To Our Residents, Associates, Family Members and Friends,
Today, Palm Sunday, begins Holy Week. We all know that it will be much different this year. There will be no processions with palms, no services in churches, there will be no gatherings of children going on Easter egg hunts. Easter dinner with our families will be with just the people in our home.
It will be different.
Holy Week retells a story in history. We remember the journey of Jesus through these days, but this time also invites us to listen to the eternal truths these events reveal. The emotions of that first Holy Week are ones we identity with from a different place this year: confusion, fear, sadness, loss, loneliness, waiting. The eternal truths of this time tell us that yes, even Jesus experienced these heart crushing emotions, but this was not and will not be the end of the story.
The promise of this week is the realization that this Easter 2020 will be much different than anything we have ever experienced, but Easter morning will happen. Let us be mindful of the truths of nature. Morning always follows the night. Spring always follows the winter. Let us learn the lessons of our residents. Their stories of the Great Depression, war and struggle are always overshadowed by stories of their families and how they shaped the pieces of the world that they touched. The stories of our own lives share these truths. Every struggle, every heart break has been an opportunity to find where New Life is being born in us.
Good Friday always leads to Easter morning. This time of uncertainty and challenge will lead us to a new time. It won’t be the same as the time before the pandemic, but it will be filled with new life and promise. That will always be true.
Dawn Mayer
Vice President of Mission Integration and Pastoral Care
We invite all Franciscan Ministries, Communities, residents, associates, families, and friends to gather each night of Holy Week beginning on Monday, April 6 at 7:30 PM (CST) for an opportunity to Unite In Light with people across our Ministry. We will virtually gather to light a candle in the darkness of this time and pledge our gratitude to our residents for being living reminders of hope, to our dedicated staff for all that they are doing to support and care for our residents, and to connect with our family members who feel the separation and distance of this time. We invite you to flood our Facebook pages with pictures of the light you share from your home and to share words and prayers of encouragement. We will Unite In Light to pray for all in Franciscan Ministries, our nation and the world.
United in light will be shared to each of the communities Facebook pages and on the events tab on their web sites.
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