Inside• Grief camp for kids

• Franciscan spirituality• Sister Bea’s happy influence

Fall 2012

A Publication of the Sisters of St. Francis and Their Ministries

On the Cover: Jerry and Judy Schmidt are so full of love and light, we just had to put them on the cover. See page 7 for their story.

From the Community Minister

Greetings

Dear Friends,Miracles do happen! Sometimes things happen in life for which there is no logical explanation, and sometimes there isn’t even any visible evidence. God works in mysterious ways and sometimes so quietly that we hardly notice. At other times, God’s work is very evident.

Recently I received a phone call from Ken Weis, a nephew of our Sister Lucina Weis who died in 1989. He wanted to share with me a miracle that had happened in his life. Ken had battled depression for many years. The depression was so acute at times that he spent months in the hospital, not caring about life or his own personal care – not shaving nor bathing nor getting hair cuts, etc. He said he “had given up on God.” Finally, one night “as sort of a last shot” he began to pray for help from Sister Lucina who had also had difficulty with bouts of depression. He prayed using her rosary which he had received as a memento after her death. Overnight he recovered his interest in life. That very day he got a much needed hair cut, began driving a car again, and resumed going to Mass with his wife.

In this issue of our magazine you will find accounts of how our sisters, associates, and co-workers offer hope to many - to those who are suffering illnesses or the difficulties of aging, to those who are imprisoned, and to those who are coping with the grief that comes from losing loved ones. Those who are involved in these ministries will be the first to tell you that they themselves receive untold blessings through their ministries to those in need.

Please note the enthusiasm of our sisters and associates who relate their experience at a workshop on the next generation of Franciscan mentors. Also, the Peace Fair which took place on June 23 in Tiffin, sponsored by Project Peace, generated much enthusiasm and awareness of the need to work for peace in our world.

All of these ministries and activities are possible through the generous support of you, our benefactors. Thank you for being a part of our Franciscan ministries!

Gratefully,

Sister Jacquelyn DoepkerCommunity Minister

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Green news is good newsTo help us cut down on costs and paper, will you please share your email address with us? We’ll use it instead of snail mail to keep you informed about what’s happening in the St. Francis Community. Just send your email address to development@tiffinfranciscans.org.

The magazine is published four times ayear for friends of the Sisters of St. FrancisCommunity by the Mission AdvancementOffice of the Sisters of St. Francis. Readerresponses may be submitted to Sr. SaraAldridge, Director of Mission Advancement,at saldridge@tiffinfranciscans.org.

Community Minister: Sr. Jacquelyn Doepker

Sr. Mary KuhlmanSr. Andrea InkrottSr. Edna MichelSr. Joanne Lammers

St. Francis Community Ministries

St. Francis Spirituality CenterBoard Chairperson: Rev. Donna Van TreesExecutive Director: Sr. Roberta Doneth

St. Francis Senior MinistriesBoard Chairperson: Dominic FabrizioExecutive Director: Robert Hauzie

Franciscan Earth Literacy CenterBoard Chairperson: Katie McKibbenExecutive Director: Michael Conner

200 St. Francis Ave.Tiffin, OH 44883419.447.0435www.sfctiffin.org

PublisherSr. Sara Aldridge

Director of CommunicationsKate Oatis

Layout/DesignLinda Williams

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Franciscan Earth Literacy CenterSt. Francis Spirituality CenterSisters of St. Francis

Sister Anna Marie enjoys a visit -- and a laugh -- with Sister Jackie Doepker.

Sister Anna Marie Mangette is a little surprised we’d want to do a story about her. She doesn’t talk readily about herself and isn’t used to the questions. We persist.

Sister Anna Marie has been a Tiffin Franciscan for nearly 60 years. She’s been serving in Chiapas, Mexico, for 13 of those years, since 2006 with Sister Linda Scheckelhoff.

Catechesis is one of Sister Anna Marie’s areas of expertise. “Parish communities come together once a week to talk about the Gospel and how it applies to their lives.” She is quick to point out that “we are there to help people by supporting their efforts,” and shares this example: “There were beer joints and houses of prostitution near the schools, so we helped the people write letters of complaint to the president of

the community. The initiative comes from the people. We are there to support their efforts.”

