Sylvania Franciscan Mag. Vol. 26 Issue 2

Sisters of St. Francis of Sylvania, Ohio

Sylvania

Franciscan

2025 • Vol. 26, Issue 2

New Leadership

Teaching at 89

Making It Happen

This past Spring the Sisters of St. Francis of Sylvania, Ohio elected their new Leadership Team. Page 3.

Sister Clarinda knew that her mission in life was to be the best educator she could be.

Page 4.

Sister Pat’s determined fight for justice takes many forms – peaceful protest, advocacy, and walking alongside those in need. Page 6.

Letter from the Congregational Minister

A gift that God offers us every day “Hope does not disappoint.” So said Pope Francis (of happy memory), quoting Romans 5:5, as he proclaimed the theme of the Catholic Church’s 2025 Jubilee Year. The Sylvania Franciscans have chosen a similar theme for this issue of our Sylvania Franciscan Magazine — Hope in Changing Times.

When I first heard Pope Francis’ proclamation, I thought: “Well, that’s not right. Hope sometimes does disappoint!” I hope I can lose weight, but I don’t. I hope I’ll win the lottery, but I don’t. I hope my favorite baseball team will win the World Series, but it doesn’t. And on and on…! But reflection tells me that I am expecting too little of hope.

Leadership The Sylvania Franciscan newsletter is a publication of the Sylvania Franciscan Foundation Office of the Sisters of St. Francis of Sylvania, Ohio Sister Sharon Derivan, OSF Congregational Minister Sister Nancy Surma, OSF Assistant Congregational Minister Sister Rebecca Rutkowski, OSF Councilor/ Congregational Treasurer Sister Pat Gardner, OSF Councilor/Congregational Secretary Elizabeth Reiter Editor and contributing writer Director of Communications and Connections 419-824-3667

Christian hope is not optimism that something good might happen. Pope Francis reminded us that “hoping is waiting for something that has already been given to us: salvation in God’s eternal and infinite love.” To hope “is to welcome this gift that God offers us every day.”

Because I believe this, I can maintain a hopeful stance. Even though I recognize that we humans are sinful and cause a lot of problems in the world, I can also see the goodness we are capable of when we open our hearts to the gift God offers.

Notably, I see so much goodness and generosity in all of you, dear readers, who support the mission and ministry of the Sylvania Franciscans. All the Sisters and I are grateful for that support and promise our prayers in return!

So, as I reflect on our theme of Hope in Changing Times, I challenge myself to look around and see the good. I challenge you to do the same! The good is there—it has already been given to us. It is ours for the taking because “hope does not disappoint.”

Maegen Anders Photographer Cataloging & Communications Assistant

Sister Sharon K. Derivan, OSF Congregational Minister

On the Cover

On the cover: Sister Pat Gardner heads to the corner to peacefully protest. Photo credit: Maegen Anders

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SISTERS OF ST. FRANCIS OF SYLVANIA, OHIO

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.

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News Notes New Leadership takes Office This past Spring the Sisters of St. Francis of Sylvania, Ohio elected their new Leadership Team, which includes Sister Sharon K. Derivan, OSF, as Congregational Minister, Sister Nancy Surma, OSF, serving as Assistant Congregational Minister, Sister Rebecca Rutkowski, OSF, returning in the role of Congregational Treasurer, and Sister Patricia Gardner, OSF, as Congregational Secretary.

Elections occur every four years, and the Sisters take leave from their ministries across the states to return to the Motherhouse in Sylvania to convene, pray, reflect, and ultimately vote for new Leadership. This was the 21st Chapter of Elections in the Sisters’ 109-year history.

The new Leadership team took office on June 29, 2025, in Queen of Peace Chapel and in July convened to the Sisters’ home on Mirror Lake for a quiet week-long planning session.

Congregational Leadership is tasked with making significant decisions for the congregation, ensuring the welfare of their 91 Sisters, and overseeing the Sylvania Franciscan Foundation and their many sponsored ministries, which

2025-2029 Sylvania Franciscan Leadership: Sister Rebecca Rutkowski, Sister Nancy Surma, Sister Sharon Derivan, and Sister Pat Gardner.

include Lourdes University, Bethany House, Sophia Center, Rosary Care Center, and Convent Park Apartments.

“The time we had at Mirror Lake was important, given we are a new team. It allowed us to get to know each other better, take a look at the Chapter 2025 Initiatives, and most importantly, focus on the support and well-being of our 91 Sisters. These are changing times for the Congregation, and in the next four years we will work together with our Sisters to discern the journey God is calling us to,” said Sister Nancy Surma, Assistant Congregational Minister.

