Franciscan Sisters of Joy

The Franciscan Sisters of Joy

The Franciscan Sisters of Joy is an active Poor Clare community whose Form of Life is this: to be converted to the Gospel of Jesus Christ by living without property, in chastity, and in obedience. “Let the sisters not appropriate anything, neither a house nor a place nor anything at all; instead, as pilgrims and strangers in this world who serve the Lord in poverty and humility” (Rule of St. Clare).

Community Life

Our way of life is characterized by our love for the poor Christ. We do not acquire personal or communal property, hold common funds, or claim the privilege of tax exemption. We work to provide for our needs and give what we do not need directly to the poor.

Our chastity is marked by generativity toward those who wish to join our way of life, toward sisters who are sick and/or infirmed, and toward the poor.

The sisters vow to live obediently meaning that they surrender their lives to the movement of the Holy Spirit by living a lifestyle of continual conversion and discernment within community.

We welcome women of every age, race and economic condition to discern with us the call to live a contemporary Franciscan lifestyle.


Sister Joan Mueller, O.S.C., Ph.D.	Sister Victoria Marie, O.S.C., Ph.D.	Sister Margaret Moore, O.S.C.

Sister Christine Stevenson, O.S.C.		Does your picture belong here?

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Integration

To live the life of a Franciscan Sister of Joy it is necessary to be well grounded in Christian theology and spirituality, Franciscan spirituality, the history of religious life, and the practice of discernment. Franciscan Sisters of Joy constantly challenge themselves to grow in these areas.

Integration into the community is arranged individually with each woman and tailored to her background, location, and needs. Initiative for her integration process is primarily the responsibility of the woman in integration with the sisters serving as resources and mentors.

The integration process consists of three phases, candidacy, novitiate and vow preparation. Each stage lasts at least one year but not more than two. During the three to six year integration process, the women who are seeking entrance to the community life the same lifestyle as the sisters. The community focus in welcoming new members follows the counsel of St. Francis: “If anyone desiring by divine inspiration to accept this life should come to our sisters, let her be received by them with kindness.”

The first phase, candidacy, begins during community days after the community has discerned that the inquirer is to be welcomed. During candidacy, the community discerns the comfort that the candidate and sisters have with each other, the candidate's fidelity to study and integration meetings, her willingness to participate wholeheartedly in retreat, prayer and community activities, and her growing love for the Poor Christ. The second phase begins when the candidate and the community discern that the candidate is ready to enter the novitiate stage. During the following community days, if the candidate is ready, the community will celebrate her official entrance into the novitiate. While the sister is a novice, the community discerns the same elements as for candidacy. If the novice and the community agree that she is ready, the novice may formally petition the community to enter the vow preparation stage.

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Community Life

Community life with the Franciscan Sisters of Joy is fostered by a common profession of vows, hospitable welcoming of those interested in our life, generous mentoring of new members, ongoing support of each other on our journeys of conversion, annual community days, monthly contacts between sisters, active reaching out to sick and infirm sisters, the fostering of a spirit of joy and reconciliation among the sisters, and generous service to the community.

Although the sisters usually engage in some type of active work or ministry, their lifestyle is essentially contemplative. Daily prayer is central to their lives. The sisters faithfully pursue with all their hearts the path of prayer by which God is leading them. They spend at least one hour a day with God in personal prayer, daily pray together our community prayer, review their lives daily, practice living in God’s presence, engage in spiritual reading and study, make retreats and pilgrimages, and participate in the liturgical life of their churches.

Prayer Road

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Community Ministries

Franciscan Sisters of Joy work as teachers, social service advocates for refugees and immigrants, community development workers and as street ministers reaching out to those suffering from addictions. Contributions can be made to these ministries founded by our sisters:

Project Welcome: Refugee Ministry
2708 S. 24th St.
Omaha, NE 68108
(402) 280-5816

Catholic Worker Home (Passaic Park, NJ)
829 Littleton Road
Parsippany, NJ 07054

Vancouver Catholic Workers'
Samaritan House
1143 East Pender Street
Vancouver, BC V6A 1W6
Canada

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Community Prayer

Community Prayer of the Franciscan Sisters of Joy

God, may we love you with all our heart, with all our soul, with all our mind and with all our strength, with fortitude and with all our understanding, with all our possibilities and opportunities, with our every effort, every affection, every emotion, every desire, and our every hope. You, God, have given and continue to give to each of us our body, our soul, and our life.

We ask you, through Jesus Christ, to forgive all those who have hurt us, and to give us the power and the will to speak kindly of them and, if possible, to do good to them. We beg you, through the Spirit of this forgiveness, to bring us an abundance of consolation this day, to protect us from all evil, and to gift our community with joy, peace, and new members who will generously persevere in our Form of Life. We praise and thank you for the joy and the privilege of being a Franciscan Sister of Joy, and we ask you to bless each of our sisters with every good this day.

In all things help us to observe, as Clare and Francis did, the poverty and humility of the Holy Gospel that we have firmly promised. Amen! Alleluia!