Another area of sharing involves caring for the earth. “One thing we do is show them how to recycle weeds back into the ground,” Sister Anna Marie says. “We help them understand that we care for the earth by giving back to the earth.”

Sisters Anna Marie and Linda are a big help to the priest. “Sometimes these communities get a visit from a priest just twice a year. They also see him when there

are baptisms and marriages.” The sisters go with him to help with the music and evangelization efforts.

“My faith life has grown so much since I arrived here. These people pray so sincerely, out of the depths of their poverty.”

Her heart is in Mexico

“What is the price of a lifetime without silence? When we are full of other people’s words and images and music, we cannot hear the words and images and music whispering to be heard in our own souls. And that whisper, according to Elijah’s story, is nothing less than the voice of God, asking us the most important question of all: ‘What are you doing here?’”

Megan Wilson-Reitz wrote these words while staying in our hermitage during the summer of 2008. We recently heard Megan speak at a gathering in Cleveland to honor the feast of St. Mary of Magdala. Wanting to know how her life has progressed since her stay with us, we called her.

Megan is married to Matt, and they have two children: Olive and Isaac. She is teaching at John Carroll University, from where she received a Master of Arts degree in religious studies. She is also a member

of the Cleveland Catholic Worker extended community.

She shared a few thoughts about her time in the hermitage.

“Being there opened a window for me into Franciscan spirituality. I really got to dig into the idea that creation is a part of us, and that we are co-creators. The first three weeks were hard – there were spiders, it was damp, and I kept thinking, ‘What am I doing here?’ But it all shifted after the third week, which I think was Francis’ intervention. I learned that you just have to keep praying and sitting in the moment.”

We have very warm memories of Megan and how eager she was to help out. “Sister Paulette asked me to go outside and get ‘enough parsley’ for the tabouli we were to make for 200 people!” In response, Sister Paulette says, “Oh, that Megan, she was terrific.”

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Silent summer bears fruit

Megan, her husband, Matt, and their children Olive and Isaac, live in Cleveland.

SAVE THE DATEDonor Appreciation Mass & Reception, September 30

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Sisters Roberta (Bobbie) Doneth, Pat Froning and Edna Michel, are sitting in comfortable chairs in a room on the bottom floor of the convent, entertaining questions about spiritual direction.

First of all, what is it?

Sister Pat says the answer to that question depends on a few things: Is the person on a retreat? If yes, what kind of retreat?

“If it is a guided retreat, there are opportunities for spiritual guidance and direction. If it’s a directed retreat, there is an ongoing process that takes place, which includes meetings with a spiritual director. Spiritual direction can take place one-on-one, but it also happens in the midst of a group.”

Sister Edna says formal spiritual direction is given by someone who’s trained and

“informal spiritual direction can take place when a group of friends, for example, listen to each others’ stories.” The latter is called spiritual companioning, Sister Bobbie says.

It’s a blessing listening to these three share their considerable wisdom and knowledge about the topic. They

somehow manage to keep it simple with a tremendous docility to the complexity of life that often accompanies the search for a spiritual director.

“All spiritual direction comes from this,” Sister Pat says. “When our stories are listened to, we hear them.

When we have a chance to be received in a reverent manner, we hear what is resonating in our hearts.”

The listening part is key, Sister Edna agrees. “Many people believe that a spiritual director’s role is to give people answers. But it’s much more about listening and re-phrasing what a person says, so they discover that God is within them, leading them.”

Moving in a spiritual direction

Franciscan hospitality shinesThe lights went out at Elizabeth Schaefer Apartments July 17, giving staff and others many opportunities to display their Franciscan spirit.

“It happened around 7 p.m., and by 10 p.m. everyone was where they needed to be,” said Leanne Smith, ESA director of residential services and public relations. “So many people came to help us move people into the Spirituality Center or just to help them move downstairs so they could be picked up by family members. We had no elevators, no air conditioning. Everyone just worked together to help our residents, who were treated so well at the Spirituality Center where many of them spent the night. They got meals, they were asked if they needed anything. It was so nice to see everyone working together to make sure they were comfortable.”

