By Sister Michelle Balek, OSF for The WitnessWhen you hear the word “environment” what image comes to mind? Snow-capped mountains? A pristine lake? Perhaps a cool, green forest? A vast corn field or an open meadow full of colorful flowers?…
By Sister Shell Balek, OSF “One hundred and fifty years ago, 85% of Iowa’s land was prairie,” explained Dr. Brian Hazlett, Director of the Center for Prairie Studies at Briar Cliff University, as he illustrated this fact with a map…
Sister Mary Hauber, OSF, was named a 2015 Franciscan Banquet Honoree at the annual Franciscan Federation Conference held June 19-22 in Indianapolis. Honorees are Franciscan brothers and sisters within the Church who: Embody Francis’ and Clare’s witness to creative fidelity.…
The Dubuque Franciscan Sisters honored their Gold, Diamond, and Double Diamond Jubilarians, at celebrations on June 20-21 at Mount St. Francis Center in Dubuque. Seven sisters celebrated Golden Jubilees (50 years) at a Eucharistic liturgy on Saturday, June 20, at…
Sister Michelle Balek, OSF, received a 2015 Governor’s Volunteer Award from Governor Terry E. Branstad during a special recognition ceremony held Thursday, June 11 in Cedar Falls, Iowa. Sister Michelle was honored with an Individual Volunteer Award by the Iowa…
The Sisters of St. Francis are offering a "Care of Creation Morning" at 10 a.m. on Saturday, June 27. The morning will feature a presentation by Dr. Brian Hazlett on the role of the prairie in our eco-system. This will…
By Sr. Shell Balek, OSF "Lovely." "Touching." "Wonderful ritual!" "Meaningful" These were some of the comments heard from attendees in the final event of the 150th Anniversary of our founding: the dedication of a Peace Pole in Dubuque's Washington Park…
Sister Rose Mary Carney, OSF, 83, died on Thursday, May 7, 2015. Patrick Carney left the home farm in Fillmore, Iowa, to work first at the Rock Island Arsenal and then the Ford Motor Company in Detroit for $5 a…
Catholic Sisters for a Healthy Earth are releasing a prayer service to be used in connection with the well-received “Earth as Our Home” reflection booklet, which was made available in 2014. The prayer service was created to meet the needs…
The Sisters of St. Francis' Sister Water Committee believes it’s important to educate the community on the importance of safe water and how serious the world’s water crisis is. To that end, they are pleased to announce their Sister Water…
