She served as a primary school teacher for eight years in Iowa (Mallard and Dedham) and Wisconsin (St. Joseph Ridge, Eau Galle, Ashland and Edgar). She was born in Rochester, NY to Jeremiah J. and Mary O'Connor Collins. Her love of teaching, sports and cross-cultural experiences were always part of her life. Community members, family and friends will remember the long and rich life of Sister Lydia, for her deep love of God and her faith, her loyal dedication to her work with little children and the elderly and her positive approach to life. At entrance into the novitiate, she received the name Sister Ladonna. She was in the seventy-first year of her religious profession. After 12 years of schooling, the matter was settled and she entered St. Rose Convent in September 1947. By August, 1955, Sister Dorothy was beginning her high school at St. Rose Convent in La Crosse, Wisconsin. After Vatican II, Sister Frances felt the call to change her ministry. From 1986 to 1989, Sister Margaret Ann served as Director of Development of Catholic Schools for the Superior Diocese. She began her tertiary education at Viterbo College (University) in the field of education. Sister FrancesYanisch, Franciscan Sister of Perpetual Adoration, 90, died on Friday, April 24, 2020 at Villa St. Joseph, La Crosse, Wisconsin after a battle with cancer. Two years later, with the restructuring of the congregation, she was elected Regional Leader of the FSPA Western Region (1985-1993) located in Spokane. When she was five years old, Florence began her education at St. Josephs School, Bellevue. After receiving a Bachelor of Music Education Degree from Viterbo College (University), La Crosse, she continued her education with a Masters in Music Education from DePaul University, Chicago. Felician Sisters - Congregation of the Sisters of Saint Felix of Cantalice This led her to think about what she would do with the rest of her life. Her parents moved to Chile five months after they were married. After completing high school, Sister Lois entered the novitiate on August 12, 1942, and was given the name Sister Caroleen. News reports show that, as of July 16, in addition to the 13 Felicians in Livonia, at least 19 other sisters have died in the United States, including a Felician sister at the order's convent in Lodi, New Jersey; six sisters from two communities at a shared convent outside Milwaukee, Wisconsin; and three Maryknoll Sisters in Ossining, New York . As one parishioner said, We have been blessed to have Sister Geralyn in our parish. Sister Geralyn had a great devotion to Capuchin Father Solanus Casey from Prescott, whose cause is in consideration for canonization. SISTER MARIA TESSARI, O.S.F. Agnes Marcella was born to Anthony and Agnes (Gehling) Wernimont on January 20, 1932 in Coon Rapids, Iowa. Sister Geralyn Misura, 88, died Sunday, Aug. 21, 2022, at Villa St. Joseph, La Crosse, Wisconsin. by Franciscan Sisters of Our Lady of Perpetual Help | Sep 13, 2022 | Franciscan Sisters News, LCWR, Obituaries, Uncategorized Sister Rose Marie Przybylowicz, OSF, passed away September 9, 2022. Sister Gale was baptized Lucille Michaeline, the name given by her parents Victoria and Lucian Bednarek, at St. Joseph's Church in Chicago by Franciscan Sisters of Our Lady of Perpetual Help | Jul 27, 2021 | Franciscan Sisters News, Obituaries. Villa St. Joseph became her home again, retiring in 2018. Even after retiring to St. Rose Convent in 2000, Sister Gertrude assisted in the wellness center, accompanying sisters to doctor appointments and helping as needed. Sister Gertrude served her FSPA community as a homemaker in convent homes in Iowa, Washington and Wisconsin from 1948 to 1965. Thereafter, sheserved as Healthcare Province Representative on the General Board, Coordinator of Formation at Healthcare House of Studies, and Provincial of FSPA Healthcare Province from 1972 to 1979. Thats what I take.. She wanted to enter St. Rose Convent after graduation, but circumstances compelled her to wait until August 30, 1943. Community members, family and friends remember Sister Geralyn as a kind, quiet person who always loved children, music and the parishioners at St. Joseph. She helped found a Father Solanus Prayer Circle and had organized several pilgrimages to Detroit, Michigan, where Father Solanus spent most of his religious life. She made profession of first vows on August 12, 1954. Sister Gertrude made first profession of vows on August 12, 1948 and final vows