Sylvania Franciscan Mag. Vol 25. Issue 1

News&Notes

Many thanks to our Gala supporters! Page 3.

Congratulations to five Sisters on celebrating their special anniversaries this year. Page 8. Jubilarians Art Spotlight

Historical mural portrays the life work of our beloved Foundress. Page 11.

Sisters of St. Francis of Sylvania, Ohio

Leadership

The Sylvania Franciscan newsletter is a publication of the Congregational Advancement Office of the Sisters of St. Francis of Sylvania, Ohio

Sister Nancy Linenkugel, OSF Congregational Minister

Sister Shannon Schrein, OSF Assistant Congregational Minister

Sister Rebecca Rutkowski, OSF Councilor/Congregational Treasurer

Sister Valerie Grondin, OSF Councilor/Congregational Secretary

Elizabeth Reiter

Editor

Director of Communications and Connections

419-824-3667

ereiter@sistersosf.org

Contributing Writers

Sister Brenda Rose Szegedy, OSF

Sister Mary Thill, OSF

Sister Theresa Darga, OSF

A Special Year for Our Foundress

When did you have a really special year? Was it when you got married? Or bought a house? Or welcomed a child? Or is that special year still to come?

While each day on this Earth is precious and worthwhile, once in a while there comes along a time that is just, well, remarkable. Memorable. Unforgettable.

This year of 2024 is just that for Sylvania Franciscans when it comes to our Foundress, Mother Mary Adelaide. A number of occurrences in her life are before us this year as memorable anniversaries. Consider these:

on October 10, 1874 Anne Sandusky (Mother Mary Adelaide) was born.

on February 2, 1894, 20-year old Anne Sandusky became novice Sister Adelaide in the Rochester Minnesota Franciscans.

on August 20, 1914, 40-year old Sister Adelaide graduated with an MA from Columbia University.

Mother Adelaide, foundress of the Sylvania OH Franciscans in 1916, completed 38 years leading the order as Provincial and General Superior and on August 18, 1954, at the age of 80, she stepped down as the superior and became Foundress.

on July 4, 1964, Mother Adelaide passed away at age 89.

on August 26, 2009, Mother Adelaide received the posthumous honor of being inducted into the Ohio Women’s Hall of Fame.

We Sylvania Franciscans are a fairly young order as women’s congregations go. Consider other orders such as the Ursuline Sisters founded in 1535, the Visitation Sisters founded in 1610, the Sisters of Charity founded in 1809, and the Sisters of Mercy founded in 1831. Mother Adelaide was active here in Sylvania from 1916 through 1964, so she was a contemporary of our Sisters. She is not just depicted staring from a now-yellowing, stern-faced framed picture hung in reverent places around the convent. No, Mother Adelaide is very much present and alive to us through snapshots, handwritings, and even recordings.

This magazine shares more about our vibrant and energetic Foundress, Mother Adelaide. Thank you for reading. Thank you also for all the many ways you share in our mission which Mother Adelaide began in 1916, including through your own generosity and friendship.

Blessings always.

Sister Nancy Linenkugel, OSF Congregational Minister

Mission

Called like Francis of Assisi to live the Gospel in joyful servanthood among all people, the Sisters of St. Francis of Sylvania, Ohio, as messengers of peace, commit themselves to works that reverence human dignity, embrace the poor and marginalized, and respect the gift of all creation.

News Notes

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Annual Gala Raises $111,000

On September 23, 2023, the Franciscan Center was filled with over 300 guests who enjoyed a delicious catered dinner, dancing to the lively music of the KGB Motown Band and bidding on a dazzling array of auction items. Guests went home with art by the Sylvania Franciscan Sister artists, fabulous gifts for their grandchildren, beautiful home accents and tickets to theater, museums, recreation and more. Thanks to online bidding and a virtual experience, we were joined by friends across the nation. Over $110,000 was raised to support the Sylvania Franciscan Ministries such as Bethany House, Sophia Center and Lourdes University.

Honorary Chairs Dr. Janet and Dr. Gene Robinson have both been involved with Lourdes University. They are dear friends who long ago found a home with the Sisters. They have consistently supported all our ministries.

