. The Sisters of St. Francis of Perpetual Adoration was originally founded in Olpe, Germany in 1863 by Maria Theresia Bonzel as the "Poor Sisters of St. Francis Seraph of the Perpetual Adoration". Of that momentous event she would later say, On the day of my First Holy Communion I was unspeakably happy. Her zeal, which had embraced all needs of the Church in loving concern, endeavored to spread the Gospel in mission lands. A Companion's relationship with the Sisters of St. Francis of Perpetual Adoration is a spiritual, not a legal bond. Along with various events celebrating the 150th of the Congregation, the Sisters will now add other jubilant festivities to commemorate this momentous year. In humble gratitude we bow to this Holy God who dwells within and among us as we step forward with expectancy into a future full of hope. She was often seen kneeling before the tabernacle. April 21, 2013 After repeated requests to the government, Mother Maria Theresia was finally given permission, in 1882, to admit new members to the Congregation. Another addition to the motherhouse at Olpe was constructed. In 1875, the political unrest in Germany made the further growth of the Congregation impossible, curbing many of the activities essential to the religious life of the Sisters. Devotion to the Mother of God and to St. Joseph she left as a most precious heritage to her Sisters. For 23 years Sister Clarice was principal of Our Lady of Grace School in Highland. We are grateful to Blessed Maria Theresia Bonzel, as now she returns to the place where she received Baptism and all the sacraments, Archbishop Hans Josef Becker said as he led the funeral procession. Looks like fspa.org is safe and legit. Her first apostolate was care of the orphans and the home nursing care of those who could not afford to be hospitalized. For 150 years our international congregation has placed the whole of our lives, our community living and our ministry into the open hands of our loving God. She has been residing at Our Lady of Angels Convent since 2003. Rejoice with us! The fourth province is the Immaculate Conception Province in the Philippines. She was unselfish, gentle, and understanding, and she radiated joy and contentment. The newly acquired building became the novitiate of the Congregation. In brief, she was all to all. Already in childhood she developed a pronounced inclination for all that is religious and as a young woman drawn by the spirituality of St. Francis, she became a member of the Third Order Secular. The vision and charisma of Saints Francis and Clare so inspired Maria Theresia that she founded her new community as a Third Order Franciscan Congregation. Sister Clarice was born in Omaha, Nebraska, and entered the novitiate of the Sisters of St. Francis of Perpetual Adoration on Aug. 12, 1939. One of the great religious women who founded a Congregation was Mother Maria Theresia Bonzel, foundress of the Sisters of St. Francis of Perpetual Adoration in Olpe, Westphalia, Germany. To Mother Maria Theresa, whose foremost concern was to live according to Franciscan spirituality, and especially to foster perpetual adoration of our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament, it was without question that true love of God becomes visible and credible only in sincere love of neighbor. Mother Maria Theresia Bonzel, the foundress of our Congregation, was born on September 17, 1830, in Olpe, Germany. In her instructions to the first Sisters of St. Francis of Perpetual Adoration, your holy foundress, Mother Maria Theresia, wrote: The grace of our holy vocation is the greatest grace that could come to us after Baptism, and we ought to be most grateful for it, he quoted. The files of her beatification attest to the love and strength she found therein: "She had grown under the soft light of the Eucharistic sun. In 1896 she would have liked to travel to the United States a fourth time, but her health did not permit the trip. A video on the vocation and call to become aSister of St. Francis of Perpetual Adoration. On Monday, November 11, 2013, the mortal remains of Blessed Maria Theresia Bonzel were transferred to St. Martins Church to be buried in the new Blessed Sacrament Chapel. In 1886, the first General Chapter of the Congregation was held in Mulheim. The St. Elizabeth Province is in Germany. Blessed Mother Maria Theresia Bonzel. Under penalty of law, theadmission of new members to the community was prohibited. In each edition we will share with you a little about our life as we follow Christ after the example of our Holy Father St. Francis and Blessed Maria Theresia. In addition to being their home, Mount St. Francis is also the location of their following ministries: Mount Saint Francis Nursing Center; Franciscan Community Counseling; Franciscan Retreat Center; Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation; and leased property to Saint Francis of Assisi Parish. Cookies help us improve your website experience. This date is observed as the founding day of the Congregation. The fire started on the third floor and outraced the fire department's attempts to control it, spreading quickly through the building, some of which dated . For over 150 years, the sisters haveremained faithful to their charism of perpetual adoration as well as the activeapostolates of healthcare and education. 