on August 9, 1954. After receiving a bachelors degree in English from Viterbo College (University), La Crosse, she went on for a masters degree in English from Marquette University, Milwaukee. Rapnicki - Sister Mary David, FSSJ Sister Mary David died peacefully on Thursday, January 9, 2020, at St. Francis Park, in the 88th year of life and the 70th year of religious life. She was in the sixty-eighth year of her religious profession. Sister Patricia Keating, Franciscan Sister of Perpetual Adoration, 91, died of natural causes on July 24, 2020 at Villa St. Joseph, La Crosse, Wisconsin. In October, 1968, Sister Sandra professed her first vows with the Consolata Missionary Sisters of Turin, Italy. Sister Rita Jansen, Franciscan Sister of Perpetual Adoration, 94, died on Thursday, November 17, 2022 at Villa St. Joseph in La Crosse, Wisconsin. When her health began to deteriorate, she moved to South Hill Village in Spokane. She served as principal in both Carroll (St. Lawrence School) and Calmar. The Franciscan Sisters of Mary care passionately for God's creation. To the surprise of her family, she chose the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration in La Crosse, being drawn to the ministry of Perpetual Adoration. Then, making a change in her career, Sister Agnes worked with abused children at Casa de Esperanza de Los Ninos, Houston, Texas, for five years and one year at Catholic Charities in El Paso, Texas, in emergency services. These four congregations originated from the same Philadelphia, Pennsylvania . She was an excellent teacher, a compassionate pastoral by Franciscan Sisters of Our Lady of Perpetual Help | Jun 5, 2017 | Franciscan Sisters News, Obituaries. For the next 21 years, from 1981 to 2002, Sister Margaret again used her teaching skills as a religious education teacher, tutor and parish visitor at St. Marys in Hurley, Wisconsin. In 2003, Sister Patricia joined the FSPA membership team where she provided a listening ear to women discerning their future vocation. Her family then moved to Brookfield, Wisconsin where she attended St. John Vianney School. She started taking piano lessons in sixth grade and music became her major interest. At the end of her time at Viterbo, Sister Anita was invited to serve as an FSPA representative on the inter-congregational coordinating team for the preparation and celebration of the 150th anniversary of the founding of the congregation. Barbara Jane entered St. Rose Convent in the fall of 1951. While at Viterbo, Sister Jean volunteered at the federal prison at Oxford, Wisconsin as a retreat leader, mentor and friend to inmates. Read more. She ministered in schools in La Crosse, Plum City, Allouez and Stratford, Wisconsin; in Carroll, Calmar and Hiawatha, Iowa; in Bozeman, Montana; in Spokane, Washington and in David, Kentucky. Sister Valerie Lemansky, age 90, a member of the Franciscan Sisters of Christian Charity, passed away on Tuesday, January 31, 2023, at Holy Family Convent, Manitowoc. It is one of our missions that provide educational, spiritual and advocacy programs to help the nearby residents build better lives for themselves, their families and their communities. When she became a novice on August 12, 1953, she was given the name Sister Leocadia. Sister Rose Marie Przybylowicz, OSF, passed away September 9, 2022. Province St. Elizabeth | Sisters of St. Francis of the Martyr St. George Province St. Elizabeth Our History The American Province began in poverty with many hardships. Sister Anita (Mary Kenneth) Beskar, FSPA, died April 23, 2022, just shy of her 90th birthday, at Villa St. Joseph, La Crosse, Wisconsin. For recreation, Scrabble was her passion, along with a good card game now and then. She was in the seventy-second year of her religious profession. Helen and her cousin Art were constant companions until he left for Maryhurst in the Philippines to become a Brother of Mary. She was 86 years old.Baptized Patricia Ann at Immaculate Conception Church in Omaha, NE, she entered religious life in 1952 and pronounced perpetual vows in 1958. Now 89 years old, they were born in Brooklyn 15 minutes apart. She attributed her good health to the daily walks/runs to the hermitages located on the Villa property. For the next 20 years she ministered as an art teacher in high schools in Wisconsin (Superior, Green Bay, and at Viterbo College), as an art and religion teacher in Wausau, Wisconsin and Miles City, Montana. She received a Bachelor of Science degree