The name, "The Canticle," was chosen by the congregation in March, 1996.

Click to Enlarge
Use Browsers Back Button to Return

  The building was dedicated on August 2, 1997.

CANTICLE OF CREATION

Be praised Good Lord for Brother Sun

who brings us each new day.

Be praised for Sister Moon: white

beauty bright and fair, with wandering

stars she moves through the night.

Be praised my Lord for Brother Wind,

for air and clouds and the skies of

every season.

Be praised for Sister Water: humble,

helpful, precious, pure; she cleanses

us in rivers and renews us in rain.

Be praised my Lord for Brother fire:

he purifies and enlightens us.

Be praised my Lord for Mother Earth:

abundant source, all life sustaining;

she feeds us bread and fruit and gives

us flowers.

Be praised my Lord for the gift of life;

for changing dusk and dawn; for touch

and scent and song.

Be praised my Lord for those who

pardon one another for love of thee,

and endure sickness and tribulation.

Blessed are they who shall endure it in

peace, for they shall be crowned by

Thee.

Be praised Good Lord for sister Death

who welcomes us in loving embrace.

Be praised my Lord for all your

creation serving you joyfully.

Francis of Assisi, 1225 A.D.

The "Canticle of Creation" is a song of praise written by Francis of Assisi as he approached death midst illness and disability. As the Franciscan poet Murray Bodo has written, as Francis' turning to God unfolded and he was gripped by the fact of the Incarnation, nature became holy for him. He was enthralled by God's presence in the created order.

Francis calls out to all of creation as brother and sister, revealing the core of the Franciscan worldview: that God is the source of all being; that the Creator God is the Parent; that all creatures therefore are brother and sister to one another; that everything deserves love and respect.

Francis saw God in everything and so do we. We look upon the earth with humility and with an open and grateful heart, aware of the divine goodness in all things.

The Canticle is about the transformation that is taking place in each of us.

Click to Enlarge
Use Browsers Back Button to Return

The Memorial Walk at The Canticle begins at the reflection pond and the shrine to Mary Mother of God, poised between the prairie and the orchard

The Clinton Franciscans share their homestead with species of plants and animals who inhabited the prairie long before the Sisters arrived in 1891.

Respecting these gifts of creation and reconnecting human beings with the earth by studying the underlying causes of environmental damage and implementing practical solutions is a priority of the Clinton Franciscans.

At least two heritage oak tress and several varieties of grasses that pre-date European settlement, and a 90-foot tall white pine topped with a double Witch’s Broom adorn the land.

A new species of dwarf conifer – St. Clare’s Broom – is being cultivated from cuttings from the Witch’s Broom.

The forty acres surrounding their home, the Canticle, have been restored to the natural prairie ecosystem of the region.

The prairie restoration, enhancement of the edible landscape – apple orchard, grape arbor, berry bushes, natural herbs and a large organic garden - and creation of a wildscape and beds of native flowers are not only beautiful to behold, they are restoring water sustainability to the land

The true carbon fixing of the grasslands and filtering capacities of the native vegetation result in cleaner air and water as well as decreased runoff. The deep-rooted plants absorb water, hold the soil and control erosion.

Visit the Canticle, built in 1997 to sit lightly upon the earth ~ explore the prairie, relax in the gazebo, sit by the pond, pray in the chapel beneath the rose window designed to reflect the natural surroundings …. retreat, refresh, renew your Franciscan spirit.

For more information contact:
SISTERS OF ST. FRANCIS
843 THIRTEENTH AVENUE NORTH
CLINTON, IOWAS 52732-5115
563-242-7611
www.clintonfranciscans.com.