Sister Nancy Surma, Sister Sharon Derivan, Sister Pat Gardner, and Sister Rebecca Rutkowski convened to Mirror Lake for a week-long planning session in July.

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F E AT U R I N G M I N I S T R I E S

‘Good Morning, Good People!’

The ministry of Sister Clarinda Coffel, OSF

In 1953, 17-year-old Sister Clarinda, originally from Columbia Heights, MN, found herself teaching a classroom of 42 second graders in Toledo, OH. Far from scaring Sister Clarinda off, she knew then that her mission in life was to be the best educator she could be, both as teacher and later as an administrator.

Sister Clarinda’s style, then and now, is no-nonsense. Her classrooms were orderly. Children raised their hands and helped each other. And her students thrived.

“Discipline and structure do not need to be oppressive,” Sister Clarinda explains. “Discipline is important. It creates a place of mutual respect. I understood that early and I made sure the parents and my pupils understood that.”

“We got along wonderfully. I found that if you love them, they will love you. And I appreciated my students. I always took the time to answer their questions,” Sister says.

“People ask me, ‘Why are people always running over and giving you hugs?’ It’s because I’m running into former students all the time,” Sister Clarinda laughs. “I have students from Detroit, Minnesota, everywhere, who still send me cards. They are grandparents now, and they still remember me,” she says with a shake of her head.

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SISTERS OF ST. FRANCIS OF SYLVANIA, OHIO

At 89, Sister is still teaching. She leads two Scripture Programs for adults in St. John’s Parish in Minneapolis, MN, each ranging from 20-50 students. She calls class to order with an attention-getting “Good Morning, Good People!”

Shelly O’Leary attends Sister Clarinda’s study groups with her husband. “She’s on her feet for the entire two-and-a-half-hour class, walking around to make sure we did our homework – yes – she gives us homework,” Shelly laughs. “Any question asked, she answers it fully. She notices things. She reads faces and knows when there is something wrong or if we need more explanation.”

She taught grades 2-8 in Ohio and Michigan until 1976, serving as Principal for three of those years.

Sister was transferred to Minneapolis to serve as Principal of Immaculate Conception School for two decades. Sister ministered in education for another 26 years before transitioning to Faith Formation at St. John the Baptist in New Brighton, MN in 2002. “I worked on everything from cradle to grave in that parish,” Sister Clarinda says. “It was an honor.”

Sister’s own journey in life has given her tools that helps her to understand suffering. She was in her 20’s when she had her first surgery. Her sister died tragically when she was quite young. Sister has battled cancer – twice. “Parts of

“People do seem to like these classes,” Sister laughs. “And I love teaching them,” she adds.

“She is a saint. She volunteers at a homeless shelter, and I see her outside on the street, talking to the people, listening to them. It’s hard to explain how much she means to us and how much she has done for us,” Shelly says. “She loves God and wants us to know God is with us and she wants us to live with that knowledge every day.”

“People ask me, ‘Why are people always running over and giving you hugs?’ It’s because I’m running into former students all the time.”

Born Joan Mary Coffel to Catherine McGuire and Clarence Coffel in 1936, Sister grew up on the north side of Columbia Heights in a house next to the old cemetery with three brothers and a sister. Tuition for school was $1 per month for the entire family, which during the depression, wasn’t easy.

your body just fall apart,” she says.

Sister Clarinda ministers to those around her, both in the classroom and in daily life.

“It was the end of the depression. Nobody had any money. If you had a box of tomatoes, you didn’t hoard them, you shared them. My mother baked three times a week and she would always send me to run two loaves of bread over to the Sisters at the convent. They really needed it. I would tell my mother, but we need it! ‘We have enough’, she’d say. People were losing their houses. She let a couple of families stay in our basement until they found another place. I learned that my mother was right. We had little, but we had enough,” Sister Clarinda remembers.

“I can tell you one thing,” Sister Clarinda laughs. “When I became a Sister, taking the vow of poverty was easy!”

“It’s hard when these things come, of course it is. But I pull myself together and ask myself: Is this what God wants? Fine. Okay. Let’s move forward. It’s the attitude you take and how you deal with it. If you go in saying, ‘This is going to be terrible,’ well, maybe it will be.

If you go in saying, ‘God has a plan for me,’ its going to be better, no matter how it ends up,” Sister says.