150 years ago our foundress, Maria Theresia Bonzel, of Olpe, Germany, trustingly prayed: "He leads; I follow." A video about our community and our charism of perpetual adoration and the works of mercy. The presence of the congregation in the United States dates from 1874, when the first three missionary sisters, accompanied by general superior Mother Aloysia Lenders, arrived . Blessed Maria Theresia Bonzel founded our congregation in Olpe, Germany, in the year 1863. The Sisters of St. Francis of Perpetual Adoration is a papal congregation of the Roman Catholic Church, founded on July 20, 1863 by Mother Maria Theresia Bonzel in Olpe, Germany. Although two jubilarians, Sister M. Clarice Sobczyk and Sister M. Christine Jamros, could not be present at the jubilee Mass, Bishop Rhoades honored their lives of selfless generosity along with those of Sister M. Ren Duplessis and Sister M. Ruth Luthman. During a mission given in a neighboring town in 1850, Aline experienced an even stronger calling to religious life. The ministry of Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation flows from the Mission and Vision Statements of the Sisters of Saint Francis of Perpetual Adoration, Saint Joseph Province. In 1868 the orphans were transferred to a newly acquired building and the following year a new wing was added, with Bishop Martin himself laying the cornerstone. A celebration with St. Francis of Assisi Parish, Colorado Springs, at Mount Saint Francis, will mark the 25th Anniversary of the Parish, the 50th Anniversary of the Parish Church building, and the 150th Congregational Anniversary of the Sisters of St. Francis of Perpetual Adoration. Francis and Clares passionate love for God and all of Gods creatures has had a profound impact on our world and continues to motivate contemporary women and men to embrace the Franciscan dream. On the day of her first Holy Communion she experienced the call of grace to give herself unreservedly to Christ. In 2012, our health system was selected to participate in a Pioneer Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) initiative by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Sisters of St. Francis of Perpetual Adoration is a papal congregation of the Roman Catholic Church, founded on July 20, 1863, by Mother Maria Theresia Bonzel in Olpe, Germany (sometimes known from the place of their foundation as the Olpe Sisters). In doing so, we follow in the footsteps of Jesus who spent His public life praying, teaching, healing and ministering to others. Gods blessing was on their work, however, and they received many vocations. We seek to bring healing with compassion and forgiveness. Sisters of St. Francis of Perpetual Adoration (Q1450258) From Wikidata. From there we serve in the Archdioceses of Chicago and Indianapolis, and the Dioceses of Fort Wayne-South Bend, Lafayette-in-Indiana, and Gary. Sisters of St Francis of Perpetual Adoration, Olpe by Sister Magdalena Krol Osf. These words of our foundress, Blessed Maria Theresia, were chosen as the name for our newsletter. Before that I was a vivacious child, ready to take part in every prank. She submitted to the bishop the Statutes of the Congregation together with the Rule of Saint Augustine with which she was familiar. Since Aug. 1, 1878, we've prayed nonstop. On April 13, 1897, in view of the spirit and apostolic commitment of the Sisters, Pope Leo XIII issued aDecree of Commendation. She has been residing at Our Lady of Angels Convent since 2015. How to become a Companion Invitation. Before founding the Congregation, she lived with her parents in a house located just across the street from St. Martins Church. In reflecting on this moment, Sister Clarice Gentrup, General Councilor and member of the Colorado Springs Province commented: No words convey the feeling in my soul as I walked behind the coffin of Blessed Maria Theresia Bonzel in St. Martins Church on the way to the Blessed Sacrament Chapel where her body now lies entombed, just some fifty feet from where she was born., Cardinal Paul Josef Cordes then celebrated Mass with Archbishop Becker and other concelebrants in St. Martins Church, Olpe. The Eucharistic Lord must be discovered by us anew and must be proclaimed as an enabler of selfless love. Since the source of the charitable actions of Blessed Maria Theresia was Eucharistic adoration, it is only a reasonable and distinctive place to find the new Blessed of the Archdiocese of Paderborn in the new Blessed Sacrament Chapel of St. Martins Church. Provincial's Message. Archbishop BeckerHe spoke of Maria Theresias extraordinary love of the Blessed Sacrament and her care of the sick and the needy. Mother Maria Theresia was unanimously elected Superior General and remained in that office until her death. June 15-21, 2013 She grew up as Aline Bonzel in an affluent but deeply religious family. A year later, she became a member of the Third Order Secular of St. Francis, taking the name Maria Theresia. for The Sisters of Saint Francis of Perpetual Adoration, Praise and Glory to God The Sisters of St. Francis of Perpetual Adoration was founded by Blessed Marie Theresia Bonzel in Olpe, Germany, in 1863. Ecclesiastical and civil authorities recognized her work, and the greatest joy of all was the praise of the Congregation and the approval of its Statutes by the Apostolic See in Rome in 1897. The Church bells rang while her coffin was carried to St. Martins Church on an open Olpe fire truck which was followed by numerous Franciscan Sisters in buses and many more devotees on foot. Soon many young ladies joined the congregation, causing a rapid expansion in the United States. July 14, 2013 The Sisters of St. Francis of Perpetual Adoration is a papal congregation of the Roman Catholic Church, founded on July 20, 1863, by Mother Maria Theresia Bonzel in Olpe, Germany (sometimes known from the place of their foundation as the Olpe Sisters). Founded by Mother Maria Theresia Bonzel, the congregation later became known as the Sisters of St. Francis of Perpetual Adoration. Her father, a well-to-do merchant, died when she was only seven. Therefore, at the invitation of Bishop Joseph Dwenger of Fort Wayne, Indiana, Mother Maria Theresia sent six sisters to the United States. She died on February 6, 1905. The Sisters expanded the health system with more hospitals, schools, orphanages and homes for the elderly. Learn about our history, our mission, and our team. The message today is that prayer is powerful. This is the testimony today of the Olpe Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration. The Cardinal referred to Blessed Maria Theresias service of charity: the charity to the elderly and the sick, the needy and refugeesTo many sick she gave consolation and relief, together with her Sisters; how many children she and her religious Community took from the streets; how many homeless and hungry people they gave food and drink.