“Their sturdy backs bent down, by labor and fatigue, their eyes intent upon the earth, sift through stubble discarded by the reapers.”
—Sister Michaela O’Connor
The Gleaners, by Jean-François Millet (1857), depicts three peasant women gleaning a field of stray stalks of wheat after the harvest
Our Mission
To seek out and advocate for the poor and needy, especially families, for the Kingdom of God since 1872.
Obituaries
The funeral for Sister Michaela O’Connor, SHF, will be held on Thursday, December 4, 2025 at 11:00 a.m. at St. Joseph Parish Church, located at 43148 Mission Blvd. in Fremont.
Celebrating Our Legacy
Past
As Gleaners, we stood at the edge of society where Christ was encountered in word, silence, and action as the power of His Kingdom pushed out the boundaries of our world. We have been recognized by our simplicity of life and visible presence among the most abandoned.
Present
Our mission as Gleaners is to serve segments of the population who are underserved by Church and social institutions. As we celebrate this time in our history, our ministries will focus on children, homelessness, food insecurity, immigrants, refugees, and healthcare.
Future
Reflecting the heart of our mission our legacy will live on into the future for others through the Gardens at Palmdale, our Opportunity Fund with Abode Services, our Archives Collection, and Early Childhood Education Scholarships.
Scripture Reflection for May 10
Sixth Sunday of Easter
Let all the Earth cry out to God with joy. (Psalm 66:2)
It’s tempting these days to dwell constantly on all the things that are wrong with the world, most of which are not the fault of the world itself but of the humans who run it. But this week’s psalm reminder to cry out to God with joy draws my attention to some joyful things that I should also mention to God in my prayer, rather than concentrating solely on the problems! For example, if you paid attention to the Artemis moon trip, you would have noticed that there is a “bright spot” on the other side of the moon, a crater, that has been named after the recently deceased wife of the crew commander, so it is now Carroll Crater. My name is Carol Crater, so imagine my joy at hearing that news! And one day last week, I was walking to the printer to pick up our Sunday worship aid, and saw a glint on the sidewalk. When I bent down to pick it up, I found it was a tiny metal charm of a bee. I am very fond of bees — we wouldn’t last long on the earth without their pollination work — so this was a very joyful discovery for me. We need to go to God with our complaints and problems and requests — but we also need to go to God with our joys! God loves good news, too!
Get Involved with Sisters of the Holy Family
There are a number of ways you can join our Family of Friends, including donations, prayer requests, connecting with a Sister, and joining our mailing list. If you would like to request a prayer for yourself or a loved one, please let us know.
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