The St. Francis Award was given to Mr. Matt Grimshaw, CEO of Trinity Health System (CommonSpirit) in Steubenville, Ohio. Our Franciscan call to mission lives on through Matt’s leadership. An expansion project that he has overseen for years has now become a reality, meeting the needs of the Steubenville area. Matt is driven by innovation and powered by the values of compassion, inclusion, integrity, excellence and collaboration.

Mr. Larry Drozdowicz also received the St. Francis Award. No

We are Grateful to our 2023 Gala Sponsors

Thank you to our sponsors and patrons of the 2023 Gala!

With the support of so many, the Sisters raised over $100,000 that will help fund their ministries throughout the year.

2023 Awardees

Sister Nancy Linenkugel, OSF, with St. Francis Award Winner Larry Drozdowicz; St. Clare Award Winner Father Tony Gallagher; and St. Francis Award Winner Matt Grimshaw

stranger to our campus, Larry has been part of our Franciscan Facilities and Grounds Department for 23 years. His radiant smile, kindness and peaceful spirit permeate every action as he calls out, “What can I do for you?” Larry never seeks recognition, always serving others. He is truly a servant leader. We are blessed to have Larry as part of our Franciscan family!

Receiving the St. Clare Award was Fr. Tony Gallagher. In his 88th year, he continues to exude a leadership role through his silent, thoughtful presence for all peace and justice issues. Retirement only deepened Fr. Tony’s call to be a supportive presence in the community. He is an exemplar of synodality and unity in diversity. Fr. Tony has a heart for the poor and is a Franciscan by heart.

St. Francis Sponsors

CommonSpirit Health Program Solutions Group

Mother Adelaide Sponsors

Hylant

Donna O’Connell

Trinity Health System

Assisi Sponsors

Stephen P. Bazeley, MD

Brown Advisory

Franciscan Ministries

Eileen and Kevin Kerner

LCG

Macquarie Asset Management

Signature Bank, LLC

Kathleen and Edward Walczak

Jana and Michael Whitmore

San Damiano Sponsors

Buckeye Broadband

CHI Living Communities

Hafner Florist

Rev. Terence J. Hamilton

Darlene Johnson

Lincoln Financial

Namay Dentistry

2023

Oblates of St. Francis De Sales, Inc.

Sophia Center, Inc.

St. Joseph Health

TCW

Wisniewski Funeral Home

Carolyn Lake Yenrick and David Yenrick

Just Who Is Mother Adelaide?Mary

by Sister Mary Thill

By Sister Mary Thill

Celebrating the 150th Anniversary of the birth of Mother Mary Adelaide causes us to pause and ask ourselves just who is this “nun” who left behind a legacy of 522 religious women, a beautiful campus with buildings containing art work collected from many places in Europe and the Holy Land as well as several projects executed by the Sister artists, and a park-like environment filled with shrines, trees, gardens, and prayerful places.

Anne Sandusky (Mother Adelaide) was born in Cincinnati, Ohio on October 10, 1874 to Stanislas and Mary Ann Sandusky. She was the third of six children—John, Frank, (Anne), Mary, Pauline and Andrew. Her parents came to America from Binar, near Cracow, Poland in 1870 and settled in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Stanislas died 10 years later, which left Mary Ann with six children to raise by herself. Mary Ann had relatives in St. Paul, Minnesota and moved the family there.

Mother Adelaide and Sister Michaeline appraise the work of mosaicist Mr. Liebermann as he works on the panel of St. James in 1959.

Soon to be Sister Adelaide, Anne, entered the convent of the Sisters of St. Francis in Rochester, MN, at the age of 19. She made her first profession of vows in 1894 and her final profession in 1902. Her talent for art and love of learning allowed her to study art at the Minnesota Institute of Fine Arts for one year. She loved the classics and studied “Virgil” one summer at Harvard University and, in 1914 at the age of 40, she received a Master of Arts degree from Columbia University in classical studies. In 1916 Sister Adelaide was appointed to start a new province of Sisters in Toledo, Ohio at the request of Bishop Shrembs who needed Sisters to teach the children of Polish immigrants who were attending the diocesan schools.

