Year: 2018
Love Blooms through the Incarnation
Editor’s Note: FMS Executive Director, Liz Hughes, reflects on the joy and love that can be found in the presence of God’s unfathomable love. Upon entering my brother’s home, it’s common for my 16-month old nephew, Benjamin, to squeal with delight and then hide behind the couch, eager to engage in our favorite game of…
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Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel Shall Come to Thee!
Editor’s Note: FMS Programs Manager, Emily Norton reflects on the unexpected love that has bloomed from a friendship that emerged from an emergency response training. **Names have been changed to respect privacy** “See you Sunday! Safe travels. I love you!” I hung up the phone and reflected on how natural the words “I love you”…
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Love Blooms During Advent
Editor’s Note: DC Service Corps member, Nadia Barnett, reflects on the joy and love that stirs up in preparation for Christmas. Tis’ the season of love. Forget Valentine’s Day. Love blooms at Christmas time. Every year, I am always so excitable, filled with a simple, childlike joy that makes the countdown to Christmas one of…
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Love Blooms Through an Internship
Editor’s Note: FMS intern, and Don Bosco Cristo Rey student, Cayla Dolet reflects on her time here at FMS and the growth she has experienced. Just like a blossom in a field, love can bloom. Although, it might take some work, it isn’t impossible. And just like that blossom, love can’t just bloom on its…
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From a Mustard Seed to a Garden
Editor’s Note: Former DC Service Corps volunteer, Sam Hardwick, shares how God spoke to his heart and inspired growth through the invitation to live a life of faith. This is the irrational season When I was going into my senior year at Providence College, God planted a seed in my heart. This seed came in…
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Love Blooms In Vulnerability
Editor’s Note: Return Missioner, Amanda Ceraldi, shares how love has bloomed in vulnerable conversations with students at Catholic University of America. The box of tissues on my desk is almost empty. My office couch has been occupied by countless students. If the walls of my office could talk, they would tell you stories of heartbreak,…
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Love Blooms in a Morning Reflection
Editor’s note: Former DC Service Corps volunteer, Kathleen Strycula, shares a poem inspired by the gift of a new day. It is a slow awakening with the dawn. I think of Mary on her bed, Fabric gathered around her in folds and wrinkles, Face gently turned towards her golden visitor. I wonder. Was he unexpected,…
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Love Blooms… Out in the Woods
Editor’s Note: Friend of FMS, and Assistant Campus Minister for Immersion Programs and Community Service at CUA, Harrison Hanvey reflects on how God’s love radiates beyond institutional establishments, and is present and alive in the beauty of creation. A little over a month ago, a couple friends and I decided to take a bike trip.…
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Love Around A Table
Editor’s Note: DC Service Corps member, Nayeli Garcia reflects on how the simple act of sitting down at the dinner table has shaped her family’s relationships. This Advent season is a time for us to celebrate the coming of Jesus, but it is also a time to celebrate, with family, all of the good we’ve…
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Love Blooms Through Patience
Editor’s Note: Current Missioner in Bolivia, Maggie Van Roekel recalls a moment where beauty shone through the side of relationship that requires patience. The three of us walked back to the house in silence. There had been an argument on the soccer field. Unkind words and raised voices had been thrown. Heads down, we quietly…
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Love Blooms in Times of Transition
Editor’s Note: Hannah Hagarty, Missioner who recently finished Formation and will soon be going to Jamaica to serve for two years, reflects on her identity as she faces transition. Advent is a time of waiting. Not too long ago, I packed up my things, gave long hugs with tearful goodbyes to my housemates, and left the…
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Love Blooms in Traffic