We thank our staff members for their help and spirit of cooperation. We are blessed to have them on our campus.

Sisters Edna, Bobbie and Pat enjoy helping people move along in their spiritual journeys.

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“ Franciscans find God in everyday life, in the world.”– Sister Bobbie Doneth

SAVE THE DATESpirituality Center Fall BBQ, September 9

Components of a Franciscan approach to theology and spirituality

• Centrality of the Gospels – In an era where Scripture was unavailable in the vernacular, Francis quoted or paraphrased the Scriptures.

• Affective approach – Francis’ most endearing quality was his conviction that the words of the Gospel were so lovely that anyone who heard them would be inspired to live in accord with them.

• Constant stress on penance – The inner renewal and the discipline that would set one’s life in line with the Gospels.

• Poverty – The pursuit of any sort of wealth would divert one from fulfilling the Gospels.

• Intense, tender devotion to humanity of Christ – Especially in the Incarnation and Passion.

• Creation as the revelation of God; Christ as fullness of creation.

• Love of neighbor – Included fraternal correction and watching out for one another’s welfare.

• Strong sacramental and liturgical emphasis – Especially Eucharist, care for Eucharistic species and churches, Reconciliation.

• Obedience – A novel approach that allows for anything unless it directly contradicts the prelate: “And if when the subject may see better and more useful things for his own soul than those which the prelate may command him, may he not fail to fulfill them.”

God is leading them, says Sister Pat, through the Holy Spirit, who is the real spiritual director. “We are simply mid-wifing the process,” she says, smiling.

Sometimes spiritual directors do ask questions, Sister Bobbie says, which lets people hear themselves. “The truth is already in them. It just surfaces in the process. Verbalizing it rather than just thinking it can be very helpful.”

Sister Pat says she was trained in Jesuit spirituality some years ago and learned her Franciscan spirituality in practice. “My listening to God is not in a vacuum. It’s in the real world. God’s goodness and beauty envelops all. That’s a very Franciscan way of looking at things.”

That notion energizes Sister Bobbie. “Franciscans find God in everyday life, in the world. People share what’s happening in their lives and make a connection with the movement of God in their lives.”

Picking up on that theme, Sister Edna says finding God in the ordinary is incarnational. “It’s about finding God in our work, our relationships and in the meaning of our lives.”

Monastic life until the 13th century was concerned with the idea that the world was not all right, Sister Pat says.

“Francis of Assisi and Franciscan Duns Scotus turned that around, sharing

their belief that the world is good and beautiful and that everything is in relationship with everything else as Jesus is with us.”

If you’re interested in finding a spiritual director here at St. Francis Community, please contact peace@ franciscanretreats.org.

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St. Francis Community campus photos courtesy of Tammy Schneider

“ When we have a chance to be received in a reverent manner, we hear what is resonating in our hearts.”– Sister Pat Froning

Welcome to the vibrant, happy community of Elizabeth Schaefer Apartments, residents seem to say when you walk in the front door. Located right on the St. Francis Community campus, currently the ESA is home for 31 people, including several family combinations.

Community Minister Sister Jacquelyn (Jackie) Doepker lives in an apartment on the second floor while her mother lives in one

on the first. Her father lived in that first floor apartment with his wife until his death in May 2011. Sister Jackie says being near her parents continues to give her tremendous peace of mind. “It has been a blessing to have a significant part in my parents’ lives in their later days.”

“When I was elected to office in 2006, I had to move back to Tiffin from Akron,” Sister Jackie says about her decision to move into ESA.” I didn’t want to live in the convent because it was so close to my office.”

ESA was the perfect solution for Sister Jackie, who finds it enjoyable “to live among the people” there. “I have found it very valuable to live there, to gain an understanding of what goes on there and to feel a part of it. There is a wonderful community of people living on our campus.”

Sister Jackie’s parents had a home on Melmore Street in Tiffin before moving to ESA. “By then, mom was 92, dad 91. We looked at several options for them and decided ESA would work best for them. They moved into an apartment directly below me, which became available at just the right time. “

The Doepkers appreciated the opportunity to go to Mass twice a week, their daughter says. “It has also been handy for the family to stop in for visits. My parents felt more independent.”

