Sisters Announce 2015 Honorees

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The Annual Franciscan Autumn Feast not only supports the Sisters, but it provides the Sisters with the opportunity to honor individuals and organizations who are impacting the community. In 2015, the Sisters are happy to announce that there will be two Mother Alfred Moes Award Honorees and two Joliet Franciscan Heritage Award Honorees.

Mother Alfred Moes Award Honorees

The Will-Grundy MeWill Grundy Medical Clinic copydical Clinic, now in its 31st year, will be honored for its commitment to provide free medical and dental care to adults who have no health insurance or medical care entitlements and meet prescribed income guidelines. Care is provided by physicians, dentists and other professionals who volunteer their time and expertise to the Clinic.

NilanDiane Nilan is the founder and president of Hear Us, an organization that provides voice and visibility to the country’s homeless children and youth. Diane travels around the country in her home – an RV – and through films and books, works to bring this message of children in crisis to educators and social service workers.

 

Joliet Franciscan Heritage Award Honorees

FranFran Naal has been involved with the Sisters for many years. Not only is she a graduate of the College of St. Francis (now the University of St. Francis), she is the niece of the late Sister Loretta Tures. So one can say, Fran grew up with the Sisters in her life. Fran has been a member of the Feast committee almost from the beginning of the event and is a founding member of the Sisters’ 520 Club. She is an active member of the Visitation & Aid Society, the Joliet Area Community Hospice Guild, the University of St. Francis Alumni Association, as well as others.  Fran cares about Joliet and the people who call it home. Fran is a Joliet Franciscan Heritage Award Honoree.

ClaireClaire Millweard has also been involved with the Sisters for most of her life. As a student at St. John the Baptist Grade School and St. Francis Academy, Claire has had a long relationship with the Sisters. Like Fran, Claire has also been a member of the Feast committee almost from the beginning and is also a founding member of the 520 Club. Claire is a member of the Joliet Area Community Hospice Guild, the Visitation & Aid Society and others. Claire has lived in Joliet her entire life and her actions speak to her commitment to this community. Claire is a Joliet Franciscan Heritage Award Honoree.

Sisters Receive USF Presidential Alumni Award

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On Sunday DSC_6755September 20, 2015, the University of St. Francis held their annual Alumni Award Ceremony during their Homecoming and Reunion Weekend. Among the various alumni awards presented was the Presidential Award. This year, the Sisters of St. Francis of Mary Immaculate, were honored for their continued service and support of USF.  The Sisters founded the University of St. Francis.

AcceptiPresident_Award_webng on behalf of the Sisters was Sister Clarita Schumacher, Vice President and Councilor for the Membership.

Sisters featured in Christ is our Hope Magazine

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Christourhope-sept2015In their lifetime, the Joliet Franciscan Sisters witnessed the Wright Brothers take flight in Kitty Hawk, Charles Lindbergh cross the Atlantic, and Neil Armstrong become the first person to walk on the moon. Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone, laying the groundwork for the ability to communicate with people around the universe in more ways than even he could have possibly imagined.

Over their 150 years, the sisters opened classroom doors, and thousands of students walked through to meet teachers who would help them learn about God, the world and themselves. They founded the Franciscan Learning Center, St. Francis Academy (now Joliet Catholic Academy) and the College of St. Francis (now known as the University of St. Francis), all in Joliet. The sisters taught in schools across the Diocese of Joliet, the Archdiocese of Chicago,towns in Illinois and the United States. As the immigrant population of the U.S. grew, sisters who spoke German, Slovak and Polish were sought by pastors needing teachers who could teach the children of their growing parishes.

Congratulations to New Regional Council in Brazil

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Council-webThis is a historical moment in our Congregation! On September 6, 2015, the first all Brazilian council was elected. The Regional Council consists of a Regional Coordinator and 2 councilors.

Sister Jeronima Marques da Costa was elected Regional Coordinator and Sister Neli Vieira dos Santos and Rita Cristina Lima dos Santos were elected councilors.

Right after the elections, the Council met and asked Sister Ruth Berry to continue as Secretary and Ana Claudia Pontes Rezende will remain as Treasurer.

Photo:  Sisters Ana Claudia, Jeronima, Rita, Dolores, Neli and Ruth.

Sisters Celebrate 150th Anniversary with Special Mass at Cathedral

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deb-webIt was truly a beautiful August day. With clergy, family members, friends and Associates, the Joliet Franciscan Sisters celebrated a day that was 150 years in the making. Gathering at the Cathedral of St. Raymond in Joliet, 120 Sisters processed down the aisle to the hymn “All Creatures of Our God and King” and took their places. This marked the beginning of their 150th anniversary celebration.

The celebrant of the Eucharistic Liturgy, Bishop R. Daniel Conlon who said to all gathered, “These are women who get up every day and recognize that their life is for Christ, that they live for the Kingdom of God. They faithfully responded to God’s calling.” Bishop Conlon then invited all to stand and applaud the Sisters. It was a heartfelt moment with many smiles, along with a few happy tears.

