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 September 15, 2024
Twenty-Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

If you look at God’s incarnation as human as a work of reconciliation of God with humans for the sake of the whole earth, then Sunday’s readings show that that was not an easy feat. Reconciliation is long and broad and tall and deep. I in my chosen lifestyle benefit today from all the injustice that came before me, so when we talk about reparations and the losses to today’s privileged people for something that happened two centuries ago, and how unfair it is — well, it’s been unfair for the victims/survivors for two centuries. Where can justice be found? These will not be easy questions, but if we don’t start working on them very seriously, there may not be humans on earth for much longer. Reconciliation with other peoples, reconciliation with other species, reconciliation with the earth itself — these are all aspects of what confronts us today as we have not yet achieved Peace on Earth. There are signs around us that progress is being made, but there are also plenty of signs that not much progress is being made. Let us all pray and work for reconciliation!

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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