
If you've never visited the
Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia in Aston, Pennsylvania, I invite you to take this photo tour of our grounds. I went out at lunchtime last Friday, intent on using up the remains of a roll of film. After all of our recent rain showers--rain we spent a lot of time complaining about, the flowers, trees, and plants were particularly lush and in full bloom. Even the many statues and sites that are so special to us seem to have taken on a special glow. I hope you enjoying visiting these sites as much as I enjoyed seeing them with "new eyes."
Surrounded by Beauty and History!

This monument marks the grave of our foundress, Mother Francis Bachmann. There is a bench on the path right in front of the grave. It's a very peaceful spot --one where I sometimes enjoy sitting and just reflecting quietly. There seems to be a sense of peace-filled reverence there.

This cross with St. Francis embracing the dying Jesus is in our cemetery. The trees behind the cemetery lead to the lower lawn and seem to provide a sheltering background for the sisters whose bodies rest in the cemetery.

The grotto, which stands outside the chapel section of Our Lady of Angels Convent, is a replica of the grotto at
Lourdes. The fountain in the foreground is a recent addition. The flowers garden there is particularly beautiful and, as is true with so many of our specially loved areas, the grotto is surrounded by tall, beautiful trees. During this time of year, you often find residents and visitors alike taking advantage of the chairs in front of the grotto to relax, reflect, or visit.

This photo and the one below actually go together. The small chapel below is called the
Sorrowful Mother Chapel. When I entered, it was actually situated in a different spot on the grounds. In recent years, however, it has been moved and now stands near Mother Francis' grave. The small altar (seen above) is inside the chapel. The altar originally was in the residence of
St. John Neumann in Philadelphia and it was at this altar in 1855 that Mother Francis and her two companions, Sister Margaret Mary Boll and Sister Bernardine Dorn, professed their first vows. As you can imagine, the altar is a significant part of our congregation's history.


This photo does not, in any way, do justice to our beautiful little pondless waterfall. It was constructed and donated a few years ago by a friend of one of our sisters. Like so many spots on our grounds, just to sit quietly listening to the gentle trickle of water over rocks is a peaceful and delightful way to spend part of a lunch break or a quiet time during retrea

This statue of St. Therese, the Little Flower, stands near the cemetery. Like so many areas of our grounds, it is always surrounded by beautiful plants and shrubbery. Since my confirmation name is Therese, this has a special significance for me!

This is first of the outdoor
Stations of the Cross that wend their way throughout the grounds. When we first entered, we used to go out after school each day to pray the stations, walking from one end of the property to the other reflecting on the journey of Jesus.

The statue of St. Francis stands in a circle midway down the driveway. How appropriate that this lover of all God's creation should be encircled in this bed of green!

Taken from the back of the convent, this photo shows the stately spire on our motherhouse chapel. The clock which can be seen from each side of the tower has been sounding the time for many, many years!
I hope you enjoyed this "virtual tour." However, there's nothing like the real thing! We would love to have you come for a visit and see the beauty and the history that surrounds our home!