Sisters of the Holy Redeemer

Peace Park On Labor Day...

2010-09-12T14:21:00.000-07:00

We had lot's of fun on Labor Day. Of course we beagn our day with mass at our provincialate followed by a simple picnic lunch. After our lunch a few of our sisters and RMC volunteers spent the rest of the day at Peace Park. It was beautiful. Some of us even decided to go paddle boating on the lake.

We Will Miss Her...

2010-08-16T08:09:00.000-07:00

Sr. M. Suzanne Coughlin, CSR passed from this earth to meet her Lord on August 13th. She was missioned in St. Josephs Manor for many years. In her later years she welcomed our provincialate visitors at the desk in our main lobby. Everyone knew that if you needed a sports update Sr. Suzanne at the desk was the one to speak to. She really knew her players on the Phillies and the Eagles teams. I'm sure she is still cheering in heaven! We love you and will miss you.

A Real Celebration For Our Community!!!

2010-08-16T07:35:00.000-07:00

Sr. Ana Dura, CSR joyfully professed her perpetual vows on Saturday July 31st, 2010. Two special visitors came all the way from Germany for this special occasion; Sr. Juliana our mother general and Sr. Lydia one of our general council sisters. Our whole community rejoiced with her on this special day in song and prayer. Many smiles were had by all who came...Of course including Sr. Ana.

RMC Farewell...

2010-07-26T12:18:00.000-07:00

If you would like to learn more about our RMC program visit our website at... http://www.sistersholyredeemer.org/.

On friday evening July 23rd a closing mass and farewell dinner was enjoyed by family and friends. Steven, Maryanne and Connie shared about their RMC volunteer experiences. We are sad to see them go and will miss them. Of course we hope they will return and pay a visit once in a while. A picture says a thousand words....

Yes! A Community Garden

2010-07-14T12:07:00.000-07:00

We now have a community garden. Anyone who would like a plot of land can grow fresh vegetables and flowers in the garden. It helps make gardening fun when you have a place to share with other gardeners your gardening techniques. The name is of course "Redeemer Valley Community Garden". Here are some pictures showing the beginning stages of our garden.

Farewell To Sr. Kathleen!

2010-06-25T15:49:00.000-07:00

No we were not all crying as we said goodbye to Sr. Kathleen. But we were sad to see her go. We will miss her as she studies and prepares in Florida to serve the Haitian people in Haiti....She will be in all our prayers. It is our hope she will be able to assist many people as they recover from the earth quake.

My Have they Grown!

2010-06-10T12:47:00.000-07:00

I mean the chickens of course. They are no longer baby chicks cute and fuzzy, able to sit on our hands. They have grown to full size chickens. Last Friday, June 4th was a special day for our chickens. It was their very first day outside. They only went outside for a couple of hours...but imagine the new view they had. Grassy hills, blue sky and trees. We were so happy! Next step will be the chicken coup.

Redeemer Day In May!

2010-05-26T12:11:00.000-07:00

Redeemer day is celebrated with a mass and a dinner always on the 5th Saturday after Easter Sunday. It is a special day for all Sisters of the Holy Redeemer because it is the day we renew our vows. This past Redeemer day we had special visitors Mother Alphonse's great, great nieces. Above you can see a picture of them, with a picture of who else but Mother Alphonse! Also on this day our associates make their commitments and recommitments to service and prayer. Isn't it a nice group picture of are associates in the chapel after mass? We are blessed in so many ways by our associates.

2010-04-19T17:56:00.000-07:00

Baby Chicks Arrive!

On April 1st, twelve two day old Baby Chicks took up residence at the Provincialate - just in time for Easter and the celebration of new life! Not only will they provide fresh eggs in the future but they are already bringing much joy to the Sisters, Employees and everyone who visits the Provincilate. The chicks will stay indoors for 3 months at which time they will be rady to move out to the coop.

Opening Of Dining Area

2010-04-01T14:07:00.000-07:00

Wednesday, March 31st at 11:45 AM was the official opening ceremony of our infirmary sisters new dining area. Of course we began our opening with a prayer service. Sr. Erika also cut the opening ceremony ribbon. This dining area was so needed. Some of the men that were involved with the construction of the area were glad to attend the opening. Everyone had a smile because there was so much to smile about!