Today, Sister Jackie helps her mother most evenings and weekends. She says her family is most grateful for the assistance of aide Shanta Dines, who has been “a Godsend.”

Sister Jackie remembers with a touch of sadness entering the convent and having to wait five years before she could visit her home. “It’s just what was done back then,” she says. It could be this devoted daughter is grateful for the opportunity to make up that lost time. And, we’re sure Mrs. Doepker is equally pleased.

Peace of mindThe St. Francis Senior Ministries offers a continuum of care that includes independent living, assisted living, intermediate and skilled care nursing and dementia care services. Residents of Elizabeth Schaefer Apartments have priority admittance to St. Francis Home if assisted living, rehabilitation services or nursing care is required. The St. Francis campus meets our residents’ lifestyle and healthcare needs, today and tomorrow.

Contact Leanne Smith, director of residential services and public relations, at 419.447.3141 or housing@stfrancishome.org for more information or a tour of Elizabeth Schaefer Apartments.

Sister Jackie, left, her mother and Shanta Dines visit in Mrs. Doepker’s apartment one sunny day in June.

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Campus living suits mother and daughter

By her own account, Judy Schmidt was “crabby” upon arriving at St. Francis Home in April of 2010. She was quite ill – and angry about it.

But she doesn’t want to talk about that. So, we won’t. Instead, we’ll tell you what she told us, the story she shared that lights up her beautiful blue eyes when she shares it.

The story that changed her life, as it turns out.

“I converted to the Catholic faith because of Sister Bea,” she says, leaning a bit forward in a chair that doesn’t seem particularly forgiving. “She was the closest thing to an angel I’ve ever met.”

It’s Sister Bea Koerper she’s talking about. Sister Bea, a resident of St. Francis Home for the past few years, died Christmas evening, 2011. She had many wonderful qualities, of which being a good listener was perhaps the one people appreciated most.

“When I first came here, I’d sit by the nurse’s desk and I’d hear Sister Bea greeting everyone and giving such uplifting remarks to people,” Judy says, those bright eyes alive with something that looks like wonder.

“When she saw me, she’d say, ‘Hello, honey,’ like it was old home week. She would include me in her circle of people – and she was like that with everyone. She just had a gift of being able to draw people out.”

Judy says the day she moved in a room next to Bea’s was a good one. “After I got this room, we just got closer and closer. I told her I’d thought about becoming a Catholic, but that it wasn’t a major thing in my life. I’d told my husband, too, but we both kind of brushed it off.”

At this point, Jerry, Judy’s husband, pipes up with, “I questioned if you knew what you were doing,” to which his wife replies, “I just had this longing to explore it, and when I mentioned it to Sister Bea, she took off running like a champ.”

The two became friends and would talk each day about life and faith. “I mentioned Jerry to her -- he was a fallen away Catholic -- and she just beamed, probably thinking she’d get two Schmidts for one,” Judy says, smiling.

After some instruction, Sister Bea arranged for Judy to be accepted into the Church. “It was a lovely ceremony, and I felt right away that I’d been given a special gift. I attribute that to Sister Bea; it was my closeness to her that mattered so much. She never judged me. She assured me that God loved me right where I was, and that I didn’t have to earn it. I thought, ‘Wow, I’ve arrived.’”

Judy hadn’t been living with just the difficulty of illness. In fact, Jerry had lost his job after the couple moved to Tiffin from Nashville. “Between the staff here at St. Francis Home and Sister Bea, well, they saved me,” she says. “I met with a lot of love, which reversed my ideas about people. It was a miracle, and Sister Bea started it.”

Jerry concurs. He’d been suffering with some depression because of Judy’s

illness and his own unemployment. “When I saw how well Judy was being taken care of, that took some of the pressure off. I also fell under the spell of Sister Bea,” he says, smiling.

What Jerry and Judy both realized was that Sister Bea was “healing us.” Indeed, “she was our therapist, healer and friend,” Judy says. “What I had with her was so special. I miss her very much.”

