Through the Mass and Prayer of the Church, St. Francis with his brothers worshiped the Father, holding the Word of God close to his heart and trusting God in the works of His creation. We offer God the greatest praise, and meet Him in His Word and in the Blessed Sacrament. We also experience God’s presence when together we read His Word and share our beliefs in various ways. Life in God’s Word and Sacrament gives us strength in apostolic service. Christ’s love encourages us to serve Him in others.
St. Francis always asked the forgiveness of others, and enfolded all people in the love of God. Father ChristophBernsmeyer,a member of the Franciscan Order, knew the needs of the times. Following the guidance of the Holy Spirit, Father witnessedto Christ’s healing love by ministering to the sick and those in need. We also, as followers of St. Francis and Father Christoph Bernsmeyer､are open to the needs of our time, in simplicity aim to continue joyfully in the Lord’s service. In every place of our life we wish to witness God’s presence in this world, and to bring Christ’s healing presence to this world.
We welcome people who would like to join us in following St. Francis and Father Christoph Bernsmeyer.
We introduce the lives of our Sisters in this video. If you are interested and have time, please take a look.
The Mission Statement
The Mission Statement of the Hospital Sisters of
the Third Order Regular of St. Francis
- We are members of an international, multi-cultural congregation of Franciscan Sisters.
- We are committed to live the Gospel in the spirit of St. Francis of Assisi, our founder Father Christopher Bernsmeyer, OFM, our founding sisters and all those who followed them.
- We are committed to live a simple lifestyle in community.
- We find challenge in the values of the Third Order Regular Rule: conversion, contemplation, poverty, and humility.
- We are dedicated to a common mission that brings Christ’s healing presence to humanity and supports creative ways of responding to the sick, poor and needy.
- We witness our Franciscan spirituality by reverencing all creation, living and promoting peace and justice, and respecting the dignity of all people.
Our Day
Religious life embraced together times of prayer, study, work, and quiet reflection with God. Below is the daily schedule for “candidate” and “the Sisters”
A Day in the Life of a Student Applicant
Monday - Friday schedule
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05：40
Morning Prayer
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06：00
Mass
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07：00
Breakfast
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07：00
～ 12：30Japanese language School
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13：00
～ 16：00Break & Self-study
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16：00
Dinner preparation
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17：00
Evening Prayer
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18：00
Dinner
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19：00
Recreation, Self-study, Prayer before bed (individual prayer)
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22：00
Bedtime
- Twice a month, there is a catechism lecture by a priest from Vietnam.
- Once a month (3rd Sunday), we have a Vietnamese-language Mass.
- Once a year, we participate in a Retreat in Vietnamese.
We also participate in torchlight processions to pray for peace, and various events in the parish on Sundays (Youth Mass, Unzen Martyrdom Memorial, Lourdes Festival, etc.).
A Day in the Life of a Sister
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Morning
Personal meditation before Morning Prayer
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06：10
Morning Prayer
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06：30
Mass
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07：00
Breakfast
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08：00
～ 12：00Apostolic Mission (Service Activities)
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11：20
～ 12：30Noonday Prayer (personal), Lunch
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13：00 ～ 17：00
Apostolic Mission (Service Activities)
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17：20
～ 18：30Dinner
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18：40
Evening Prayer
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Evening
Relaxation time, personal prayer
- After breakfast, some sisters go to school for necessary qualifications and studies.
Tau
The Sign of Our Bond and Franciscan Spirituality: The Tau (T)
The tau is a letter of the Hebrew and Greek alphabet, and in spiritual terms represents the end or the fulfillment of the revealed word. It is a sign of life and salvation. In the Old Testament, the prophet marks those with a tau who have chosen to reject a sinful lifestyle (Ezekiel 9:4). And in Revelation, those who received the sign of salvation on their foreheads professed themselves belonging to Jesus (Rev. 7:2-3). Francis was very fond of this sign. He blessed people with it and used it when signing letters. This sign is characteristic of the Franciscans who go to the whole world with their message of peace and freedom.
A sermon by Pope Innocent III in 1215 inspired St. Francis to use the tau as a sign of his mission to preach penance and as an outward symbol of the religious order he founded. He blessed people with it; he signed his letters with it; marked the walls of his cell. Therefore, the tau has become the symbol of the Franciscan movement.
Brother Leo treasured the letter given to him by St. Francis until his death in 1271. The blessing given by St. Francis to brother Leo is quoted from Numbers 6:24-26 and is written in Latin. The blessing recorded in this passage in Numbers is a blessing for Israel that God commanded Moses to say to Aaron and his sons.