Life was difficult, to say the least, for Mother Adelaide and the 23 Sisters who joined her. The purchase of farmland in

“Into her career as Mother Foundress, she has brought an understanding, gracious, and cordial personality, an ecumenical mind formed by serious study and international travel, and a magnetic character fashioned by the fruitful knowledge and practice of the counsels of the Gospel.” – Sister Florence, a former member of the Order, wrote in her book, Our Mother, (1959)

Sylvania, Ohio in 1917 gave Mother Adelaide a real sense of purpose knowing that she now had the space to become the Motherhouse of the new Order. The Sisters tried farming the land for a few years but it was not a successful project. Being the wise woman she was, Mother Adelaide decided to turn the farm into a park and the forestry project began.

In response to the Influenza Pandemic of 1918, Mother Adelaide was asked for Sisters to help the people in the northwest factory town of Gypsum, OH. She sent five Sisters to tend the 98 ill and all survived. Requests for nurses continued, and eventually led to Sisters serving in 20 hospitals in seven states over the next century.

The number of young women coming to the Motherhouse grew rapidly and Mother Adelaide needed to begin building permanent housing for them. She also was concerned about the educational needs for the new Sisters, so designing the buildings to also serve educational purposes became important in her plans.

As soon as it was allowed after WWI, a chapel, a novitiate and a multipurpose barrack-style buildings were built on the farmland. St. Clare Academy opened in 1929 as the first permanent mission-style building located on the middle grounds on the convent property.

Her dream and vision of our Californiastyle mission campus was beginning to take shape. Teachers were in great demand and by 1930, the Sisters were staffing 17 schools. (Since 1916, Sylvania Franciscans have served in 125 schools in 13 states.) In 1958, Lourdes Junior College was built to help prepare the community’s candidates and Sisters for ministry. Mother Adelaide highly

valued education. She encouraged each of the young girls and women who came to the convent to develop their talents, gain a classical education that included art and music, and to pursue higher degrees. Nearly all of the 522 Sisters of St. Francis went on to have master’s and very often doctorate degrees.

In Mother’s mind, the convent would be home to many buildings, each rich in purpose, education, culture, and beauty. The interior and exterior areas of each building would house art work from Europe and the Holy Land. All the buildings are filled with art works—Italian ceramics, French tapestries, Persian tiles, and icons from the eastern shores of the Mediterranean. Mother Adelaide purchased many of these pieces of art during trips abroad in 1929, 1938, 1955 and 1956. She always travelled with one or two other Sisters who were able to enjoy and absorb the beauty and culture with her. I think it is important to note that the largest building project, consisting of six buildings on the north side of the campus, including her beloved Our Lady Queen of Peace Chapel, was designed and supervised by Mother Adelaide in the last ten years of her life. She died on the 4th of July in 1964.

Finally, my answer to the title question comes from Mother M. Justinian, dear friend and secretary of Mother Adelaide. In 1967, three years after Mother’s death Mother Justinian wrote:

“Venerable Mother was a great woman. She was a warm-hearted person and a perfect lady. She was a true artist and builder in every sense of the word. Most of all, she was a zealous and holy religious. She will always be dear to her Sisters—their Mother Foundress.” (Evergreens Rooted in Yellow Sands, 1967)

Mother Adelaide at Groundbreaking Ceremony for Holy Cross Hospital in 1945

Mother Adelaide reviewing plans for the Queen of Peace Chapel ceiing.

Memories of Mother Adelaide

Cherished moments with Mother Adelaide

by Sister Donna Kordiak

As a novice, I had the privilege of being Mother Adelaide’s waitress. She always showed appreciation with a motion or smile. Often, she would whisper a friendly greeting. One day as we novices were picking apples from the trees on campus, a passenger train was passing through and I stood there watching car after car filled with people. I began to wave to the folks as each car went by, and they waved back. I didn’t realize that Mother Adelaide was watching me the whole time from her window in Sancta Barbara at the academy. Later she called me and taught me my first lesson: “Sisters don’t stand and wave to people on the trains.”

Mother Adelaide and Sister Laurentia unpack and welcome Our Lady of Sylvania in May 1951.

Adelaide and provided a protective circle around her. I am grateful though to have at least experienced how kind and caring Mother Adelaide was. Whenever she would meet any of us postulants or novices, she shared such a warm friendly smile, and we felt it was an honor to be in her presence.

A car ride to remember

by Sister M. Ricarda Witt

I remember how very kind and approachable Mother Adelaide always was! She never raised her voice or showed anger but had a caring way in pointing out what needed to be corrected.