Finding God atSt. Francis Home

Judy Schmidt is a loving, bright presence at St. Francis Home, where Jerry visits her daily.

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“ I converted to the Catholic faith because of Sister Bea. She was the

closest thing to an angel I’ve ever met.”– Judy Schmidt

Encouraging life on the insidePrison ministry is not for the faint of heart, probably. And, indeed, the folks from St. Francis Community who are involved with inmates are stouthearted, full of joy and with a real message of hope to share.

“When someone first asked us to do this work, we saw it as a ministry,” says Tiffin Franciscan associate Sue Nowak. “But, it has become much more than a weekly ministry. The guys wonder where we are if we miss a week, for example. And, because we ask them to pray for the community, they want updates about those for whom they pray.”

Sue Nowak and Kay Shrewsbery have been associates of our community for 25 years. They’ve been involved with prison ministry for at least six years. “There was a group of Hispanic men who would play the guitar at the jail, and

the Diocese wanted some help for them,” Sue explains. “So, we started going every other week, and they would sing during the weeks we didn’t go.”

Sue and Kay, along with other associates and sisters, visit inmates at the Lucas County Jail, which is “different from prison,” Kay says. “These are the guys who’ve just been arrested and are awaiting trial. They tend to be emotional, and many might be on suicide watch.”

The two visit the inmates on Wednesday evenings. “We use the readings from the following Sunday and discuss what they mean in the lives of these men,” Sue says. “There is a deep sharing of scripture with up to 15 inmates at a time. Sometimes there

are just two to six because there is so much flux at the jail.”

The two say they get much more out of the ministry than the inmates do. “One guy about four or five years ago was sent from

the jail to a prison and is now preparing to become Catholic,” Sue says. “That’s very rewarding for us because we know we’ve somehow touched his life.”

Ministering to inmates isn’t without its challenges, the two say. “At first, we were sort of rejected by the guards,” Kay says. “But at this point, many of them know us. It helps that we take them cookies.”

The two say they enjoy building a rapport with the inmates. “When we’re there, there’s a real sense that the guys feel the freedom to express their emotions,” Kay says. “There is also a willingness to participate in intercessory prayer – for their families and for the St. Francis Community.”

Of course, Kay and Sue have many stories to share. “One guy, we’ll call him Scott, would come to our meetings and not participate. But one week, the reading was on

“ Some of them actually say they are grateful to be in jail, that they’d be dead

if they weren’t.”– Sister Maureen Studer

Kay Shrewsbery, Sue Nowak and Ellen and Jack McComis celebrated their 25th Jubilee as Tiffin Franciscans in June.

“ When we’re there, there’s a real sense that the guys feel the freedom to express their emotions.”– Tiffin Franciscan associate Kay Shrewsbery

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Castalia and Bellevue. Sister Maureen says, “The Ohio Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation wants to have in every county a group of people -- a Citizens Circle -- to help people who’ve been incarcerated assimilate back into the community.”

“The needs of this population are just huge,” Sister Maureen says. “We meet people who need jobs, child support – just so many things. The decision they made to commit a crime makes it hard for them to get jobs after they’ve served their time. Not many employers accept them.”

Sister Maureen helps with Saturday evening ecumenical services. Outside those visits, it is possible to speak with inmates if they’ve filled out a clergy request form. “These people have such tremendous needs.”

The services for the inmates are heartwarming, Sister Maureen says. “Some of them actually say they are grateful to be in jail, that they’d be dead if they weren’t.” She says the Diocese of Toledo offers Mass at jails. “Sister Lucy Schmitmeyer and I attend Mass at the jail the second and fourth Fridays. It is very touching.”

Prison ministry is also very rewarding to Sister Janice Rospert. She’s been serving for the last 20 years in Beckley, West Virginia, 13 of those in prison ministry. She offers a Scripture service two Sundays a month, classes on prayer and retreats. And one night a week, Sister Janice offers Christian formation classes.