“May the Lord bless you and keep you; May the Lord show his face to you and have compassion on you; May the Lord turn his face to you and give you peace.”
(Using these words of blessing to brother Leo, Fr. Shinichiro Tanizaki (Ordo Fratrum Minorum Conventualium) composed a song on July 27, 2007 for the Japanese Province of Hospital Sisters of St. Francis.)
Bell Tower
The bell tower was donated by the Generalate in Germany, and the blessing ceremony was held on December 19, 1982. At that time on the morning of the blessing ceremony, the sisters were considerate of the neighborhood.and distributed newspaper leaflet explaining about the Angelus bell. One of the Sisters who knew the bells at that time said: "A subsequent investigation into the noise problem revealed that the bells were not being used in the neighborhood.
One of our sisters who knew the bells at the time said, "I was very happy to see from the subsequent noise survey that people found the sound of the bells to be" pleasant.
" Do you know Millet's painting of the Evening Bell? This painting depicts a scene of peasants chanting the Angelus prayer, taking a break from their farm work to listen to the sound of the gold of the Angelus. Since around the 13th century, Christians in Western Europe have been reciting the Angelus prayer in praise of St. Mary three times a day, morning, noon, and evening, to the sound of church bells; since the end of the 16th century, these three prayers to St. Mary have been preceded by a small phrase announcing the Nativity of Christ.This custom of prayer originated mainly in monasteries and was chanted in Latin.The first words of the prayer are “angelus domini nuntiavit...” (angel of God...), which is also the origin of the phrase used to refer to church bells as angelus bells.
The angel Gabriel said, “You will conceive the Son of God.” The Virgin Mary accepts the message, saying, "May it be done to me as you have said.At this time, the Word of God was conceived in Mary, and she was born into the world as a human being. The “Prayer of the Annunciation” is a prayer with Mary that recalls this mystery of salvation, offering praise and gratitude to God.
The three bells have three tones: high, medium, and low, representing St. Mary, St. Francis, and the 26 saints of Japan, respectively.
The Angelus bells ring daily at 7:00 a.m., noon, and 7:00 p.m. On Sundays and (church) feast days, the three bells echo through Nibuno, especially when they are chanted in harmony.
Angelus
The Angelus means to the "Prayer of the Annunciation. In the Church, it is customary to say this prayer every morning, noon, and evening throughout the year after Pentecost. We pray the sound of bells at that time.
When the angel Gabriel told the Virgin Mary, “You will conceive the Son of God,” she quietly accepted his words, saying, "May it be done to me as you have said.
At this time it is believed that the Word of God was conceived in Mary and she was born into the world as a human being.
The “Prayer of the Annunciation” is cherished as a time to pray with Mary, remembering this mystery of salvation and offering praise and gratitude to God.
This scene is known as the “Annunciation” and has been the subject of many paintings by artists such as Fra Angelico and El Greco. We hope you will think of one of the scene in such a painting ; the angel Gabriel speaking to Mary with white lilies in his hands, and the Virgin Mary with deep faith in the midst of her surprise.
Stories of the Sisters in Photos
Sharing the journey of Sisters who live in response to God’s call.
The Sisters of the Franciscan Hospital Sisters of St. Francis (Photo)
It is also introduced in the video, so please take a look at religious life.
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Prologue
(Duration：0:33)
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Part01
Sister working at Himeji St. Mary's Hospital
(Duration：2:51)
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Part02
The Way of St. Francis and Sister
(Duration：1:23)
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Part03
Telchte, the founding place
(Duration：1:02)
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Part04
As an international religious congregation: ①
Sisters in Germany & Poland(Duration：1:38)
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Part05
As an international religious congregation: ②
Sisters in India(Duration：1:24)
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Part06
The Sisters Working at Maria Villa
(Duration：1:25)
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Part7
The first vows
(Duration：0:57)
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Epilogue
Following in the Footsteps of St. Francis
(Duration：1:59)
For Those Whose Hearts Are Moved
on This Journey
If you have a
“I want to use myself for someone else”
“I want to live a life of prayer and service”
if such a quiet desire is growing in your heart--
it may be a gentle call from God.
We, at the Hosipital Sisters of St. Francis
cherish the encounter with those who have a heart for the path of sistership, praying and living together.
What Is Important to Us
- To have a heart to serve the Lord and to cherish prayer
- To respect each other as members of the community
- To find Christ in person in fornt of you and to serve Him with gentleness