in education with a minor in biology from Viterbo College (University). She began her teaching career with middle grades in Carroll and Hills, Iowa and at St. Marys Ridge, Wisconsin before moving into high school teaching. In 1992, she responded to a call by the U.S. Catholic Bishops to provide summer English classes to clergy and religious in the Czech Republic, a ministry she continued until 2015. Pat attended St. Gabriels Grade School and St. Marys Academy both staffed by the Notre Dame Sisters. Franciscan Sister News Franciscan News and Events. In Loving Memory Of Sister Dorothy Ann Kundinger. Before them was a newly-unveiled 7-foot bronze statue of Sister Mary Virgilius Reidy, one of their own. She moved to Rochester, Minnesota and began taking classes as a human service technician at Rochester Area Technical Institute. Jeanette Mary Margaret Kassmeyer was born in Fort Madison, Iowa, to Frank and Leona (Krittenbrink) Kassmeyer on March 11, 1936, the oldest of eight children. She received a bachelors degree in home economics and English from Viterbo College (University), La Crosse and did additional studies at Marquette University, Milwaukee. Sister Ladonna made her home at St. Rose Convent in 2016. Sister Jean and her sisters (and often her brother) spent manyvacations together exploring their family roots in Ireland, or just hanging out by the ocean. Florence Catherine was born on September 26, 1923, to Frank and Dorothy (Tritz) Goetz in Bellevue, Iowa. She was in the seventy-fifth year of her religious profession. Obituary - Sr. Miriam Sitarz OSF Sister Miriam, 100, a sister for 84 years, died June 3, 2017 at Mary, Queen and Mother Center in St. Louis. Sister Margaret worked at the hospital in Little Falls on weekends and during the summer. There she met the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration (FSPA) at St. Marys Grade School. Joselda Hageman, Franciscan Sister of Perpetual Adoration, 94, died of natural causes on Saturday, July 11, 2020 at Villa St. Joseph, La Crosse, Wisconsin. Instead, she worked at Kaufer Catholic Bookstore in Spokane, then enrolled at Holy Names College (Fort Wright College) with a major in journalism and a minor in dramatics. Sister Donna served as an elementary teacher for 14 years in schools in Washington (St. Augustines, Spokane [1952-1955 and 1963-1964]) and Wisconsin (Sacred Heart, Ashland [1950-1952]), La Crosse (St. Wenceslaus [1956-1963] and Blessed Sacrament [1964-1965]). Sister Betty ministered in the field of education, receiving a Bachelor of Arts in Chemistry with a minor in Mathematics from Viterbo College (University) and a Master of Science in Chemistry from the University of Notre Dame. Sister Margaret Ann ministered as an elementary school teacher for 47 years throughout Wisconsin (Eau Galle, Mondovi, Odanah, Ashland, Eau Claire, Edgar, Athens, Superior and Ashland), as well as Blackfoot, Idaho and Milford, Iowa. Sisters of Saint Francis - Rochester, Minnesota Welcome! Sister Margaret Schmolke, Franciscan Sister of Perpetual Adoration, 96, died on Wednesday, October 19, 2022, at Villa St. Joseph in La Crosse, Wisconsin. She was in the seventy-fourth year of her religious profession. The Franciscan Sisters of Allegany is a congregation of Catholic women religious and their Associates serving the poor and marginalized of Bolivia, Brazil, Jamaica, Mozambique and the United States for over 160 years. No grave photo. In 1979, Sister Pat moved to Tulsa, Oklahomato minister to the elderly. Born on Oct. 7, 1927 in Sparta, Wisconsin, to William and Alice (Senogles) Sheridan, Sister Patricia grew up in Kendall, Wisconsin where her father worked for the Sheridan Lumber Company. Sandy loved being a nurse in Africa. She could often be seen at table long after most people had left the dining room. Sister Lydia Wendl, Franciscan Sister of Perpetual Adoration, 101, died on Friday, January 27, 2023, at St. Rose Convent in La Crosse, Wisconsin. As boarders, Sister Margaret and Helen got home one weekend a month. By her junior year, she had decided to enter religious life. Even though she experienced permanent injury from a jeep accident while in Africa, she did not let that stop her from being of service to others. Friends, family and community members remember Sister Joanne as having a quiet, loving heart for the poor, especially the elderly poor. In 1964 she began working at Viterbo College as Business Manager and Comptroller, a position she held until 