Five months ago today, I ended six months of discernment. I had three questions, about which I spent six months (from July 2013 to January 2014) seeking answers. The three questions had to do with the Redwood City Franciscans. They were:
1) Can I be heard?
2) Can I be treated as an adult?
3) Is the province fossilized -- a closed system and dying or an open system and changing?
Five months ago today, I met with the council of the Sisters of St. Francis of Penance and Christian Charity in the St. Francis Province and said I was not continuing with the formation process to become a member of the community. I did that because I found the answers to my three questions. Afterward, I worked on my thesis for a Masters in Theological Studies from the Franciscan School of Theology in Berkeley. The title: A History of the Sisters of St. Francis of Penance and Christian Charity in the Western Province of the United States.
I am posting this for myself as a means of closure. I spent five years pursuing membership with the Redwood City Franciscans. That part of my life is over. Being a Franciscan is NOT over. More to come in future posts, including a link to the thesis. But, on the eve of Foundation Day for the congregation, May 10th, I needed to mark the anniversary. I still consider myself to be a daughter of Magdalen, but not formally. There's a certain freedom to respond to the movement of the Spirit in that decision which allows me to live a evangelica vita in a way the responds to those living in poverty who I meet on the street every day. I am doing what I am supposed to be doing, now.
