how their aspirants are doing? I know one of them, and was curious since I haven't heard from her in awhile.

[laetitia crucis]

[quote name='tnavarro61' date='21 March 2010 - 12:21 AM' timestamp='1269141696' post='2076696']
is sr jacinta the skater in the news before?
[/quote]

Nope -- that would be Sr. Catherine.

[mariaassunta]

Yes sister Claire is lovely met her many times and Sr Lucille too. My friend is a sister with them, her name is Sister Bernadette Petra of the Suffering servant!

[laetitia crucis]

[quote name='angelofmary' date='21 March 2010 - 06:59 AM' timestamp='1269165543' post='2076787']
Yes sister Claire is lovely met her many times and Sr Lucille too. My friend is a sister with them, her name is Sister Bernadette Petra of the Suffering servant!
[/quote]

Wow -- small world!!

I met Sr. Bernadette Petra of the Suffering Servant when she was a POSTULANT! She's another one of my "favorite Sisters".

She tried teaching me a bit of Gaelic when I was visiting.

[mariaassunta]

Yes she is a special and long friend of mine, she is also a Gaelic teacher.She finished University and then entered!

[Saint Therese]

I think CFR sisters are awesome.

Edited March 21, 2010 by Saint Therese