It’s all very rewarding, she says. “My guys really do enrich me spiritually. Every time I leave them, I am richer for having been with them. I really don’t know if they appreciate my presence as much as I do theirs. I tell them my experience of God for the week was the time I spent with them. They have become my brothers!”

forgiveness, and he came around and started listening. You just don’t know what effect you’ll have on people,” Kay says.

The two say they never know who’s in for what crime. “We can know, if we choose to. We just don’t ask. The point is, they’re God’s children. They deserve to hear God’s word. They are worthy of respect because they are human.”

Sister Maureen Studer is also involved in prison ministry.

“When I was in Paducah, Kentucky, I started visiting inmates – probably back in the 1970s. Then when I moved to Tiffin, Sister Jackie (Doepker, our community minister) presented her idea for a prison ministry to the ministerial association and got approval for it. That’s where it all began.”

“It” is the Seneca County Jail Chaplaincy Committee, which just celebrated its 18th birthday. The committee is composed of people from Tiffin, Fostoria, Fremont, Sandusky,

In addition to her prison ministry, Sister Maureen Studer serves at St. Francis Home.

Deb Johnson, Sue Nowak and Kay Shrewsbery are among the Tiffin Franciscan associates involved in jail and prison ministry.

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“ When we’re there, there’s a real sense that the guys feel the freedom to express their emotions.”– Tiffin Franciscan associate Kay Shrewsbery

Sister Janice also enjoys working with children and families.

Peace Camp participants had a great time creating their own visions of world peace, as represented by the papier mache worlds they made and painted. When Sister Shirley said, “OK, it’s time for a goofy picture,” they demonstrated their great listening skills by complying. Can you tell?

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What a challenge, offering a positive week-long summer camp experience to children who’ve experienced serious loss in their young lives. And lucky are the kids able to attend the camp offered by Community Hospice Care of Tiffin in June, the last day of which is spent at our Center.

“We really appreciate being able to bring our kids out to the FELC for the last day of the camp,” said Pam Tiell, bereavement coordinator for Community Hospice Care. “Sister Shirley is so knowledgeable and so good with them. She is amazing, how she talks about death being a natural, normal part of life.”

To convey that notion – that death is natural – Sister Shirley takes the campers

for a hike in the woods to show evidence of the cycle of life. “We take a look at the living trees and at those that have died and are turning to compost. We also try to find dead animals and insects and talk about the cycle of life as we’re looking at them.”

In the afternoon of that last day, the campers build terrariums to show them that from seeds comes new life. “We talk about lightning in the forest that kills the trees, which then breaks the canopy up above, which, in turn, allows sunlight to shine on the smaller trees, letting them grow.”

The campers are treated to a cookout of hotdogs and s’mores, always a treat. During lunch time, they also got to play

with the animals that live at the Center. “And they got to pet the snake, which they absolutely loved,” Pam said.

Sister Shirley then read them a story about dragonflies and waterbugs, which, she says, was a “nice way to tie in the notion of death, since we saw these kinds of insects during our hike.”

At the end of the week, Pam says, the children have learned that it’s OK to be sad and angry. “They take away some coping skills that we hope will serve them well throughout their lives.”

For information about FELC programs for children, teens and adults, please contact earthliteracy@felctiffin.org or 419.448.7485. And make sure to visit felctiffin.org.

A safe place for feelings

Children who attended our Peace Camp had a lot of fun learning about peace -- can you tell from the picture?

Sister Paulette Schroeder, director of Project Peace, teamed up with the FELC educator Sister Shirley Shafranek to offer the Peace Camp,

which followed quick on the heels of the 1st annual Tiffin Peace Fair in June.

For five days, campers were introduced to situations that required them to use skills they were learning about and which would help them prevent or resolve conflicts. One activity involved kids acting like they were ants that had to cross a river of chocolate on marshmallows, represented by carpet squares. “They had to work together to cross the river, and part of that was making sure everyone was heard,” said Sister Shirley Shafranek, FELC educator. Listening, communicating directly, appreciating diversity, building a team, fostering trust were all skills touched on during the week.

Another fun activity had campers thinking about global peace. “They got to create a Papier Mache world and paint what that world would look like in peace,” Sister Shirley said.

