Flowing from His Side Sisters of St. Francis of the Martyr St. George FALL 2010
From the Desk of Mother M. Regina Pacis, FSGM Dear Families and Friends of our Sisters, Pax et Bonum! In conjunction with our newly established Office of Mission Advancement, we have initiated this newsletter in which we invite you to learn more about the history, charism, and apostolates of the Sisters of St. Francis of the Martyr St. George. Our Sisters came from Germany to the United States 87 years ago. Throughout these years, we have desired to make the Merciful Love of Christ visible in the lives of those whom we have been called to serve. In the following issues, we will illustrate the ways God has called us to live our religious vocation. I want to take this opportunity to thank you for all of your prayers and support for our Sisters. With gratitude and love, we pray for you daily in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and in praying the Divine Office. In the peace of Jesus and Mary,
Mother M. Regina Pacis, FSGM Provincial Superior
“ We desire to make the Merciful Love of Christ visible in the lives of those whom we have been called to serve.”
Looking On Him Whom They Have Pierced By Mother M. Sixtina Reul, FSGM [Former General Superior of the Order (1984-1986) and former Provincial Superior of the Province St. Elizabeth in the United States (1969-1984)] “We want to look always upon Him Whom they have pierced. In our human limitation we can look only in one direction because we only have two eyes! Therefore, we must turn away from everything else. In our vow of Poverty, we turn to God and expect everything from Him. In Obedience, we listen only to His words. In the vow of Chastity, we turn completely to Him and expect everything from Him. We do not only make our vows, but we want to live them seriously; we want to celebrate them. Only then do they give us life and bring us joy.” Sisters praying in our San Damiano Adoration Chapel
Flowing from His Side Faith Answered in Exact Change When our German Sisters first set foot on American soil in 1923, it was in order to work at Father Dunne’s Newsboys Home in St. Louis, Missouri. This apostolate proved to be unsuitable for the Sisters. On October 3, 1924, the Sisters embarked on a new apostolic endeavor. With a $60,000.00 loan, they purchased what was then known as the “Nazareth Home” in Alton, Illinois. In December of that year, the Sisters converted this residence for the aged into a hospital known as Saint Anthony’s Infirmary. Although generous benefactors agreed to pay the interest on the loan for the first ten years, the Sisters were nonetheless left with an array of other bills. Following the example of our foundress, Mother M. Anselma, our Sisters had great faith and confidence that “this was God’s work, and that He would take care of it.” This faith was put to the test on September 30, 1925. The close of that day saw a dilemma—the Sisters simply did not have enough money to pay the contractors who were renovating the facility. Despite their heavy workload, the Sisters prayed late into the night to their special patroness, St. Therese of Lisieux. The Good God and His Little Flower rewarded the Sisters’ confidence. The next morning a donation arrived in the exact amount needed to meet their financial obligation. Our God is truly an awesome God!
Our Foundation and History “Our Lord has in everything He does a good intention.” These were the words of wisdom which Mother M. Anselma Bopp, handed down to her Sisters after founding our religious Congregation of the Sisters of St. Francis of the Martyr St. George on November 25, 1869. We are grateful to our Lord, who has guided our world-wide Congregation for the past 141 years and to our families and friends who have supported us. Mother M. Anselma belonged to the Holy Cross Sisters of Strassburg and, with Sister Marianne Schmittberg, was sent by their Mother Superior, Madame Adelheid de Glaubitz, to a farming village in northwestern Germany called Thuine. They arrived in town as the Angelus bells were ringing on May 25, 1857. Father Gerhard Dall, longtime pastor in Thuine, had made the request for the Sisters in 1856, and assisted Mother M. Anselma in the founding of our Congregation. After much prayer and sacrifice, Mother M. Anselma and her first companions separated from the Sisters of the Holy Cross to begin a new religious Congregation. Following the Rule of St. Francis, they found inspiration, strength, and direction from the Sacred Heart of Jesus to found our Congregation and “to serve the needs of the poor, sick, and needy of every condition… making visible the merciful love of Christ in their service” (Constitutions, 104-105).
