Do YOU SEE ME?

On Thursday evening April 26 at 7:00 Gundlach Theater at Heidelberg University will present a most unusual playlet and poetry and music, all in an effort to help build caring, honest, loving relationships here in Nonviolent Tiffin.  The playlet is the story of one woman in Crossweah who became very aware of her drug reliance and finally went for treatment.  The drama department at Heidelberg took the material and made it into a drama, trying on their part to deal with the opioid crisis here in Tiffin. There will also be a fairly large display of art from both Heidelberg and Crossweah and young people across Tiffin who want to lift their voices on behalf of a nonviolent town also.  The pieces held by  representatives of Deckers show the work of a couple area students.

Please come and be a part of this event, honoring the people who both created and are performing the play.

My great hope that people will come who need a splurt of home in their lives.

much peace,                                                                                                                                            sr. Paulette

Easter: From Darkness to Light

This whole past Holy Week was an unusual experience for me personally.  If I may,   I’d like to share bits of it with you.

Wednesday is what we call Tenebrae here at St. Francis.  We have a service beginning with Light–7 candles which one by one- as different readings are shared- are snuffed out and just a bit more darkness suffuses the church space.  The readings concentrate on the horrid  sufferings of our world today.

Finally the last candle is blown out, the huge bang clangs out, and it makes everyone jump who isn’t expecting it.  This is the rending of the temple–a climatic point which officially starts the journey of the Triduum–Thursday, Friday, Saturday and then gloriously… Easter breaks forth.

Holy Thursday we washed each other’s feet in a sign of humility.  It is a moment to express service, gift of self to the other person and to the community.

On Good Friday, the Passion was read with breaks as symbols of the passion found room under and around the cross.  The whole service spoke LOVE and HOPE beyond death.

Easter services exploded with LIGHT.  Jesus the Light of the World broke boundaries, reached into the hearts of people on the margins, shored each of us up with HOPE and JOY.

Perhaps the death of my brother Den brought such added sentiment to all these journey marks of Jesus and of each of our lives…I don’t know for sure, but I’m happy and grateful.