?!General Chapter 2024
The 21st International General Chapter of the Hospital Sisters of St Francis is held in Muenster, Germany, from September 8 – 22, 2024. You can follow our daily news here.

Welcome!

In 1844, there was a small group of young women from Telgte in the northwest of Germany who recognized the needs of the time and were open to God’s invitation. Following the example of St. Francis of Assisi, these women dedicated their lives to God and the service of the sick. This was the beginning of the Hospital Sisters of the Third Order Regular of St. Francis.
These Westphalian roots have given rise to an international religious community that has founded hospitals, care facilities and schools on three continents. Through active help and prayer, the sisters’ commitment touches thousands of people every day and creates more health, more education and many jobs worldwide.
The sisters draw the strength for their work from their faith, from Franciscan spirituality and from their life in community. The order is led by democratically elected committees from the ranks of the sisters, both regionally and internationally.

Generalate

Representing the international community of religious sisters worldwide and leading it into the future is in the hands of the central international religious leadership, also known as the General Leadership or “Generalate” for short.
This committee consists of the Superior General, i.e. the leading nun of the entire congregation, and her closest colleagues, the General Councillors. The international religious leadership is elected for a term of six years and is supported by a team of religious sisters and civilian employees.
The headquarters of the Generalate and the international parent company are located in Münster, Germany.

Locations

Going where the need is great and where people need help, comfort and prospects: The sisters have always acted according to this principle of St. Francis. The nuns sent out into the world not only cared for the sick, but also built hospitals, care facilities and schools and, over time, gathered like-minded people around them. This is how the current locations on three continents came into being.

?!There are currently tens of thousands of people worldwide working in facilities founded and set up by the nuns. It is difficult to estimate how many people have been healed in body and soul through the work of the sisters since the order was founded.

Congregation

Today, more and more people are seeking inspiration, for positive role models, and for meaning in their lives. Many women have found this and more in our religious community since 1844.

News

You can find the latest news from the Generalate and the international locations as well as interesting facts about life in the religious community here.