I remember as a postulant when it was time to receive my cape, I knelt in front of Mother Adelaide and was so honored that she herself placed the cape on my shoulders and blessed me saying, “Be proud of this advancement toward becoming a Sister.”

I volunteered often as a novice to help Sister Armella in the kitchen. Mother Adelaide came through one day and questioned whether I was overworked since I looked so tired. I assured her that I was fine and enjoyed helping in the kitchen. Mother also noticed how thin I was and inquired if I was eating enough since I needed to be healthy and strong to go out on mission.

Each day after supper, Mother Adelaide, along with some of the other Sisters, would sit on the North Porch of St. Anthony’s. She always had a warm smile and friendly greeting for any one of us who walked past the porch on our way back to the Novitiate. I am so very grateful to have known our Foundress and witnessed her genuine interest in each of her Sisters.

Her kindness spoke without words

by Sister Benita Kordiak

During my early years in formation, I longed for an opportunity to enjoy a conversation with Mother Adelaide one-on-one. We all did probably. However, Sister Stanislas or Mother Justinian usually accompanied Mother

Once when I was a second-year novice, I had the privilege of riding in the car with Mother Adelaide and Sister Stanislas on our way to St. Ladislaus in Hamtramck from Sylvania. Mr. Fondren was the chauffeur, and I was the front seat passenger. I remember enjoying the conversation coming from the back seat during the entire trip. I was dropped off at St. Ladislaus Convent where my family came to pick me up for a visit. Mr. Fondren then drove Mother Adelaide and Sister Stanislas to various places to complete their errands and to visit St. Francis Hospital.

Looking out for each of us

by Sister Jeanine Sokolowski

It was the day after I entered the convent on August 31, 1949, and I, together with another postulant (who later became known as Sister Zachary), had charge of collecting towels to wash after each meal. I remember working with a few other postulants on “dish side” at St. Anthony’s. That day I was still wearing the dress that I came in and looking forward to being fitted for my uniform later that day. A professed Sister approached me, placed her hand gently on my shoulder and said in a concerned voice, “Oh my, you’re tall! Don’t worry, I’m sure they will find something that will be just right for you.” The Sister then continued on her way, and I soon found out that it was Mother Adelaide herself who showed such concern. Her gentleness and concern truly made a lasting impression on me.

A Woman of Vision Creating a Legacy

As Sylvania Franciscans, 2024 is a special year for us as we celebrate so many significant milestones in the life of our Foundress, Mother Mary Adelaide Sandusky. She was a woman with a strong vision for her fledgling community, a woman gifted in the arts who encouraged a variety of talents in our Sisters, a woman who believed in answering God’s call to serve wherever and whenever it was needed. Today, we are surrounded by a campus that is filled with beauty and reflects a sense of peace – a tribute to our foundress.

Her legacy also lives on through our ministries. For 108 years, we have provided services to the marginalized and the underserved. We sponsor Bethany House (a home for women and children who are victims of domestic violence), Sophia Counseling Center, Rosary Care Center and Our Lady of Grace (assisted living), Convent Park Apartments and Lourdes University. Our ministries have changed over the years, but our mission remains the same: offering hope, assistance and prayers for those in need.

Called like Francis of Assisi to live the Gospel in joyful servanthood among all people, the Sisters of St. Francis of Sylvania Ohio,

as messengers of peace, commit themselves to works that reverence human dignity, embrace the poor and marginalized and respect the gift of all creation. (Mission Statement)

Through our Advancement / Foundation Office, we support these endeavors and carry out the legacy of Mother Mary Adelaide. We thank you, our donors, who have shared your time, talent and treasure with us over the years. Together, we continue to unfold our future recognizing the graced encounters that surround us and enable us to make a difference in the lives of others. We hold each of you in our prayers each day and are grateful that you partner with us in our ministry.

Advancement / Foundation Office Donor Relations

tdarga@sistersosf.org 419-517-8961

Sisters of St. Francis Foundation Continuing

our Legacy

The Sisters of St. Francis established a Foundation (The Sisters of St. Francis Foundation) in 2014 as part of its transfer of sponsorship of Sylvania Franciscan Health to Catholic Health Initiatives. At that time, the Leadership team envisioned that the Foundation would serve as a financial vehicle to support the Sisters of St. Francis and their sponsored ministries, as well as other ministry initiatives that mirror the mission of the Sisters of St. Francis.

