“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
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.
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.
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.
Sunday Scripture Reflection for October 13, 2024
28th Sunday in Ordinary Time
“There is no one who has given up house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands
for my sake and for the sake of the gospel who will not receive a hundred times more now in this present age,” and the verse from this coming Sunday’s Gospel goes on, but it is a great mystery. I as a religious have taken a vow of poverty, and yet in the face of people living in true poverty, my “poverty” is a hard pill to swallow. I have an education, a home, excellent healthcare, access to more food than I could ever eat, and so much more that would prevent me from ever being poor. True, there are plenty of things I could not afford to buy, but would I want to? Not really. So we go on to redefine poverty in terms of things other than money: spiritual poverty, communal poverty, non-ownership — how do these fly in the hearing of those who can’t afford food and medicine? Probably not well. I don’t have the answer, but I do have lots of questions — and a need to be more realistic about this vow of poverty. Maybe it just needs a new name!
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.
Prayer
If you would like to request a prayer for yourself or a loved one, please let us know.