Hello! My name is Sister Mary Lucy, one of the Franciscan Sisters of the Blessed Virgin Mary of the Angels in the United States. We strive to live the Gospel simply and plainly among the people here in Minnesota. I thought this interview might be of interest to you. These interview questions and responses were in our international newsletter "Miteinander", which means "together" in German.

1. How long have you been a Franciscan Sister?
Answer: 49 years

2. What recollections do you have of your early years in the covent?
Answer: I worked as a medical technologist at the St. Francis Hospital in Shakopee, MN. Although we had to work a great deal, it was a wonderful time for me. I was always with my co-Sisters. There was no television. We rarely were allowed to go out. We always kept ourselves occupied. We did a great deal among ourselves. We did a lot of creative work, much of it to create special items for holidays - for us Sisters as well as for others.

3. What was the most important event in your religious life?
Answer: Many years ago, I attended a retreat. I had the feeling that I had experienced the presence of God. Through His Word, God spoke directly to me. Since that time, the Word of God has been the most important thing.

4. What brings you joy in your religious life?
Answer: When we come together as Sisters for special occasions, and all the Sisters are happy in their participation, I am happy. The work we do - Francis Basket, Clare's Closet and other ministries of our Sisters also bring me great joy.

5. What was/is difficult for you?
Answer: What has been and continues to be difficult for me is to accept both my co-Sisters and other people as they are. I continue to work on this issue. I will certainly have this challenge my whole life long.

6. What do you rely upon when things become difficult?
Answer: My co-Sisters in community and naturally my God.

7. What do you consider to be the greatest need in our time?
Answer: Trust in God. In today's world, we can be easily misled and convinced to depend on something other than God.

8. What small "miracles" do you discover in your everyday life? Answer: I donÕt have a simple answer to this question. My daily life consists of one miracle after another. Today it is beautiful in Minnesota. It is "miraculously" beautiful. This morning when I received our Lord in the Eucharist, I thought, "What a miracle, mystery of love." Everyone and every creature is a miracle. To be conscious is to discover miracles.

9. Which text from the Bible has special meaning for you?
Answer: Mark 7: 24-30. The daughter of the woman of faith was freed of her demon. This woman truly believed.

10. Which church music do you enjoy singing particularly?
Answer: "Ode to joy" from Beethoven's Ninth Symphony.

11. What do you enjoy reading?
Answer: The Sunday newspaper. Also, everything about religious life and everything related to any of my whole range of ministries for our community. There is barely time to read other things.