By Sister Karen Zielinski, OSF

We just don’t do much without music.

Whether singing hymns at daily Mass, various prayer services and meetings or just for fun, music and the Sisters of St. Francis are sacredly and intimately joined.  People love music.  The multimillion dollar music industry attests to that.  We play music to relax, calm our fears, “pump us up” at sports events, entertain, inspire or move us. 

The Sisters of St. Francis truly love music.  At sacred events, they gather to sing and play piano, organ, keyboard, clarinet, cello, bass, trumpet, horn and whatever else they need to make a beautiful liturgical sound.  After an energetic Jubilee liturgy, it is not uncommon for the Congregation to break into applause.  Spontaneous applause.

Besides being an art form, music is a means of worship.   Liturgical music is music that has been written to express either personal or a communal belief regarding life and faith. Common themes of liturgical music include praise, worship, penitence, and lamentations; and its forms vary widely across the world.  As Franciscan Sisters, we pray through hymns which remember and celebrate the life of Francis of Assisi, our Founder.  One favorite for us and our friends and sponsored ministries is the Prayer of St. Francis:  “Make Me a Channel of your Peace”.

Music at our Liturgies, celebrations, and prayer services provides spiritual enrichment for those in the congregation.   The Sisters of St. Francis make beautiful music together—they pray and play for the glory of God with their hearts and strings, brass, keyboards and voices. 

Do you know that you are welcome to join the Sisters of St. Francis for their liturgical celebrations?  Check out the schedule at Queen of Peace Chapel at the link below and join us sometime.
http://www.sistersosf.org/Portals/0/docs/liturgy/LiturgyOct.pdf