The last two days of the camp were spent teaching conflict resolution skills. The challenge for the staff was to get the campers to connect what they were learning to a larger lesson about peace.

Sister Paulette shared some slides from her three years in Hebron as part of a Christian Peacemakers team. “The slides showed children living in a war-torn area. The idea was to show our children that we don’t know what it is like to have war in our land and to help them imagine what it would be like if we did.”

Peace Camp offers hope to children

There is almost nothing that pleases our staff at the Franciscan Earth Literacy Center (FELC) more than new programming. To them, every new opportunity is another chance to show – and to teach – reverence for creation.

The new school program this Fall is all about renewable energy, says Sister Shirley Shafranek, FELC educator. “Anyone who knows us or reads our mission statement knows caring for creation is a big concern for us. Sustainable living – it’s what we are all about. We look to the future and ask, ‘What can we do now to insure the future?’”

To get a handle on what type of program would be helpful and appropriate, “We talked to middle school science teachers and people who are on our board, and we looked at the science curriculum, goals and standards,” Sister Shirley said. “This program satisfies all requirements and is also a fun way to learn care of creation.”

Sister Shirley’s voice speeds up a bit as she’s talking about the specifics. “We’ll start each class out with an activity using M&Ms, with the green ones representing renewable energy. If a student gets a green one, they keep getting more. The non-renewable energy is represented by all the other colors. We’ll also have a PowerPoint to show how much energy wind turbines and solar array panels make. Students will learn how to read the graphs and they’ll see how much carbon dioxide, for example, is being

prevented from going into the air.”

Students will also be able to observe/study renewable energy production by visiting FELC’s wind turbine and PV solar array.

A grant from the Sisters of St. Francis allowed the FELC to purchase model wind turbines and small PV solar cells to use during the program. “Students will experiment and investigate using these models. They’ll be able to see how the sun’s angle affects the solar cells, so they’ll understand why our solar array panel here at the FELC is at a certain angle”

The passive solar/straw bale house nearing its completion on the campus is another great place to teach important lessons about renewable energy and sustainability, Sister Shirley says. “We’ll take the students to the house and talk about its construction and the advantages and disadvantages of the wind turbines and solar array panels.”

“I think this is a really exciting program,” Sister Shirley says. “Our summer camp kids this year used the wind turbine and solar cell models and learned a lot – and had a lot of fun while learning. We think renewable energy and sustainability are areas that need to be investigated by kids of all ages. It’s very important to the future of creation.”

For more information on school and other programs, please visit felctiffin.org.

Can you spell s-u-s-t-a-i-n-a-b-i-l-i-t-y? 11

We held our annual Summer Harvest Gourmet Gala Saturday, August 11, right here on St. Francis Community campus. It was a beautiful evening with wonderful food, wine, music and guests. On behalf of the children and families we serve through our educational programming, we thank you very much for your support. And we thank, too, all the volunteers who made this year’s Gala fun, festive and fabulous!

Mission Advancement Office 200 St. Francis Avenue Tiffin, OH 44883

The St. Francis Community Magazine is published by the

Mission Advancement Office for the St. Francis Community.

Correspondence may be sent to: Mission Advancement Office

200 St. Francis Ave. Tiffin, OH 44883

Email: development@tiffinfranciscans.org

Or visit us on the web: www.sfctiffin.org

“L ove God, serve God. Everything is in that.”

– St. Clare of Assisi

Sister Jackie Doepker, right, and Joanne Tawfilis, left, enjoyed participating in the parade during the Tiffin Peace Fair June 23. The fair was organized by our very own Project Peace, of which Sister Paulette Schroeder is the director. Joanne is a UNSECO minister and gave a powerful presentation that evening in our convent chapel, talking about the Art Miles Mural Project, which is a peace initiative she founded with her husband, Faoud.

The Grow It, Eat It, Share It camp for people with disabilities is one of the favorites offered by the Franciscan Earth Literacy Center. A few volunteers joined the campers this day for a cookout in the woods. Getting there on a wagon was half the fun, thanks to driver Sister Shirley Shafranek.

Peace on parade

Fun on the farm