Sister Clarinda, soon to be 90, is as surprised as anyone to still be here. She’s listening, always, for details of God’s plan to continue to unfold as she continues to move forward.

“I agreed to return to the Motherhouse when I am 90,” Sister Clarinda says, looking around at her memory-filled apartment, sighing at the work ahead next year, but looking forward to being closer to her Sisters in community.

Until then, Sister will continue to teach, both in her classes and in her life, that the scripture is alive, God is good and loves each of us, and that each of us can be disciples.

“I think life is wonderful. I have loved being a Sister and, if I could do it again, I would,” Sister Clarinda says.

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F E AT U R I N G M I N I S T R I E S

Seeing Hope through the Injustice

Watching Sister Pat Gardner, OSF, you are reminded that making the world a better place isn’t a spectator sport.

“You’ve got to get in there and make it happen,” Sister Pat grins, “It doesn’t happen by itself!”

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Her determined fight for justice takes many forms—peaceful protest, advocacy, and walking alongside those in need. Sister Pat served as a Court Appointed Special Advocate (C.A.S.A.) for more than a decade, sits on Toledo’s Stop Trafficking committee, donates blood regularly, and as co-chair of the Justice, Peace, and Integrity of Creation (JPIC) office, provides calls to action and information to her community of Sisters.

Sister Pat, who served from 2008-2016 as Congregational Treasurer, was recently re-elected to the 2025-2029 Leadership Team, which means her summer was spent making sure that her many ministries in Peace and Justice are set to continue without her.

Until late summer, Sister Pat also served as chair of the Welcome House, launched by the Sylvania Franciscans in 2021. Working with Sister Nancy Surma and Chief People and Culture Officer Mechelle Zarou, an immigration attorney who came to the Sisters to join their efforts, Welcome House has helped six families navigate paperwork, enroll their children in school, provide transportation, obtain driver’s licenses, enroll in English classes, obtain work permits and jobs, and become independent.

“Working with the various families, I’ve learned more from them than I’ve given to them. The relationship became more than us helping somebody.

They became our family and we are friends now.”

Like so many, Sister’s ministry in justice and peace began in the 1970’s. In Sister Pat’s case, peacemaking efforts mainly took place in the classroom where she taught grades 2-6 in Cincinnati, Toledo, and St. Paul, MN. In 1985, she was transferred from St. Paul to Corsicana, TX to serve as

SISTERS OF ST. FRANCIS OF SYLVANIA, OHIO

Through decades of service, Sister Pat has learned to see justice in both bold action and simple listening.

Principal of the James L. Collins Catholic School. It was here that Sister Pat’s passion to protect children, the poor, the underserved, and the marginalized in society began to unfurl.

In the mid-1980’s, Corsicana was a small town with a little over 20,000 residents, a great school, friendly neighborhoods, a charming downtown – and a drug problem.

There was nothing singular about Corsicana when it came to drugs, but the town’s response was. Sister Pat joined a group of residents who wanted their objection to be heard, and, accompanied by police, would form protests outside a known drug house.

“I don’t remember anyone coming out of the house,” Sister Pat remembers, “But I’m pretty sure they got the message.”

“Before that, I could see injustices, but I didn’t know what to do about them,” Sister Pat says.

She began to find her voice simply by getting involved. Being the eyes of the judge in providing safety for children in the foster care system. Bringing attention to injustice. Providing a home for those who desperately need one, like with the Welcome House or the children at Los Niños Foster Home in New Mexico.

In the late 1990’s, Sister Pat was offered a position running in a new children’s home opening in central New Mexico. Leadership agreed, and she was joined

by Sister Nancy Ferguson and Sister Pat Hejna in this new ministry. Over the next several years, the Sisters’ relationship with the children, each with his or her own story and needs, became a direct ministry that was challenging and profoundly rewarding. Sister Pat and Sister Nancy remain in contact with many of the children, now adults, who consider the Sisters their mothers.

“It was the hardest, but the most meaningful ministry that I’ve

had,” Sister Pat says. “The children had no voice. They were completely dependent on us. They had nobody else.”

It was also the first time Sister Pat, a lifetime educator, really understood the parents’ point of view. “We would be up every night struggling to understand homework assignments,” Sister Pat says. “I understood why parents would groan about too much homework as much as the kids sometimes,” she laughs.

Through decades of service, Sister Pat has learned to see justice in both bold action and simple listening. Today, she identifies with NETWORK, a Catholic social justice organization urging dialogue across differences. “In my own family we have polar extremes of political views,” she says.

