qufranciscanpress

© ra_hurd

A church acting group at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Stillwater, Wisconsin are bringing the Franciscans history to life as they perform the play "Solanus" this month. The production was written and directed by Molly Deaney Druffner, and Dr. Don Wessel plays the part of Solanus Casey.

This play has been performed nationwide since 2000, and profiles the life of the Rev. Solanus Casey who was a Capuchin Franciscan with historical ties to Stillwater. He entered the St. Francis High School Seminary in Milwaukee to study for the diocesan priesthood at the age of 21, and for 20 years he served in the New York City neighborhoods of Harlem and Yonkers. He had a simple job during the Great Depression as a door greeter at the local church in Detroit, and he also served people with food. This gained him fame and appreciation among the people of the city, and with Pope John Paul II as well.

© otisarchives2

The Franciscan St. Francis Health's hospital at Beech Grove is set to be closed in March, 2012 but the administration of the hospital want the ownership to change so that the building doesn't stay empty.
The Franciscan St. Francis will be shifting all of its in-patient department to its South Indianapolis campus at Stop 11 and Emerson Avenue which is larger and has more modern facilities.
The staff has vowed last week that even if a new owner is not found soon the Franciscan hospital building will be maintained and made to fit into the community instead of falling into neglect. The officials are looking for a real estate agent in the coming months to find a new owner and purpose for the Franciscan hospital.
The St. Francis-Beech Grove hospital was opened in 1914 and it was the first hospital by the Franciscan religious order. More than the history associated with the building the migration of jobs due to the shift will affect the local populace. The hospital currently employs around 2000 people, many of whom may have to shift, but the officials say that the outpatient services shall continue to be at Beech Grove with around 300 employees.
The future of the building depends on the buyer who might use the existing facilities or decide to build a new one.

© Trubble

During the colonial days of the 15th century, European powers including Spain, England, France, Denmark and The Netherlands explored, laid claim to and established settlements in parts of what is now the US and its territories.

Located near Mountainair in New Mexico, the Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument is an old National Park that preserves the some of the best existing examples of Spanish Franciscans history in the US. Preserved at three separate sites in this park are the ruins of several of America's six remaining 17th century Spanish mission churches, as well as three of the largest Pueblo Indian villages. One of these is the partially excavated pueblo of Las Humanas, known today as the Gran Quivira pueblo. The park today entertains over 30,000 visitors a year, and features an interpretative trail through the missions and pueblos.