Editor’s Note: Current Missioner in Bolivia, SarahJane Cauzillo recalls a moment when she allowed herself to be present to the workings of God, instead of sitting in frustration. I was late. Like, really late. I was over an hour outside of the city and yet here I was, slammed into a crowded trufi (taxi bus),…
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Love Blooms in the Mystery of Life
Editor’s Note: Sabrina Portner, Missioner who recently finished Formation and will soon be going to Bolivia to serve for two years, reflects on the love that has bloomed from her Grandmother’s life and death. I have been greatly blessed by my time of Formation with FMS. I say this even though during the three short…
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Love Blooms: Growing in Love
Editor’s Note: Current Missioner, Erin McHugh shares a beautiful encounter in which God allowed her to grow in love with the kids at Valley of the Angels in Guatemala. When I first arrived at Valley almost 2 years ago, I was so overwhelmed by the 215 kids. I didn’t know how I could give the…
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Love Blooms… At the Casa
Editor’s Note: Former FMS Associate and Current House Manager, Amanda Saunders reflects on the lessons that have come from living in intentional community at Casa San Salvador. I have been a member of the FMS family for three years. First, as a DC Service Corps volunteer, and then as the Casa San Salvador House Manager.…
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Love Blooms… In the Words of a Familiar Tune
Editor’s Note: DC Service Corps member, Amy Brandt reflects on how love has bloomed for her through an Elton John song. Love blooms… In the words of a familiar tune: It’s a little bit funny, this feeling inside. It is physically impossible for me to keep from singing the next line of “Your Song”: I’m…
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Mary’s Choice
Editor’s Note: DC Service Corps member, Kevin Ruano, reflects on Mary’s ability to abandon reason and trust in the love of the Creator. This is the irrational season when love blooms bright and wild. Had Mary been filled with reason there’d have been no room for the child. —Madeleine L’Engle, “After the Annunciation” Contemplating L’Engle’s…
Read MoreCommissioning 2018: Grounded in a Call, Grounded in Community
After an intensive three-month period of formation with Franciscan Mission Service (FMS), Becky Kreidler, Hannah Hagarty, and Sabrina Portner were commissioned as lay missioners who will accompany members of economically poor communities abroad. The November day of the ceremony included a Mass, presided over by Br. Ignatius (Iggy) Harding, OFM, at the Franciscan Monastery of…
Read MoreLifelong Missioner Highlight: Nora Pfeiffer
One of the beautiful aspects of the Overseas Lay Mission Program is that when our lay missioners are commissioned each November they are committing to lifelong mission. Our missioners serve for 2-6 years with FMS, but their commitment to live out their call to mission goes well beyond their time with FMS, and how each…
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Love Blooms- Persevering Through Personal Growth
Editor’s Note: Missioner, Misty Menis-Kyler, who has served in Guatemala and will be returning home in January, reflects on the importance of self-compassion and persistent personal growth. Love doesn’t have to come from a significant other, a mother, a father, a sister, or brother Love comes from all around and it comes from within. Once…
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Beginner Level Transformation… In the Soup Kitchen
Editor’s Note: Current Missioner, Tim Shelgren describes the transformation and change of perspective he experienced through serving at a soup kitchen in Kingston, Jamaica. Every week, I spend a few hours serving at the Missionaries of the Poor (MOP) soup kitchen in downtown Kingston called Jesus the Redeemer. Recently, a group of volunteers from the…
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Love Blooms Through a Stranger
Editor’s Note: In preparation for her mission in Guatemala, Missioner Becky Kreidler reflects on the generosity of a stranger she encountered while serving at the Father McKenna Center. Each week during Formation, I served at the Father McKenna Center, a social service agency supporting men struggling with homelessness and families dealing with food insecurity. One…
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Love Blooms after Death