Enjoy The Rainbow!!!

2010-03-24T12:20:00.000-07:00

Redeemer Ministry Core Hosts St. Patrick's Day Party

2010-03-24T12:14:00.000-07:00

We love to dance. Sr. Maryanne is showing us how to "Shu the Donkey". That's a dance that the Irish know how to do well and Sr. Maryanne is Irish.

Two Colleges Come To Serve

2010-03-24T11:52:00.000-07:00

As you know colleges usually have a week in the spring to rest catch up with their studies or travel somewhere. Well two groups traveled to Huntingdon Valley to stay with the sisters for a week to give service at some of our ministries. Approximately twelve students from Michigan State and Rhode Island College. They painted, cleaned and even helped in our daycare at Project Rainbow. They had fun with our elderly residents at the Lafayette and Redeemer Village. Below is a picture of students sharing about their volunteer experience during their week with the sisters and our associates. Thankyou so much for being so generous with your time.

2010-02-26T06:21:00.000-08:00

Of course with all the snow and cold we had to light a fire.

Some of our sisters in the Mardi Gra spirit.

Relaxing after eating some jumbali.

Father gets the king!

So what do you do after spending days digging out only a week away from lent? Mardi Gra! Yes you read this correctly here in our convent in Philadelphia not New Orleans we celebrate Mardi Gra. We ate jumbali and experienced the traditional Mardi Gra king cake. See who has to host the Mardi Gra celebration next year.

Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow!

2010-02-26T05:47:00.000-08:00

Another night view at Sea Isle.

Snow on the beach is such a beautiful site. God indeed is the creator!

This is our house at Sea Isle.

We even had lots of icicles.

A night view of the same convent.

This is outside our convent in Philadelphia.

Your probably wondering why I would have the title I have of this post. Well it snowed. It snowed at the shore at Sea Isle and Philadelphia. I'm sure you have heard the saying a picture tells a thousand words. Take a look at the Pictures above.

National Catholic Student Coalition

2010-01-15T12:31:00.000-08:00

National Catholic Student Coalition (NCSC) Conference
December 31, 2009 – January 3, 2010
Malvern Retreat Center
Malvern, PA

The annual conference for the National Catholic Student Coalition met this year at the Malvern Retreat Center in Malvern, PA. Approximately 90 students participated from across the nation and the world (representing the International catholic student organization!). The theme fro this year’s conference was “Be the Voice.” The conference featured Marie Dennis of PAX Christi and Mike Hayes of “Googling God” and “Busted Halo” fame. Each spoke on the gospel message of loving the least – to be the voice for those with no voice. See the website for more details. http://catholicstudent.org/conference.

I was able to attend the conference as an exhibitor for the Sisters of the Holy Redeemer. I enjoyed meeting several students and even learned to knit, but I couldn’t stay up until 4am as most students did each night! I also had the opportunity to participate in the presentations and workshops, everything from discernment to bio-diversity. I was deeply touched by a presentation given by a woman who had followed God’s movement in her heart from developing her singing ability to founding a water project in Kenya: Water is Life - Kenya. Her passion for providing education for the children of Kenya moved her to find ways to meet the need for basic resources. The lack of water and the ensuing energy given to obtaining water impacted educational opportunities. See http://kenyawaterislife.com for more details.

A Special Wedding

2010-01-11T14:18:00.001-08:00

We'd like to express a warm congratulations to Kristen and Mark. We had such a good time together on their special day. We wish them well as they journey together as husband and wife. Above is a picture of Kristen her sister Sr. Kathleen and other Sisters of the Holy Redeemer.

Baking Bread Together

2009-12-31T08:38:00.000-08:00

If you like to bake. Look us over. A group of sisters and friends banned together to bake bread. It was shared by all. As you can see in the picture we had alot of fun...

Kim Becomes A Novice

2009-12-31T08:26:00.000-08:00

On December 7th, Kim became a novice in our community. It was a joy filled evening for all of us present as she made her committment. After the prayer service we celebrated with dessert in the library. This is a picture of Sr. Annemarie our provincial to the left and Kim to the right together after our celebration.

