Following in the footsteps of Mother Frances
written by the participants from Brazil

At 8:30 a.m., after breakfast, we prayed before the tomb of Mother Frances. We were invited to begin anew our journey by realizing today and always the signs of Jesus' presence everywhere.

We then took a tour of Aachen, visiting important places in the life of Mother Frances. We passed by the Child Jesus Foundation, founded by a great friend of Mother Frances. Then we went to St. Paul's Church, where we saw the famous statue of Mother Frances with the poor man, erected after her beatification. It clearly represents her modesty by the way she stands next to the poor man, on the same level as he is.

Inside the church, we reflected on renewing our baptismal vows, inspired by beautiful words from Mother Frances. After that, we were prompted to ask another young person (P., of Senegal) how it felt to renew his baptismal vows. He told us that today he felt a lot better than yesterday, because he felt the presence of God; he felt that God was coming to him and bringing him new teachings.

By 11:20 a.m. we arrived at St. Nicholas' Church, the initial point of franciscan spirituality in Mother Frances' life. It is the oldest church in the city, formerly dedicated to St. Francis. Though it is a Catholic church, worship there is often ecumenical.

In its interior we much appreciated the painting of St. Francis when he was ill and the Angel came to console him. This painting was very special to Mother Frances.

While in this church, we learned some more facts about Mother Frances. We were told she had been baptized there and that it was there she decided to be a Franciscan. Her journey's goal was nothing else besides following the Gospel of Jesus as St. Francis had preached and done.

In 1844, at St. Nicholas church, Mother Frances became a Third Order Franciscan. It was soon after that occasion that she founded the Congregation with some of her friends. Inside the church there are many paintings representing the sacraments. Among the various important historical figures is Mother Frances. Before her portrait we held a moment of reflection.

It was pointed out to us that, for St. Francis, to be poor does not mean to be destitute, but rather to give back to God the very gifts he has first offered us. We were then asked if, as young people, we recognize ourselves as children of God, and if we are really learning to listen to his voice so as to live fully according to his word; and what it is that attracts us most in St. Francis.

We asked the first question to a young woman (S., from Italy), and she told us she recognizes the word of God in other persons, in the Bible and, most specially, in the life of Mother Frances.

Regarding the life of St. Francis, the same person reflected on the meaning of poverty. She admires his dedication to the poor and his refusal of all riches. She said one must first find these qualities inside one's own person so as to be able to give away to others.

We had lunch and, at 2:40 p.m., we left the house for Lindenplatz, an elderly people's home and hospital, coordinated by the Sisters of the Poor of St. Francis. This house is considered to be the nucleus, the place where the franciscan congregation began.

After learning about the history of the house, we had a moment of prayer and reflection to deepen on the life of Mother Frances, emphasizing specifically on Mother Frances' devotion since her childhood, for the crucified Jesus and for the poor in whose face she saw reflected the image of Jesus.

The first contact Mother Frances ever had with a poor person happened at school, where instead of approaching other privileged children as herself, she befriended a classmate who was poor. We then heard of how she saved whatever she could spare as a child to buy wool with which to make socks for the poor, something her parents never even knew she did.

Little by little, she gave away to the poor all she had in her own dowry. She took the symbolism of the flame as her own way to express how the love she felt for Christ in the poor burned inside her. Still in her lifetime she was called "Mother of the Poor" and considered to be a woman who would not let any obstacle hinder her mission- nothing really extraordinary- just loving whoever came close to her.

We were asked if, like Mother Frances, we would be able to love the poor to the point of risking our own life for them. And we were asked to reflect on the following questions:

• Does the love I receive change my attitude regarding others and myself?
• Does my encounter with Jesus transform my life to the point of making me want to be a gift to my neighbor? If so, how?
• How does the preferential option for the poor take place in my life?

We asked these questions of another young woman (M., of Italy) and she told us that yes, she loves God and that she knows He loves her. She feels the love He has for her and this feeling has changed her attitude: now she invites people to follow God's ways.

Regarding the second and third questions, she told us that yes, she feels that she is a gift of God and that she becomes a gift the same way poverty does: by relating closely to people who feel lonely.

We then walked to the archway where Mother Frances' family house once stood, as well as her father's needle factory. The arch is the only thing that has been reconstructed after the whole place was destroyed during the war.

We then went to St. James' Gate, by the outer walls of the ancient city, where the Sisters had their first convent and where today an image of Our Lady stands.

After a moment of rest, we went to the 5:30 p.m. mass. We then had dinner, followed by a talent show, and finally we returned to the Mother House.