Foundress Mother M. Anselma Bopp
Reaching Out in Other Lands On December 27, 1923, the first five Sisters arrived in St. Louis to care for the neglected boys at Father Dunne’s Newsboy Home. Due to the language barrier, our Sisters faced many challenges. It was with trustful surrender to Divine Providence that our Sisters moved across the river to nearby Alton, Illinois. Here they took over the administration of the Nazareth Home, a facility for the elderly, which they soon transformed into a hospital that today is known as Saint Anthony’s Health Center. More support was gained from the people who knew our Sisters so that in 1932 we returned to St. Louis to undertake the care of the elderly at the Mother of Good Counsel Home. The Home has grown into a skilled nursing facility where we continue to give loving care to men and women approaching the end of their lives.
Building a Firm Foundation of Faith In our American Province St. Elizabeth, we have 124 Sisters in 16 convents located in 10 archdioceses and dioceses in the United States, at the Apostolic Nunciature in Washington, DC, and in Rome, Italy. We have 89 Final Professed Sisters, 25 Junior Professed Sisters, five novices, and five postulants. The average age of the Sisters in America is 45. Fifty percent of the Sisters are under the age of 41. Additionally, from our American Province, a Region in northwestern Brazil was founded in 1972, where we have 39 Professed Sisters and five novices working among the poor. Thus has the merciful love of Christ been manifested through our Consecration at the beginning of a new millennium. In subsequent issues, various Sisters from our mission houses throughout our St. Elizabeth Province will be highlighted. We are grateful for the prayers and support that our families and friends give to us making it possible for our Sisters to make the merciful love of Christ visible in the many places where we serve. We continue to keep them in our prayers each day. Some of our Junior Professed Sisters
“ I can do all things in Him Who strengthens me” (Phil. 4:13). We are grateful for our Sisters who came from our Motherhouse in Germany, to establish a foundation and “a home away from home” in the United States. They are our “pillars” and strong examples of religious life. Sister M. Wiltraud grew up in East Prussia which the Russians invaded in 1944. For four years, she and her family lived in a refugee camp where her father and brothers died. After their release in 1948, she and her remaining family were sent to live with different families in Leipzig, Germany. Because of the love and faith of the Catholic family with whom Sister M. Wiltraud stayed, she joined the Catholic Church in 1952. She entered our Congregation in Thuine, Germany, in 1955, and, on October 26, 1955, was sent to the Vice-Province St. Elizabeth in the United States. She served at Saint Anthony’s Health Center and in the residences of archbishops, at the Apostolic Nunciature in Washington, DC, and in the priests’ retirement home in Lincoln, Nebraska. She is currently the sacristan for our St. Francis Convent Chapel in Alton, Illinois.
Sister M. Wiltraud
“God’s Providence was very obvious in my life and He has protected me in many ways,” Sister M. Wiltraud said. “I always wanted to do God’s Will and He has given me the grace of perseverance. I was impressed with the joy of the Sisters in giving their lives to God.” Sister M. Annunciate grew up during the Second World Sister M. Annunciate War. After her family was driven out of Poland in 1947, she worked in a factory and finally was able to attend high school in Dingelstädt, Germany. The love and joy of Sister M. Crescenz Röben, later elected Superior General of our Congregation, and four other Sisters inspired the future Sister M. Annunciate not only to become Catholic, but also to give her life totally to God. On March 25, 1952, she entered our Congregation. After First Profession, she expressed interest in being missioned to Africa or Indonesia, but Reverend Mother requested that she consider going to the United States where she studied English, social studies, and social work. Sister M. Annunciate, through her daily fiat, strives to live her life in imitation of our Blessed Mother. She taught social studies at Rosary High School in St. Louis, served at Saint Anthony’s Health Center in Alton as a social worker and was a high school guidance counselor at a high school in New Jersey and Superior of the Sisters. She returned to St. Francis Convent in Alton, Illinois, served the Sisters as Superior for nine years, and now prays daily for the needs of our world-wide Congregation.
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Called from Across the United States and Germany Did you know that the Sisters in St. Elizabeth Province come from 30 of the 50 states and two countries?
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