Pope Francis: No Words Needed

What were you doing when the white smoke began to rise from the Sistine Chapel last Wednesday?

: Left to right, Ellen Russell, SSJ, Joanne Connolly, SSL, Regina McLaughlan, SSJ, M. Thecla Paolini, FSP – photo by Rose Pacatte, FSP

On that morning of Wednesday March 13, I was in our book center here in Culver City chatting with Sister Joanne Connolly, SSL, who had come in to do some shopping. At about 10:45am our Sister Marie James called from the convent upstairs and said, “White smoke!” We do not have a television in our book center so very quickly I invited Joanne and two Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondolet, Regina McLaughlan and Ellen Russell, to join our Sr. M. Thecla Paolini and I in our living room to await the announcement. We spent a lovely hour together chatting and speculating. Then the moment came. CNN garbled the sound so we had to wait a bit to learn that Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Buenos Aries had been elected and chosen the name “Francis”. Together we prayed the Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory Be aloud with people everywhere and bowed our heads in silent prayer for the Holy Father, too.

Then we stopped a moment and considered our little community shown here, made up of sisters from three congregations with differing apostolates and stories, and approximately 270 years of consecrated life between us, and realized that this is a new day, and we are filled with joy.

In no particular order here are more photos from this week that inspired me, made me smile, and continue to increase my joy.