Editor’s Note: Secular Franciscan, Denise Clare, participated in a short-term mission awareness trip to Cochabamba, Bolivia with FMS. Denise reflects on how love has bloomed through the passing of Mother. There were no flowers in bloom on that bitterly cold gray morning, the last day of November and the First Sunday of Advent. I did…
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Love Blooms in Unexpected Places
Editor’s Note: Associate Director, Meghan Meros reflects on how love bloomed in an a very unexpected situation through the kindness of a stranger. Search my phone contacts and you will find an eclectic group of people. Occasionally, I tell myself that it’s time to purge my contacts (why do I still need the number of…
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Seeing Ourselves Today
Editor’s Note: DC Service Corps member, Nadia Barnett reflects on a moment she encountered during a nature meditation and how taking time to notice beauty in everyday life allowed her to more clearly see herself. On October 30th, I participated in a meditative walk with my fellow FMS missioners in a joint formation session. During…
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My Time at the Father McKenna Center
Editor’s Note: DC Service Corps volunteer, Nayeli Garcia describes some of the experiences and lessons she has encountered through serving at the Father McKenna Center. It has been a few months since I’ve moved down to DC and started my time at the Father McKenna Center. With the amount of time that I have been…
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Embracing Humility
Editor’s Note: Maggie Van Roekel, current missioner in Bolivia, reflects on a moment that invited her to embrace humility and cast aside shame. “¿Quién necesita carpicola?” What I thought I had asked was, “Who needs toothpaste?” I stood in the kitchen with several kids who were about to brush their teeth before going to class.…
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The Weight of Surrender
Editor’s Note: Current DC Service Corps volunteer, Amy Brandt reflects on the transition and surrender that accompanied her move from Washington State to DC for a year of service. Moving almost 3000 miles from home, I am often confronted with the unfamiliarity and newness of my surroundings here in Washington, DC. I find myself searching…
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The Power of Intentional Listening
Editor’s Note: Current missioner in formation, Hannah Hagarty reflects on a life-changing conversation she had while serving at Christ House in Washington, DC and the beauty that can unfold when we truly listen to our neighbors. As a missioner in training, we are given the opportunity to go out into the community and practice what…
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Welcoming Our Neighbors
Editor’s Note: Current missioner in Formation, Sabrina Portner reflects on an interaction she had with a neighbor that allowed her to listen closely to God’s call to mission. During our second week of formation, Becky and I were working on some homework in the living room when we heard a knock at the door. As…
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Finding Comfort in Our Limitations
Editor’s Note: Current Missioner, Anna Klonowski reflects on her own limitations that guide her response when faced with the suffering of others. “Me duele el alma.” “My soul hurts,” Desi told me as we were sitting on a bench together during a beautiful morning in September. Despite the fact that she doesn’t sleep well, has…
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A Blessed Ending
Editor’s Note: Missioner Cindy Mizes reflects on the beauty of life as she led an art project for the patients at Consie Walters Cancer Care hospice in Kingston, Jamaica. On one of my recent visits to Consie Walters Cancer Care hospice, I gathered the patients in a circle on the veranda to begin the day’s…
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Letting Go in Love
Editor’s Note: With the end of a school year, missioner Erin McHugh reflects on the relationships she built at Valley and the surrender required as she says goodbye to the kids. This time of the year is the always emotional for everyone at Valley, as the school year comes to an end. For the graduating…
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My Time at FMS
Editor’s Note: Derek Slaton reflects on his time with DC Service Corps as he has recently discerned out of the program in order to pursue a different path. My time at FMS has been short but filled with many ups and downs. The downside, being far from home and far from all the people I…
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Adios?