1974. Sister Helen served her FSPA community as Director of Nursing at Villa St. Joseph 1964 to 1965, prior to completing her Masters Degree in nursing education at Columbia University in New York City, New York from 1965 to 1967. Sister Bernadette Milada Prochaska was born on June 15, 1932 in Montfort (Castle Rock), Wisconsin to Frank and Victoria (Roh) Prochaska, where she grew up with her nine brothers and sisters. From 1994 to 1998, Sister Joanne served as co-director of the FSPA Clare Retreat Center in Spokane. Sisters Gertrude, Pelligrina, and Costanza arrived in New York City on Dec. 5 and were given hospitality at St. Francis of Assisi Church on West 31st Street. She was in the sixty-fourth year of her religious profession. She made her home at Villa St. Joseph in 2013. She liked the work and desired to become a nurse. With a sense of humility and pride, she enjoyed many years of service to families through the Salvation Army. She was always ready to share something with whomever she met, including candy from the bag constantly over her arm. Sr. Maureen Kelly F.S.P. Obituary - Yonkers, NY - Dignity Memorial The Franciscans are celebrating their 150th anniversary. From our life in community we are sent to extend the mission of Jesus through our presence and service. Community members, family, colleagues and friends will remember Sister Cecilienne as an excellent music teacher and a master organist. Sister Anita spent various periods of time in the West African country with the sisters, providing workshops, spiritual reflection, and just listening to their stories of history, fear and hope. JEREMIAH COLLINS OBITUARY. We, the Franciscan Sisters of St. Joseph, witness the Gospel in joy and peace, committed to prayer, service, and care for all creation. Again she received a negative response, but a week later her father gave his approval. On August 12, 1954, she made her first profession of vows as a Franciscan Sister of Perpetual Adoration. She served on numerous boards, including St. Marys Hospital (Mayo Clinic Health System-Franciscan Healthcare, Sparta, Wisconsin), St. Anthonys Foundation in Carroll, Iowa, St. Francis Hospital (Mayo Clinic Health System-Franciscan Healthcare, La Crosse) and Viterbo University in La Crosse. She grew up in Guttenberg with her three brothers and two sisters, helping her father at the Kuempel & Lake Hardware Store. Sister Betty Shakal, FSPA, 87, died May 3, 2021 at Villa St. Joseph, La Crosse, Wisconsin. She was an elementary school teacher for the majority of her active religious life, teaching grades one through four. She was in the seventy-first year of her religious profession. Throughout her multiple ministries, she had a can do attitude. At the completion of her term she moved to Sun City, Arizona, where she served as parish administrator of St. John Vianney Parish. Sister Kathy, as she was lovingly called, was small in stature but large in spirit and generosity. She never wanted to miss a party. At that time she retired to St. Rose Convent where her ministry was that of prayer and hospitality. After a years sabbatical at Prairiewoods Franciscan Spirituality Center in Hiawatha, Iowa, Sister Karolyne stayed on as gardener and helped in the kitchen until 2005. From 2016 to 2019, Sister Jean was back at Viterbo University teaching classes in Franciscan Traditions and Values. My family is a source of strength and support for me in their love and understanding. Sister Jean continued her education with a masters degree in Spanish and Foreign Languages from Purdue University. She received a BA in chemistry with a minor in mathematics from Viterbo College (University) and an MS in chemistry from Notre Dame. She accepted a volunteer position at the Eastern Washington Agency on Aging, wrote a grant for funding and was hired. During her senior year, Sister Clara Mae and a friend visited St. Rose Convent, the motherhouse of the Franciscan Sisters of Perpetual Adoration. Bernardine Franciscan Sisters' Jubilee Celebration ~ May 29, 2022 in Reading, Pennsylvania Doorways of Hope ~ Closing Activity for the Year ~ May 25, 2022 Bernardine Bonanza 2022 Renewal of Vows in Northeast Brazil ~ January 9, 2022 Motherhouse Christmas 2021 Doorways of Hope ~ Christmas 2021 Program Bernardine Center ~ Chester, Pennsylvania Sister Francis Marie Vallone, 96, was Franciscan nun for 75 years 21 News Local Police & Courts Business Politics State & Regional History National World Multimedia COVID-19 News Tip.