Since its inception, the Foundation has awarded over $2.5 million in grants to non-profit agencies whose work falls in the areas of Laudato Si’ (care for the earth), supporting victims of human trafficking, promotion of the wellbeing of immigrants and refugees, and An envelope is attached for your convenience. Thank you in advance for your prayerful support.

social justice and equal opportunity initiatives for marginalized and underserved communities. The Sisters of St. Francis have partnered with the Greater Toledo Community Foundation to assist with the grantmaking initiative. The Foundation has also provided support to Bethany House, Sophia Center, Rosary Care Center, Our Lady of Grace Hall and Lourdes University. It also provides support for Sisters in ministry.

The Sisters of St. Francis’ goal with the Foundation is to establish a solid framework to support the mission and values of the Sisters in perpetuity. It will be hiring its first Executive Director to assist in cultivating a shared vision for the Foundation and a direction for the future that will ensure the vision of Mother Adelaide remains relevant and impactful in our community and our world.

We are so grateful for the ongoing support of you, our donors. Together you have helped us create a lasting footprint of the Sisters of St. Francis and the legacy began in 1916 by the vision and fortitude of Mother Adelaide.

to study designs for the Duns Scotus Library.

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Jubilarians: Celebrating Our Sisters

Congratulations to the following Sisters on celebrating their special anniversaries this year.

Diamond Jubilarians Celebrating 60 Years Professed

Sister M. Catherine Labouré Busam, OSF

Sister M. Catherine Laboure wanted to be a Sister ever since she was a little girl. She loved her teachers at St. Mary’s School in Sandusky, OH and she knew the Sisters at Providence Hospital where her mother was a nurse.

Sister Catherine spent 30 of her 60 years of religious life teaching at all levels. She helped establish St. Francis Education Center in Sylvania in 1973 where she taught and was the principal. She started and taught in the Early Childhood Development program at Lourdes College in 1974.

In 1991, Sister joined a House of Prayer in Gate City, Virginia where she became a spiritual director. Her journey in ministry then led her to work in a Head Start program in Appalachia where Catholics were in the minority and where she felt accepted and loved by the people. Sister Catherine continues to influence others as a Sylvania Franciscan when she shows the compassion, joy and love that has been shown to her by the people she has met.

Sister M. Margretta Wojcik, OSF

Sister M. Margretta attended St. Cunegunda School in Detroit, MI where she was taught by Sylvania Franciscan Sisters who nurtured her vocation to religious life. Sister Margretta taught in elementary schools in Ohio and Minnesota for 30 years. She specialized in using the Montessori Method at St. Francis Education Center in Sylvania and St. Aloysius in Bowling Green, OH. Presently, Sister serves as a pastoral associate for Our Lady of Loretto Parish in Redford, MI.

Sister Margretta describes herself as a people person and has always been energized by working among them. She enjoys nature and considers sunrises, sunsets,

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falling snow, rainstorms and tending plants among her favorite nature experiences. She likes to take walks, bike ride, dance the polka, exercise, and listen to music.

Sister Mary Peter Kaminski, OSF

Sister Mary Peter Kaminski came to Sylvania, OH from SS. Peter and Paul Parish in Detroit, MI, where she was profoundly influenced by the example of the Sylvania Franciscans who taught her. Her 60 years of ministry were spent mostly in health care, working in hospitals in Ohio, Michigan, Texas, and Virginia for 38 years. She found this work fulfilling and also became involved in the parishes she attended wherever she lived and worked. Currently, Sister serves as the Franciscan Library Assistant. In addition to her love and talent for making beautiful things, Sister Mary Peter likes to read, sew, do needlework, grow plants and advocate for ecological sustainability. She continues to influence people she meets with her Sylvania Franciscan spirit, easy smile and pleasure in exchanging ideas.