African Sisters

2009-11-26T07:42:00.000-08:00

We are grateful that our sisters from Tanzania arrived safely home. Something new that we are beginning to do is skype. It's so nice to see our sisters in Tanzania and speak with them at the same time. We are all set up and can't wait to skype to each other.

Sister Tadea and Valeria Visit From Africa

2009-10-26T05:41:00.000-07:00

Sisters Tadea and Valeria visited our province for the month of October. They visited throughout the health system and our convents to share about their mission in Africa. This is a picture of their visit at Angelus community. Yes these pumpkins are from our pumpkin patch!

A Birthday Celebration!

2009-10-08T16:18:00.000-07:00

Sr. Erika celebrated her 85th birthday with her brother, sisters and friends. Her brother came all the way from Germany to visit with Sr. Erika. Above is a picture of the two of the them together.

Bishop Lohmueller Visit

2009-10-08T16:09:00.000-07:00

Bishop Lohmueller arrived at the provincialate to visit with our sisters. It was a joyous occasion. Everyone was glad to see him.

Jubilee!

2009-09-24T13:29:00.000-07:00

Two of our sisters attended a jubilee mass and celebration at our cathedral in Philadelphia.
Sister Kathy Rose celebrated 25 years. Sister Alphonse 50 years. Above is a picture of Sr. Kathy Rose carrying in a candle during the entrance procession. All of us that day were celebrating in spirit with them!

More About the Pumpkin Patch

2009-09-24T12:22:00.000-07:00

Conversations in the Pumpkin Patch
The Autumn season has now begun and it offers an occasion to remember the past months of summer. A very special experience this year was the planting of pumpkin seeds, tending the plants as they grew and finally picking the ripened pumpkins from the vine. . As we harvested the pumpkins I reflected on the process; the journey that led to this moment. I recalled the many individuals who generously donated time to plant, weed, and mulch the pumpkins - evenings, mornings, weekends, after rainstorms, in the summer heat. I am especially touched by the conversations as we worked side by side. Our awareness of migrant farmers was heightened as we wondered what it must be like to tend to orchards, vineyards and farms day after day in oppressive conditions and for long hours. Stories were shared of family events - children’s plays, graduations from high school, summer camps, family vacations. We talked of faith and prayer and our different religious affiliations and experiences. Gardeners at heart, we often discussed plant varieties and garden techniques. These conversations led to a deeper appreciation of one another, the building of relationships, a sense of community. Our conversations were like the seeds that grew into vines and produced fruit.

Farewell to Leah

2009-08-07T06:36:00.000-07:00

Angelus Community will miss Leah. As you can see they had fun together throughout Leah's volunteer year. On July 23rd we celebrated her year of service with a farewell mass.

A Reflective Moment

2009-07-10T15:11:00.000-07:00

This morning I began my day of ministry by bringing communion to Patients in the hospital – I find this a beautiful experience of stepping into the lives of individuals – individuals and families who are often undergoing major changes in their life because of illness, aging, and the recovery process. I just step into their lives for a moment but I am an instrument to give the gift of Jesus’ Presence that lasts forever. One woman gladly agreed to receive communion and as I held out the small host to her she pointed her finger and began to wiggle it back and forth and commanded God to take away her pain – “now listen here, you better take away this pain, I’ve been miserable . . .” Though I had to smile at her blatant request, I was deeply touched by her straightforwardness with God. “Ask and you shall receive” are the words of Jesus, and here was an individual doing just that. Her faith acknowledged the presence of God right there with her and she felt confident to make clear her needs. She is my witness to faith in Jesus’ healing presence today. Shared by Sr. Ana.

Growing, Growing and Growing...

2009-07-07T11:24:00.000-07:00

Two weeks later,with plenty of rain, the first tender shoots spring up. You can read about and view more pictures of our pumpkin patch on our pumpkins website listed on our blog.

Pumpkin Planting Day June 13, 2009

2009-07-07T11:12:00.000-07:00

"Grow where you are planted" are words that meant something to our volunteer farmers. It was a fun filled day of planting seeds and laughter.