The Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia

Aston, PA-The ingenuity of our retired sisters turned plans for a simple sand sculpture project into the creation of “Our Franciscan Village,” a beautifully laid-out and landscaped depiction of structures named after St. Francis’ earliest companions. Sisters Angela Erhard, Rita Francis Fiefhaus, Francis Anne Harper, Regina Anne LaSorte, Paula Marie MacDonnell, Viola Marie O’Keeffe, Helen Young, and Carol Zurlo were all part of the project organized by activity coordinators Mary Stover and Janay Vancleve. The sisters mixed flour, sugar, and water, heated it to a pudding-like consistency, and then mixed it with sand. Using molds purchased from a local dollar store, they created sculptures of varied shapes and sizes and arranged them to form a number of larger structures. 

Seated (l-r): Sisters Paula Marie MacDonnell, Rita Francis Fiefhaus, Angela Erhard, Viola Marie O’Keeffe, Helen Young, and Regina Anne LaSorte; Standing (l-r): Sisters Carol Zurlo and Francis Anne Harper, Activity Coordinators Janay Vancleve and Mary Stover.

The sisters researched the names of the early Franciscan brothers and Sr. Francis Anne suggested a series of creative names for the various buildings. Two castle-like towers stand in the center of the village, each flying the Italian flag. Also holding a central position in the village is San Damiano Square, easily recognizable by the San Damiano Crucifix rising from its steeple. Sister Regina Anne, who had visited Assisi, recalled the pink hue reflected in the stones around the original San Damiano Chapel. Our Franciscan Village architects made sure that their San Damiano Square was also surrounded by pink-tinted stones and sand. Each building is unique. Clare’s Inn is decorated with beautiful colored stones while Brother Leo’s Lodge is encrusted with shells. Atop Brother Giles’ Cottage a small bird perches, reminiscent of the many swallows that glide through the town of Assisi. Lady Jacoba who made almond cookies for St. Francis would have been right at home in Franciscan Village—baking cookies in her own bakery. In other sections of the village, one can visit Brother Bernard’s Bungalow or stop for a snack in Brother Masseo’s Café. Although one of the structures underwent a partial collapse before it reached completion, our sister architects were undismayed. This is, after all, a medieval village. They simply identified it as Brother Rufino’s Castle Ruins and enclosed it with a wooden fence to prevent visitors from getting too close. A blue river meanders through the village, its shores dotted with minature sea shells. At two points in its journey through the village, the river is crossed by bridges, each unique in structure. 

Of course, no village is complete without residents. Sr. Carol sculpted a number

An overview of “Our Franciscan Village”

of miniature figures to people the Franciscan village—one sporting a wide-brimmed hat, another a cape, and still a third lifting her face to the sun. Still another villager is accompanied by his faithful dog. 

The village stands on a long platform in the Assisi House Social Space. The sisters hope to have it on display until October, adding a special touch to their St. Francis Day celebration on October 4. 

Recipe

Combine the following:

• 1/3 cup flour

• 2 tablespoons sugar

• 1 cup water

Cook over low heat until mixture reaches a pudding-like consistency.

Allow to cool.

Add 6 cups of damp sand.

Put mixture into molds.

Allow to dry and harden. 

This amount makes one or two small sculptures. 

Warning: The mixture does have a strong odor while it is drying but this disappears once the sculptures have hardened.