Sister Nora Klewicki, OSF

Sister Nora (formerly Sister M. Dunstan) came to Sylvania, Ohio from Hamtramck, Michigan, where she had been educated by the Sylvania Franciscans at St. Ladislaus School and wanted to be like the kind and caring women they were. She served in the ministry of education as teacher and librarian for 25 years, including ten at Cardinal Stritch High School and three at Lourdes College. Sister served as Archivist for the Toledo Diocese and the Sylvania Franciscans and wrote a history of the Sisters entitled, “Ventures for the Lord,” describing the Order’s growth and development from 1916 to the early 1970s. (She is currently writing the history of the Sisters from the 1970s to 2000.) She also served in Pastoral Care at the parish level and as Director of Mission Integration at Providence Care Center in Sandusky, Ohio and at Rosary Care Center in Sylvania. Sister currently

serves as Director of the Regina Spirituality Center in Sylvania. On a personal note, Sister Nora says that her favorite activities are cooking and reading; she loves to bake, especially bread. Her “intellectual” hobby is the reading, study and sharing of Scripture.

Golden Jubilarian Celebrating 50 Years Professed

Sister Karen Zielinski, OSF

A daughter of Sts. Peter and Paul Parish in Detroit, MI, Sister Karen grew up watching the 22 Sisters at the convent. Although all her teachers were different in personality, each was dedicated to helping everyone around them, which inspired Sister Karen to follow their example and want to “do good, too.”

Sister served in the ministry of education as a junior high teacher at Little Flower in Toledo, St. Peter in Huron, St. Aloysious in Bowling Green and as a graduate assistant at BGSU. Sister Karen used her love of music as a high school choral director and piano instructor at Padua Franciscan High School in Parma, OH and Central Catholic High School in Toledo She later taught music history at Lourdes College. Sister Karen served as head of the Communications Office for the Sisters of St. Francis of Sylvania, Ohio, and co-director of their Associates. She is Director of Canticle Studio, where she is a freelance writer and health speaker. Sister is a long-time contributor to Toledo’s Healthy Living News (local) and hosts a regular column, “Nobody’s Perfect”, in the national publication Real Living with Multiple Sclerosis. Sister Karen is a past Chair of the Board of Trustees for the Northwestern Ohio Chapter of the MS Society, and is currently on the Emeritus Board; she served on the Chairman’s Advisory Council, national committee of the National MS Society. This is her 49th year of living with MS. Sister Karen reflects, “I find so many graced encounters surrounding me. MS? Yes, I embrace it. It’s a reality, but I do not let it define me. There is still so much to do.”

About Our Ministries

Lourdes University, since 1958

Rooted in the Catholic and Franciscan tradition, Lourdes University offers baccalaureate degrees in more than 30 academic majors as well as graduate degrees in business, education, nursing, organizational leadership, social work, and theology. Community outreach programs include the Appold Planetarium and Lifelong Learning.

Rosary Care Center/ Our Lady of Grace Hall, since 1974

24-hour skilled nursing care

Rosary Care Center is a 76-bed, licensed nursing home facility with Medicare and Medicaid certification as well as accreditation by The Joint Commission. RCC now offers skilled nursing care and rehabilitation services to vowed religious, as well as lay persons from the greater community.

24-hour skilled assisted living care

Opened in 2012, Our Lady of Grace Hall is an assisted-living facility connected to Rosary Care Center, the skilled nursing facility. The 17unit, 10,000-square-foot, one story building offers assisted living services to the Sylvania Franciscan Sisters.

Bethany House, since 1984

Bethany House provides shelter and resources for victims of domestic violence and their children to safely rebuild their lives. While most homeless shelters offer limited, short-term stays, Bethany House is the only organization in Northwest Ohio to offer long-term, apartment-style transitional shelter, combined with emotional, spiritual and financial support. Their TraumaInformed program is tailored to the unique situation of each individual.

Convent Park Apartments, since 1990

Senior living apartments

Built in 1988, Convent Park Apartments are affordably priced one and two-bedroom apartments adjacent to the Motherhouse grounds of the Sisters of St. Francis. Residents enjoy community activities and the joyful presence of the Sylvania Franciscans, many of whom live in the apartments.

Sophia Center, since 1993

Nurturing wellness in mind, body and heart – for 30 years. Sophia Center offers a full spectrum of therapeutic services by licensed therapists that provide an integrated and holistic approach to achieving inner health and well-being. Sophia Center offers charity care for those who have no insurance or are underinsured. In 2022, over $48,000 in charity care enabled children and adults to receive the care they needed during times of financial distress. The Sophia Center staff strives to help their clients heal and live life to its fullest despite any personal challenges they may face by providing a wide range of services including individual, group, marriage and family counseling.

