In celebration of their 150th anniversary in the United States,the Sisters of St. Francis invite the public to join them May 31, with Mass at 8:30 a.m., followed by a breakfast reception at Mary Mother of God Church, 19 Cherry Tree Farm Road, Middletown.
In 1874, women of courage, Mother Aloysia Lenders, and Sisters Veronica Conradi, Felicitas Dues, and Leonarda Hannappel crossed a threshold, leaving Germany to sail to America, arriving in New York on June 5h, 1874.
After establishing foundations in Buffalo, NY and Columbus, OH, the Sisters of St. Francis were invited to teach at St. Agnes in Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey in 1924, thus completing the continental expansion of the Congregation in the United States. By the 1950s, the Sisters would begin teaching at Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Highlands as well as St. Mary’s in New Monmouth, and later at Mater Dei High School in Middleton.
In addition to teaching, they applied their gifts and talents to ministry in parishes, social work, and spiritual direction.
This year, the Sisters are celebrating their 150th anniversary, “Crossing the Threshold – Then and Now!” with small gatherings across the United States. Little could Mother Magdalen Damen, the foundress, imagine that her small community would grow and expand beyond the borders of the Netherlands and Germany to far reaching lands. With her, the Sisters continue to trust that “It is God’s work” and “God will provide,” as they walk together into the future.
In order to adequately prepare, please contact Barbara Johnson, Sisters of St. Francis, at 716-754-2193 if you are able to attend.
On hand to greet guests will be Provincial First Assistant, Sister Nancy Zelma; Provincial Councilor, Sister Regina Snyder; Sisters Diane Bernbeck, Virginia Dehner, Joanne Fogarty, Patricia McMahon, Patricia Russo, Christella Ritchey, and associate Elaine Schuttinger.
