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Summer in St. Augustine is full of concerts, Fourth of July fireworks, and hot and muggy weather with the occasional thunderstorm. Many take their vacations in July to enjoy the beach or the mountains or some other relaxing locale.
Here at the Motherhouse, we are preparing to welcome a new sister as part of the local community in mid-July and then a new sister as our new General Superior who is also part of the Motherhouse community the last weekend in July. Our current General Superior, Sister Jane Stoecker, will be moving across the street  in late July to become director of our newly-named St. Joseph Renewal Center (the former Villa Flora-Brown Hall Renewal Center). She will reside there with another sister, S. Florence Bryan, who is arriving in August.
Vacations are an opportunity to remember that we are human beings, not human "doings" and that we need time away from work sometimes to reflect on our lives and our relationships. Time to "re-create" ourselves. In addition to our required annual retreat as Sisters of St. Joseph, I value the time of vacation to rest and just BE.
I pray for all those on vacation this month that they spend some quiet time reflecting on their life and their relationship with God and just relaxing. Maybe even play!









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