Sisters of the Holy Family | Advocating for the underserved in our community

“Their sturdy backs bent down, by labor and fatigue, their eyes intent upon the earth, sift through stubble discarded by the reapers.”

—Sister Michaela O’Connor

 

 

Above: The Gleaners, by Jean-François Millet (1857), depicting three peasant women gleaning a field of stray stalks of wheat after the harvest.
(funeral to be held September 2024)

Our Mission:
To seek out and advocate for the poor and needy, especially families, for the Kingdom of God since 1872

 

Celebrating Our Legacy
Past

As Gleaners, we stood at the edge of society where Christ was encountered in word, silence, and action as the power of His Kingdom pushed out the boundaries of our world. We have been recognized by our simplicity of life and visible presence among the most abandoned.

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Celebrating Our Legacy
Present

Our mission as Gleaners is to serve segments of the population who are underserved by Church and social institutions. As we celebrate this time in our history, our ministries will focus on children, homelessness, food insecurity, immigrants, refugees, and healthcare.

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Celebrating Our Legacy
Future

Reflecting the heart of our mission our legacy will live on into the future for others through the Gardens at Palmdale, our Opportunity Fund with Abode Services, our Archives Collection, and Early Childhood Education Scholarships.

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Sunday Scripture Reflection for March 29, 2025
Fourth Sunday of Lent

This Sunday’s gospel, the story of the Prodigal Son, or the Prodigal Father as some call it, features an interesting turnabout. We have the story of a rich kid who insults his father by asking for his inheritance while the father is still alive, and then squanders the whole fortune, and begins to think enviously of the poor: “How many of my father’s hired workers have more than enough food to eat, but here am I, dying from hunger?” And so he returns to his home asking to be treated as a hired hand, not as a privileged rich kid. The father, of course, welcomes him back as his long-lost son, but what if? What if the father had brought him on as a hired hand? What might have changed? Re-imagine the story with the son as a hired hand. Do you think social values might have changed? How?

Join Us

There are a number of ways you can join our Family of Friends, including donations, prayer requests, connecting with a Sister, and joining our mailing list.

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Prayer

If you would like to request a prayer for yourself or a loved one, please let us know.

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News

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