Support for the Future

The beginning of September, the beginning of autumn, many beginnings—but above all, the beginning of the school year in our country! Every school year represents a new start, full of enthusiasm and the desire to learn as well as possible. However, for many children from disadvantaged families, the joy of the new school year is overshadowed by the worry of lacking basic necessities. A simple new backpack and the required school supplies can make the difference between starting with confidence and joy and missing out on an educational opportunity.

This year, we organized an initiative in support of future students who attended St. Ursula Kindergarten in Caransebeș, as well as needy children from the surrounding areas. With the help of benefactors, we purchased backpacks equipped with all the necessary items, adapted to their age. The goal was to provide children with fully equipped school backpacks, easing their families’ financial burden and giving them a confident start to the school year.

The children’s shining eyes and the joy in their hearts are the most sincere thanks, which we pass on to those who stood by us in this initiative. A backpack filled with school supplies is more than just a set of objects—it represents a student’s calling card, a symbol of belonging to the school community. Through this initiative, we wanted to restore the students’ dignity and give them a boost of confidence.

The Chain of Kindness!

As temperatures dropped and the cold season set in, we launched an initiative for the youngest and most needy, offering thick jackets and sportswear to children from struggling families at our kindergarten and in nearby areas. This initiative was made possible with the help of big-hearted people—benefactors who support us in our social and charitable work, those who became involved in carrying out the project, and not least, the children who benefited from these clothes.

Our greatest gratitude came when we saw the children’s radiant faces as they chose the right size—and even more so when it was in their favorite color.

Laudato Si’!

The encyclical “Laudato Si’” by Pope Francis celebrated 10 years since its publication and addresses the issue of caring for “our common home,” that is, the planet, emphasizing the ecological crisis, social inequality, and spirituality. Pope Francis maintained that environmental degradation and social injustice are two sides of the same problem.

The 2025 anniversary was also marked in Caransebeș through a presentation of this letter to adult parish groups and a shared moment of prayer. We prayed the “Way of Beauty,” a devotion similar to the classic Way of the Cross, but one that invited us to meditate on the beauty of creation as an outpouring of the Creator’s Beauty—the work of His hands—for which we have a responsibility and a mission to pass on to future generations. Between reflections, passages from The Canticle of the Creatures by St. Francis were used, which celebrates 800 years since its composition this year!

It was an intense moment of prayer in which we became more aware of the gift we have received from our Heavenly Father, our Creator: care for Mother Earth, the dangers she faces, and our responsibility to safeguard the earth’s resources. In a moment of sharing, each person expressed what had touched them—small and concrete steps we can take, prayers, and our involvement wherever we live.

It was yet another opportunity to thank the good Lord for the vocation we have received to live the Franciscan charism, as it was left to us by St. Francis and embraced by Mother Clara, who handed it down to us as a precious inheritance to pass on to future generations. All the more so as the Season of Creation concludes with the feast of St. Francis and Mother Clara Pfänder.

Written by Sr. M. Lydia Fecheta FCJM