“We are never going to change each other’s minds, but we are more than our politics. There is always something we can find in common.”

Despite the challenges of our time, Sister Pat remains hopeful.

“I believe people are paying attention and they care. We may not know the way forward yet, but there is enough heart and will for good among people that we will find our way.”

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Sylvania Franciscan Foundation: Securing the Legacy of the Sisters sustainability, care for survivors of human trafficking, and support for immigrants and refugees. A strong Foundation today ensures the Sisters’ legacy endures, sustaining the work to which they have devoted their lives, Your gifts today make that possible, even as they pass the torch to new hands. fueling initiatives such as solar energy, When you give through the You might wonder, “Why not just give community gardens, and support Foundation, you become part directly to a ministry?” When you give for immigrants and refugees. Your of something bigger. Your gift through the Foundation, you become part generosity sustains sponsored ministries supports not just one cause, of something bigger. Your gift supports that provide safe shelter for survivors but a strategic, multifaceted not just one cause, but a strategic, of domestic violence (Bethany House), mission rooted in the Sisters’ multifaceted mission rooted in the Sisters’ affordable senior housing (Convent Park enduring Franciscan values. enduring Franciscan values. Guided Apartments), elder care (Our Lady of by a legacy of trust, your generosity is Grace Hall and Rosary Care Center), wisely invested, faithfully stewarded, mental health counseling (Sophia Counseling Center), and and directed where it can do the most good, enabling world-class education (Lourdes University). transformational giving, large-scale projects, and lasting Your generosity also extends the Sisters’ reach through grants impact across ministries. to organizations advancing social justice, environmental The Sylvania Franciscan Foundation exists to carry the mission and ministries of the Sisters forward, both now and for generations to come.

The Solar Project: Like Planting 100,000 Trees The future of the Sisters’ mission and ministries is taking shape. This year the Sisters are installing a solar panel array on the Motherhouse campus that, over the next 30 years, will reduce carbon emissions equal to planting more than 100,000 trees. It’s a fitting tribute to Mother Adelaide—who planted 1,000 trees here a century ago—and a powerful testament to the Sisters’ commitment to caring for our Earth. The panels will generate electricity campuswide, roughly the amount used by the Franciscan Center, with savings reinvested into future environmental initiatives and the Sisters’ mission and ministries.

Why do this project? It’s Franciscan. It’s the right thing to do. For most families, “going solar” is out of reach, but hundreds of us can join together to make it possible here. Your gift at any level will help make the Sisters’ solar project a reality and inspire others to take bold steps for our environment. The more solar energy takes hold, the more affordable and accessible it becomes for everyday families. This isn’t just about bringing clean energy to the Motherhouse. It’s also about the Sisters doing that which is theirs to do and sparking a movement with lasting impact in the process.

Join the Sisters on the Path to a Sustainable Future

So, will you join the Sisters in their bold vision? This year’s project is the first phase of a three-year, $5 million plan to bring solar power to the Motherhouse campus. Achieving this comprehensive goal depends on the shared generosity of those who believe faith and sustainability belong together.

Whether through a one-time gift or a pledge over three years, your contribution at a level meaningful to you does more than merely fund a project. You are putting faith into action and making a bold investment in hope for a cleaner world.

Peace and blessings, Nate Reid Executive Director Sylvania Franciscan Foundation

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Ready to Take the Next Step?

• Let’s talk about the Solar Project: nreid@sistersosf.org | 419-824-3625 • Ready to make an impact now?

Make your pledge today at www.sistersosf.org/solar Thank you for helping write the next chapter in the Sisters of St. Francis story!

An envelope is attached for your convenience.

Thank you in advance for your prayerful support.

SISTERS OF ST. FRANCIS OF SYLVANIA, OHIO

Pilgrims of Hope in a Changing World:

Embracing God’s presence through change, compassion, and community

By Sister Theresa Darga, OSF hope, your prayers, support and shared mission help us to extend healing to a world in need.

Another vital part of healing is cultivating an awareness of As the months unfold, that invitation seems to grow even the blessings in our lives – those quiet, tender messages from more urgent. Our lives are filled with constant God that remind us that we are not alone, that transitions – beginnings and endings, God is with us in joy, in struggle, in some sudden and unexpected, others change. As the ancient poet Rumi once gradual and carefully planned. said, “Wherever you place your foot, Each brings with it a wide range of there rests a blessing.” Every moment, Being messengers of hope often emotions. Now more than ever, we every place we find ourselves, even the begins in small, simple acts: are called to place our trust in our difficult ones, is made holy by God’s God who journeys with us through presence.

