Glimpse of God for the week of April 19, 2026

The immeasurable treasure, the precious gems of the Sisters of Saint Francis.

As I begin this Glimpse, I want to take a moment to recognize the many graces and the giftedness of so many that the Church of Philadelphia has received, through the open hearts of many men and women who have answered the call to serve as Priests, Consecrated Religious and Permanent Deacons. My glimpse for this week comes from the Sisters of Saint Francis of Philadelphia who reside at the Assisi House and local convents, who will celebrate their Diamond, Golden and Silver Jubilees. No matter how you look at it or how long they have been professed, they are all gems and precious in the eyes of God and all those they encounter and serve. We consider all the Franciscan Sisters at Assisi House, as genuine gifts from God, friends in the Lord, our second family and those we hold near and dear and can call true friends. As I reflect on the Sisters at Assisi House, I am reminded of the prophet Sirach when he states “a faithful friend is a sturdy shelter; he who finds one finds a treasure. Faithful friends are beyond price; no amount can balance their worth. Faithful friends are a lifesaving remedy; those who fear God finds. Those who fear God enjoy stable friendship, for as they are so will their neighbor be.” Sirach 6:14-17. At their age, whatever that is, you will not meet any stronger or faithful shelter in the Lord.

This Month, many Sisters of Saint Francis of Assisi of Philadelphia will celebrate, in an incredibly special way, the diamond, silver and golden jubilee.WOW!!! When you see them, you would think that they made their final profession when they were in kindergarten. Not only do they not look their age, whatever that is, but they are the youngest at heart women that I have ever met. Their hair may be white or gray but their smile, but their love for God and neighbor, their humor and joy, is vibrant, luminous and shines with great radiance. It is nowhere close to being just black or white. They see the kaleidoscope of life, people’s experiences, God’s presence and their vocation as a gift. The colors of the rainbow in the brightness of life and the Son shining after the storms of life pass by, the color of the pain and darkness of death, separation, sin, and injury, the gentle colors of consolation, support and encouragement, the bright colors of reconciliation, the permanent colors of peace, mercy, compassion and joy. They live the simplicity of Saint Francis by being authentic, genuine and real and with that, their reality shines brightly. It is a radiance that is welcoming and inviting and we are honored to call them friends.

The Sisters who are celebrating their Diamond, Golden and Silver jubilee are celebrating when they made their final profession. They professed the vows of Poverty, Chastity and Obedience, and in a way we all profess these same vows by the way we love, try to serve our God and each other, and remain true to ourselves, our vocation to be faithful and live up to our potential as God invites us to. The vow of poverty that the Sisters take means that they keep nothing for or to themselves, and that all goes to the community that they belong to. When we seek to live for God and others without possessing the best or the newest or the brightest of what the world has to offer and the devil tempts us to believe that we need, I believe that we too take a silent vow of poverty when we desire not to seek more of what we want than what we need. The vow of chastity they take as they are the bride of Christ and the church and not to the vocation of marriage. As God’s beloved sons and daughters and temples of the Holy Spirit, we too try to love ourselves by respecting, honoring and reverencing our bodies. To be chaste is to faithful to our God and the person that we are as His follower. Obedience is not about submission or a false sense of humility but rather a loving deference to the wisdom of another that will help one be conformed, transformed and reformed into a greater reflection of the Christ.    

To the Sisters at Assisi House and in local convents who are celebrating their Diamond Jubilee: Sr. Gertrude Carocci, Sr. Mary Anne Gallagher, Sr. Dolores Herbeck, Sr. Patricia Moore, and Sr. Dolores Sambucco, Sr. Sr. Kathleen Shadell, Sr. Marie Spellman, Sr. Theresa Ulshafer.  Those who are celebrating their Golden are Sr. Elizabeth DeWaele, Sr. Lydia Etter, Sr. Theresa Firenze, Sr. Anne Hall, Sr. Karen Pourby, Sr. Kathleen Radich, and Sr. Linda Sariego. Those who are celebrating their Silver jubilee are Sr. Mary Margaret Gannon and Sr. Theresa Lamkin.

We joyfully and prayerfully celebrate with all those men and women who recently responded, those who continue to discern God’s call, and those who continue to say Yes, every day. I imagine that when they looking in the face of life’s unexpected challenges and God’s surprises, they profess their personal Yes, as did Mary, every moment of every day just by their surrender, trust and openness.

As volunteers, when we see the Sisters they share their stories with us, their challenges, their wisdom and their prayers and they embrace our stories, our challenges, and offer us their prayers, support, and encouragement. Each of the Sisters, past and present have been a true blessing on this wonderful and blessed journey of true love, support, genuine friendships, deep lasting relationships, and joy. Thank you Sisters for continuing to allow us into your home, we are deeply blessed and grateful.

As I reflect on their jubilee and their vocation as Consecrated Religious, I am inspired, and in awe of these wonderful deep women of faith. These Sisters who are celebrating 70, 50 and 25 years as a Consecrated Religious, as well as every sister who has been there and has moved on to 70 plus years, as well as to the sisters who aren’t there yet.

I am also very grateful for the young men from Saint Charles Seminary of Philadelphia, that will be ordained to the priesthood in May, and for the men that will be ordained to serve Archdiocese of Philadelphia as permanent deacons in June.  All continue to shine as a true light, a ray of SonShine in the hands of their creator and the lives of His beloved children and creation.  All have said YES so long ago, and yet just moments ago as well. Their YES is a daily YES. They live out their YES to God by the life that they live, have lived, and hope to live that of a faithful service with a heart that remains open always ready to be transformed, conformed, and reformed to the heart of Jesus.

As men and women who have discerned God’s will with the grace of His Holy Spirit, they said YES with no treasure map to follow, no guarantee or refunds, no promises or exceptions as the world would ask or expect. Instead they put their trust in God’s wisdom and knowledge of their deepest desire and love for Him, their treasure map was and remains in the Sacraments of the Church, for it is in them they find the direction and path that they need to follow, their promise was eternal life and the guarantee was given to them by Jesus as He was nailed to the cross, and there are no exceptions, we are all included.  All who choose to follow Christ will inherit eternal life.

The Sisters have remained faithful followers despite and amidst any physical limitations, pain, discouragement, and disappointments. Amid it all they renew in their heart their YES to Christ as His beloved bride. All the Sisters are not only a Glimpse of God, but a clear picture of God and His wonderful all-encompassing love for all His children. They, like Saint Francis, exude the simplicity, humility and compassion that makes them truly God’s instruments of peace in a world torn by strife, discord, and division.

As we begin a new week, let us take a moment to thank God for all of those individuals; religious, secular and military, who have given us our freedom so that we can practice our religion, have given us religion so that we can pray for freedom, and who have united us as one under God, so that we will not be afraid to be a witness and a sign of  His presence through acts of justice, words of truth, extensions of peace, and signs of reconciliation. In next week’s glimpse I will share with you how we are called to live our daily life in the light of joy as we continue to discern God’s will, our vocation.