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.

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


Every hand that we don’t shake must become a phone call that we place.
Every embrace that we avoid must become a verbal expression of warmth and concern.
Every inch and every foot that we physically place between ourselves and another becomes
a thought as to how we might be of help to that other, should the need arise.

— Rabbi Yosef Kanefsky of Los Angeles

Foundations
from the past

As Gleaners, we stand at the edge of society where Christ is encountered in Word, Silence, and Action where power of His Kingdom pushes out the boundaries of our world. We will be recognized by our simplicity of life and visible presence among the most abandoned.

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Ministries
of today

Our mission as Gleaners will be to serve segments of the population who are underserved by Church and social institutions, including children, the homeless, the hungry, immigrants and refugees, those needing healthcare, and others.

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Legacy
for the future

Reflecting the heart of their mission the Sisters of the Holy Family’s legacy lives on into the future for others: Gardens at Palmdale, Opportunity Fund, Archives Collection and Early Childhood Education Scholarships.

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Scripture Reflection for Sunday, April 5, 2020
Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion

This Sunday has come to be called “Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion.” In the space of a few minutes, we go from hailing Jesus as one who comes in the name of the Lord to crucifying him mockingly as King of the Jews. As so often happens with God, what seems like the end turns out to be a new beginning. That’s what the Paschal Mystery is all about. It doesn’t mean it won’t hurt, maybe very badly, but through the hurt is a new beginning. As we approach Palm Sunday and Holy Week, we also approach the crisis point of the corona virus — either the cases will peak in the next few weeks or they won’t. If they do, we may get another chance to regroup before a new onslaught in the fall. If they do not, then we need to regroup while still in motion. Either way, we are probably never going to “go back” to the way it was. Let’s hope that we can come to new life, borne of the lessons we’ve learned from our sorrow.

Sister Carol J. Crater, SHF

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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