• A warm smile. every twist and turn.

Think back to all the changes in your • An errand for someone who is own life. Some were so joyful; God’s As Franciscans, we witness moments overwhelmed. presence was undeniable. Others were each day that spark hope. We are painful or marked by uncertainly, and • Listening with compassion – called to be healers in a world longing God’s love felt distant. But with time even when you have already for compassion and peace. and reflection, often we discover that heard the story.

In this issue, we’ve spent time with God was there all along – offering • Comforting a child. two Sisters whose ministries embody strength, comfort, and healing in ways that call. we couldn’t yet see.

• Hugging someone who is lonely.

So let us continue this journey together Sister Pat Gardner works passionately • Sitting with someone who – as healers, as companions, as pilgrims for peace and justice, inviting each grieves. of hope. Let us see with eyes of faith, of us to speak out on behalf of respond with heart of compassion, and These ordinary actions become immigrants, refugees, and those embrace each day as an opportunity for sacred encounters when done fleeing from violence. She reminds us grace. with love. that our voices can make a difference!

As we hear the Word, break the Bread, Sister Clarinda, through her deep love and share in the sacred Body of Christ, of Scripture, brings healing to the may we go forth as living witnesses of peace and justice. hearts of her parish community. With wisdom and grace, she May we truly be Pilgrims of Hope! offers comfort and hope to those seeking the presence of God in their lives.

Sister Theresa Darga, OSF Together with you, our generous donors, we are called to see Advancement / Foundation Office the face of Jesus in the poor, the immigrant, the oppressed, Donor Relations tdarga@sistersosf.org / 419-517-8961 the grieving, and all who seek justice. As a community of

We began this year with the challenge of Pope Francis: Be Pilgrims of Hope!

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In Memoriam Sister Patricia Taube, OSF

Sister M. Ricarda Witt, OSF

Sister Patricia Taube (formerly Sister Mary Mateo) died at Rosary Care Center in Sylvania, Ohio on July 21, 2025. Sister came from SS. Peter and Paul Parish in Detroit, Michigan in 1956 to become a Sister of St. Francis. She felt called by God from an early age to dedicate her life to helping others. She made her first profession of vows in 1958 and her final vows in 1961.

In Sister Pat’s 66 years in religious life, she found many ways to answer God’s call. She taught in schools in Ohio, Michigan and Minnesota. In the 1970s, Sister pursued an M.A. in religious education at The Catholic University of America in Washington, DC. Sister Pat later served as Director of the East Toledo Religious Education Center, providing resources to support parishes and implementing the call for ecumenism after Vatican II. She worked with Father Bernie Boff in establishing the Bible Center in Toledo’s Central City. She later moved on to work as Director of Religious Education Centers in Steubenville and Mansfield, Ohio.

Sister Pat was then called to Clinical Pastoral Education studies, which prepared her to minister in a parish and Mansfield State Prison in Ohio. As a Board-Certified Chaplain, she ministered at rehab centers and hospitals in Huntington, West Virginia while serving as a family caregiver.

On her 75th birthday, Sister’s life radically changed after an infection led to sepsis and the loss of her limbs. She returned to the Motherhouse to heal at Rosary Care Center in Sylvania.

There, she again heard God’s call and understood that she was to offer Spiritual Direction and assist others to answer their ‘call.’

On her 60th Jubilee, Sister Pat wrote: “I continued to live one day at a time, with my ear to my heart.”

Sister M. Ricarda Witt, OSF died August 22, 2025, at Rosary Care Center in Sylvania, Ohio, at the age of 101.

One of the community’s longest-living members, she entered the Sisters of St. Francis in 1938 from St. Ladislaus Parish in Hamtramck, Michigan, after finishing eighth grade—curious to see “just what Sisters did all day.” She would spend the next 81 years finding out.

For 42 years, Sister Ricarda taught in elementary and secondary schools and served as principal in Ohio, Minnesota, and Michigan. She later worked in health care at Holy Cross Hospital in Detroit as a Materials Management Analyst and Inventory Clerk. In early retirement, she became a clerical assistant for the Sisters, receptionist at Franciscan Care Center in Toledo, and archivist in Sylvania, where she served for 16 years, eventually as Co-Director. In 2020, she entered full-time Prayer Ministry, lifting up the intentions of her community, the Church, and the world.

