The Lenni Companion in Faith group meets about 4 times a year at Our Lady of Angels Convent in Aston.

The group of five Sisters of St. Francis and 18 lay women come together in a spirit of at homeness each time we meet. We gather to learn about the Franciscan charism which leads directly into learning about our relationship with God, each other, and all of creation. Learnings from Franciscan theologians and spiritual writers are shared and provide a treasure of knowledge about our faith and our Catholicism.

We are committed to these meetings because they provide a space of holy ground where we have an opportunity to speak and share with others who are seeking to be good people and peace makers in a world so in need of healing. We learn from each other. As the sisters share their lives and their constitutions with us, we become attuned to how much God wants us to use what he has given us for the common good. As the lay women share their lives, the sisters become more aware of the struggles and sacrifices that are made to provide for their families.

Toward the end of his life, St. Francis of Assisi said to his brothers, “I have done what was mine to do. You now must do likewise.”

The Companions in Mission Program is a perfect way of helping us to come to an answer to the question implied in Francis’ quote and reiterated to us in 2015 when Pope Francis came to Philadelphia and asked us “What will you do to serve God and God’s people?”

Lenni Companion Faith Sharing Group News

Our October 28th meeting, at which we renewed our annual commitment to be Companions in Faith, was facilitated by Marion Bennett (right) and Connie Rosenberger (left). They prepared a lovely environment, centering our hopes and dreams for the future around a tree of life which we filled with goals written on colored index cards attached to fall fabric leaves and pinned to the branches while enjoying the fragrance of a frankincense and myrrh candle.

Using the provided prayer service and reflective music, we completed our commitment forms after a discussion centered on what we received by being companions and what we hope to offer to one another and the world as the year unfolds. We honor the Franciscan charism of relationship and living the Gospel and deeply appreciate our time together. We hope to continue to live our promise and grow the Companions in Faith in the future.

As a group, we will review the welcome/initiation/formation aspects of the Companion in Mission Program with our two newest members, Carol Cannon and Jan Martin, as they proceed with their orientation.