To read more about the 150th celebration, please click here.

Click here to read the article printed in the Joliet Herald Newspaper

August 1, 2015, Memorial Service

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viv-webThe afternoon of Saturday, August 1, found Sisters, Associates, former
members and friends gathered at Our Lady of Angels Chapel to remember
and celebrate the lives of the 900+ deceased Sisters and Associates. This
event was part of the 150th anniversary celebration.

During the service, candles were lit by several Sisters and Associates. After
every ten names of the deceased were read aloud, a chime was sounded
throughout the Prayer Service to remember and reflect on their lives.

 

Click here to read more about the memorial service held at OLA.

Sisters to be Inducted into Project Pride Hall of Fame

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JWPP_LOGO2-287x119On November 10, 2015, at the annual Joliet/Will County Project Pride dinner, the Joliet Franciscan Sisters will be inducted into the Hall of Pride. The Sisters, celebrating the 150th anniversary of their founding in 1865, are being honored for their years serving in education and community service.

This is the 30th anniversary of Joliet/Will County Project Pride. The organization has honored 135 individuals over the course of its history.

The dinner is being held at the Clarion Hotel & Conference Center at 411 S. Larkin Avenue in Joliet.   For more information, visit Joliet/Will County Project Pride’s website at www.jolietwillcountyprojectpride.org.

Sister Deborah Gaughan Renews her Vows

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Deb-webOn July 20, 2015, Sister Deborah Gaughan renewed her temporary vows at Our Lady of Angels Chapel in the presence of her Sisters, family and friends. Sister Deborah promised to live her life in poverty, chastity and obedience in accordance to the Constitutions of the Sisters of St. Francis of Mary Immaculate.

The only difference between temporary and perpetual vows is that simple vows can be renewed until the Sister makes perpetual vows. Sister Deborah renewed her temporary vows for three years. During this time she will remain living with her community while continuing her Graduate studies at Aurora University where she is working toward a Master Degree in Social Work.

 

Franciscan Federation honors Sister Marianne Saieg

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Sr_Marianne_Saieg-webThe Franciscan Federation honored Sister Marianne Saieg at the Annual Federation Conference on June 19-22 in Indianapolis.

In nominating Sister Marianne, the Congregation stated the following:

“Sister Marianne Saieg reflects the beauty and goodness of God through her artistic expression. She sees and expresses Earth’s mystery and beauty in every medium in which she works: photography, writing, power point reflections, poetry, space design, or prayer/photo cards. Through her eyes God’s wonder is seen in all life and her pieces reflect the Franciscan spiritual life, integrating daily life and the Gospel. Assisi and the lives of Francis and Clare are highlights of her work. She uses light and color, shadow and space in ways that awaken the wonder in us.

“Sister Marianne’s artistic gifts are shared with retreatants, directees, congregations, deacons and lay ministers, and parishes. She has work published in the Spiritual Journal, Alive Now; Presence: An International Journal of Spiritual Direction; and in a Meditation book called, Seeding Your Soul: Six Considerations for Spiritual Growth.

2-Assisi-web “The second criteria of bringing power to the poor and powerless through artistic expression comes alive in Sister Marianne as well. She has used photography to raise awareness of the poor and powerless in PowerPoint meditations, a brochure for the Care Fair with photos from the Jail ministry, and photo presentations, so that people with low vision can view photographs on their reading machines.

 “Sister Marianne’s artistic expressions make the simple extraordinary.”

 

Joliet Franciscan Sister Makes Final Vows

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sister beatriz1On January 24, 2015, Sister Beatriz de Sousa, OSF professed her perpetual vows in the Congregation and become the newest member of the Sisters of St. Francis of Mary Immaculate.

Sister Beatriz was born and raised in Brazil. In 2006, she joined the Irmãs Franciscanas (Franciscan Sisters) where she began to live with and minister among the Joliet Franciscan Sisters. The Congregation had established its Brazilian Mission in 1963. In 2010, Sister Beatriz professed her simple vows and offi cially became a member of the Congregation. She was then referred to as “Sister” Beatriz.

As a teenager she began to participate actively in her local parish. “It was because of my participation at church that fi rst sparked a desire in me to experience religious life,” said Sister Beatriz. Years later, she remembers meeting the Joliet Franciscans and the impact they made in her life. “I began to appreciate the work of the Sisters, and the desire to share in their way of life grew in me,” she said.

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Sisters Beatriz, Dolores Zemont, President, and Margaret Noser, Regional Coordinator, during the Profession Ceremony in Brazil.

Sister Dolores Zemont, President of the Congregation, travelled to Brazil with Sr. Dorothy Kinsella, who is serving as historian of the Congregation, to participate in the final vow ceremony. During this ceremony, Sister Beatriz will profess vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience and be bound by the Constitutions of the Congregation which were amended and approved on October 4, 1985, the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi. Sister Beatriz will continue to minister as a teacher in Goiania, Brazil.