Sister Ricarda treasured class trips with her high school seniors, pilgrimages to Assisi and Rome, and a close encounter with Pope John Paul II during his 1977 visit to Hamtramck. She approached milestones with humility, dismissing her 75th Jubilee as “just a number,” though she delighted quietly in her 100th birthday celebration.

Sister Ricarda is survived by her Sisters in community and by nieces and nephews. She will be deeply missed by her Franciscan family, caregivers, and loved ones. May she rest in peace.

Sister Carol Hoffman, OSF Sister Carol Hoffman (formerly Sister M. Dismas) died at Rosary Care Center in Sylvania, Ohio on September 15, 2025, at the age of 88, after a long and brave struggle with cancer. Sister came to the convent in Sylvania in 1960 from St. Clement Parish in Toledo, Ohio and made her first profession of vows in 1963.

Sister Carol’s 62 years of ministry called forth her gift of teaching in elementary schools in Ohio, Michigan, and Louisiana. In the late 1980s, the Sylvania Franciscans responded to a call to serve in parishes in the New Orleans area. Sister spent 30 years in New Orleans teaching, serving as a Librarian, and thoroughly loving her work among the people, especially the children.

New Orleans captured Sister Carol’s heart and soul as she relished the culture, the environment and the stamina, as well as the endurance of the people, all of which was put to a test in 2005 with Hurricane Katrina.

Sister Carol and her Irish friend, Sister Teresa Rooney ministered in churches and schools, staying in the area and helped out wherever help was needed.

Sister Carol returned to the Motherhouse in Sylvania in 2013 to continue to serve, through helping to digitize the Sisters’ Spiritual Reading Library, and later becoming the Congregational Archivist. Sister Carol eventually retired and became an example of a person of great patience, resilience and perseverance, praying to “Live in the moment and let God take care of the future.”

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SISTERS OF ST. FRANCIS OF SYLVANIA, OHIO

Art spotlight

Journey of Beauty: Art by Sylvania Franciscan Sisters

This past summer nearly 60 original works of art by 20 Sylvania Franciscan Sisters was showcased in the Toledo Lucas County Public Library Main Branch Downtown in a rare exhibition titled Journey of Beauty: Art by Sylvania Franciscan Sisters.

30 works of art, but it quickly became something larger and more meaningful.”

“This exhibit took on a life of its own,” says Art Curator Christine Deemer.

“It began as a modest plan to exhibit

At a public reception, the Sisters were delighted to see pieces of work that

The range of media is an impressive collection of ink drawings, textiles, ceramics, watercolor, acrylic, oil paintings, photography, glass, graphite, prints, and colored pencil. While each piece stands on its own, together they speak to a longer story of discipline, creativity, and faith.

they had never seen, as well as familiar favorites on prominent display. The exhibit was covered by local media and drew hundreds of visitors in its nearly two-month long showing.

“The response has been strong, not only from the Sisters’ community, but from the public as well. More than once, we’ve been asked if the show will travel, or if more work will be shown. And yes, we are definitely open to the idea,” says Deemer.

Foundress Mother M. Adelaide Sandusky, a talented artist herself, believed that beauty reveals the Creator.

At the Motherhouse she instilled this belief in her young Sisters through art classes, art appreciation, and a gentle sense of aesthetic awareness in creating their spiritual home.

“Mother Adelaide’s attitude toward beauty came from a conviction that one exposed to beauty will grow in appreciation of it. It will change you and it will prompt growth of your soul,” says Sister Magdala Davlin, OSF, herself an accomplished artist.

Sister Fidelis Rubbo, OSF, takes a photo of Sister Faith, OSF, posing next to her watercolor portrait, which was painted by Sister Agneta Ganzel, OSF, in 1978.

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Sisters of St. Francis of Sylvania, Ohio 6832 Convent Blvd.

Sylvania, Ohio 43560 sistersosf.org facebook.com/sylvaniafranciscans

Messengers of Peace Since 1916, Sylvania Franciscans have been messengers of peace.

We commit ourselves to works that reverence human dignity, embrace the poor and marginalized and respect the gift of all creation.

Our Sponsored Ministries: Bethany House | Convent Park Apartments Lourdes University | Welcome House Our Lady of Grace Hall | Rosary Care Center Sophia Counseling Center

Learn more at sistersosf.org

SISTERS OF ST. FRANCIS OF SYLVANIA, OHIO

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