She’s what folks might call a “hometown” girl. Her name is Sister Frances Kowalski, OSF, a sister of St. Francis of the Neumann Communities, who is proud to be a native of Syracuse. “We’ve always been a city that has tried to reach out to others and make a difference in people’s lives. As part of Central New York we have much diversity. It’s a community that comes together in times of need as well as when things are going well.”

Growing up in Syracuse, Sister Frances was taught by nuns. “I wanted to be like them,” she said. “They were teachers and I wanted to be a teacher.” And so it happened. When Sister Frances entered the community she always taught children science and religion. “I worked with every level in some way from pre-kindergarten to age 12. I loved interacting with children. I always felt I was preparing them for life and making choices.”

As an avid basketball fan, Sister Frances also coached the younger children as well as the cheerleaders.

After years in the classroom, Sister Frances worked as manager of a housing facility for low-income, senior adults in Port Charlotte, Fla. “I was involved from the first stages of the building process to the opening of the building when completed.” After working with children, youth and senior adults, Sister Frances was called by her sisters to serve on the leadership team for the congregation. “This was a challenge. But if my sisters affirmed me, I felt I had to at least try.”

She came back to Syracuse, she said, “to be part of the community of my sisters, the diocese, the local parish, All Saints, where I lector, and the civic community.

“I’m a creation person. I’ve always loved nature even as a young child. I love to walk and to be near water. I draw strength from being in nature,” Sister Frances said. “I have an extremely analytical mind. What would tire others, energizes me.”

By Connie Berry
Sun editor

Bishop Robert Cunningham followed in the footsteps of his predecessors when he celebrated Mass at Unity Kitchen in downtown Syracuse Aug. 22. This time though, the Mass was in celebration of a milestone. Unity Kitchen Community of the Catholic Worker is 40 years old. With a simple altar covered with a white cloth, the bishop welcomed all the guests and volunteers who filled what is usually the dining room at 385 W. Onondaga St.

The bishop described God as a “teacher” in his homily. He said the world is very different and yet in some ways the same as it was for the people of the first century.

“We feel ourselves veering from the narrow path so God sends us reminders,” Bishop Cunningham said. “He reminds us of our need to not be concerned with things happening outside, but with our relationship with Him and each other. And yet God, like every good teacher, tries to help us grow.”

The history of Unity Kitchen includes its own growing pains. It opened in September of 1970 with Bob Russell, a conscientious objector to the Vietnam War, at the helm. He was living at St. Lucy’s rectory and providing community service. Father Ted Sizing, then at St. Lucy’s Church, asked Russell to open a soup kitchen. Father Sizing and then Father Dick Keough were early supporters. A storefront was found at 564 S. Salina St. and Unity Kitchen opened. Ann O’Connor began her work at Unity Kitchen in the early days, shortly after the kitchen opened. Peter King joined the community in September of 1972. They married in 1980 and still serve as the primary leaders of Unity Kitchen.

The anniversary Mass also provided a way for the couple to thank all the volunteers and guests who have helped keep the kitchen going over the years. “We thank God for our 40 years of grace and gifts and being taken care of,” O’Connor said after the Mass. “We’re really a small endeavor in the whole of things.”

The principles that founded the kitchen were those of the Catholic Worker — hospitality and serving each guest as if he or she was the face of Jesus. The small endeavor was not always so small. The first year many of the people who came to the kitchen were homeless or alcoholics or both. It was a time of urban renewal and the storefront was leased for $1 and slated for demolition at the end of the year. After a year of soup lines, a new location was found in an abandoned factory building. This location was large enough to also offer overnight shelter, O’Connor said. The soup lines continued and Unity Kitchen was often chaotic and crowded. A policy of never saying “no” to those who came to the door meant the conditions inside were sometimes tumultuous, O’Connor explained.

By Claudia Mathis
Sun staff writer

Anyone who is experiencing or has experienced the trauma of a divorce will find the upcoming retreat for separated and divorced, held Sept. 17-19 at Stella Maris Retreat Center in Skaneateles, extremely healing. The quiet, reflective setting of the retreat center facilitates a sense of serenity.

This year marks the retreat’s 10th anniversary. Dean Brainard, coordinator of the Syracuse Diocese’s separated and divorced ministry, said the retreat is usually attended by 20-35 people each year. Brainard has participated in the event for the last seven years. “It’s a tremendous, uplifting experience,” he said. “Every year that I attend, I receive a new level of inspiration from it.”

The theme of this year’s retreat is “Moving Out of Darkness and Into the Light of God’s Love.” The special event is enhanced this year by the addition of two new activities — a guided walk through scenic Skaneateles and Salsa dance lessons during the social hour on Saturday evening.