Welcome House, since 2021

In a desire to welcome refugee families, the Sisters formed the SOSF Refugee Action Committee in 2021 and transformed a former Sylvania Franciscan residence into a “Welcome House.” In this program, the newcomer family may stay for up to one year. They receive information and support services to assist in their relocation. Welcome House partners with Toledo area agencies to provide the family a bridge to independence. So far, Welcome House has successfully assisted three families with building a fruitful life in the Toledo area.

In Memoriam

Sister Nancy Johnson, OSF 1936-2024

Sister Nancy Johnson died peacefully at Rosary Care Center in Sylvania, Ohio on January 4, 2024. A daughter of St. Agnes Parish in Toledo, Ohio in 1952, she was inspired to become a Sister of St. Francis by the joy and kindness she witnessed among the Sisters when she was a student at Central Catholic High School in Toledo. She made her first profession of vows in 1955 and her final profession in 1958.

Over the past 69 years, Sister Nancy spent most of her life teaching and working in health care. She taught in elementary schools in Ohio, Minnesota, and Michigan for 26 years and also served as an assistant principal at St. Ann School in Cincinnati. In the early 1980s, she served as the Infirmarian at Rosary Hall, the Sisters retirement center, and then went on to work at Providence Hospital in Sandusky, Ohio as a nurse’s aide and a physical therapy aide at Firelands Medical Center in Sandusky. In 2009 Sister Nancy retired to the Motherhouse in Sylvania and worked for Canticle Studio where she helped make the Holy Aromas products that are sold in the All Good Things gift shop located on the campus.

In ministry and in illness and in life, Sister Nancy’s ability to be among the people as one who listens demonstrates fulfillment of her favorite Scripture

Art spotlight Franciscan Focus

Highlighting the natural beauty, art, architecture and programs that adorn the Sylvania Franciscan campus.

Mural Tells the 108-YearOld Story

The south entrance to Lourdes University’s Appold Planetarium bears a historical mural portraying the life work of the beloved and Venerable Sylvania Franciscan Foundress, Mother M. Adelaide. The panels, designed and painted by Sister Agneta Ganzel in 1964, are oil on canvas, and tell the story of the Sisters’ history. Mother Adelaide stands quietly under one of the quintessential arches that grace the architecture here, her stance one of both peaceful serenity and quiet energy. Panels on each side depict her legacy. To her right, some of the older buildings of the Motherhouse are seen, including St. Francis, St. Anthony and Carmel Halls, the trunk house and garage, the original Chaplain’s Residence as well as the statue of Our Lady enshrined in the grotto of Lourdes on a nearby hill.

Throughout the mural, the campus teems with activity. Young postulants, novitiate

HISTORICAL MURAL (on walls North and East). Oil painting on canvas, designed and executed by Sister Agneta Ganzel in 1964. 16 3/4’ high x 12’ wide.

and Professed Sisters dot the pathways connecting the Motherhouse buildings. Francis of Assisi stands on the left section of the mural, arms outstretched in joyous praise to God as he beholds all that Mother M. Adelaide has created. He looks into the faces of many well-known Sisters of the Community. Behind them, St. Clare stands poised with a lantern, ready to walk with the 522 women religious who will walk with her.

Duns Scotus Library, erected in 1949 and dedicated to the spirit of Wisdom, stands as a living memorial to the intellectual acumen of its Foundress. The cherished Portiuncula sits in the distance. Overhead is shown a portion of the delicately modeled grating enclosing the tomb of Mother M. Adelaide. In the upper left corner, an angel painted in Fra Angelico style hovers over the Chapel of Our Lady Queen of Peace. Mary herself smilingly presides over the ceremonies enacted within its sacred walls.

The California mission bell rings out its “Ave” in memory of Mother M. Adelaide, the melody echoing through the rolling archways of the cluster of buildings that extends from the new college building to the chapel, and then to the remotest areas of the campus.

One of Mother Adelaide’s most cherished ambitions, the erection of Lourdes Junior College, receives special recognition in the mural. The exquisitely rendered stained glass coat of arms sheds its brilliant rays over all her earlier achievements. The eye notes that even the evergreens and the blossoming dogwood which she nurtured so carefully catch the spark of her indomitable spirit and join in radiating Our Mother’s love for God and His creation.

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