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As Franciscans, we are formed by the attitude and spirit of Saints Francis and Clare. They lived and breathed Jesus’ message of God’s love for us and they practiced Jesus’ healing touch to all God’s creatures. |
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Jeff, his wife, Mary, and their four children are Associates of the Franciscan Sisters. In former lifetimes he was a secondary social studies teacher, an accountant, a human resources manager, and, most recently, a camp director at a wilderness camp for teenagers. For some reason, during his formative years as a young Catholic, Jeff accepted the gospel message and his religious instruction seriously. He grew to believe that Jesus died and lives for all people, and that our responsibility for our sisters and brothers is rooted in justice as well as charity. Later, as he saw the bitter fruits of war and the wanton destruction of the environment, he developed a greater realization and appreciation that these are huge acts of injustice to the human family and to our Mother Earth. |
Meet Our Advisory Committee Betty Berger , OSF, a resident of Sabbath House in south Minneapolis, is a St. Paul legal aid lawyer, graduate of the College of St. Catherine, St. Louis University Law School, and St. Paul Seminary School of Divinity of the University of St. Thomas. Adela Gross , OSF, has a long involvement in peace and justice issues. A former elementary teacher, principal, missionary and pastoral worker, she headed the Peace and Justice Ministry of the Franciscan Sisters of Little Falls, Minnesota, from 1980-84, and again from 2000-2005. Presently, she serves the Saint Cloud Diocese as coordinator of Multicultural Ministry and lives in Melrose, Minn., where she ministers to the Hispanic population as pastoral associate at the Church of Saint Mary. Juliana Howard is a wife, mother, grandmother, retired teacher, composer of spiritual music for children and adults, and longtime advocate for peace and justice. She is a member of Pax Christi International as well as the local chapter in the St. Cloud area. Juliana is a Franciscan associate, and also has a strong connection to St. Benedict’s Monastery in St. Joseph, Minn. She is particularly interested in bridging differences and bringing folks together across spiritual, cultural and racial divides. On her bumper is a sticker from the city of Key West, Fla. It reads: We Are All ONE HUMAN FAMILY. Juliana hopes that her music, her writing and her life help to make this a reality. You can read more about Juliana and her work at www.wearethecircle.com Elizabeth Ohmann , OSF, was born March 9, 1933, in Greenwald, Minnesota. She has a BA in Elementary Education from the College of St. Catherine, and an MA in Christian Heritage from the Maryknoll School of Theology. She has experience in elementary and religious education in Arizona and Minnesota, foreign and Native American missionary work in Peru and Arizona, and administration with Franciscan Sisters and at Picture Rocks Retreat Center in Arizona. She is President of Sisters’ Council in Diocese of Tucson, Arizona, an educator and coordinator at BorderLinks in Arizona, a Social Justice Activist and Border Ministry with Humane Borders in Arizona, and a Women’s Advocate and Chaplain with Kairos in Arizona. MJ Park is the mother of six children, wife to Jerry, peace educator, Peace Camp director, founder and co-director (with Jerry) of Little Friends for Peace, Franciscan associate of the Franciscan Sisters of Little Falls, Minnesota, and pacifist and social justice advocate. She has a passion for peace and works to help build a peaceful world. She loves to be in nature, travel and get to know people from all parts of the world. Building relationships and community is key for MJ, along with spending much time with family and her husband, Jerry. Jesus is the center of the wheel, and trying to live out the gospels with joy, energy, simplicity, openness and peace is what she tries to be about. Tonie Rausch , OSF, has been involved in peace and justice activities since the 60’s. She developed, with associates, a peace group and natural foods co-op in Little Falls, organized a peace group in Tennessee in the 80’s, participated in a Peace Pilgrimage to Russia in 1984, and served as justice coordinator for the Franciscan Sisters of Little Falls, Minnesota, in the 70’s. Since 1986 she has spent 12 years at three sites in Tanzania, Africa, teaching English and African Literature at the secondary level. More recently, she has been engaged in teaching English to refugees in the St. Cloud, Minn., area. Currently, she is serving on the JPIC Advisory Committee. Clara Stang, OSF believes in a God of love and in the goodness of life! Therefore, she does her best to do all she can to protect and foster the integrity of life within, among and throughout all of God’s creation. Currently Clara serves as the director of Missions and is the Leadership liaison to the JPIC Advisory Committee. She has witnessed the poverty of the third world and knows that poverty usually relates to the inequality of resources and opportunities. Our beautiful earth, too, is wounded because of carelessness and extravagance. She has become keenly aware we all need to think and act more caringly and more globally. Systemically and organically we are so intimately connected. Together we commit to address the causes of woundedness among all peoples and all of creation. As Franciscans we follow Francis who was so imbued with God’s love, and goodness. He related to all as brother and as sister. There is strength in numbers so Clara is grateful that we as a Franciscan community and as an advisory committee work together to make this world a better place. Jim Vogel: Since retiring from a 35-year career in engineering some seven years ago, Jim Vogel has come to know and love the Franciscan traditions, of which Peace, Justice, and Care of Creation each play an important part. To that end, he joined Partners for Peace, became a “regular” at Jail Ministry, became a Franciscan associate, joined the Ecology Committee, and is part of the JPIC Advisory Committee. Through this recent “journey” Jim has learned much, met many wonderful people, and found life to be more meaningful and fulfilling. Jim thanks God for leading him to the Franciscan way. If anyone had told him seven years ago he would be involved in doing any or all of these things, he would have said you’ve got the wrong guy. But then as the saying goes, God works in strange ways. Alice Vogel had always been intrigued by the Franciscan sisters whom she came to know and love in Anoka, Minn. They had something that she wanted to be a part of. The opportunity came when she and Jim moved to Little Falls. Learning about Francis and Clare through the associate program gave her a glimpse of what she was looking for. Volunteering at the convent also helped open her eyes. The sisters are wonderful to work with, whether it is driving them to a dental appointment, sharing a few songs with them, stuffing envelopes, or taking them on a shopping spree. Retreats, community days, Partners for Peace, the Ecology Committee and the JPIC Advisory Committee all help bring Alice closer to God through the Franciscan charism. For her, it is the best way to follow the gospel. As a Franciscan, teacher, administrator, and missionary to Peru, the needs of the human family became more obvious and pressing. Sister Mary returned from Peru and re-educated herself to the problems facing the Church in the United States. She became a coordinator of Parish Social Ministries and then for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. In 1993 she left her job to care for her declining mother. That same year she took on the role of directing and coordinating the Associate Movement for her Franciscan Community. In September 2003, Mary retired to take up her much desired water color painting and the call of her life – working with issues relating to the critical needs in sustaining our beloved and beautiful planet. |
Click here ... for links to other groups involved in promoting the common good. |
Jeff Odendahl, Coordinator |
A passion for justice, a desire for peace and non-violence, a concern for the integrity of all creation are essential to the living out of the gospel. They are not an optional extra but a way of life. Just as Jesus is our divine role model, our patrons, Francis and Clare are human role models. Francis had a great gratitude and respect for all of life. He chose to live simply, and, through his simple lifestyle, experienced true solidarity with the poor and marginalized. Francis is noted, too, for his great desire for peace with all God’s creatures. These gospel demands and the values espoused by Francis inspire our work in justice and peace ministries. We Franciscan Sisters and Associates invite you to join us in our efforts to transform the earth. We hope that in the process, you, and all of us, as well, will also be transformed. Feel free to contact us at
Jeff Odendahl
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Franciscan Sisters of Little Falls, Minnesota
116 8th Avenue SE, Little Falls, MN 56345
(320)632-2981m info@fslf.org