Editor’s Note: Current missioner, Misty Menis-Kyler invites us into the process of hearing God’s voice through times of transition. Saying goodbye is never an easy thing to do, especially when it’s not something we choose. We shove our hands deep in our pockets and look down at our shoes. We shift our weight back and…
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Surrendering to the “I Am” in the Womb of the Jungle
Editor’s Note: Current missioner, Tim Shelgren reflects on his experience at Mt. Tabor’s Beatitudes, a home for children who were born with different abilities. Since coming to Jamaica last February as an FMS missioner, I have spent most of my time serving primary school boys in the city of Kingston. Though I have learned to both tolerate and…
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Food Matters
Editor’s Note: Current missioner in formation, Sabrina Portner shares a poem she wrote that centers around her appreciation for food. The poem is paired with a photo survey depicting some of the meals that inspired her writing. What matters to you and why? Food. Food matters to me. Why? It nourishes us It satisfies us…
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The Intersection of Business and Faith
Editor’s Note: Current missioner in formation Becky Kreidler, interviews DC Service Corps member Derek Slaton about his passion for business how his goals are motivated by faith. Meet Derek Slaton: Texas native, FMS Development Associate, and one of my community mates! I recently had the opportunity to talk with Derek about what matters to him…
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A Love for Athletics
Editor’s Note: Current missioner in formation Hannah Hagarty shares with us how her experience with athletics has shaped who she is today. Athletics was an important part of my life growing up. My great grandfather was a professional boxer. His son, my grandpa, played both basketball and tennis in college. Like their dad, my mom…
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Quiet Soul Finds Her Voice with God
Editor’s Note: Programs Associate Kevin Ruano describes a conversation he had with DC Service Corp member Nayeli Garcia about her openness with others and her quiet confidence. She sat comfortably on the couch in our community living room. Her voice and laugh may be soft, perhaps would have been drowned by others if we were…
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Meaningful Encounters
Editor’s Note: Development Associate, Derek Slaton, shares a conversation he had with current missioner in formation, Becky Kreidler, regarding her love for intentional encounters with those in her life. By talking to Becky I was able to develop a deeper understanding of what motivates her and what matters most to her. In this blog I…
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A Love of Hiking
Editors Note: DC Service Corps member Nadia Barnett shares an interview with Amy Brandt about her love for hiking. Earlier this week I spoke with my new housemate and fellow DC Service Corps member, Amy Brandt, about what matters to her and why. Over the course of our conversation, I learned more about the journey…
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A Passion for Mental Health Care
Editor’s Note: DC Service Corps member Amy Brandt invites us into a conversation she had with Nadia Barnett about her passion for mental health care. Meet Nadia, a member of DC Service Corps class 2018-19. Nadia holds a degree in journalism and criminal justice from University of Maryland College Park and now volunteers in the…
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Developing a Relationship with My Body and the Land
Editors Note: Current DC Service Corps member Nayeli Garcia reflects on a conversation she had with her fellow community member, Kevin Ruano. The question “what matters to you and why?” gave Nayeli insight into Kevin’s deep connection with the environment. As our journey begins at the Casa San Salvador, we, as a community, are settling…
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Living in Solidarity With The Poor: Who? How? What? Why?
Editors Note: Missioner Tim Shelgren articulates the lessons learned from living simply with people experiencing poverty in Kingston, Jamaica. Solidarity Almost five years ago now I bought a camper and moved to Prescott, Arizona. Living there in the camper for three years, I met other people who also lived in campers, tents, and even old…
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Walk Good
Editors Note: Missioner Cindy Mizes shares beautiful memories created alongside Mr. M, a gentleman at Consie Walters Cancer Care Hospice in Kingston, Jamaica. Consie Walters Cancer Care Hospice is a place where impoverished men and women with terminal cancer are lovingly cared for. This summer, I had the privilege of ministering there. On my first…
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A Journey of Love
Editor’s Note: Missioner Erin McHugh reflects on her mission in Guatemala at Valley of the Angels school and the relationships she has built within the community. I have recently been reflecting on my original call to mission, and specifically my call back into mission after my first experience in Jamaica. When I discerned to be…
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Braids of Love
Editor’s note: Missioner SarahJane Cauzillo reflects on the importance of receiving within the act of serving through an experience she had at Nuestra Casa, one of her ministry sites in Cochabamba, Bolivia. I am only human, and so last week I went to Nuestra Casa a little worn-down. It was Friday afternoon, and I was…
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How I’ve Grown with Franciscan Mission Service
Editor’s note: Don Bosco Cristo Rey High School student Laura Almonte works with the FMS staff every Wednesday as part of the school’s Corporate Work Study Program. FMS has a mutual partnership with DBCR as they host a DC Service Corps volunteer year-round. In this blog, Laura shares some of her experiences working in the…
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“Loosening the Choke on the Development of Young Children”
Editor’s note: Missioner Tim Shelgren shares some of the progress he has seen in his 3rd grade classroom in Kingston, Jamaica, and reflects on the source of overactive behavior in the young boys. Since I arrived in Kingston, Jamaica four months ago, I have been serving as an assistant in a unique 3rd grade classroom…
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